Slow first split?

[Flexmoney]

(inspired by Ron's latest Bill Drill)

I have noticed...on multi-shot challenges like the Bill Drill...that my first split is often slower.

For example, I shot a Bill Drill with the first split being an .18, and the rest being .15's. And, the Double Trouble stage at our local Steel match (basically two to the body, one to the head)...my transition to the head is often faster than my first split.

I see this in my shooting regularly. So, I wonder...am I waiting for my vision (a little extra input) to give me the green-light to shoot...or, is my body needing that first shot (recoil impulse) to let it know how to drive the gun back onto the target?

[Phil Dunlop]

Flex,

those stages are easilly shot with minimal visual input at the draw. I often find that releasing the second shot is often slow when I rely on my index for the first.

P.D.

[Steve Anderson]

Just a thought.

Is th second shot where you really start to look?

I.e., is the first shot part of the draw, and the second shot part of the shooting?

SA

[Flexmoney]

That is my thought too...

The first shot is part of the draw, and the index is good at these distances. So I can trust the index (that doesn't mean there isn't any vision involved though...just less visual input is needed).

Then...I'll aks myself for a bit more visual information on the second shot. After that...I seem to settle in and not need quite as much visual input.

Then again...

It could be that I need to feel that recoil impulse and return the gun once to let myself know where/how to return the gun to the target?

Then again...

Maybe there is a bit of "lack of knowing" from firing the first shot with a bit less visual input?

As I was typing this, I recall the few times I have shot .22 pistol as a side match after a regular match. The first few shots with the .22, I would have a slight pause as I wait for the recoil to come (which isn't there with the .22).

[davecutts]

Just a thought for you. When I took a class from M. Voight one of his big things is that the draw is over and the shooting starts as soon as the pistol clears the holster.

But, I've also noticed that my splits speed up as I crank through a bill drill, staring at .18 and ending at .15 limited and .13 open.

[spook]

Just a link to add to this discussion:

Thread about slow first splits

[Flexmoney]

Spook,

LOL...I must not have got what I wanted out of that other thread.

Something else I noticed today (the History channel was on...with a bit on Soviet firearms)...

When guys load up a big mag in a full-autogun, they often only let off about 3 rounds, then 3 more...then they let loose the rest of the mag. (not to be confused with 3-round burst)

[spook]

[...]or, is my body needing that first shot (recoil impulse) to let it know how to drive the gun back onto the target?

I think it's that. But then again, it might be more simple. When you clear you holster you hold your gun a certain way. Maybe the first shot "alters" that position in a very small way (drives the grip into the meat of your hand harder). From the second shot on, the grip stays the same. During recoil, you notice if your grip changes or not. This might result in a slower first split.

You could say that it isn't the draw, but the first shot that completes your grip.

[benos]

Thanks for that link spook... I was just about to go looking for it.

be

[Flexmoney]

My take is that...whether it is a vision thing, or a feel thing...there is a small lack of certainty.

[Ron Ankeny]

Flex:

My first split is almost always slower than the others. For me, I think it's a matter of certainty and intent. The first shot is the culminating part of the draw as Steve suggests. Even though I call the shot, it takes a little while for what I see to soak in. The second shot seems to happen while I am shifting my intent from the draw to the shooting. Maybe that sounds dumb, but that's where I am at in my learning curve.

[ORCA]

I have a couple of thoughts on this subject. One is that the shooter has not settled completely into their shooting stance after the draw and a little extra time is needed to stabilize their stance, which is done during the second shot.

My second thought is I've noticed that I frequently slap the trigger on the draw stroke and then settle down into a light squeeze afterwards with decreasing split times as trigger control increases. Recently I've started paying a lot of attention to my trigger control on the draw stroke just touching the trigger on the draw and gently pressing it at the end. The speed is the same, but the accuracy is improved and I'm not spending time refining my trigger control as I go. As an example I was doing Bill drills, and with my normal trigger slap draw and most were in the 1.6 range with an occasional one in the high 1.5s, but I would frequently have a C hit on the draw and the first split would be around .18 and get a little better as the run continued. When I switched to a more refined trigger control most draws were center A hits and the first split was a .16 every time and the times were in the 1.5s every time. It just felt more relaxed and the front sight was more stable.

[benos]

Flex,

I felt, after that experiment, that it was purely mechanical. When operating at max speed on the first shot on a close target, I'm not nearly as set behind the gun on the first shot as on successive shots.

be

[Flexmoney]

I was wondering if there was some small adjustment that I might be able to find (more grip, more of a spring load in the weak hand...) that would bring the gun back sooner.

Regardless...I think I have beat it around enough now that I can be open and aware...maybe I'll notice my body sorting it all out. We shoot Double Trouble tomorrow at the steel match. If I can stay relaxed and open...