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Planning above my skill level?


SlvrDragon50

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I had my first outdoor match yesterday which was a blast despite going quite poorly. I want to blame it on having not shot my gun in 3-4 weeks and only getting maybe 1-2 days of dry fire in, but I know mentally I just wasn't there either. I didn't get DQd despite there being many opportunities so I can't complain too much.

 

I think the part I'm struggling with mentally is my planning may be above my skill level. Yesterday was my first time getting a chance to shoot on the move which went better than I expected, but I'm finding that I worry about these more difficult shots too much that normal standing shots on paper which should ordinarily be easy, are ending up being difficult.

 

Oddly enough, the shot that I thought would be the hardest (20 yard shot) was probably my best shot because I found myself forgetting about the difficulty and just shooting as I  came to it.

 

So my question is, should I tone down my stage plans to a level that is appropriate to my skill level. That is, should I plan my reloads (production) to get maybe one more reload on the move rather than trying to shoot two positions on one mag to allow myself a bit more leeway? And just take out shooting on the move altogether? Or do I continue to follow these plans (which seem to be similar to the As and Bs) and just get the experience over time?

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4 minutes ago, SlvrDragon50 said:

 should I tone down my stage plans to a level appropriate to my skill level. 

 

Not if you want to improve    :)

 

Try to get your skill level up to your stage plans.

 

I'm an "old bullseye shooter" - boy I really hate to hear that, especially

from the attractive young ladies shooting USPSA - but it's true.

 

So, I tend to have trouble speeding up.

 

At a Zombie match and squadded with another "old Open shooter"

and started to feel a little competitive, so I started shooting as

though I meant it - soon as the dot came onto the target BOOM BOOM.

 

I knew on a number of targets that I must have missed at least one of

those two BOOMS - but during the entire match, I did NOT miss any

of the shots - beat that SOB by just a few points   :) 

 

I never tried to "shoot on the move" either - afraid of missing.   One match

I was squadded with another "old Open shooter" and we have been

competitive since the Civil War  -    I tried one stage moving - he said

later that I never stopped moving or shooting.   Got a great time, and

no misses - That Was A Blast.

 

No, don't "tone down your stage plans" - go for it - it's only a game.

 

If you have a bad shot or a bad day, so what?   Nobody got hurt.

 

Try it -  you'll like it    :bow:

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I am completely guilty of trying to get too cute in stage planning.  When i see really good shooters shoot, i dont see them doing crazy stage plans full of risky shots, i see them just being very efficient.  They shoot the array, move fast to the next array, dont waste time setting up or dallying before leaving, etc.  I think there are times when things like shooting on the move make sense, but they are still in the context of the whole plan.  Just crushing a simple stage plan will probably reap more benefits from what i have seen.

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31 minutes ago, BenBreeg said:

I am completely guilty of trying to get too cute in stage planning.  When i see really good shooters shoot, i dont see them doing crazy stage plans full of risky shots, i see them just being very efficient.  They shoot the array, move fast to the next array, dont waste time setting up or dallying before leaving, etc.  I think there are times when things like shooting on the move make sense, but they are still in the context of the whole plan.  Just crushing a simple stage plan will probably reap more benefits from what i have seen.

Well, I don't think I'm making risky shots if a A shooter were running my plan :P It's just risky for me because my shooting skills just aren't there yet heh.

 

Sounds like I should just keep with these stage plans and work on skills until I am able to execute my plans.

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Something that has stuck with me, is in line with what Ben said above. The difference in 2 separate stage plans is usually not a lot, if executed properly. So worry more about execution. If you're taking too many make up shots and forcing standing reloads, try having more visual patience. What's the difference in an A class stage plan and a C class stage plan (Other than maybe an activator sequence)? If you know your ability to hit a target, just stay within those confines. Take the time you need to hit each target by being patient on your sights. I shot a stage with 1/2 sized targets, mini poppers, and the smallest square knockdown steel allowed by rules (6" maybe?) and had all alphas on the stage (except the last mini popper. Called a good hit, which it was, and of course lost calibration). Just learn how much sight picture you need to make a given shot, so makeups are not throwing you off constantly. I didn't have any unplanned reloads on 6 stages yesterday. That and speeding up everything while NOT shooting, has made the biggest difference in my shooting over time. These are things that need to be worked on in practice leading up to the match, then you basically just shoot your sights on match day (eventually learn shot calling)

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2 hours ago, SlvrDragon50 said:

Well, I don't think I'm making risky shots if a A shooter were running my plan :P It's just risky for me because my shooting skills just aren't there yet heh.

 

Sounds like I should just keep with these stage plans and work on skills until I am able to execute my plans.

 

Confidence is key.  Make a stage plan you are confident you can execute.  A bad plan well executed is better than a good plan poorly executed...usually.  

And like you said...work on the skills you're not confident with just yet:  shooting on the move, long shots, etc... so that you gain the confidence to execute them in a match.    

Edited by uewpew
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  • 2 months later...

I think that to make the best plan, you have to know what your capabilities are. If you're out planning your current capabilities, you've already identified what you need to work on.

 

That being said, I think a lot of people underestimate their capabilities, especially if they're able to shoot accurately. - The amount of people who are afraid to speed up, or SOTM because they're too hyperfocused on shooting two well aimed shots... 

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I think that to make the best plan, you have to know what your capabilities are. If you're out planning your current capabilities, you've already identified what you need to work on.

 

That being said, I think a lot of people underestimate their capabilities, especially if they're able to shoot accurately. - The amount of people who are afraid to speed up, or SOTM because they're too hyperfocused on shooting two well aimed shots... 

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 8/27/2017 at 3:39 PM, uewpew said:

A bad plan well executed is better than a good plan poorly executed...usually.  

  

 

I want to add to all of this. 

 

There are times when someone you are watching does something you didnt think of, and you then want to change your plan. But if you do not have sufficient time to internalize the plan you are going to execute poorly. So be very careful about adjusting your plan once you decided on it. 

Edited by Jumprun13k
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My stage plans tend to fall towards the "less risky" side of things.  Like if a target can be shot from 2 different positions (long shot with a hard lean vs. a close shot in the open), I'll probably take the close shot even though it may mean a few extra seconds.  BUT...as I get more experience/confidence/comfortable, I'm starting to take those "more risky" shots.

 

I also try and plan my reloads so that I'm reloading at a point where I'm not running the gun dry.  For example, if the stage can be shot with 1 reload "perfectly" or 2 reloads "conservatively", I tend towards the 2 reload plan, especially if there's steel involved.

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  • 3 months later...
On 11/28/2017 at 1:48 PM, Jumprun13k said:

 

I want to add to all of this. 

 

There are times when someone you are watching does something you didnt think of, and you then want to change your plan. But if you do not have sufficient time to internalize the plan you are going to execute poorly. So be very careful about adjusting your plan once you decided on it. 

 

This happened to me. On several occasions, but one match sticks out in particular. I was a Prod/B shooter and “fortunate” enough to end up in the super squad. I put “fortunate” in quotes because while my performance was hampered, i think the end result was a net gain. I’ll try to explain.

 

I was shooting with some pros. So I was seeing what they were doing and how fast they were doing it and I tried to duplicate that perfomance. I still ended up down in time (surprise) AND I lost a lot of points because I was going faster than my eyes/sights could keep up. 

 

I’m still glad I was able to do so. I learned a few neat tricks, saw how to break down stages in a new way, and had a blast since all the guys were good folks and patient with me. I even did really well on a few stages. Just not as well as I’d have liked to in the match. 

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