corelation between shooting and predators

[Sean Gaines]

I was thinking the other day that I see some corelation between predators, especially cats, and shooting. When a cat is just hanging around its always in a defesnsive mode. When a cat is in this mode, you can startle it and it will run, jump, or hiss at you. Only when the cat is hunting for food or fighting another cat is when its in an offensive mode.

How does this relate to shooting?

Well it seems to me. that you see alot of shooters who shoot defensivly and not attack stages. They seem to shoot stages very diliberatly and not confidently. It seems as if they are shooting to not miss as opposed to shooting offensivly and being aggressive and confident with thier ability. If a cat were to try to get food defensively i would assume that he would be unsuccessful, but if the cat attacks and doesn't let up, he will probably be successful.

It kind of like the guy shooting a target a 15 yards, and the sights are on the target for 30 seconds or longer and he doesn't ever seem to break the shot. instead of seeing the sight on the target and just letting it rip.

[Chris iliff]

I've never made that analogy, but I have noticed that some people seem entirely too deliberate. I have actually caught myself being deliberate and think it relates to how well I prepared for the stage. Sometimes, not often, I get caried away with the "bullshi*****" and banter and find myself a little unprepared at the buzzer. This is when I'm too deliberate. Folowing my routine and being prepared..... flows like water baby!

[Sean Gaines]

It like having a plan of attack, how you are going to attack the stage or attack the animal, you must have a plan, and know what you are going to do, in order to be successful. If you get distracted than you may go into a defensive mindset, and just try to finish the stage, instead of doing your plan.

[2MoreChains]

Sean,

Is this something where you think it switches to more "offensive" shooting once a person realizes that it's OK to drop a few points if they can make significant gains in time? Seems like if we're shooting for points, we're more deliberate, or defensive to continue your analogy. But once we start sacrificing some points for a faster time, then do we go on the offensive, so to speak?

Interesting way to look at it.

[Duane Thomas]

The real "offensiveness" comes when you realize you can push the speed and not drop points - or not too terribly many, anyway. This comes from reading your sights, from KNOWING with every shot where the bullet went. When that happens there's no uncertainty, and you just flow through the stage like water down a stream, like sand through an hourglass, like....quicksilver.

[BSeevers]

I agree totally that agressiveness (without missing or non shot calling) is KEY to high level performance. Too many can have a "romance" with dryfiring, stage prep, visualizing, or other factors and forget that this is a physical activity and requires some aggressiveness. Its all good.

I shoot my best when I attack a stage. The important thing to remember is this is NO substitute for practice. You can't successfully be aggressive until you master fundamentals. All you will do is miss fast if you don't.

Edited February 7, 2010 by BSeevers

[Sean Gaines]

Sean,

Is this something where you think it switches to more "offensive" shooting once a person realizes that it's OK to drop a few points if they can make significant gains in time? Seems like if we're shooting for points, we're more deliberate, or defensive to continue your analogy. But once we start sacrificing some points for a faster time, then do we go on the offensive, so to speak?

Interesting way to look at it.

I have been shooting competivley for 6yrs now and I have only shot 1 perfect score on a field course. so chances are high that you are going to drop some points

But its all about knowing. the cat knows he can take the rabbit easy, in fact it will wound it till its half dead, and give it to its babies to learn how to fight and kill. So now lets look at something easy that you can shoot, lets say an el presedente, you have shot it a hundred times, or maybe even a bill drill, you KNOW how fast you can shoot it without question or doubt, and you will shoot it offensivly and let it rip and probably do well, you are shooting offensivley with no doubt or fear.

Now lets goto the cat who has to fight a cow, at first the cat may have his doubts, because of size, or he maybe unfamiliar with what the cow can do. So instead of knowing, there are doubts. So the cat fights defensively, and winds up getting wounds but wins the fight or gets through the fight. But the cat learned that the fight wasn't really all that bad, it was a big, slow animal, and all he needed to do was go for the neck and he would win the fight. Now the cat has learned what is required of him to win the battle against the cow, there is no more fear, there is no more doubt.

Now let relate that to shooting, so you have never went up against a cow, or have you shot a texas star, or have your tried to shoot 3 steel than a clamshell, so you are not confident, nor are you for sure, if you can do it. So their is doubt, when there is doubt you will goto a defensive type mentality, and will do things more deliberate, as opposed to letting it rip and letting your skills do what you can, because you are unsure, you don't want to miss the target or get injured in any way, whether it be embarrassment or on the scoresheet

The key is to have no fear or doubt, and to know what you are going to do before you do it. I know that sounds simple, but it harder than you know. Before the cat attacks it gets in an aggressive posture, ready to pounce on it prey. It gets in the best position it can to take the predator out with less work and injury to itself. It took years of shooting the same kind or type of scenarios to become more offensive, so you young cats, be patient it will come, just give it some time. Shoot challenging stages that allow you to learn as much as you can, once you do that, then you will become more confident and more knowing, and thats when you will be were you need to be, to be more competitive. who said this game is not mental?

Socrates Out! lol

[mike4045]

I guess I don't have the problem of thinking. I will just let it rip on a stage. I don't think I shoot at all defensively.

Never really thought about the whole predator thing, but it makes sense.

[GrumpyOne]

I have to be honest, I opened this thread thinking there was a typo in the title. Thought it was about shooting predators!

Edited February 7, 2010 by GrumpyOne

[Duane Thomas]

Sean,

Excellent post.

[Duane Thomas]

I will say that, while experience is important, it's not a cure-all. I see people all the time who always approach a stage very tentatively. They're slow, they take their time, they're uncertain. You can practically watch them think their way through the stages. They never really fully commit. And these are people who've been doing it this way for years, if not decades.

[Jesse Tischauser]

I thInk this point is obvious after the first time you watch a professional shooter in person. They don't even think about missing. They are attacking the steel, flying in and out of boxes and look so aggressive and smooth.

[benos]

This topic points out a good fact - shooting confidently should be part of your plan.

be

[GmanCdp]

I will say that, while experience is important, it's not a cure-all. I see people all the time who always approach a stage very tentatively. They're slow, they take their time, they're uncertain. You can practically watch them think their way through the stages. They never really fully commit. And these are people who've been doing it this way for years, if not decades.

You can practically watch them think their way through the stages. They never really fully commit. And these are people who've been doing it this way for years, if not decades

do you think these are the shooters that have been taught[or want] to shoot only "to shoot against themselves"?..i too have seen this quit a bit more in IDPA rather in USPSA shooters..

[Corey]

This is a good analogy! being a new shooter and now looking back on my first match, i was the defensive cat that just got woken up from a match. one stage I shot better than the others as it was easier for me to stick the plan i had made. the 2nd stage i got offtrack after a minor malfunction and the rest of that stage went to hell, haha. 3rd was a classifier, my first, so i was a little nervous-plus it involved weak handed shooting(something I hadnt had much time with). im sure you can guess how that went.

after reading this thread and thinking back. I shot much better onte stage I had prepared for better and felt more confident on. the 2nd one above i was more or less "trying not to screw up too bad" instead of settling in and doing what I know I can do. ive been putting some serous work into reloads and one handed shooting lately, so we'll see how it goes in a couple weeks. im going to try to think about this little analogy and see if i can put it to work...

[Classic_jon]

I would like to toss a thought or two in:

To me, Having a plan is key, but being flexible enough to confidently and aggressively continue on if that plan goes south is also important.

As we all know, it is very rare that everything goes "exactly" as planned

[Duane Thomas]

do you think these are the shooters that have been taught[or want] to shoot only "to shoot against themselves"?

No, I think it's an example of people who haven't put in the work to be able to just let go and shoot from the subconscious mind. Also there may be a certain "control freak" aspect to the problem that can't just relax and let it happen.

[Sam]

Hey, thanks for bringin this topic up.

I didn't have time to practice much the last two seasons, and it really killed my aggressiveness in matches.

Now, that I'm practicing again, I'll get back to winding my hind quarters up like a big cat, just before the beep!

And I agree with Duane. Sean, that post really nailed it!