dainsleif

I can't believe I didn't think of that, lol.

That's a good point. I have 25 USPSA targets, but I can only use them at one of my clubs as silhouettes are banned at the other club (where I get to practice more often). I use some for dryfire, and I am going to try to bring some to the second club for better practice, where there are action pits and I can draw/move/shoot more freely.

Yeah, I've been practicing lately on plate rack at 25 yards. I think that's been part of the reason I am seeing better accuracy since it's making the targets seem closer by comparison. There was a plate rack at about 10 yards at the match and I breezed through it. In general I try to train/do things harder than they will be when the time comes to execute them, so it'll seem easier by comparison. I think the more I get accustomed to the new pistol and gear, the better I'll do; plus I'll just be accruing some match experience. If only I were in a warmer place, I'm a bit bummed that It'll be 4 months or so after the next match. I guess I'll just need to keep practicing so I can hit next season running and maybe surprise a few people before they knock their own rust off next spring.

I think the tweaks that have given me some better accuracy will help with the speed in certain ways as well. Thus far, I haven't been too confident in my abilities to hit longer shots so I always get as close as I can and go out of my way to take easier shots even at the expense of time. On certain stages I watched GMs nail long shots from positions I wouldn't try which allowed them to save the time moving to an easier position. Now that I am improving in my accuracy confidence, I hope this will give me more stage planning options. This past match, I know I would have done a lot better if I didn't waste time with the malfunction and needing a good amount of shots to finish the Texas Star. Also, on the classifier, it was Comstock scording so I took 2-3 extra shots just to try to make sure I got some points, although it did hurt a bit time-wise. Still, a focus on eliminating mikes and no shoots definitely caused me to be conservative in my positioning and planning. For now, though, I am satisfied with that. Four matches ago I had 34 mikes! To have it down to 7, while not ideal, does give me some measure of satisfaction. There was someone who "missed fast enough" to beat me, looking at the scores. He had 20-30% lower points but was about half my overall time for the match. I don't want to go down that road, but I do think I need to work on that speed. For now though, I'll stick to trying to improve speed in practice while trying to go for accuracy in matches until I am confident I have quashed the no-shoots and mikes, or at least reduced them to an acceptable level. At the current trend, I'll have 0 mikes and 1.5 ns next match, ha. I'm also trying to learn shot calling. One rather distant target was the source of 2 of the 7 mikes. It was a partial and I thought I got headshots, but apparently I didn't. It stung, but I don't want to let it bother me too much. It kind of stinks I know people are shooting 3-4 matches a month and improving; with my current budget and family situation I'm relegated to one every 4-6 weeks, but I am hoping with live fire practice and dryfire practice I can really make those matches count.

POI/POA difficulties appear to be past me, I think I figured out my problem the the 50% or so reduction in M/NS from last match I think bears this out. Not sure about the malfunction, first I had during a match, although this was a new gun. As for the star, to be honest, one guy once mentioned "shooting plates on opposite sides" to try to keep it balanced, but that's it. If there is a better or more precise method, I'd be eager to learn it.

Thanks for the post. I'm trying to do the same thing, but I would not say I'm particularly accurate. I'm trying to focus on positives from Sunday's match but to be honest I'm feeling pretty badly about myself. On the plus side: - For the first time out of my first five matches, I didn't zero any stages. - I didn't finish last in Production, or overall - It was my first match with a gun I've only owned two weeks, using a belt, holster and pouches that were brand new - On a 127 round count match, I had 7 mikes and 3 no-shoots which for me I think was pretty good. - I completed a Texas Star for the first time On the negative side: - I only finished ahead of a couple shooters - My time was bad overall--granted a.) I had a malfunction [double feed] on one stage that killed my time on a stage I was otherwise doing well on, b.) the Texas Star really got spinning and took me a while to finish I guess it just sucks seeing your name near the bottom and how far behind you are. I know I can and do need to practice more but I guess I feel like I need more direction. I can't find anyone around here that offers any courses/training/coaching and it isn't really feasible for me to travel much due to my family situation. I guess I'm just kind of disappointed in myself and discouraged. On the other hand if I were an established shooter I'd probably be kind of pissed if a (relatively) new person out shot me. I just know one of my shooting acquaintances who finished near the top of a recent match openly admitted he doesn't really practice other than the occasional live fire trip. However, to sort of tie this back to my original post, my Mike/No-Shoot numbers are definitely trending in the correct direction over the 5 matches: M / NS 26 / 10 34 / 1 21 / 7 14 / 5 7 / 3 I think I need to increase my dryfiring routine. I am hoping to get in one more match before winter. It was 40°F at the past match, and between wind and stage malfunctions we had 7 or 8 reshoots.

It's points divided by speed, so both are important. I don't think you can improve speed and accuracy simultaneously, so I am going to start with accuracy especially since the next match will be the first with this pistol and gear. I think I can then do a lot of speed more practice/drills/training in the "off season" to try to improve that aspect. I've already been working to improve my draw times and I am seeing the timer creeping down. I think with the changes I've made I can drastically reduce/negate mikes and no-shoots. Each match I've gotten better, and I think I am going to see some good gains now that I've gotten into a regular practice routine with proper equipment.

For what it's worth as an update to my OP, next match for me is Sunday. Might be the last of season, but I think a few places here have a November match. It'll be my first with "legit" stuff - running a CZ Shadow 2 with CR Speed belt & pouches plus a Bladetech holster. I know gear won't mean anything if I don't do my part but it feels better and is giving me some confidence. I've been running through dryfire drills and doing live fire 1-2 times a week and I feel like I am getting better. I think I have diagnosed part of my Mike/No-shoot problems, and it was related to grip/sight alignment. I was actively holding off target to try to correct my perceived problem since POI was not equaling POA, , but I think now I've actually figured out the cause of the problem (which has been plaguing me for a while). I've since made a couple tweaks and my last live fire session was very positive. While I'm going to try to shoot as clean a match as I can on Sunday, I feel like the changes to gear/technique and philosophy based on suggestions here and elsewhere have already led to some improvement/maturation since I started in April. I'm not intending to "slow down and get my hits," but instead to try to call my shots as best I can and shoot at the speed of acceptable sight pictures. I think the above mentioned tweaks will already make a positive impact. I'm really digging the Shadow 2 as well...a different animal to the G19 I ran last match!

That's one thing I've learned from Steve Anderson's podcast. Shoot at the speed of sight, when you have an adequate sight picture. Shoot at the level of accuracy the sport requires, which is different from shooting with hyper accuracy. But don't "slow down so I can get my hits." As a bit of an update from when I started the thread, at my last match I did go "slower" but tried to only do it to the level required for me to take better shots and reduce mikes and no-shoots, rather than going slow for slowness's sake. On the last stage of the match, which was basically a field course, I had no no-shoots and only one mike, while finishing eighth from the bottom in c. 50 shooters. While for most people that would be a poor showing, I presume, it was the highest I finished overall in a stage so far, and it left me with some confidence as everything felt like it was clicking and I got into a bit of a groove. It was nice that it was the last stage so that I can hopefully carry that momentum. I also invested in some bona fide gear, with a CR Speed Belt and pouches arriving on Friday. I just purchased a CZ Shadow 2 that I should be picking up tomorrow from the FFL. I've been working with Steve Anderson's dryfire book and recording my par times and doing live fire once per week. Hoping to hit one or two more local matches before winter sets in.

For the record, my match last weekend had three GMs and the two who I observed were both running P320s, so polymer striker guns still seem to have a place.

Interesting thread. I've done three matches now, all with my P226. This coming Sunday I'm going to run my G19 for the first time just to see how it goes. I've been using it for dryfire and practice for a few weeks now. I wish it was a 17 or 34, but I'm not willing to shell out to find out it might not work the best for me. I've had my eye on a CZ before I even started USPSA; there's a good chance it's in my future but I don't think at my current skill level there is enough to make it worth it when I can spend that time on ammo and training materials. I'd say about 40% of the people in production at my local matches use Glocks, and I've definitely seen M&Ps and the like.

At the new club it's probably about 5 minutes for the squad as a whole, but we ended up being behind the other squads so maybe we weren't supposed to take that long. We had about 12 people on the squad so it did get a bit hectic with everyone doing mock runs/planning at the same time. I've started listening to Steve Anderson's podcast, and although a chunk of it goes over my head, it seems like a way to keep the relevant topics in my mind.

I've started to work on my dryfire most nights. I am planning on picking up a book or two, one with dryfire drills/focus, and one more generally on philosophy/information. I'm leaning towards trying the G19 in the next match, just to see how it goes. I have this coming Friday off, so I was hoping to go to the range and do some live fire practice/drills as well. Thanks for all the information so far, guys. It is appreciated.

Yeah, in the end what I am seeking is progress and personal development. I only referenced the last/second-to-last stuff as a metric for me to compare to the broad group of other competitors. While I expected to be near the bottom since I am just starting out, being so far behind everyone has been admittedly eye-opening and humbling. It is also, however, motivating. My previous competitive experience is all in CMP matches (M1 Garand, vintage service rifle, etc.) where it's very slow and the emphasis is on precision; by comparison, the "rapid fire" stages in those matches give you about 10 seconds per shot. My philosophy in those matches was always that you were battling yourself more than the others. And, in the end, every match I saw improvement and higher scores. I was a bit disappointed to see my scores dip from the first match to the second, but match three was the best I have scored, which isn't saying much. I think if I incorporate the feedback offered here and most importantly develop and stick to a training routine, I can see some improvement.

I just might try the G19. I have enough mags and my mag pouches will work with them. The majority of my dry fire has been with it, I'll just need to buy an OWB holster as I only have CCW ones. I know a few times I tossed the DA shot with the P226 to start off. Plus, the Sig is the Massachusetts model (before I moved) so it has the super heavy trigger to begin with. My G19 is a "free state" Gen5 purchased after I escaped. I've thought about getting a trigger job on the P226 but I just haven't gotten around to it. One of the better shooters at the match stressed the importance of practice at home. He said to think of the practice at home as studying and the match as the test, and that in order to do well on the test you need to study at home. For the first match I had not fired a pistol in seven months--this was due to me being in club limbo from moving. For the second match, I had only fired at the first match. Since then, I've made it a couple of times to a range now that I have a place I can actually go. I'm hoping that amping up my dry fire plus handling practice (I was advised to flip my mags so that they face forward instead of rearward) will lead to better outcomes, especially if I make sure to obtain proper sight pictures.

I think I've been gripping too loose; I will try to tighten it up and find a goldilocks zone. I like the distinction between slowing down for slowing down's sake and instead making it about getting two proper sight pictures. Maybe if I make sure to keep the two shots as separate entities it will reinforce this. Dryfiring in double action was actually something that didn't even cross my mind. It's an interesting idea. However, on mine the DA pull is 10.5 lbs...so it's a tad heavy...my G19 in comparison is 5-6 lbs. That's another thing, was deciding if I would gain/lose anything by changing pistols...I kind of think it's better to stick with the full size for the longer barrel, weight, etc...but the consistent, lighter trigger on the G19 has made me wonder...plus the Glock mags have a bit fatter basepad, making reloading maybe a little easier. In the end, probably better to stick with one for now. I'll try to get better with the reloads. As I alluded to before, on the first match after my first stage some guys chuckled since I was reloading all over the place...then in match two, since that club used high round count stages, I kept shooting to slide lock partly out of fear of running dry. My new club is lower round count stages, so I should probably strive to reload a little more often when feasible...I only ended up needing 4 mags on any single stage, so some sat in the pouches the entire match. As it happens, I won a $50 gift card today and will look into ordering one of Ben's books. I nearly did a few months ago, but never got around to it. I will take a look at the videos when I get home, thanks.

Thanks for the feedback guys. I feel like reading these responses has already gotten the mental gears churning. A few responses/questions/insights: For the "beat the old lady" remark, it's actually a good point; there was a female super senior who could barely move--hobbling, etc.--and she's a C shooter, so to me that implies that shooting alone can get you to C (which probably isn't a revelation since it's a shooting sport, but is helpful to me because I think in the first few matches I've been trying to maintain high speed, which I now think is the wrong approach). I'm pretty confident that I am rushing the second shot. I think my first shot is reasonable, but as I realign my sights, once I get "in the ballpark" I am firing. I think I need to slow down and make sure it's a good sight picture and I am using good form. I think I know the nature and purpose of calling your shots, but would be interested to get an explanation from some experienced folks. I also know I have some training issues to work on. In the first match I was reloading like crazy (maybe I slipped into action movie mode due to adrenaline from it being my first time). In my second match, I was constantly shooting to slide lock. On this match I was somewhat in between but I think my bad habits with the slidelock hurt me, because a few times after reloading I instinctively racked the slide after putting in a new magazine even though the chamber was loaded. Another shooter also suggested I flip my magazines to face forward rather than backward, which messed me up on a stage since I was used to the other direction. As for dry fire, I've been thinking of ordering some targets to set them up and practice. What I had been doing was using different objects in my office/dining room as places to aim at and trying to maintain a good sight picture. BUT, there were two shortcomings: 1.) I was using my Glock 19 with the "piece of paper in the ejector" trick so that the trigger didn't need to be reset with a slide rack. During the match I use a Sig P226 which is obviously different and thus not apples to apples, but is there a good mechanism to reset the trigger and practice SA shots without racking the slide and cocking the hammer? Or should I just keep racking it? 2.) I was practicing for about 15 minutes each night in the lead up to a match, which was then cancelled due to weather. I admittedly got lazy--entirely on me, and did virtually nothing from the cancellation date until the next match (an additional three weeks). I do want to develop a regimen for dryfire but I'm just not sure about the best way to maximize my time. Lastly--how can I get a proper grip? I've always thought that my grip was a little lacking but my only previous instruction was from a bullseye shooter who actually changed my grip quite a bit; this was about a year and a half ago, and my shooting actually got worse. Once again I am very appreciative of the responses, I already feel like I've gotten some very useful information.

Sorry if this is a bit disjointed; I am (unsurprisingly) new and as such I am not sure the best way to phrase/ask these questions. So, I just finished my third match yesterday....and I'm bad...like, really bad. I finished 46th out of 46 (across all classes). I am shooting production. My first match I finished 13th out of 14 and in my second match I also finished last. This was somewhat expected since I recently moved and was unable to shoot at all for seven months (not that I was particularly adept beforehand). I have very slightly improved between the three matches, which I am assuming is due to light amounts of practice plus perhaps more attention to planning courses. Looking at my scores from yesterday I see: Points 105.1423 for a Match % of 15.5527 116 A + C + D vs. 21 M and 7 NS. Am I correct in thinking that Mikes and No-shoots are absolutely killing me? The more I think about it, my guess is that I must be going too quickly trying to emulate other seasoned shooters and as a result I'm piling up the mikes and no-shoots. This is undoubtedly subjective, but how slow should I go? The more I think about it, a slow hit is better than a fast miss... When you all were first starting out, did you find you had to go very slowly at the start? Should I start slow but (hopefully) get a good amount of hits and then work to gradually speed things up? If you had to distill any advice down to a couple of nuggets that I could try to incorporate for the next match, what would they be? How long is reasonable to expect last place finishes? I don''t have any delusions of grandeur, but I don't want to be last place forever, and I do want to improve.... thank you.