daves_not_here

And not just shooting, hence: Sometimes I live up to the "Daves Not Here" moniker with the poor application of what's in my brain...Not that I'm saying I'm the only one that is not here. Your most profound comment yet. It instantly calmed the ego cyclone of the whole thing. Perhaps the smile on the wise man's face is not from witnessing the silliness of others but a reminder of similar personal experiences? Thank you very much, DNH

Okay, went to my dog-eared copy of Brian's book. It starts with "Sights Or Targets" on page 64. He breaks down aiming "Focal Points and Shooting Focus" into 5 types on page 65. He generally covers every comment on this thread so far. He goes very deep and after many readings I generally have no understanding of what's going on. I would like to bring up that these thread comments are directed to a beginning shooter. When I was beginning I was diligent in getting that front sight in focus and on the target. It told me a lot about what was happening, e.g. bad sight picture, jerk trigger, not smoothly stopping a transition. Front sight focus was invaluable and I found "instinctive", "cadence" or "flash sight picture" concepts were things that tripped me up because I missed flaws in fundamentals. I needed feedback so I could consistently have the gun aligned with the target and smoothly make it go bang. Front sight focus gives this important feedback. So, in the beginning I would recommend the default - focus on the front sight at any distance for now. Try to resist reducing your stage times until you're hitting with the accuracy and consistency you desire. Hopefully you'll see reloading and transitioning are where to make up time on a stage not sight alignment or "splits". I find that the difference in taking my time in aligning the gun properly compared to rushing is minimal a 0.1 second difference at most on 10 yard targets. Compare that to being able to reduce whole seconds on a reload or .5 or more on a transition, rushing a sight picture just isn't worth it. It becomes your choice, risk misses chasing a 0.1 second improvement or reduce stage time by whole seconds? The best part is reloads and transitions can be worked on with dry fire saving time and money. Matt Burkett's dry fire link Is my math correct that most of the time can be gained in reloads and transitions? Am I correct in saying that fundamentals need to be developed first before speed? How did you develop your fundamentals? How are you refining your fundamentals now that you blaze through stages? DNH

IDPA Classifier this weekend. I was going for Expert. It didn't start out well: First Mozambique - Missed a head. Relaxed and got the rest of the hits so I shrugged it off. Missed two with SHO at 7 YARDS! I was thinking, okay I can still make it, no more mistakes... Then stuff really started falling apart: 2-2-2 tac reload then move forward 5 YARDS! Stumbled, got up, stumbled, got up and finally made it 5 YARDS then did the last 2-2-2. Luckily I kept the gun pointed in the right direction so I didn't get a DQ. I'm laughing in disbelief at this point, looking at blood coming from my scraped up hand and leg. Not only I can't shoot I can't move 5 YARDS! The rest of the comedy: I decided to see it to the end. I clearly need the practice, I paid the match fee and had a kitchen pass. I believe in practicing the way you want to perform so I tried to practice my best without bad habits or a defeated attitude. Guess what? Yup, got expert in SSP. Even with all my mistakes. Squeaked by 3 seconds under max time. I strongly believe pulled if off because I was "just practicing" not trying make up mistakes. I was mentally alert and relaxed which I consider "Ordinary Mind". For me a take-away from that day is to shoot a match like it's a practice. Competition is not the time to try anything different. Does anyone out there try to keep the "practice" mindset during a match? What kinds of things do you do to keep the "practice" mindset? Thank you, DNH

No need to think that way... No one's going to be a poser when the outbreak happens! DNH

Um, David E., gotta correct you on this one. For the safety of all during the coming apocalypse Granted, Zombieland Rule #2 is The Double Tap but it really isn't specific on what to hit. The rules clearly state a shot to the head is required for zombies ZSA Rules. Though a double tap to the head would good to be 100% sure. More importatly, the infected "not yet turned" get three to the body with two hits "C" or above. A double tap is insuficient and will create a walker which incurs a 10 second penalty. A double, double tap would be good for these. This public service announcement has been brought to you by Daves Not Here (Zombie Shooters Association of America #029NC) Yup, card carrying member. And they say what we're do is a "game". Anyone want a twinkie? DNH

I think you're touching on something very important that doesn't get highlighted enough. Progressive and balanced improvement is sure to be more efficient than piecmeal and jerky gains. Someone should shoot at their level and try to improve NOT blaze away shooting above their head and hope things work out. Trying to push shooting is the sure way to get into bad habits and in the end it takes longer to improve. Focusing on getting split times down when transitions are three times as long and inconsistent doesn't make sense. I'll stay away from asking about the different sight pictures and trigger pulls of Christians. DNH

Thanks for your response. I check my content because these threads are meaninful to me. It's those glimmers of the flow that keep me going. It isn't reaching GM, it's reaching for GM that makes it all worthwhile. I think to be able to get back to that state you have to stop trying to do what you're doing. What you're doing is getting in the way so stop it. Sometimes it takes that kind of "upset" to the routine to allow the flow to happen. The targets blowing down looked like it was in that case for you that time. Maybe it will take 4 more matches before you experience it again, maybe 40. Either way I think it's worth it. DNH

Must Keep Not Trying! Brian, The "felt sense" you describe in response to Where is your focus when "not trying"? sounds like you're experiencing the "third eye" phenomenon in your shooting. I've read about a "third eye" concept in eastern mindfulness practices. I think it's a tricky and long road to get to that point and one could easily become decieved if they tried to look for the "third eye". Our internal stories can convince ourselves we're relaxed, confident, without doubt or using our third eye but that is only adding a layer of trying on top of things. "Sugar coating" things can psych yourself up and is useful but can also be delusional and also dishonest. Just telling yourself you're better than you really are doesn't work in the end without the actual work. Allowing the noticing mind is the jewel in what you describe. True doing must be allowed. We allow it to be all that is happening because if we try to make it all that is happening we become disconnected by the trying. Allowing can take a lot more effort and concentration than trying. However, the masters make it look so effortless after their years of endless effort. Allow, not make, your mind notice. Allow, not tell, yourself allowing. Allow, Perfection Thank you, DNH

I like the "learn from a GM" advice. Listening to a fellow shooter's advice is polite but unless they're classified higher than me I'm going to be a little skeptical. The SHO/WHO drills are something I definitely have to incorporate into live fire. The recoil changes the timing of transitions dramatically. Is it me or is "running drills" for practice out of favor right now? It seems like the club matches are the only practice for the people I shoot with. Then again I'm mid-level and this is probably why a lot of people stay mid-level. Running a drill or scenario cold and recording results are good suggestions. If you're up to your ankles in brass of course you're going to shoot well and forget how you did at the beginning of the session without writing it down. I've heard a lot of people at matches say "I did that great in practice" which probably means they weren't recalling their perforamance cold. At a match you're going to be starting as stage cold so the cold run is the time and performance that is realistic to expect in competition. The "what did I do really well" is a good question to ask after a practice session. It's too easy to beat onself up about weaknesses and forget the progress. Getting down on myself is the last thing I want to do with my free time. "What I learned or what I need to learn" is where I'm going to put the weaknesses. Item #1 need to learn golf. Yeah, either you have the time or you have the money. Right now I've got some money and I'm trying to use the time efficiently. Next, I'll dominate the competive shooting world Thanks, DNH

My only obstacle to dominating the world of competitve pistol shooting is the amount of time required. Okay, possibly it's also my lack of talent but I'm buying a new gun so that will help, right? I'm a workin stiff and don't have that much time to dry-fire or get out to the range. Efficiently using my time to improve is what I'm trying to do. Keeping up with people with hundreds of round of weekly live-fire while I've only shot 50 training rounds over the last two weeks is what I'm attempting. What seems to be helping is dry-fire, consistently paying attention to all the basics, refining and repeating. I find it nice to engage my mind in trying to be more efficient. Ultimately it's the time between the shots that separates the mid-levels and masters. I think "improved times" can be deceptive because improving splits can show great time improvement but if it adds time to transitions or kills accuracy it's a false gain. Sometimes doing something slow will make you faster. Reloads and looking for excess movement while doing it slow will increase speed. It seems that time is better used when there is a plan, focus and effective training. I am focusing on presentations and 3-2-1 drills which I know are helping me. I also work through the refinement and repetition book. At the range it's presentations and 3-2-1 drills and a CoF stage from last week's match. When practicing what is your indication of actually improving or wasting time, both dry-fire and range? What time waster drills or techniques are there that are attractive yet I should avoid? How do you tell or find out that you were spending time on false gains or bad habits? Thanks, DNH

"Not Trying" The Path to Perfection? A part of Letting go is what I call not trying. I really don't see any shortcuts to mastery. Learning mastery seems more important than actually being a master. It's as if the struggle and making mistakes is a crucial part of the path of mastery. Mastery may lie in the struggle and failures. Paradoxically all the hard work and effort is towards a state of "not trying" The way I see it right now: We start out in the karmic cycle sense-think-judge-decide-do (see sight picture, check that it's good, tell oneself it's good, trigger press and follow through) I feel this is necessary to learn even if one is fully actualized. I also think we can have any combination of these things happening. I saw that no-shoot and decided to engage it. Thinking would've helped that decide step... Once something is learned to a certain level we can sense-decide-do (target, engage and shoot) When we have finally ingrained the training. sense-do (see target and put bullet in it) Then true mastery is - "mu" (the bullets manifest themselves in the targets) This I assume going through these stages can happen faster for masters. I see that no one is a master of a "trick" but master of form. Once it is mastered learning happens quicker, perhaps instantly. The gun is no longer a gun. The proverbial selflessness where the gun is an extension of the arm, and the arm and body just exist without name or judgement. The holes in the targets appear. The concept of "self" is dropped and there is only the shooting of the gun and it is merely the gun going off. No aiming, no reloading, no transitions, it's where things just happen. At last Sunday's match there might have been some glimmers of sense-do. After shooting a couple stages I had to go back and check some of the targets for holes. I didn't remember engaging the targets yet there were nice tight groups in down zero. It all just happened sometime but I know I sensed the target and I'm not "there" yet. I am resisting the urge to get into the "I'm going to try to do that next time" because I know that will ruin it. I know it should be something that feels ordinary not cosmic. What is your ritual of getting to "not trying"? What is your "felt sense" that you're preparing for "not trying"? Where is your focus when "not trying"? Am I totally off track? Thank you, Grasshopper (DNH)

I haven't made it out to Durham yet but others have been. I've been busy with PDHSC, The Range and Caswell. Check out carolina forum and you'll probably find the details. DNH

Ryan check out NC Section and clear out your calendar! DNH

I'd like to mention a book I like which has "Zen" aspects and I think explains things in a non-mystical way. It almost sounds too simple. Illuminated Spirit It features teachings from a Japanese Archery Master in modern Japan. Things from the book that I relate to my shooting: Mental aspects of shooting like heijoshin "everyday mind". This is cultivating the attitude that makes competition feel like everyday practice. How poor technique can cancel out miskates. You think you're doing things right by getting hits yet everything falls apart when the littlest thing chages like the weather. Having proper intention towards practice and hitting. Don't blame the gun, look inward and find out what you did. The "wooden fighting chicken" that appeared so competent other chickens would lay down in defeat just seeing him. Maybe someday.... The self-refinement emphasis of Japanese Archery where doing your best is more important than winning at all costs. It has definitely improved my shooting and enjoyment of the sport. DNH

At my current development I can see a lot of danger on producing bad habits that will ruin my transitions or accuracy. Could practicing for a .1 second faster "double tap" be one of these bad habits? From The Art of the Double Tap by Matt Lindler A double tap consists of two individually sighted shots fired in rapid succession striking in close proximity on a target. The two shots should strike within two to five inches of each other, doubling hydrostatic shock and compounding wound channels, trauma and potential to stop the attack. The double tap is different from the hammer, which in shooting vernacular, consists of firing two shots with one sight picture or one sighted shot and one shot using a flash sight picture. The hammer is a common technique used to decrease split times on short-distance targets in competition and self defense, but to be effective in stopping an actual threat while reducing the chance of an errant bullet striking a bystander or loved one, the second shot must be placed accurately. This requires employing sights for both shots, particularly beyond contact ranges (seven yards and farther). I've also heard that anything faster than a 0.25 seconds is a double tap. I see what separates mid-level shooters from Masters are transitions, reloads and movement, not their splits between two shots on the same target at close range. -The difference between .25 and .35 seconds isn't going to help my times much but it does risk a .5 second penalty. My intention right now is to just improve my "controlled pair" transition, speed and accuracy forgetting the concept of "double taps". -I'll adjust the speed for closer or further targets. Any thoughts? -Should I focus rolling through sets of targets smoothly and fast? -Is there a point where I should try and work on "double taps"? DNH

Saying that "It's scary" really connects with me! Scared that there isn't that "hurry up" feeling of forcing a faster time. Scared that the SO is thinking in his head "anoter newbie". Scared that everyone is saying "you can go faster than that". Ironic that the fear of going slow is keeping us from gettin in the zone and going faster... It's a little like missing. If you think about trying not to miss you'll miss. If you concentrate on hitting and not be afraid to miss you'll hit. DNH

Different games with different rules - but useful skills...I bet the skills developed at steel challenge help with follow-ups on cardboard. Engaging all the targets and doing any makeups JUST BEFORE the stop plate means you think on the fly but don't interrupt the rhythm of transitions. It has been the engage-shoot-(stop evaluate)-reingage-(shoot makeups)-(transition to next target)-repeat sequence that has been burning up time. With steel challenge it seems like a (shoot AND evaluate)-(transition to next)-repeat-(do makeup shots)-(stop plate). I used to shoot silhouettes and always enjoyed the sound of steel. Instant gratification! It's also instant rationalization for playing another shooting game! Thanks for bringing this up! DNH

"doubt-free and allowing" turned on a lightbulb. The doubt-free and allowing state happens when I'm either in the groove allowing the gun to shoot or I've completely given up doing well, not caring or doubting. It feels slow but result is the same - smoked stages. Thanks for the keywords! DNH

Two things... Deal with it...QUICKLY! Once it's dealt with move on. Stuff happens. You probably already have your personal ways of dealing with situations. Always try to improve on the way you deal with them like malfunction drills or exploring new methods. Remember the gun can only degrade your performance only when it isn't performing as expected. You degrade your performance the rest of the time. Ruminations and doubts are heavy to carry. DNH

Okay, To summarize: Get good at calling yourshots - including what slight misalignment will do Be aware of when the bad shots happen - knowing what happened at the bang Clean up without looking - no need to peek if you're confident of calling the shot This removes the need to look for holes or for evidence to decide what is a bad shot. I now see a greater value in calling shots. Simple but difficult. Now to get reloads as fast as Tomasie... Thanks a lot, DNH

"Make friends with knowing" That is golden! To “know” one has to be honest and courageous in the face of trying. I rushed that stage because I felt like I was going slow and tried to speed up. I’m getting spun out by someone else’s score because I’m trying to beat them. It appears that it is not about correcting the mistakes through trying but being aware and attentive of the desired result. For example, be focused on hitting the target instead of trying not to miss. The emphasis is on success where energy is not spent on getting worked up over the undesirable. This way when we inevitably miss it doesn’t affect the next shot because there is no “trying not to miss the next one”. DNH

It would be great to run through a stage and shoot make up shots without taking the time scanning the target and asking myself “are there enough holes in that target?” It takes at least 0.5 seconds to look at the target and even longer to see that the hole isn't -0 or -1 on an IDPA target. Then it takes around .5 to aim and shoot the target again. Depending on distance and lighting this would take shorter or longer. This means if you peek at the target you might as well have shot a -1. If you had to look around for it at all it's probably not worth the time to make up unless you find a -3. If you’ve completely pulled a shot then you’d be looking for a hole that isn’t there and this may take the time to convince yourself to believe you missed before taking action. This can take all match or even longer… Where did the that shot go at the match last weekend? I know I was on it... Sight picture was good... It's my gun, definitely my gun... It's always the gun's fault... I need a new gun... Yes, a new gun... My initial thoughts: If I have a doubt about the sight picture shoot again. Look at the holes afterwards. If I end up scanning only look at -0 and -1 areas and if it isn’t there shoot again. So, is there anyone out there that has a method or know of drills of calling the shots and immediately pulling the trigger? Steel: Steel is another matter. It has to fall so just going by sound isn’t going to cut it. Sometimes the bigger poppers take FOREVER to fall. Other than waiting for detectable movement I don’t know what else to do. Maybe double up on the big and slow ones? DNH

I'm trying to find the drills and techniques that reduce the unnecessary effort. What are your techniques to get to the efficient "ordinary mind" when shooting or learning? How many times do really memorable improvements happen when we "stop" doing something? When one stops trying to rush we get better times. When one stops "thinking" we make fewer mistakes. When one let things "happen" it becomes naturally efficient. I find it interesting that to do things using the ordinary "Zen" mind it takes a lot of work but the end result is less effort for better results. DNH By letting go it all gets done The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try The world is then beyond the winning. -Lao Tzu

My perspective right now... Well Defined Definciencies: To keep from spinning out from poor perfomance I think one must ask “What is the gap between what I did and what I expected?” then notice the gap. I believe it is natural and healthy to feel dissapointment for that SPECIFIC GAP no matter how big. This gives us motivation to address our shortcomings and increases satisfaction when we improve. The time required to overcome the shortcoming is irrelevant, there will always be another because we are human. See attached picture. Does Sgt Pacheco think he has a shortcoming or bipod? If the only thing going through one’s mind is “I shot bad” that kills motivation, depletes spirit and creates limitless negativity because "bad" is not specific. So keeping the deficiencies SPECIFC helps one know WHERE YOU ARE and FEEL GOOD about what you’ve LEARNED. I feel that I'm improving when I'm learning something. DNH

Getting my mag apart did take a little bit of wiggling. My most used tool, a butter knife, worked great prying on the front edge which has a little gap. Those little weights will never rattle around! Since I'm weighing for only 10 rounds I also balanced the mag on a round pen to match a loaded magazine... Kent, birds love chasing after the green laser. Maybe they think it's a bug? Cat trainer, bird trainer and dryfire trainer... DNH