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

[benos]

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!!!

When I realized, while shooting the Moving Target Event in the Bianchi Cup, that if I only gripped the gun with about 80% of the pressure that I'd normally grip the gun with (in the match), the sights tracked perfectly, just like they did in practice.

When I realized that everything I needed to see was happening right in front of my face.

When, for a collection of reasons, I was able to shoot without any form of care or trying whatsoever.

be

[Sean Gaines]

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.

this is a great point! Everyone is looking for the magic pill, should I take the red or blue pill. ala matrix. You must get your mind and body mentally prepared to do work to get better. It will not happen over night. I cannot stress the mental part enough! Think about it. lol

When you set goals you have something to work for, if you just goto the range just to shoot, you may have something fall into your lap, and realize something (don't get me wrong this is good, but I believe you are not getting the full potential of your practice). but if you go to the range with a plan or purpose/goal, your are working to get better at a specific fundamental or getting that much closer to your goal.

This reminds me of Jake DaVita trying to shoot the el Pres in under 3seconds, if you haven't seen it goto youtube. I would have never thought it could be done. but he worked his butt off and did it, or got pretty darn close to it. that is so huge, thats like running the mile in under 4 minutes. We take barriers and go through them, and set new norms and push ourselves to new heights. I am pretty sure that since jake worked on that drill so much, I am sure he could shoot the el pres in 4 seconds with all alphas,and not break a sweat, which is still unheard of for the average shooter.

So take that example. I can't speak for Jake but I will take a stab at it. In order for him to shot the el pres under 3 seconds, he had to be faster with his turn and draw, splits/transitions had to be faster, he had to nail his reloads in x time, and in order for him to not look like he is spraying and praying, he had to really pay attention to his dot at a much faster pace than normal. He took the el pres and with his goal of under 3 seconds, he essentially pushed 4 or 5+ different skills to max efficiency in order to accomplish his goal. Now thats a great way to push the envelope on skill sets that we use all the time, in just one drill! thats what I call a productive practice. If you are trying to hit a homerun you don't aim for the fence, you aim for the car in the parking lot beyond the fence...

Don't take me wrong I am not a National Champion, but I know a little about thing or two. I am just trying to broaden my horizons and my knowledge base just like the rest of us here...

With that said, the question still stands, what was it that took your shooting to the next level, what was it that opened your eyes and said this is the way it should be done?

[Glshooter]

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.

Great post, I would day this was #1 for me

#2 was just shooting more, I tried to go to every match I could get to within a couple hours drive.

#3 was learning how to change change gears within a stage. Taking a little extra fraction on the hard shots and speeding up on the easy ones instead of one pace that was too fast or too slow.

[Sean Gaines]

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.

Great post, I would day this was #1 for me

#2 was just shooting more, I tried to go to every match I could get to within a couple hours drive.

#3 was learning how to change change gears within a stage. Taking a little extra fraction on the hard shots and speeding up on the easy ones instead of one pace that was too fast or too slow.

#3 is awesome, now incorporate that in your visualization of the stage and see how that works for you. You will see amazing results from it!

[AWLAZS]

#3 is a huge thing people skip. You also need to pick the aiming point on the target instead of just shooting brown.

[lugnut]

Funny- all fundamentally simple ideas/advice. Now to execute.

I know I need to dry fire more, I know I need to mentally prepare for stages more, I know what I need to see, I know I need to analyze results, I know I need to document practice sessions more.

I just need to execute flawlessly on all this.

[AWLAZS]

Funny- all fundamentally simple ideas/advice. Now to execute.

I know I need to dry fire more, I know I need to mentally prepare for stages more, I know what I need to see, I know I need to analyze results, I know I need to document practice sessions more.

I just need to execute flawlessly on all this.

Sounds like you need a plan.

[lugnut]

Funny- all fundamentally simple ideas/advice. Now to execute.

I know I need to dry fire more, I know I need to mentally prepare for stages more, I know what I need to see, I know I need to analyze results, I know I need to document practice sessions more.

I just need to execute flawlessly on all this.

Sounds like you need a plan.

I have a plan- it needs to ratcheted up for 2011. FWIW I set my goals for the 2011 season in Jan. I need to be more detailed/specific for next year to reach loftier goals. It's already in the works.

[Coach]

Practice helped me make the big jump. especially dry fire. 2010 was not a great year at all. But the one great club match I had was all about seeing the sights and focusing on nothing else. Hoping to duplicate that performance more consistently in the future, by focusing on what is going on in front of my face and blocking out everything else.

Hoping this helps me make the next big jump.

[CHA-LEE]

Everyone learns at a different pace for different things. This varying learning factor makes it hard to point out specific break through events that may or may not apply to other shooters. I think that too many people focus on specific skills to work on without putting that skill into the big picture perspective. A good example would be a shooter spending hours of dry fire trying to get a sub 1 second draw but they can’t stop looking for holes in targets when they shoot a stage. Looking for holes in targets as you run through a stage is a far more important bad habit to stop doing verses a lightning fast draw.

I focus my training schedule on the low hanging fruit then put those training opportunities into the proper importance order based on how they negatively affect my ability to shoot a stage. If one skill is costing me seconds and another is costing me a few tenths of a second, I will work on the one costing me seconds first. Once all of the seconds wasting skills are honed, then I work on the sub second skills.

Sure there are “Light Bulb” moments when a skill is discovered and executed properly, but 99% of the time when those events happened there are usually a bunch of properly executed skills needed before the new discovery is presented into the equation.

I can’t realistically tell and expect a “Green” shooter to understand a breakthrough moment for myself was being able to call my shots while shooting .10 - .12 splits. They wouldn’t even be able to fathom shooting that fast, much less seeing that fast, because their shooting fundamentals are not refined enough to even pull the trigger or manage the recoil that fast. They would need a lot more shooting skill maturity to even understand what my breakthrough was, much less how to try and replicate it.

This is why my initial post in this thread was purposefully generic. Pick a skill, understand it, learn it, train it, then perform it until you are 100% confident in doing it. Once your skill base becomes broad enough the break through discoveries will happen on their own as long as you are always striving to improve your performance.

Edited December 23, 2010 by CHA-LEE

[benos]

This reminds me of Jake DaVita trying to shoot the el Pres in under 3seconds, if you haven't seen it goto youtube.

.

[Matt P.]

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

Agreed.

Believe it or not what really helped me was running a USPSA club, designing stages, setting up stages and matches, becoming a range officer and chief range officer and overall helping out on every level.

But mostly, what Dave said.

[twikster]

Why would you need a 1" group at 10 yds? The furthest we shoot, other than rare, one off things, is 50 yds, and the A zone is 10", the Bianchi plate/10 ring is 8". So all you need is 2" at 10 yds, at best, and you can win a lot of matches if "all" you can do is stay in the A zone at 25 yds, but do it faster than TGO. :-)

[Jake Di Vita]

Thanks for the words fellas. Sean pretty much has it right. For what it's worth, I still have a score to settle with that drill...

My first thought when reading this title was - Not holding back. Letting go of the brake changed everything for me.

[benos]

Thanks for the words fellas. Sean pretty much has it right. For what it's worth, I still have a score to settle with that drill...

My first thought when reading this title was - Not holding back. Letting go of the brake changed everything for me.

That's what I did right before shooting my fastest Bill Drill ever (1.48, iron sighted, comp'd 38 super, 7 yards, surrender start).

be

[mpeltier]

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!!!

For me it was a realization that my Visualization process was not defined enough. I had thought I was visualizing each stage but I was not "seeing the forest thru the trees" so to speek. I defined four elements to stage prep that are essential for me to "Burn it in" and it propelled my game to the next level in a big way.

1)solution:Find the most effective/efficient way for "Me" to shoot the stage.

2)Choreography:Determine exactly where every step/shot will be etc.

3)Rehersal:Walking the stage and seeing every detail you will need when you shoot it for real.

4)Visualization:Replaying the rehersal over and over until called to shoot.

These four steps allow it to happen with out having to think about anything when the timer goes off. Prior to defining this process I was doing some of it but not all of it.

[benos]

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!!!

For me it was a realization that my Visualization process was not defined enough. I had thought I was visualizing each stage but I was not "seeing the forest thru the trees" so to speek. I defined four elements to stage prep that are essential for me to "Burn it in" and it propelled my game to the next level in a big way.

1)solution:Find the most effective/efficient way for "Me" to shoot the stage.

2)Choreography:Determine exactly where every step/shot will be etc.

3)Rehersal:Walking the stage and seeing every detail you will need when you shoot it for real.

4)Visualization:Replaying the rehersal over and over until called to shoot.

These four steps allow it to happen with out having to think about anything when the timer goes off. Prior to defining this process I was doing some of it but not all of it.

Good stuff!

be

[lugnut]

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!!!

For me it was a realization that my Visualization process was not defined enough. I had thought I was visualizing each stage but I was not "seeing the forest thru the trees" so to speek. I defined four elements to stage prep that are essential for me to "Burn it in" and it propelled my game to the next level in a big way.

1)solution:Find the most effective/efficient way for "Me" to shoot the stage.

2)Choreography:Determine exactly where every step/shot will be etc.

3)Rehersal:Walking the stage and seeing every detail you will need when you shoot it for real.

4)Visualization:Replaying the rehersal over and over until called to shoot.

These four steps allow it to happen with out having to think about anything when the timer goes off. Prior to defining this process I was doing some of it but not all of it.

Ok- I can see where I need improvement... in the 5 minutes we get... I'm usually lucky if I can get thru the first one before shooters are on deck. Do you do #2 in your mind?

[rentcollector]

Lugnut,

Wanna know a way to "cheat" in idpa or uspsa? Just be the score keeper!! It allows you to see how everyone runs each stage, It allows you to walk thru the stage over and over, it allows you to shoot the stage whenever you want because you make the shooting order, and you get to be a good guy cuz you are doing your part and helping run the course!!

I do this every chance I get and it really helps me to work on my visualization and really sort out how to run the stage based on the problems others had or didn't have. But, do me a favor and don't tell anyone, other wise you could end up having to fight for the job!!

Good Luck with your advancement,

Nate

[CHA-LEE]

lugnut> Why would you limit yourself to only 5 minutes for figuring out a stage? If you need more time to figure out the stage then get there early and take however long you need to figure out the stage. If you are going to matches and seeing stages for the first time when your squad gets to the berm then you will always be at a disadvantage, especially if the stage has movers. Just like they say on G.I. Joe "Knowing is half the battle". Know the stage and your plan before you get there to shoot it.

Before the start of every match I will walk each stage and get my basic stage plan figured out. That way when I get to the stage during the match my plan is mostly baked and all I have to do is polish up the details. This is easily done in the 5 minute walk through or while waiting for my turn to shoot.

[mpeltier]

Ok- I can see where I need improvement... in the 5 minutes we get... I'm usually lucky if I can get thru the first one before shooters are on deck. Do you do #2 in your mind?

1-3 are done while walking around the actual stage and 4 is done while waiting your turn. Unless you are called first, you usually have lots of time. Make use of it with visualization.

CHA-LEE is right on the mark. I alway make it a point of arriving early and taking notes, mental and written. If you only have 5 minutes to put it together, there is a lot of wasted time somewhere.

[lugnut]

lugnut> Why would you limit yourself to only 5 minutes for figuring out a stage? If you need more time to figure out the stage then get there early and take however long you need to figure out the stage. If you are going to matches and seeing stages for the first time when your squad gets to the berm then you will always be at a disadvantage, especially if the stage has movers. Just like they say on G.I. Joe "Knowing is half the battle". Know the stage and your plan before you get there to shoot it.

Before the start of every match I will walk each stage and get my basic stage plan figured out. That way when I get to the stage during the match my plan is mostly baked and all I have to do is polish up the details. This is easily done in the 5 minute walk through or while waiting for my turn to shoot.

Ok- I understand what everyone is saying and some of my response was in jest... Usually I do try to get to the match early enough to do this, but I still find it a challenge to get a good plan and stick to it. Experience and more matches certainly helps this but I seem to struggle more than shooters at my level on this. However I think this is the best approach and need to work on getting to the matches earlier- sometimes the best answer is right in front of your face!!

As far as doing this while SOing- at least for some of the longer USPSA field courses... I find myself pretty busy doing my job and don't have enough focus on the visualization. If anything it's disruptive to me. Working on #2 and #3 while taping sometimes works out ok.

[Zerwas]

I came into this sport from IDPA, and I began life as a USPSA guy classified as a B in limited which was the only division I shot in at the time.

I first set a goal of being the best shooter locally. I had some very good competition as we had several A and M shooters here in the twin cities.

The second thing I did was to become a true "student" of the game. I watched as many videos and tried to mimic (sp?) every move they made.

I then dry fired like a crazy fool. I did this over the winter months in my homeland of Minnesota.

All of this helps a ton.

Goal setting, becoming a student of the game and effective dry fire.

Edited January 7, 2011 by Zerwas

[Sean Gaines]

I came into this sport from IDPA, and I began life as a USPSA guy classified as a B in limited which was the only division I shot in at the time.

I first set a goal of being the best shooter locally. I had some very good competition as we had several A and M shooters here in the twin cities.

The second thing I did was to become a true "student" of the game. I watched as many videos and tried to mimic (sp?) every move they made.

I then dry fired like a crazy fool. I did this over the winter months in my homeland of Minnesota.

All of this helps a ton.

Goal setting, becoming a student of the game and effective dry fire.

Same here, first 2 years was spent behind a tv analizing video footage of myself, and I would also watch Saul Kirsch's Nationals videos and World shoot videos. It seemed like everytime I watched the videos, I would catch some little nuiance (sp) that I would add to the toolbox. I would watch the videos in slow motion, and see why one shooter won over the other. This was also huge for me in my development...

for married shooters, or shooters who have a girlfriend/boyfriend, you may want to wait when he/she has gone away or asleep, and if asleep be sure to turn it way down. because the bang, bang, bang sound on the tv, can get you in trouble, don't ask me how I know this.

This is great homework!!!

[TWHaz]

"Knowing" I can.

Seeing

How to Just shoot