Match vs. Practice

[hopalong]

Ok, here's one.

I generally practice draws on 12 in steel at 10 yards. (no taping)

When I run the bottom feeder which until last November was all the time.(no open red dot space gun) and NO MATTELL TOYS or as some call it "tupper ware"

At the practice range I could get really good draws, .70+- with both shots hits and 15-18 splits. sometimes we get the whiff but mostly hits.

I could keep it under 1.00 or around there and keep the splits.all hits 95% of time

Come match day if I get a target 12 yds and in I should be able to do the same stuff, 1.00 and 2 A with 15-18 splits.

BUT NOT, usually it will be 1.20 but the splits and hits are the same.

WHAT IS GOING ON?

Now that I am shooting the wheel gun:

draws when going all out .8 and usually 1 hit 1 miss the second is the miss

I think (pretty sure) i'm not getting the gun stopped and run past it on the second shot.

Match day draws go into the 1.20s on close targets that are wide open splits .18-.22, the splits are usually the same as practice just the draw gets slower.But we are getting 2 As

ANY IDEAS???

[hopalong]

Oh BTW, My advisor (GM open and Limited) is always telling me to practice on the edge of out of control and then when it counts take it down a notch, good advise, maybe thats it???

any one else????

[mcoliver]

Hop, you might want to dig a little deeper into the forum and search a bit. There're a couple of threads about this same topic not too long ago that had responses from several different GM's. Good luck.

[BBoyle]

Any difference between practice and a match is all in your head. The worrying about how you will do, or are doing in a match. Unless you are trying to draw for all out speed in your practices.

This is my opinion on the proper way to start a practice.

Shoot a group cold at 15-25 yards.

Dryfire a few solid draws

Livefire a few solid and consistant draws. (these should be the times you pull in a match)

Livefire a few all out draws while making sure you see the sights or dot, and call and get A zone hits. If it wasn't a called A dont count it.

Then do a few more solid and consistant draws. They will probably be a little better than they were before and in a short time, will be your normal draw speed.

Repeat same as above for reloads.

After that work on Bill Drills, El Prez's, Target to target (l-r and r-l)[steel target work great for swinging from side to side], Movement into and out of boxes, shooting on the move, weak hand and stronghand shooting and transitions (w and w/o reloads) to each, drawing and/or reloads to kneeling and prone positions.

To anybody, If I forgot anything let me know, but I think this covers just about everything. Obviously it is a lot to work on in one practice but I always work on the draws and reloads and work on a few of the others at every practice. Whatever I know I need the work on I pay extra attention to.

As far as the practice and match comparisons. I find that I am generally the same at a match and sometimes even faster, probably due to the adrenalin and nervousness of the match.

Brian

[Jake Di Vita]

I agree with Brian to a point.

I think the first shots fired should be something like a drill (such as an El Prez) or a stage. This is because you will be cold on match day anyway and it will be most representative of your performance. After that, then I suggest doing slow fire and other things you need to work on.