[Which is Harder - Overcoming Gobbling or Making GM?]

You aren't weak, just judging yourself as such when you fail. I would say you are rather strong in many ways. Most people never confront and recognize their weaknesses as they fear the knowledge of self awareness. Making progress is more important than performing well. Constant progress in any endeavor will lead you to a better understanding of what is really important anyway. Remember that when the journey ends, let it be because you ran out of road, not gas.

[For the "Older Shooters"]

interesting topic. i just bought some reader at the dollar store to try out. my stregth is +1.00. now my front sights are sharp, but far is fuzzy. So those that already do this, has doing this improved your scores?

I use about half the strength for shooting that I use for reading. For me, that means .50 power readers, which are hard to find in stores, but easily available on the internet. I even found a place where you can get them tinted, or have a different strengths in each eye (for $30-50). So I got a pair that are uncorrected in my weak eye and .50 power in my strong eye. The front sight is MUCH clearer than without glasses, and the targets are still plenty clear enough. The biggest difference for me has been that it's easier for me to look at the front sight now instead of having my focus dragged out to the targets simply because i can't see the front sight clearly. I've been practicing and doing other stuff too, but the glasses are part of why my scores have improved significantly in the last 6 months.

I would recommend using the weakest power you can get away with, to minimize the fuzziness of far-away targets.

I'm closely online with this program. I'm 53 and had had phenomenal vision my whole life. Like off the scale good. Could read an eye chart 20-05 easily. Could see .22 holes in target at 100, .30 caliber on black targets at 200..... My readers are 2.00 and I am bouncing around between 1.25 for Speed events (IPSC,USPSA) and 1.50-1.75 for Accuracy (NRA Bianchi Cup, Bullseye, CMP) in my dominant, right eye. In left I use less for Speed, usually .25-.50 less, and .25 less or same as right eye for Accuracy.

I can tell you the decision to get correction was hard for me, made me feel old, but I immediately saw improvement in my aiming. Have been able to stay competitive since.

I work closely with Dr. Kerry Pearson in Mesa Az, and Robert Lewis at Decot sport optics in Phoenix Az. I would recommend you get in contact with them. Dr.Pearson is a Gm shooter and uses correction himself and Robert can give you great real world advise and even my whole complete opticalRX history.

Keep up the fight!!!

[more participation @ big matches? Just an observation]

Well, Its not about being new. That's not it. If you have an opinion and want to voice it, expect others who may not share your sentiment to respond from their point of view. Your comments obviously hit a sore spot with me and others. It's just taking responsibility for actions. Say what you want but expect others to do the same.

I hope you do not quit revolver. We need more, not less in the division. BTW, you are not the only one that's unhappy I won the Revolver Nationals. I bet we could start a "why does Rob get to win the Revo division" thread here somewhere!!

[Which is Harder - Overcoming Gobbling or Making GM?]

Be ready to accept something I have had to almost continuously for 30 years; that the changes I need to make to be competitive are not necessarily what I want to work on. Most likely the improvement will not come from defining concepts and finding a way to be comfortable. I can tell you that I am more likely to miss shots that should be fast than those I define as accurate. I have had to accept that I am not fast enough nor accurate enough. I must improve everything, constantly.

If you are not good at "hosing", then doing that will take you out of your comfort zone. Do that more often. When you become comfortable being uncomfortable, you will be learning the things that will ultimately take you to a place that seems inaccessible now.

[Which is Harder - Overcoming Gobbling or Making GM?]

May as well give you some answers. Grip gun MUCH tighter, release/reset trigger MUCH faster, do not shoot until you see gun stop moving. Do not start aiming when you see it stop, shoot. Jerk trigger, and learn how to do it properly.

[Which is Harder - Overcoming Gobbling or Making GM?]

You can't implement concepts or advice in a match. If you tried that at a match because of my input, I apologize. I would never have let you do that were you my student. This, the way we we are attempting change can't work. It can't be done this way, only talked about. It's why we get so cerebral in these discussions, because we can't actually do anything!! All changes have to occur in an environment where the results do not matter. You must test without having to worry about the score. That's the commit without regard to consequences thing. Should have made that more clear.

Going into a stage with the goal to shoot as fast as you can almost always requires you to consciously give up focusing on something you normally would. Like aiming. Sadly, this is almost always the case but if you are able to devote time to changing, you will learn to do things you never would believe you could, but it won't happen the first time. Or second, or ever if it is always at an event where failure is more important than learning.

I would ask you to try this. Next time you practice, try making 1 change. That being firing the gun as fast as you can at a target repeatedly 7 yards away. Keep doing this, without reloads or draws or anything, and see how fast you can get your splits while still hitting c zone. Then shoot at a pace where you always get a zones and see if it isn't a big difference. It will be. Notice I never said to shoot the gun towards the target as fast as you can. Now try to figure what you need to see to do to repeat the c zone pace without slowing down.

Start with this and let us know results. I don't think what you do at matches matters right now. only practice. good luck.

[more participation @ big matches? Just an observation]

Well it's interesting to see the chatter at this point. The ones that hate the new rule before it was a rule still do. Ok no shocker but the fact that uspsa matches are setup to follow uspsa guidelines is the reason the 8 shot makes sense. If your not going to shoot anyway or use this rule as an excuse to support not going, it's not really a valid statement on the status quo.

Guys that aren't here at the nationals sitting in hotels reading this stuff will not have the same perspective I do.

You guys that wanna shoot 32 round stages but don't like 24 round stages make no sense to me? Who cares what the round count is? IDPA is killing uspsa in revo BECAUSE they are short stages that fit well with the low capacity of the revo.

Time will tell, but it was gonna die the way it was going....

Giving it a kick to see if it would help couldn't hurt.

Being disgusted with the change is just sour grapes. If you want to shoot, shoot.

Wanna see big numbers at the area or state level? Run low/cap only matches (revo/SS/prod) separate of the open/lim and see what happens! It works at the national level. I'd love to shoot an area match for revolvers only. Bet you'd see 100's of shooters....

It wouldn't have to be an outlaw match. It would just take a simple rule change authorizing the 2 classes.

8 shot is here for good. It is a mistake that needs to be accepted. People have purchased equipment in reliance of the 8 shot rule. That fact is what saved Revolver and Limited 10 as divisions. Strader wanted them gone.

What needs to also be addressed is the competitive advantage people shooting the single stack get over those that do not or can't. A national championship should be decided on a "flat table".

Anyone with inside knowledge of the stages would also have an advantage as to which gun to use. You can guess that it is 8 round oriented but one traveling across the country shouldn't be required to bring 2 guns and ammo to make a decision that those with inside knowledge would already have.

The best solution would be a stand apart Revolver nationals and a rule change which, unfortunately, bifurcates the few revolver shooters there are.

I am sure those benefiting from the current situation do not see a problem

It's not a class change. It's a Division change. We can only change division rules every two years so it couldn't change before 2016. The only way it would change is if Revo participation increased enough to support two separate divisions which is unlikely. I really don't see the BOD voting to split the smallest division in two.

Yeah. It would be a change in the division adding the two classes. By the time it could happen the two years would be up.

I agree it is unfortunate and splitting the division is not a good thing. But, if you don't, it becomes the 8 shot revolver division.

When added to the fact you have a one day nationals, which according to this month's front sight is limited to 120 shooters,and a national championship which gives an advantage to those who shoot the single stack match preceeding it, you have one sorry division and a national championship worth a couple of asterisks.

My personal solution is to join most of the other Northwest shooters and leave the division. I will switch to Production. That division is large enough where a couple of shooters don't have a large enough sway to deform the competitive model and give themselves an advantage. I wonder if CZJockey is available as a handle here?

Wow, now there is a bunch of whiney sour grapes!!! I agree that I will forever be the guy who won revolver when Jerry didn't show up, but you my friend I imagine didn't even show up. And if you think SS is not a worthy and difficult category, show me where you have tried the division. Again, all talk, or in this case type. You are like so many internet experts, commenting on issues from outside. Type like a hero but can you shoot as well? I doubt it.

You assume you are protected from a response because there is nothing connecting you to the reality of your comments but an invisible wireless connection. Well, here you go pal. I do hope we get to meet some time and since you don't go by your name, please introduce yourself and remind me of your comments and we can further discuss these and other interesting issues. Guys like you make me want to practice even more....

BTW, enjoy production.

[Which is Harder - Overcoming Gobbling or Making GM?]

A critical part of this rant/rave I didn't explain is that all testing and development that will help your growth will happen in live fire practice. You are past the point where dry firing is going to help you gain anything except familiarity and comfort. Don't get me wrong, you need to handle the gun frequently to maintain a feel for it to allow your mind to focus elsewhere, but you will have to fire live ammo for you to gain speed shooting.

This isn't always possible and dry firing will not show you where you need to focus your efforts.

Punch instead of Push Esther, it's where your future lies.....

[more participation @ big matches? Just an observation]

Here is one new guy's perspective. I like revolvers. I daily carry revolvers or single stack 1911s. I am going to buy an 8 shot revolver, a 627. I will shoot wherever I can. USPSA, IDPA, whatever. Right now I will shoot my 625 JM and be happy. I sincerely wish I had known enough about the game end of USPSA to buy a 627 to start with, but, hey, I have made mistakes before. A 4" 625 is still the boss IDPA ESR revolver until they change something..

There are a lot of things I do not like about USPSA and IDPA as well. I know nothing about the other revolver games. I just know that for me, a revolver makes the most sense and I will compete anywhere I can with mine. It would be nice to win a trophy or advance in the rankings to master or GM one day, but I am basically using the whole sport as a problem solving exercise anyway. At my age and in my physical condition I don't see too many trophies in the future. The harder the odds are stacked in favor of a semi auto the more I benefit. If you are ever going to learn anything, your reach has to exceed your grasp. I shoot weekly fun stuff with a USPSA revo master. I can't beat him if I am shooting my Cz. I really don't think 6 shots, 8 shots is going to be a factor in my performance until I learn a lot.

I guess to sum it up, three things I just don't care much about. One, what someone with beu coup money is shooting. I don't have millions, and wouldn't spend it on revolvers or any other guns I can't carry daily, anyway. Two, what someone with forty years and several trips to the nationals is scoring. I CAN'T beat them until I invest the time to get the skill. (Or until they get decrepit ) 3 I don't give a rat turd about some kind of gun I wouldn't carry daily. I see the other divisions as being as different as a shotgun or a rifle. I just don't care if folks can shoot clay pigeons with their shotgun. I flat don't care if folks can shoot 30 rounds with out a reload. What I do care about is My ability to make A zone hits rapidly, repeatedly, and not fumble reloads or make bad decisions under the stress of competition. I suppose all the rules and such make a difference if you are the competitive sort. I am pretty much here to learn. I like revolvers, I daily carry revolvers, I hunt with revolvers, so I will shoot revolver . I almost bought an 8 shot 357, anyway, and would have but for IDPA. A 5" N frame, 8 shot 357 is a mean piece of hardware on the deer blind, calling coyotes, and under my sports coat at church on Sunday. If I can load it with specials or short Colts on Saturday afternoon and get some trigger time, great. Until I get the money for one, I will shoot my 4" 625 and be happy.

OK, I'll bite.

I'm not really sure why you are posting? It would appear your interest isn't primarily of performance or competing or even participating at larger than club level matches. This thread is about participation at big matches, a subject you seem to have no interest in.

Do you go to the golf forums and find a thread on new drivers and write that you don't want a new driver and don't care how well you hit a driver because all you care about is putting? Maybe I'm missing what you are getting at?

I'm not sure why you want to tell the readers here that all you'd spend any significant funds on is a gun you would use for daily carry. This is Shooting sport's and travel not what I carry and don't give a shit about.....

Why do IDPA shooters seem to have such a negative attitude on items having to do with USPSA? You never even address ICORE. Did this thread offend you in some way? Some of us are just trying to save revolver division at the major match level in other than IDPA. They have it down, USPSA and IPSC do not yet but many of us want it to be viable.

[Which is Harder - Overcoming Gobbling or Making GM?]

Alma - Thanks for the offer! I may take you up on it. Before, I was shooting an XDm.

Rob - Thanks!! Can you elaborate on what you mean by being faster and more aggressive in every element of my movement? (I know you don't just mean drawing and reloading, which I know I need to do faster.) I definitely need to stop looking at targets once I've called a hit! I don't try to be smooth; I think that way of moving feels natural to me. It's the violent, sharp, explosive movements that feel funny - and that I need to master.

Re: training partners - David Starr, you need to come to Virginia and kick my ass in practice again!!

Re: the system - what do you mean by "commit to make a change and follow through with it regardless of consequences?"

I forget who said that "if you think you are humble, you probably are not." Every time I think I've gotten my ego out of the way (getting over my dislike of seeing pictures of myself and posting video online, for example), I get someone like Rob Leatham telling me I am not nearly aggressive enough and look like I am dry-firing when shooting! (Andy's pretty good at spotting everything I do wrong, too. ) Awesome. Thanks so much for the critique - I appreciate it a LOT!

It's simple. Many shooters know what they need to do to improve but are not willing to take the gamble and miss to find out where the edge REALLY is. If you want to go faster, go faster. Can't turn this into a training session, but you can hit the targets much faster than you are, but I'm willing to hazard a guess that you fear missing or even dropping points. Someone has told you that your performance looked smooth and under control I bet. And that is what you are trying to then cause to happen. Your perception of what is smooth or in control, is what is causing you to be no faster. I don't care if you LOOK any particular way except fast.

When I am working with a student who is struggling to speed up, I ask myself why. I think, you think too much about this. Especially while shooting. I think you oughta take some chances and miss more often. Then I think you ought to figure out why you missed, if you even did. I'll bet you don't but may drop more points and you will not like that. Or someone else won't. If you work out the factors on a stage you have shot, it will become obvious what change will effect your score more severely, being faster or being more accurate. Then figure out which has greater room for improvement, speed or accuracy. I already know the answer but you must find out for yourself.

If you hit an a/c on each paper target on that stage you shot, you would drop 16 points. That would be 74 points divided by the 18.5ish time equals a 4 hit factor. Very point heavy. So it makes you wanna be careful. But if you shot 2 c's on each target, to match that 4 you would have to shoot it in 14.5. Much faster. But, if you split the difference and dropped a/c on half and 2 c's on half you'd score 66. To get that 4 factor you would have to shoot a 16.5. My bet is you'd shoot close to the same amount of points shooting 2-3 seconds faster than you did in that video. Where you are wasting time is in thinking. That shows up on the clock, not on the targets. remove the cumbersome restriction of shooting super accurate and just shoot for c's, then run fast to the next position. Quit scoring targets because whether you hit or not, you need to go! That's the commit and go I mentioned earlier. Quit calling every shot. That whole thing is waaaay over emphasized. Commit to shoot, shoot and move on.

You are leaving several seconds on the stage from being careful and thinking. Another couple from shooting. Your points will not be greatly affected if you were to be more aggressive. Your time will be. If you shoot that same stage, with a miss, and everything else an a/c in 14.5, you'll still factor a 4.

I tell my students this. Being accurate is great, but if you do not shoot fast enough, the points become irrelevant. You have got to do it fast enough so that the accuracy matters. This may not apply to you yet. It is a skill, trust and confidence issue. If you are always hitting the targets, speed is your most logical direction to improvement.

[Whatever you do...]

Not enough pure shooting in most matches anymore.... Hello darkness my old friend......

So true... The biggest thing I miss from shooting in Europe for all those years was those IPSC speed-shoots, example; Four poppers, either one will activate 2 drop turners alongside a static target, blast down the four poppers, mandatory reload and engage the static and two drop-turners before they disappear. No margin for error, every action has to be performed flawlessly in order to maximize the number of points. If you bobble that reload, you just kissed 20 points good-bye...

This is why I like covering the Single-Stack match, to me it's the purest form of practical pistol shooting. I just wish they moved it to Colorado cos it's a bitch of a drive....

Same reason I like it. Was funny how I lost the SS on a measly 12 shot speed shoot and won the revo match because of them! OK, maybe not funny....

[Whatever you do...]

Pat, I seldom shoot any of the local matches with 32 round complicated field courses. As a matter of fact, the reliance on huge round count stages to get more rounds fired in a match is detrimental to the development of most shooters skillsets. More short courses would give you more starts and resets and opportunities to more accurately identify a shooters weaknesses. Instead we walk of a stage and say, I need to work on my speed, or my accuracy. It all gets lost in the complication of a very involved cof. Not enough pure shooting in most matches anymore.... Hello darkness my old friend......

[Whatever you do...]

Always remember that shooting isn't a process of multitasking as much as it is a series of events done very quickly in succession.

[Whatever you do...]

The difference between 'rushing' and 'going fast' - in music it is synchronization.

You can go fast in music - the tempo may call for it. But the entire group, the piece of music, the conductor - it all goes fast together.

You can accelerate in music - but again the entire group accelerates.

Rushing is an individual aspect or component out of sync with the entire group or system. You don't go faster by rushing, you go faster by going faster.

Not sure I agree with some of this. If I understand what you mean, you are saying that something done very fast is being rushed if it leads to a failure or lack of success? That may not be an accurate identification, may be too much of a generalization. If I shoot a shot over the top of the target on a repeat shot, Is it because I rushed the shot or was I slow on the return of the gun?? I get the out of sync example, but have never felt this has to be a smooth, flowing, harmonized event, this shooting we do.

I like the word rush. I rush all the time. All the time. In practice I find something that needs to be done faster than I'm doing it and I then rush that component. I think "rushing" may be an excellent identifier to direct conscious focus on a specific element that needs to be done faster. Like resetting the trigger. I am constantly telling people to hurry the reset. But I do not want the whole trigger manipulation to be done faster, just that one part. Rushing is an excellent way to label the needed change to this event or action. Trying to separate rushing from going faster isn't that important. Might be impossible. Much better to go faster..... If by rushing you do better, then by all means rush. I rush all the time.

Lots of old wives tails and urban myths exist in our sport. Focus on the front sight, don't jerk the trigger, you gotta be relaxed, only release the trigger to the point where it resets..... All that is silly!! Don't be afraid to be tight, or nervous, or go fast or whatever. Like jerking the trigger and not focusing on the sights, The term brings with it a negative connotation, but shouldn't.

If the process of identifying a word draws attention away from perfecting the act, that's bad. Simplify instead. Go faster, make it happen, rush, whatever, but make it happen. That's where improvement comes from. Most of us need to rush some things in our shooting in order to improve.

[Whatever you do...]

I miss the matches some from then but I really miss the endless talk about shooting and our practice sessions.

Those performances were more pure than we now see. Matches always had an element of entertainment to them. The results while important weren't usually worth much. We didn't have to deal with everyone looking for perfect doubles or reshoots. Most were there just to shoot because for their own reasons, they enjoyed it. I feel few of the "PRO'S" now have that same attitude. It's about getting a f****** shirt with a sponsor on it more than hitting the f****** targets fast.

Man I am old!!

Man this sounds familiar, Driving 4 hours for a 30 round level I match, talking shooting for hours, the practice sessions, all of it. My shooting partner in the 90's and I did a lot of the same thing's and is one of the things I miss the most.

I'm actively trying to get my club to get back to having matches and stages that return us to those days when fun, challenging stages and matches were more important than round count and how quickly shooters can show up, shoot, and bugger off. And believe it or not there are still a lot of shooters out there that want this! We held a match in December and despite it being -20C, and a match consisting of 'only' 4 speed shoots with less than 40 rounds almost all the shooters who came said it was the most fun match they had been to in awhile!....I think the hot chili helped lol

MMMMMM!!!! Chili!!!!!

[Which is Harder - Overcoming Gobbling or Making GM?]

^^^With regard to the above, I highly recommend you don't take the advice of anyone with fewer than 1000 posts here on Enos. How else can you be sure they are sufficiently experienced?

My name almost touched TGOs in Front Sight one year. That has pretty much been the highlight of my shooting career.

What an honor to have him offering advice on your journey even though he only has 300+ posts.

Ya, you guys are right. What was I thinking?? I retract all that crap I said earlier, i just thought it sounded cool.... I'm sorry :-)

[Which is Harder - Overcoming Gobbling or Making GM?]

Can you watch these videos and tell where you are losing time? If not then you must have another of a faster shooter to reference against. It appears to me that you are executing portions of the stage as though you are dry firing them. You are not nearly aggressive enough. Some things you need to do fast, others smoothly. you appear to be trying very hard to just be smooth.

Without getting into every detail, you need to be faster in nearly every element of your movement. Do not make hesitations once moving. Commit and go. Think fast. The shooting appears ok, but you are looking at targets for a long time after you have finished shooting them. You appear to be at a point in your development where you would benefit from a training partner. One who is better than you ideally and can beat you at everything, every time.

This is the system. Observe what you do, identify weakness, formulate change that addresses a very specific technique, consciously commit to make change and follow through with it regardless of consequences. You will need to get out of the safe, smooth, comfortable zone to make improvement.

Do not view the whole stage as an entity. They are a combination of many small things. Time to stop trying so hard to be smooth. Time to be fast. If that tuns out to be to be smooth, then ok. Some of these skills require violent, sharp, powerful actions by you. learn to punch, not push....

[Whatever you do...]

As I watched TGO prepare for the all-steel stage at Nationals, I thought to myself, "He has the look of a man who's thinking of a ham sandwich"

MMMMMM..... sandwich.......

[Whatever you do...]

That was the Coors Challenge. I'm getting old too - couldn't remember the name of that match for the life of me.

Indeed, those were the best of times. The "endless talk" was truly endless.

One more... Me and you drove to LA to shoot our first SWPL club match. The match was just two Steel Challenge stages: Five to Go and Double Trouble. We finished one and two in the match (and again, I'm old, but I'm pretty sure you won). You won Five to Go, and I won Double Trouble. We put a hurtin' in them local boys. But my best memory is - on the 7 hour drive home, we talked the entire time about shooting those two stages.

(That cracked me up rereading it.)

Well, I do remember those times. Tell someone you drove 7 hours to shoot two 25 round stages and they'd say you were crazy.... Guess they couldn't understand, wouldn't really expect anyone else too. Level of enthusiasm we had has not really been approached by anyone else since I reckon'!

I don't remember which time it was but at one of those you shot a record on 5 to go that lasted a long time... I remember another one where you picked me up at work in PHX after I got off working graveyard and we drove to the steel challenge. Some kind of rear wheel drive Datsun, maybe 510, 610, 710, 810 ??? It was in the AM and I was exhausted but we still talked shooting all the way over. I still owe you for my part of the gas....

[Whatever you do...]

... but it comes down to the hits most of the time.

Do you remember, way back... We had finished a match In Colorado (can't remember which one). And they had a Vice Presidente set up for a fun match. Cost a buck a run to shoot it. Me and yo were going at it, back and forth. We both reached our max speed (LOHF - Limit of Human Function) - in the upper 4's. Neiher of us could physically shoot it any faster, so it came down to points. In the end, after a boatload of runs, you edged me out by one point. We both had the same time - maybe 4.7ish, but you were clean and I was down one point. That was a fun afternoon.

Had to be the Coors Challenge in Durango. Man those were the best of times. Remember when we were dry firing in the hotel room and the Sheriff's office knocked on the door and I figured it was one of our buddies so I swung the door open and jumped in the doorway like a frickin' Ninja!! How did I not go to jail?? I'm still mad at you for quitting me..... :-) Little gay Brokeback Mountain reference there..... I miss the matches some from then but I really miss the endless talk about shooting and our practice sessions. Very few of these readers would know that you always beat me in practice. Always. You Always could reach a place that I couldn't get to, time after time.

Those performances were more pure than we now see. Matches always had an element of entertainment to them. The results while important weren't usually worth much. We didn't have to deal with everyone looking for perfect doubles or reshoots. Most were there just to shoot because for their own reasons, they enjoyed it. I feel few of the "PRO'S" now have that same attitude. It's about getting a f****** shirt with a sponsor on it more than hitting the f****** targets fast.

Man I am old!!

[5.4" 1911 in single stack]

You are both looking at it wrong. If you have a 5.4" SS gun, you are 105% cooler than those who don't.

This is the actual truth and reason to do it. What else could possibly be as important??

[5.4" 1911 in single stack]

I have not been asked my opinion in any official manner, but my gut feeling is if it fits in the box it is good to go.

If I am asked, I will state that I feel the slide should remain at 5 inches.

Can anyone tell me what the great attraction to having a 5.4 inch barrel over a 5 inch barrel? Since all calibers shot in USPSA Single Stack Division easily make power factor, what is the attraction?

It's cool!! Or Different!!! Or new!! Gosh Gary, why are you gonna bring sense into this discussion. Buzzkiller.....

[Whatever you do...]

I would bet $100 that someone at my next major match says, "Well, yeah, but Rob Leatham thinks about what's for lunch before he shoots, so that's what I'm doing these days, too."

We sometimes clutter our minds at critical points of a performance with conscious input which is not conducive to retaining the high level focus needed to execute. Most of this is pre-programmed before the buzzer goes off. Sometimes at the match, sometimes at the practice range.

This is applicable to everything. The struggle (my enormous struggle, anyway) is to clear the mind of the 'conscious input' when you're doing anything; which is to say to not think of anything while you're doing everything. Listening to the sound of each object as you set it down on a surface...

Or hearing no sound whatsoever...... thereby putting yourself in a state where all input is pertinent to the task at hand. I just don't hear all those things!

I see the gun, the targets, and the props regardless of my mental state of mind. I'm not trying to be a deep thinker while shooting, I'm trying to be a great shooter. That's much, much easier. And much more conducive to a great score than being wise.

I've just found over all these years that it is much easier to learn to shoot well while nervous, than to try not to be nervous in the first place....

Different strokes.... but my record must indicate I'm not totally wrong... then again, I may be.....

[Whatever you do...]

If my plan is good and I am comfortable before the buzzer, I do not worry if I'm relaxed or calm, I'm more worried about what's for lunch......

Although the rest of the info in Rob's post provides a clue as to the differences in our Temperament Types, that drops the hammer on it.

Amen!! I know it's fun to get caught up in how others do it, but every shooter has to learn their own truths, even though they are the same for everybody. Your perception of what you do and your emotional involvement, or "feel" may differ, but I believe you have to move the gun to the target, not let it go to the target. Same thing, just different belief what that thing is.

The reality is that at the upper levels, we all shoot fast. Different degrees of fast I admit, but it comes down to the hits most of the time. If you shoot at a speed that you never miss at, and are not getting what you want as far as finish or performance, then you are going to have to go faster..... That's easy enough to do, but as they say, you are gonna have to want it.

[Whatever you do...]

If I am too relaxed I am not trying. It doesn't do me any good to place any emphasis on feeling relaxed or clam. My attention wanders from the cof and I do not execute very sharply. I require, in order to feel that I am focused, a certain nervous energy, like I'm on the starting line of a race waiting for the starter gun to fire signaling it is now time to start my plan.

I no longer focus on or am even too aware of whether I am calm or not. I no longer care. I TRY to shoot with visual recognition of, but very little memory of the indicators telling me where on the target the gun is pointed. I use the word try carefully in the last sentence as it states that I understand I cannot always do what it is I wish, but I am not afraid to know that.

When things go well, and they do for the most part, I am rushing and hurrying. I'm not trying not to. I know and can't avoid recognizing that when I want to go fast, I have to cause that to happen. I don't sit back and watch it, I make it happen. I am at ease with this process and don't need to avoid knowing externally that I am trying.

The wanting to perform well is my motivation to push the control to the fine edge that allows higher performance. But, Although I do not plan or hope for failure, experience has taught me that since I am not as good a shot as I'd like to be, I am capable of not executing to the level I'd like. Therefore accepting that I can fail reduces the fear that it may happen. Then I just try to shoot as fast and as accurately as is possible. Not one or the other.

We sometimes clutter our minds at critical points of a performance with conscious input which is not conducive to retaining the high level focus needed to execute. Most of this is pre-programmed before the buzzer goes off. Sometimes at the match, sometimes at the practice range.

If my plan is good and I am comfortable before the buzzer, I do not worry if I'm relaxed or calm, I'm more worried about what's for lunch......