Need help shooting involved stages

[Sac Law Man]

After reviewing my performance at matches for the last few years, a common problem I encounter are my times on stages that have a lot of movement and 18 rounds (I shoot IDPA). On short or avg stages, my times are equal to and sometimes better than most, but add movement, multiple shooting positions and more targets and my scores really fall behind. This is my #1 goal. I know I need to work on movement, shooting on the move and dynamic entry and exit, but how do I do this? Can anyone recommend drills to help me or any other advice? Thanks.

[pjb45]

Movement is something most GMs work on all the time especially during dry fire practice.

For me, step one is knowing where I am going to move to next! Many COFs have multiple solutions so getting your strategy in order is paramount.

Next, I treat each shooting position as an entity onto itself in that I want to know what target I am going to shoot first and which will be last. I prioritize my target selection on a couple criteria which is flexible; what is the first target I see, which is easiest to set up on, which is the most difficult shot ( if you are huffing and puffing a thirty yard shot with no shoots might not be your first choice), and which target to I want to leave on.

Next, determine which foot you leave on, and which foot enters first when you arrive at your new shooting position. Many try to be consistent.

Next, when you arrive at your shooting sweet spot, do you stay low, about the same or raise up? If you knees are bent when you step into the shooting area, raising your torso up wastes time.

You can really help by setting up a dry fire COF in your yard. Two targets; one to aim at and the other; cut a big whole in it. This target you will use as a port, right and left wall. Practice; you start elswhere, draw on the main shoot target and run to the barrier target and dry fire again.

To improve shooting on the move, get a .22 and practice, first at short distances on multiple targets then gradually lengthen the distance. Tomasie and Max have some internet vids on the technique.

[Jadeslade]

Got to make yourself go fast. If you shoot IDPA all the time it is hard to get out of the down zero mode. Don't worry about a few c's. d's, misses. Go faster. Not the same as going faster when starting from scratch-you know how to shoot accurately already. Like Yogi says-90% of baseball is 50%mental.

[Chris iliff]

Get in a movement class! When the sight lifts you got to split. GO GO GO, as Manny says!!

[MarkCO]

Do you keep a journal? Do you know your book of times? Do you watch video of yourself shooting? I wrote the below about a year and a half ago after becoming frustrated with my lack of speed and plateau. I watched some video of myself compared to a top GM to figure out where the actual differences were.

I do not plan, much less program stages. Some of this is left over from 5 years of IDPA.

I do not have confidence in my shots and often lift my head (all platforms) to see the target better.

I work the stage too much, often working up until I am up to shoot.

I have a bad habit of grabbing at ejecting mags on reloads, again left over from IDPA (.8 seconds each time).

I pull my gun down out of my facebox to reload (.6 seconds each time).

I pull my gun down to move and bring it up once I am in a position (1.3 seconds each time). This one is HUGE. For instance, entering a box moving right, I would plant my left foot in the box, then raise the gun and press the shot.

I started to take one of these at a time and worked the corrections into my "habits". I have these mostly fixed and have seen steady improvement in my times. There are two kinds of competitive shooting, planned and instinctive. The top shooters may be great instincitive shooters, but they ALL plan in all action sports. Relying on instinctive shooting in short courses in IDPA, I was in the top few at every match. Can't be done as successfully on longer courses.

Edited May 10, 2011 by MarkCO

[Sac Law Man]

Mark, I do keep a journal, not only do I write in it, but I tape articles and print pages from this forum in it. I agree about instincts being a factor on shorter stages, and that I need to plan. I have made lists similar to yours, usually at list one notation will always say "I did not visualize myself shooting the stage, nor did I mentally rehearse". Obviously the menial game is huge..

I appreciate all the tips, I have gotten something valuable from each.. Keep em comng..

[mda]

Mark, I do keep a journal, not only do I write in it, but I tape articles and print pages from this forum in it. I agree about instincts being a factor on shorter stages, and that I need to plan. I have made lists similar to yours, usually at list one notation will always say "I did not visualize myself shooting the stage, nor did I mentally rehearse". Obviously the menial game is huge..

Yes!! Your mental game is the most important thing.

Think positive. If you keep saying/thinking "I do not visualize myself shooting the stage, nor did I mentally rehearse" then that is what will happen. In stead think "I prepare my stage plan and mentally visualize my shelf smoothly executing that plan before shooting a stage." , "I enter shooting positions smoothly, firearm up, eyes on target, prepared to shoot." "I shoot stage with movement just as well as short stages." etc.

Only record positive statement in your journal. Write about what you did well at a match or practice, do not dwell on what you did wrong. List the things you need to work on to get better and then plan your practice to increase those skills. Nothing negative!!

Read "With Winning In Mind" by Lanny Basham Olympic gold medalist in shooting and Brian Enos's "Practical Shooting Beyond Fundamentals.

MDA

[Chris Keen]

Lanny Basham is a great guy, but I personally think Saul Kirsch teaches the same thing in a more modern, and easy to understand manner. Saul's Mental Management DVD is priceless.