What was it that took your game to the next level?

[Sean Gaines]

For me, visualizing the stage before shooting it was the biggest eye opener for me. I had always been told to "visualize the stage before shooting it". I always thought that I did. Well I did, a little, and not to the extreme that I do now. this was the biggest eye opener for me. When visualizing the stage, your actions become more deliberate,there is no guessing or suprises. This is much faster than thinking your way through a stage. think of yourself like a tape recorder. when you are going through your walk through you are inputting all the information into the recorder. then you visualize how you are going to shoot the stage. That becomes adding all the data from the tape recorder and putting in a format that makes sense and going to be the most effecient way to shoot the stage (this would be like mixing a tape to make a song) Once you have done this, you rehearse the stage in your mind over and over, until someone can walk up to you and say in postion 3 what targets are there and what order are you going to shoot them in, and what cadence your shots are going to be, where are you going to be postioned at etc, etc. While rehearsing the stage, you may come up to an area, that there is a question mark, go to that spot and figure out what the issue is and fix it in your mind and then rehearse it with the new plan in place. Keep doing this until its your turn to shoot. Then when the buzzer goes off just push "PLAY"

a good analogy of this is in the movie "Sherlock Holmes" where Sherlock Holmes(Robert Downey Jr.) is in the arena fighting that big guy, and he visualizes what he is going to do to that big guy, before the fight even begins, and then he executes it to a tee. well that is the movies, but you get the idea.

This skill of visualization is something not to be taken for granted, in fact all the fundamental skills are not to be taken for granted there is merit to all of them. This skill just gave me the biggest leap in my shooting. think of when you are at practice, you shoot a drill, and you shoot it in "x" time, then you keep repeating the drill and you get faster and faster until you get to a point where the times are about all the same. This is what you are doing with visualization, you are essentially shooting the stage in your mind and you are eliminating all the trial runs. you only have one time to shoot the stage, make it count!!!

Now if everyone could please add to this list, this will help people here who are striving to get better at this game, feel free to add to someones else's post if neccessary if you feel they left something out that was important to your overall game. I am looking for things that drastically improved your game.

good luck!

-Sean

[Seth]

I picked up competitive shooting with zero background. I hadn't been shooting actively in at least a decade. So I earned my way up from the bottom. Started D single stack and was DEFINITELY a D. Earned C.... then immediately jumped to Limited. Earned C, then B.

THEN I got smart and took a class with Todd J. In 4 months I went from a 58% shooter to a 73% shooter. I'll make A next season if I shoot consistently. I learned more from 12 hours on range with Todd than the previous 2 years combined.

[Sean Gaines]

I picked up competitive shooting with zero background. I hadn't been shooting actively in at least a decade. So I earned my way up from the bottom. Started D single stack and was DEFINITELY a D. Earned C.... then immediately jumped to Limited. Earned C, then B.

THEN I got smart and took a class with Todd J. In 4 months I went from a 58% shooter to a 73% shooter. I'll make A next season if I shoot consistently. I learned more from 12 hours on range with Todd than the previous 2 years combined.

I can add to this:

Instruction from a good teacher. Just because they are a great shooter, doesn't neccessary mean they are a good teacher. When you are are a c/d class shooter taking a class can greatly enhance your game. I would go as far as videoing the teaching, if allowed, because alot of the time, its more information than one can digest in one day. video what the instructor says about you and what he says about everyone else's shooting. You want to know about all aspects of shooting, because think of each skill set or any little piece of information as a tool to add to your toolbox.

It all comes down to knowing, ie: like shot calling, knowing you hit the plate the second you see the front site/dot lift off the plate

Knowing=faster times and better scores

Edited December 21, 2010 by Sean Gaines

[Kyle O]

When I started to dry fire on a regular basis And just practice in general. You know, the fundamentals, caused a HUGE improvement in my game.

[Seth]

I picked up competitive shooting with zero background. I hadn't been shooting actively in at least a decade. So I earned my way up from the bottom. Started D single stack and was DEFINITELY a D. Earned C.... then immediately jumped to Limited. Earned C, then B.

THEN I got smart and took a class with Todd J. In 4 months I went from a 58% shooter to a 73% shooter. I'll make A next season if I shoot consistently. I learned more from 12 hours on range with Todd than the previous 2 years combined.

I can add to this:

Instruction from a good teacher. Just because they are a great shooter, doesn't neccessary mean they are a good teacher. When you are are a c/d class shooter taking a class can greatly enhance your game. I would go as far as videoing the teaching, if allowed, because alot of the time, its more information than one can digest in one day. video what the instructor says about you and what he says about everyone else's shooting. You want to know about all aspects of shooting, because think of each skill set or any little piece of information as a tool to add to your toolbox.

It all comes down to knowing, ie: like shot calling, knowing you hit the plate the second you see the front site/dot lift off the plate

Knowing=faster times and better scores

Brings up a valuable point... I actually got worse for the first month or two after the class. MUCH worse. I was focused on implementing change and it didn't come fast. After 6 months though, the nuggets started to sink in and I have become more efficient.

Really this game is about 2 things... marksmanship and compressing time. Once the fundamentals are fundamental, the rest is figuring out how to do the process efficiently.

[blaster113]

When I started to dry fire on a regular basis And just practice in general. You know, the fundamentals, caused a HUGE improvement in my game.

When I started to practice regularly (and dryfiring on a semi-regular basis) I noticed a definite improvement. Still got a ways to go though. 60+ hour work weeks make it a little hard to practice. Focusing on the fundamentals really helped my game as well. Focusing on visualizing a stage during the walk through helped my scores a lot also.

[DWFAN]

Learning the difference between a double tap and controlled pair.

[pjb45]

Nailing the fundamentals! When I finally realized I could shoot all As allowed me the confidence to start focusing on other stuff.

The impetus was Taran commenting on my trigger control (lack thereof) during an A2 match. After working with him and numerous phone calls to BE, I finally came to understand the importance of trigger control - fundamental to shooting accurately.

Visualization is awesome! I watched the supersquad a few years back, both Travis and Max, mentally shot the stage before they allowed the RO to say Load and Make Ready. You could see their heads bobbing and moving. I have found visualization to be a heck of a lot more productive than walking the stage 20 times. I need to work on it more.

About 4 years ago, I did an honest evaluation of my skill set and what I needed to improve. I talked with a bunch of GMs to understand what it took for me to become a better shooter. That was the whole purpose of Tips from the Grand Masters. The idea was to get a good start on the fundamentals that would help the D, C, and B shooter become better shooters.

All in all, trigger control is probaly the one most important item. Being accurate and knowing you can be accurate is a solid foundation upon which to build other skills. Shooting fast can win you some points and stages, especially on the hoser stages. But throw a bunch of hard cover and no shoots and that is when you really see the importance of accuracy.

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: Shooting alot of bullets down range and knowing where they are going to hit. Realizing your weekness and working on that. Making a plan and sticking to it. Shooting with better shooters than yourself. Asking questions about the stage before and after you shoot it. Taking videos of your shooting. Reading the stage discription a couple of times. Making notes on your shooting after you shoot or that evening. Finding equipment that works for you. Reloading. Having fun. That about does it. I am a "B" in most divisions but next year I should be an "A" in single stack. Not bad since the first time I shot a pistol was just over 4 years ago. Thanks, Eric

[twodownzero]

I think buying a .22 has done the most to improve my skills as a shooter. As such, I have the confidence to know that I can get my hits, and it's the other skills that I'm working on now.

One thing I've noticed as my scores improve is that skills develop together. It's not just an epiphany and all of a sudden you see what you need to see. Every match I shoot, I try to not only celebrate what I did right, but to push myself just a little more, assess my errors, and to criticize my performance a little bit at a time.

I'm reading BE's book again now that school is out. I love how Brian focuses on the mental part of the game. Often, we get distracted talking about ammo loads, guns, equipment, etc. Brian brings it all down to the science and philosophy of shooting, which starts in your head.

[Chills1994]

sorry Sean, I don't mean to poop up your thread, buttt...

for me, after a series of threatening phone calls from by XBIL, something along the lines of him and his buds coming over to the house to beat my _ _ _. And then him trying to strangle me in the middle of a Sears store at the mall...that's when I realized that I might actually have to send bullets "downrange" for real...and not for practice and not just for any silly game.

That's when my "game" went up a notch or two.

The aggressiveness really kicked in after that.

sorry...I hope I am not a thread killer here.

I don't necessarily recommend this method for improving your game....by the way.

Edited December 21, 2010 by Chills1994

[lugnut]

All great posts for far- all good stuff. However I'd say what helped me most (at least in the last year or so) was pushing hard at practice- what the hell does that really mean? I mean start a drill at a modest pace, then at a good pace, then push as fast as you can, then back down a bit. You will surprise yourself. When I push myself to go real fast... "slowing down" to get good hits is usually much faster.

Basically- get yourself to see and do more in less time. It won't be pretty at first- but you will surprise yourself.

[alpha-charlie]

All great posts for far- all good stuff. However I'd say what helped me most (at least in the last year or so) was pushing hard at practice- what the hell does that really mean? I mean start a drill at a modest pace, then at a good pace, then push as fast as you can, then back down a bit. You will surprise yourself. When I push myself to go real fast... "slowing down" to get good hits is usually much faster.

Basically- get yourself to see and do more in less time. It won't be pretty at first- but you will surprise yourself.

+1 What really did it for me was "getting out of my shooting comfort zone." By pushing myself to failure in practice I know how fast I can actually be and then back off a little until accuracy catches up. Then, once I'm consistently accurate at that speed the process starts all over again and get out of that comfort zone. Also, paying attention during practice was huge. Instead of just practicing to say I practiced. Stopping and REALIZING what and how I just did something is huge. EX: Why am I shooting low on my follow-up shots? Well, let's paying attention to where the sights are lining up and why they're lining up low. Answer: As I was shooting I wasn't keeping my wrist locked and weak hand grip tight. After seeing this while shooting, I corrected the mistake and the next magazine fired were a nice little group in the center of the A-zone. Gotta pay attention to everything that's going on when something's wrong. Good Luck.

[Supermoto]

When I didn't worry about anything else, just watched the dot and pressed the trigger. My little mantra became just shoot the dot and you'll win. When I got wrapped up into speed I would lose this and the match

[sirveyr]

What was it that took your game to the next level?

Trying to explain the how I shot a stage to a newer shooter. They would ask questions like, "Why did you shoot that target first" or "Why did you put your feet like that." Hell, I didn't know? It made me examine my game and techniques.

Also, shooting with a great group of guys on a consistent basis. We raised each others games weekly. I didn't get to do that as much as I wanted to last season and I know that my game has suffered.

Edited December 21, 2010 by sirveyr

[lugnut]

When I didn't worry about anything else, just watched the dot and pressed the trigger. My little mantra became just shoot the dot and you'll win. When I got wrapped up into speed I would lose this and the match

Dot??? I don't have a dot.

[Supermoto]

Dot??? I don't have a dot.

No dot and a glock, I know what you could do to take you to the next level.

Edited December 21, 2010 by Supermoto

[CHA-LEE]

Improving your shooting skills usually happens in mini leaps in performance because you have completed the cycle of successfully learning and deploying a new skill. Some skills may seem mundane or insignificant on their own, but once you start building upon your skill set base they start complimenting one another which creates a level of performance that is usually more significant than any one skill on its own.

I think that the number one skill that many shooters overlook or undervalue is marksmanship. The goal in this game is to hit what we are shooting at regardless of speed or difficulty. A SOLID base of shooting fundamentals is needed in order to be a decent marksman. If you are a poor marksman and can’t hit what you are shooting at then try to force the shooting process in order to go faster that is a dead end. You may be able to “Luck” hits onto targets with poor marksmanship skills but you will lack consistency.

A lot of what we are able to do effectively under the pressure of a clock is based on our confidence level of the skills we are tasked with leveraging. The more confidence you have in your skills, the better performance you will be able to produce.

In the end I really think that the mini leaps in performance results are more associated with new found confidence levels for specific skills than anything else. In order to have confidence in a skill so you can perform it you first must effectively learn and train the skill to a level where you honestly feel confident in performing it at any time without hesitation. Hollow confidence in skills that you have not spent the time on honing will not get you anywhere and usually lead to frustration.

To make a long story short in order to gain the mini leaps in performance you first need to understand a skill, learn it, train it, then perform it until you are 100% confident in doing it. Then when you leverage that skill in a match condition it will be an automated process. All you have to do is deploy this process to every skill we use for competing in matches. Sounds easy right?

[Dan Burwell]

What was it that took your game to the next level?

When I decided I wanted to improve.

You cannot get better at something by accident you have to: 1. want to do it, 2. come up with a plan on how to it, 3. execute the plan 4. occasionally reevaluate the plan and make adjusments to it.

But it all starts with making the decision to improve.

[benos]

When you can call every shot with a fair amount of precision, trigger control will have taken care of itself.

Then it comes down to visualizing, in minute detail, everything you will do and see.

And finally, with the confidence that comes from commiting to reaching the above - you will shoot without trying anything at all. That's where it's at.

be

[Bigpops]

All great stuff posted so far!

Two big things that helped me improve;

1. Video of matches and had them reviewed for feedback. (A huge thank you to Jake and Cha-lee)

2. Not only have a training plan but keep good records/notes of your training. This includes goals, performance, etc. Sending rounds down range is just that without a good plan for what you want to accomplish and for what you have done.

one more to ad...HAVE FUN!_

[ebg3]

Reading Brians' book over and over really helped push me to the next level. I bought the book in the late 90's when I first started competing. When I read about the drills that a Master level shooter should be able to do, I went to the range and practiced until I could do what was written. I must admit that 2 alphas in 1 second at 7 or 10 yards has eluded me all but a very few times. I was so happy when I hit two A's on a 7 yard target in .96sec that I took a picture of the target. I still think about those things and go back to the book from time to time. But bottom line, practice is what it takes. The more time you can spend with the gun in your hand the better you'll be.

EG

[XRe]

When I realized that none if it really matters, in the end....

[Sean Gaines]

alot of good stuff!!!

one person had a life threatining event that created motivation

Doing alot of dry fire, getting motivated and doing the work to get better

watching videos: this was big with me also, since everything is happening so fast watching video, you can see the subtle movements that are a waste of time. This is really big, if you want to get better. I call this doing your "homework"

Learning from other shooters

learning markmanship: Very important, Its hard to shoot uspsa without this one, you should be able to make a ragged hole at 10yd+ before you can even think of playing this game and being successful.

taking 10 of your biggest weakness and practicing them until you get good at them. Very good one!

What I was really looking for in this thread where eye opening events,that took your game to the next level, where you said wow this is what I need to do all the time, and you became a different shooter because of it. Kind of an epifhany, or something that you did, and you didn't understand it, then you figured it out and it has helped your game. Somthing that hit you like a ton of bricks!!!

[AWLAZS]

I agree with Dan. I always wanted to be better but never really tried. Once I decided what I wanted to do I wrote up a plan. I followed that plan keeping my goal in sight. I evaluated and adjusted on the way. It was a major thing for me. Classification cards kept showing up in the mail.