Local Match Critique

[HuskySig]

We're now more than a third of the way through the year and I finally feel like I've shaken the offseason cobwebs. I'm looking for some feedback on what people see and perhaps some advice in how to fix these deficiencies.

This is the video a friend took of me at a local match last weekend:

Thanks!

[Aristotle]

I'll leave the stage break down to better shooters. I'll tell you what I see, based on things I am also working on.

When I went from B to A, one of the things that I was told, and worked on, was points. Putting as much points on the board to count, and of course being more consistent stage to stage. You have that. Now, in talking with my mentors, the next big hurdle is, to put those points on the board, sooner/faster. At MA level or a competitive MA level, you need to be fast, not just smooth. That is what I see anyhow of the MA shooters I try and emulate. Take a look at Scott P, he's a great MA Production shooter to emulate. They are not only accurate, but fast enough to drive that HF. At that level, you need to be fast and accurate.

You need to be able to do everything faster and consistently. I'm one of those guys that believe "smooth is smooth and Fast is Fast". Particularly, your splits and transitions, footwork and the time you are breaking a shot once you enter and leave a position. Something Yong has been telling me. "Kill the delay", or what he calls "lag time". You need to be accurate, but break that shot faster and do everything faster.

Another thing I saw in that vid was, a few times you were still hunting for targets through ports. That's also valuable time you can't afford to give up, because no one in that level is giving up that time.

Just my .02 for what they're worth.

Edited May 7, 2010 by Aristotle

[CocoBolo]

You are a better shooter than I but I did see some things you could improve on. In the stage after the polish plate rack it was about 2 seconds to first shot and the standing reload was about 2 seconds, so there are two seconds in that stage that you could get. Most of your landings are a good but to be really quick your going to have to explode out of positions. Most of the on the move reloads were good but in some movements you seemed to be holding back on the movement while taking a relaxed reload as if you had all the time in the world. Videos can be deceiving. Ole Aristotle does not look very fast on camera but when I ro'ed him a SSC he is pretty quick, and mabe even an inch or two taller in person.

Aristotle noted a few hunting for the next target. A couple of going back to targets after the fact if you called a mike maybe you should have took care of it before going on, adding another transition is a 1/2 second or more and another 1/2 for the shot and to get back on track.

[Flyin40]

We're now more than a third of the way through the year and I finally feel like I've shaken the offseason cobwebs. I'm looking for some feedback on what people see and perhaps some advice in how to fix these deficiencies.

This is the video a friend took of me at a local match last weekend:

Thanks!

Whats your current class?? Whats your draw at 10yds?? Whats your reload time??

Flyin

[PINMAN44]

dude lookin good

[MemphisMechanic]

You nearly always take a couple of extra, small, shuffle-steps when setting up in a position. Watch a couple of Ben's videos (elbeno007 on youtube) for comparison on footwork. He's a GM who's hit the 100.00 classification mark, so I find him worth emulating most of the time.

Edited May 7, 2010 by MemphisMechanic

[HuskySig]

In the stage after the polish plate rack it was about 2 seconds to first shot and the standing reload was about 2 seconds, so there are two seconds in that stage that you could get.

These days I shoot classifier stages intentionally deliberate. I don't have any intention in moving up in classification until I improve my current deficiencies.

[HuskySig]

[Whats your current class?? Whats your draw at 10yds?? Whats your reload time??

Master

A week ago I went out to the range and my 10 yard draw to A was consistently between 1.25-1.30. A few years ago, when I was much more practiced up, my times were between 1.00-1.10.

I didn't time any reloads last week. About a month and a half ago after a match, a couple friends and I were dinking around and I managed a couple of 1.3Xs.

[CocoBolo]

In the stage after the polish plate rack it was about 2 seconds to first shot and the standing reload was about 2 seconds, so there are two seconds in that stage that you could get.

These days I shoot classifier stages intentionally deliberate. I don't have any intention in moving up in classification until I improve my current deficiencies.

I feel your pain on that one, shot a couple out of class last weekend 75%+. But then again the match overall was there as well, and the wife says don't you want to be better? Yeah.

There is a lot of good in your shooting, just need to polish the foot work, and take out the pauses.

Edited May 7, 2010 by CocoBolo

[Flyin40]

[Whats your current class?? Whats your draw at 10yds?? Whats your reload time??

Master

A week ago I went out to the range and my 10 yard draw to A was consistently between 1.25-1.30. A few years ago, when I was much more practiced up, my times were between 1.00-1.10.

I didn't time any reloads last week. About a month and a half ago after a match, a couple friends and I were dinking around and I managed a couple of 1.3Xs.

What percentage do you finish at Area matches?? or other big matches??

The draws and reloads look smooth but seemed off. Thats why I ask your class. The draws don't look slow but they don't look fast for you. It seems like you take your time getting your hand on the gun. If your draws now are around 1.3 then you will have no trouble getting then down to 1sec. Since your a Master and used to have your draws around 1sec you know its just a matter of getting it back. Same with reloads. I thought the classifier reload looked good. The reload at around 2:45 took 5 steps to complete. You should have it done at the end of the first step.

The other thing I noticed was your setup. Around 7 secs you come into a position and after a pause you start shooting. I'm not sure of the target placement or distance. Unless that target was a very hard shot you could of started shooting alot sooner. You stance looks good and solid and I don't see why there isn't any reason based on what I seen that would keep you from shooting sooner. Thats why I wanted to know what percentage you placed at big matches. Entering and exiting positions and shooting as soon as possible can easily cut off 5 or more seconds on big stages.

Overall looked smooth and your shooting looked good.

Flyin

Edited May 7, 2010 by Flyin40

[HuskySig]

What percentage do you finish at Area matches?? or other big matches??

It's been a few years since I've shot a major match. The few that I have shot, weren't very good. I get stressed about performing well due to the money and time investment, which typically caused me to tighten up and shoot very poorly.

[Flyin40]

Watch this video

Watch Ben shoot as he is coming to the position at 5secs. He is engaging as he is coming into the position compared to engaging after he sets up. This saves alot of time on a big stage. Also looks at 15 and 16sec. He never really setups up but rather just keeps moving through the position. He is moving slowing and smoothing with a solid shooting platform. Some people confuse shooting on the move with running and gunning. Shooting on the move can be nothing move than starting to shoot as your taking your last couple of steps into a position. Shooting on the move can be done at an all out run also. There are a ton of other examples in that video. Your stage where you were shooting on the move looks like your shooting platform very solid.

Flyin

[blind bat]

Dang! Ben's so fast my computer couldn't even keep up.

[Ben Stoeger]

We're now more than a third of the way through the year and I finally feel like I've shaken the offseason cobwebs. I'm looking for some feedback on what people see and perhaps some advice in how to fix these deficiencies.

This is the video a friend took of me at a local match last weekend:

Thanks!

Dude... you look good. There aren't really any "textbook" technical things that you are screwing up that are costing you huge. It looks to me like you need to practice running the gun harder and faster. You need to go so hard that the wheels come off. That’s what is going to make you better. Technique looked decent.

Some guys posting above had good points about the footwork and dropping the gun down or whatever, but the big gains are going to be made by being comfortable at much higher speeds.

[HuskySig]

It looks to me like you need to practice running the gun harder and faster. You need to go so hard that the wheels come off.

Any suggestions on how to do this?

[Matt Cheely]

Learn to shoot faster. Have the gun up before you get to your shooting position. Reload faster, slap the next mag on the belt.

[Ben Stoeger]

It looks to me like you need to practice running the gun harder and faster. You need to go so hard that the wheels come off.

Any suggestions on how to do this?

Drills like "Triple Six", "Bill Drills", or just working on drawing so fast and so hard your gun ends up in the berm. It really doesn't matter what you do, you just try and go so fast and so hard that you completely fall apart. You need to NOT be able to do stuff.

[Matt Griffin]

3 big things:

1. You're body timing. You're letting different parts of your body use other parts as timers, particularly your weak hand going for the next mag is working along with your feet. You have to break the rhythm and have the hand moving as fast as possible while the feet move as smoothly as possible. You should be moving something fast enough to grunt at all times.

2. You're not planning your entry into positions. You eyeball the destination too long and shuffle into it without having the platform ready to engage. The best way to enter a position is to have your spot picked out three steps away, then get your eyes and the gun up and pointing in the direction that they will be pointing when the barricade clears. There is a TON of time to be earned here.

3. You're picking the wrong position. You keep shifting around to catch targets through ports; during the walkthrough find the position that offers you the most targets without lower body movement (including swaying) and hit that position on the way in. Start transitioning so hard you grunt, it should feel like you're exploding from the waist then crashing into muscle to stop.

That's what I see, the only thing delicate about this sport is trigger control, everything else benefits from a good dose of athleticism. Slow things down when a delicate maneuver is called for, like the last two inches of a reload, but otherwise burn some calories.

H.

[Aristotle]

It looks to me like you need to practice running the gun harder and faster. You need to go so hard that the wheels come off.

Any suggestions on how to do this?

During practice. I push myself to the brink of being just barely in control. I've missed the reload so bad that I have marks on my walls/floors/ceiling and been glad I wear my eye protection as I've had mags come flying back in my face. Smashed hands/fingers/feet, dropped guns and flying magazines. You only need to learn to dial it back in a match.

To me it looks like you practice only to be in control, and that's great. But if you're not moving at speed and constantly pushing to get faster, you won't be competitive on a national/area level. And I think that is what you are trying to accomplish?

There's a quote I saw here that I really like " Push the envelope, watch it bend... " It's time to push it.