How do you start a match

[RickyH]

At a match do you start slow on the first stage or wide open? I think I do better if I sart 3/4 speed on the first stage. Is this just in my mind?

Edited August 1, 2010 by RickyH

[Corey]

i go as fast as i can to hit all the targets

I think you have to put the *thumb rest [generic]* down from the first buzzer if you want to win. if you go 3/4 on the first stage, your giving up a lot of time/points to the guys who go 100%. do some warm up draws and what not in the safe area to so your first draw isnt on the clock and then let'er rip when its go time.

[steel1212]

As fast as you can call your sights on all stages. If they have a warm up bay, I tend to use it. I had some big ol' butterflys at A6 this year and went to the warm up stage and it really helped, same with PROAM. If you want to win though every stage has to be to the best of your ability not 3/4....just like the other CorEy said.

[bkeeler]

I would agree with the above. Let your sights be your speedometer.(This seems to be different from day to day for me anyway,some days I see better than others) You just have to watch out for the 110% that want's to show up;)

Edited August 1, 2010 by bkeeler

[Sarge]

Wide open of course. It helps to practice the day right before a match for me. My worst first stages are after a long layoff from shooting like two weeks or so.

[Reshoot]

Wide open of course. It helps to practice the day right before a match for me. My worst first stages are after a long layoff from shooting like two weeks or so.

I know what you mean, Sarge! I lay out for just one week and my first stage will be a bad one.

Dave

[Chris iliff]

Both Corey's for me. I try to shoot every stage the same ..... aggressive "A's".

[j1b]

I don't know a good answer to your question.

I think all the answers given are solid, but I personally feel a strong connection to the idea that the first stage of a match is the first stage and there's a dynamic associated with that. A mental dynamic.

I wish I were a guy that could say stage 1 of Sunday is just stage 6 or 7 or 8 of last Sunday. But I don't. I can't pretend.

My approach on a first stage is very simply to not pull myself out of the match. So I do tend to insure I see a little more. I guess I'll say that different. Normally as I shoot through a day I begin to understand what I am seeing and how it is converting to what is happening on the targets. Practice sessions drive this, but everyday is just a tick different. I remember reading about Tiger Woods once where he discussed that somedays he hits a little left. Some days he hits a little right. So as he begins to understand that - instead of fighting it - he just plays to it. Keeping in mind it's not like "dead right" or "dead left" it's a little difference that just happens. So he plays to it.

I do that on match days too. I play to what I'm seeing and how it's working. On the first stage of a match I don't exactly know how that's working out - by stage 2 or 3 I'm certainly much closer. So stage 1 I tend to work to go with a much more solid state of vision. At times that has lended it's self to slower times. Sometimes faster. But it's what I see and what I do to insure that I see what I need to see that dictates the pace.

J

P.S. - just re-read my note and frankly I don't know if what I typed even makes sense to me. Sorry 'bout that.

[twodownzero]

A warm up stage seems like a great idea. I always tend to do much better after a few stages in.

[G-ManBart]

It depends on the stage. If it's a fast, close, hoser stage, I'm just going to let 'er rip. If it's got hard shots/positions I'll probably be a bit more conservative. R,

[pjb45]

Let me get some perspective.

Have you shot Nationals?

Does you Nationals match average (%) exceed your Classification average?

I was shooting with Taran at A2 a few years ago. He grabbed the wrong ammo and ended up shooting minor. I believe he ended up losing to Henning by the difference of the scoring of one target.

On the ride back to the hotel after chrono, he talked about his strategy. He finally said, he was going to focus on accuracy. Again he lost by the score on one target shooting minor.

Now I am just a B class Senior but I believe at a few Major matches, my match percent exceeds my national average. I try to focus on accuracy. This is what helps me. A super practice the day before does not produce good results for me. This is the same for taking finals from my senior year in high through graduate school. I just review my notes the day before or on the day of the exam. All my hard stuff is done days before the exam.

However, several hard core practices days before the match does help. I focus on fundamentals and accuracy. This is mimics what I found successful for my style of learning.

John HIll wrote an interesting article about Mike Seeklander's philosophy. It is worth a re-read. My conclusion was that Mike's focus was on consistent accuracy rather than hosing. But I could be wrong.

Your first stage should be shot in the style that gives you the confidence to excel. Each of us may have differences in what motivates excellence.

[Field]

i am a little more deliberate on the first stage, im not warmed up.

i find it annoying when people say there is no such thing as 'being warmed up.' because there is.

[benos]

I shot more consistent first stages if I mentally backed it down about 10 more percent than I normally would for the rest of the match.

be

[blawson]

I am with Brian on this one. If I throttle it down about 10% just to make sure that I don't throw myself in too deep of a hole to start out. Then I feel like I have to blast the rest of the match to catch up. I know that everyone is different but, it seems to work for me.

[boz1911]

On first stages, I generally focus more on decent hits and taking smart shots. The speed? Well it is what it is. I try not to have preconcieved time for any stage, including the first of the day.

[Dancin Dan]

I'm with Brian on this. I don't want to dig myself into a hole so I tend to slow down a little and try to Start the match on a good note. Some times I am surprised by the results, slightly slower time but better hits can equal higher hit factors.

[BoyGlock]

What BE said was "mentally back down". Think this is not the same as slowing down the stage run?

[Joe4d]

depends on mentality, Can you bomb a stage and not lert it affect the rest of your day ? I have bombed satges let it really get to me and probably hurt the rest of the match only to find out at the end of the day only to find out when the scores coem out everyone bombed it and I didnt do so bad after all.

My basic philosopy;

IF YOU SHOOT TO WIN YOU MIGHT, IF YOU SHOOT TO LOSE YOU WILL.

I have lost alot of matches, I dont mind getting beat, I do mind getting beat when I didnt give it my all, I shoot each and every stage to win, I never take the safe shot, I never plan a reload on a stage that doesnt require it. I dont plan for makeup shots, I never go slow on stage one, Sometimes I crash and burn, sometimes I dont but I never leave a match wishing shoulda woulda coulda.

[benos]

What BE said was "mentally back down". Think this is not the same as slowing down the stage run?

My natural tendency is to always rush. Which was jacked up even more in a match. So my goal was to just take the time to feel how I wanted to feel - sharp, calm and loose, and not rushing - and see what I knew I needed to see to make each shot.

For me, thinking of slowing down (or speeding up) never worked. Not programing myself by never thinking about time is what worked for me. All I had to do was not rush and I'd shoot my best.

And I know it's commonly understood that it doesn't work to program yourself with the word "not." Many say your subconscious doesn't hear the word "not." But mine did. Maybe I programmed it to, I dont no.

be

[Gordian]

I tried tonight to put myself into the "zen" state during the first stage. Clear the mind, let the match/stage tension go, concentrate on being present in the moment and firing on all cylinders but relaxed. I made sure that completely visualized the stage and had each and every move burned into my conscious mind. When the buzzer went off, I didn't think - I just did. The stage went well and I used that as a mental reinforcement to keep it going for the next...

Edited August 6, 2010 by Gordian

[RickyH]

I shot more consistent first stages if I mentally backed it down about 10 more percent than I normally would for the rest of the match.

be

Thats more like it .I just wanted to see if others did the same thing or is it just me thinking to much.

[Supermoto]

I always take a little bit off for the first stage and most classifiers, I see both as high risk stages. I know if I'm 5% back on a stage at the start of the match, I can easily make that up through consistency. But if I'm 15% back because I went to hard before I was ready, then I have an uphill battle all match. On classifiers, I know I'm not going to win the match on the stage, but I certainly could lose it, so I always back down and make sure its a solid run.

Locally, there are about 5-7 shooters always capable of winning a stage, but less capable of taking the match. Because of that, I know that I don't need to win every stage, just stay in the fight, so i shoot a match at about 90%. I try to keep a running score in my head. If I made mistake earlier in the match I have some reserves left to try for the win.

Edited August 6, 2010 by Supermoto

[Ron Ankeny]

I haven't shot a lot of big Level III matches, but I know what works at level II matches and bootleg matches for money. I just shift my focus to really paying attention. You know, a solid grip on the first buzzer, great sight picture, being sure to shift attention to non-shooting tasks like reloads (as opposed to auto-pilot mode), and so forth. I learned long ago it's easier not to lose a stage than it is to make yourself win one.

[benos]

... being sure to shift attention...

That's where it's at. After about 15 years of solid training, that is what it came down to.

be

[bobtorre]

Jefe a sombrero does the trick for yourstruly... It serves as good gauge for wind conditions.