Going first

[tackdr1ver]

Recently I shot my first major match and it was educational to say the least. I had the pleasure of going first or second on several stages and felt as if I did not have any time to prepare any sort of game plan for those courses of fire. Those stages were somewhat of a disaster for me.

What tips or advice can you offer in order to help me prepare and dissect stages quickly. I believe that as time goes on and I get more experience in shooting competitively this will get easier. But for now, I would greatly appreciate some help getting on the fast track.

Thanks in advance for your advice

- Tack

[Pat Miles]

Don't wait to hear that you are first or second to start your planning. If you can look over the stage(s) before the match starts do it. Then when your squad moves to the next stage don't spend that time yakking with other shooters. Refine your plan and start burning it into your short term memory. With time you will be able to plan for a stage quicker as you develop better shooting, movement and planning skills. Use your time wisely. You can yak after you shoot.

Pat

[Matt Cheely]

A poor plan executed perfectly is much better than a perfect plan executed poorly.

Get a decent plan in your head as soon as possible, and then go with it.

[cyburg]

Also, make sure you know how the timer will work. Meaning does the buzzer go off as soon as they push the button or does it have a 1 to 4 second delay.

[G-ManBart]

If you're rushed, keep it simple, pick a plan and stick to it. It may not be the best, but it won't kill your match.

Extra mags that are already loaded can really help save time between stages. The worst is when you're last on one stage, then first on the next, and you're cleaning/loading mags while everyone else is walking the stage. R,

[Joe4d]

No

the response to "Are you ready?" get your head on straight then go, You really shouldnt have been first several times,, usually the guy that is first is second on the next stage third on next etc, the last shooter then moves to first, that can be a little busy, but show up with squad, take full five minutes, as bart said, I like having lots of loaded magazines.

[Corey]

make sure to use the entire 5 minutes if you are first and dont know how your going to shoot it yet. just bc the whole squad isnt walking the stage, you have the time if necessary. Get a plan as early as you can and burn it into your mind.

[calishootr]

around here we do the 'scorecard shuffle' and one match i was 'unlucky' enuff to go first at least 4 out of 6 stages??? prepare for the stage like you ARE going first, get a rough plan, and stick with it, if your not going first and get a few more looks at the stage,then you can modify the plan...dont feel bad if everyone behind you shoots the stage better, it happens...chalk it up to experience, and as you gain it, the nerves will go away asthe experience level rises and you will have your own pre-stage routine you go thru to settle things out...

[gregdavidl]

I always tried to get a plan in my head as soon as possible, one that was comfortable to me. I found that as I gained experience that I preferred to go first. Then I could focus on helping out at the local matches and relax and socialize at the bigger ones.

[TRev1911]

At local matches I try to be the first shooter in the squad. I am getting used to devolping a plan with the shorter prep time on the easier local stages. It also forces me really gauge how to shoot muliple swingers on the walk through. I am hoping it pays dividends at the larger matches.

[bkeeler]

At majors and some local matches we go by shooter number on the first stage and then rotate so the shooter that goes first on stage 1 is last on stage 2.........works out pretty well. keep this rotation going for the entire match. If you have 12 shooters in your squad and 12 stages every shooter will be first on 1 stage. But you will know when you will be first. This helps out a lot.

[Corey]

At majors and some local matches we go by shooter number on the first stage and then rotate so the shooter that goes first on stage 1 is last on stage 2.........works out pretty well. keep this rotation going for the entire match. If you have 12 shooters in your squad and 12 stages every shooter will be first on 1 stage. But you will know when you will be first. This helps out a lot.

ill second the liking of the rotation. either by shooter number or alphabetical order, then rotate around-first shooter goes last the next time, 2nd shooter will go first on the next stage. You know when you are going to be first so after you are done shooting the prior stage, get your gear ready and be mentally ready when you change bays. as soon as you arrive, go to the stage and begin making your plan if you have not already in a walkthrough earlier in the day

[XRe]

Two additional points (the points that Matt and Chris made about having some sort of a plan being better than having to have a perfect plan are spot on):

- for a while, volunteer to shoot first on every stage at your local matches - this will build your ability to find a plan quickly, and program it in, and build your comfort level around going first

- strive to always arrive at the match early so that you can inspect the stages and have some kind of plan formulated long before your 5 minute period starts. The 5 minute period should ideally be your time frame to start your visualization process, reconfirm your plan and your "blocking" (ie, where you need to be when, etc), and start getting down to brass tacks. If you're waiting until the 5 minute period to start your plan, on stages that have any real complexity to them you're not likely to get enough time on the stage to develop even a basic plan. Sometimes you won't even be able to identify all the targets on the stage in that time!

[benos]

Also, be sure to have all your mags cleaned and loaded (or pre-loaded, you use that technique) before you get to each stage, so your mind is wide open to focus on preparing for the stage.

[cyburg]

Cleaned, yes, when you drop or conduct a mag change and the mag drops in the dirt, unload it and clean it. I found that out in my first match, it was a classifier match. On the prior classifier stage I conducted a mag change and it landed in the dirt. I failed to clean it and on the next classifier stage I conducted a mag change again, except this time all the dirt was fed into my chamber and boy what a fun time... I only had one good classifier score out of 4.

Lesson learned, clean, clean, clean, I will make sure every time from now on............

[Neil E.]

Don't let the RO rush you. If you are last on the last stage and first on the next. Get ready as fast as you can and then walk the stage. Make sure you are ready.

[ParaGunner]

Two additional points (the points that Matt and Chris made about having some sort of a plan being better than having to have a perfect plan are spot on):

- for a while, volunteer to shoot first on every stage at your local matches - this will build your ability to find a plan quickly, and program it in, and build your comfort level around going first

- strive to always arrive at the match early so that you can inspect the stages and have some kind of plan formulated long before your 5 minute period starts. The 5 minute period should ideally be your time frame to start your visualization process, reconfirm your plan and your "blocking" (ie, where you need to be when, etc), and start getting down to brass tacks. If you're waiting until the 5 minute period to start your plan, on stages that have any real complexity to them you're not likely to get enough time on the stage to develop even a basic plan. Sometimes you won't even be able to identify all the targets on the stage in that time!

Great advice

[pjb45]

Many times I am the stage mom at major matches. I order by shooter number and drop down each stage. This way everyone gets a chance to be first. Eva taught me this technique. It works very successfully. Our local matches use a Palm with a random order feature. Ask to be moved down if you're first two times in a row.

I like going first. If I could I would do it almost every stage.

Otherwise, I start by evaluating a couple different shooting solutions. Most of the time this is not necessary. Once I get an order for what array of targets I am going to shoot, I then work on the order of the targets within each array. I try to fix on what will be my first target and my last. I tend to shoot harder targets and steel first. I never want to leave an array shooting steel. After I have this settled, I then look for physical cues as to where I am going to stand, knowing when I get to that spot the targets will appear.

DO NOT CHANGE PLANS AT THE LINE! Stick with your plan. Keep it simple.

I have shot with quite a number of GMs, one thing seems to be common, after a stage the clean their mags and prep them for the next stage. When they get to the next stage they focus on the stage not prepping their mags.

[bbbean]

Our local matches use a Palm with a random order feature.

I don't like random orders. I prefer a set order that rotates. That way, when I arrive at a stage, I know exactly how long I have before I shoot, and how much time I have after I shoot before the squad moves. If there are particular shooters I want to watch, I can be ready to watch them.

[JThompson]

A poor plan executed perfectly is much better than a perfect plan executed poorly.

Get a decent plan in your head as soon as possible, and then go with it.

Yes, and even if you see something you think might be better, you are better served by sticking with your plan. If you try to incorporate another piece it's often a disaster. You run both plans and neither of them goes well....

Plan your stage stick with your plan and take anything you see and save it for the next time you see something like it.

JT

[JThompson]

If you're rushed, keep it simple, pick a plan and stick to it. It may not be the best, but it won't kill your match.

Extra mags that are already loaded can really help save time between stages. The worst is when you're last on one stage, then first on the next, and you're cleaning/loading mags while everyone else is walking the stage. R,

If you aren't ready say so, most squads are a good group of guys and will put you down several shooters to get your shit in order.

JT

[JThompson]

Don't let the RO rush you. If you are last on the last stage and first on the next. Get ready as fast as you can and then walk the stage. Make sure you are ready.

IF I go last on the previous stage I do NOT load mags until I walk the next stage and have my plan, THEN I load/clean and if the call me I simply say I'm not ready, put me down a few.

JT

[mgood]

At a local match, I don't think they should make the new guy go first. But you have no control over that.

Where I usually shoot, we do the score sheet shuffle for the first stage. After that, whoever was first, is last on the next stage. Whoever was second is now first, third is now second, etc. If someone is at his or her first match and their scoresheet comes up first on one of the first few stages, that sheet is likely to get moved to the back and everyone rotated one slot forward without anything being said. If it's on the 4th or 5th stage and the newbie comes up as first shooter, the RO might ask if he's comfortable going first or if he'd rather let someone else go. Even at a shooter's second match, they won't usually make him go first on the first stage.

When you're done shooting and targets are scored (let the others tape, unless you have a seriously small squad) and your brass is picked up (if I'm lucky someone else is picking up my brass for me because I did the same for them) then go do whatever you need to do as far as mag cleaning and reloading to prepare for the next stage. Right then. THEN get back into the helping tape and set. If you show up at the next stage and find out you're first, you can concentrate on your plan because everything else is ready.

Pay attention when the RO reads the written stage description. Once or twice, I've been in the back of the crowd running my mouth during this, and then realized I was the first shooter and didn't really know what was going on.

EDIT: JT said it. I could have skipped most of what I just typed if I had read his posts first.

Edited October 22, 2010 by mgood

[dcarter]

It is a toss up for me. Sometimes I like to watch better shooters shoot first and pick up on a plan that I didn't see. That has happened a few times and it worked well for me. Other times I enjoyed going first (Like the first stage of a match). I like getting those first shot jitters out of my system. +1 on being put down in rotation if you are not ready. You only have 1 shot to get it right.

[rvb]

Corey likes to give me crap about the pile of mags in my range bag, but I always have at least enough mags to shoot two field courses. For production that's at least 10 mags, for open that's 5 140s and two 170s. If I know on the following stage I'll be first, I can have mags ready for the stage I am on and that following stage. Pays off when ROing at locals, too, where I have less time to prep gear (I load my mags the night before the match, too)... That maximizes my time to plan, and eliminates a lot of that "hurrying" feeling.

Expecting I'd end up ROing, I took 14 loaded mags to my last local match... I think I only had to actually load 4-5 mags during all 5 stages. In other words, maximize your time to plan and visualize, minimize the time futzing with gear.

-rvb