Competition training books?

[Steve Anderson]

Dravz,

Most of the drills in R and R contain my (then) fastest times, although I was always trying to squeeze an extra tenth out of each one.

A good rule of thumb for open GM performance would be 6 reload 6 on any array in 4 seconds or less.

My regimen for making GM was as follows:

1 hour minimum dry fire am every day

1 hour minimum dry fire pm every day

500 rds live fire practice twice a week minimum

Local matches as available

Making GM really isn't that difficult if you're willing to invest the time and resources. Now, competing at a national GM level... thst's more difficult and requires more training still.

Curiously,3 or 4 dry fire sessions after a 4-5 year break, I'm at about 95% of my former dry fire skill level.

At my former peak performance I could do a fry fire el prez in under 3 seconds... I'm not quite there now.

yet.

[shooter.860]

I have both Anderson books and think they are great.

[lugnut]

Also recommend:

Steve Anderson's two books

Saul Kirschs's two books

Brian Enos' book

The Inner Game of Tennis (Galway?)

With Winning in mind (Bassham)

Also recommend videos:

Saul's videos are the best, IMO

Burkett's videos are also good

Have all these and they are awesome. I agree 100% that Saul Kirsch's vids are the absolute best out there.

[M ammo]

Can anyone recommend some good books that cover both the basics of competitive practical shooting as well as skills development and training methods? I'm new to competition shooting and plan to get started with pistol competitons and then maybe move to 3-gun if I really enjoy it. My birthday is coming up and my wife is looking for ideas ...

Only one book on 3 Gun.

The 3 Gun Multi-Gun Report

I wrote it!

[dravz]

Making GM really isn't that difficult if you're willing to invest the time and resources. Now, competing at a national GM level... thst's more difficult and requires more training still.

Roger that. Part of any improvement path is setting measurable goals, and you've given me somewhere to start and good ballparks on time invested. Not to mention all the great drills!

[Steve Anderson]

You also must read Bassham's "with winning in mind"

It's never too early to start working on the mental game.

I was a flawed shooter for most of the first phase of my shooting career, and understood why after the first chapter.

Now I'm a much more mature competitor and am shooting better at matches than in practice for the first time ever. I never understood that phenomenon, now I understand it perfectly.

It has to do with turning pressure into focus, and picking the right conscious mind desire.

[dravz]

You also must read Bassham's "with winning in mind"

It's never too early to start working on the mental game.

I was a flawed shooter for most of the first phase of my shooting career, and understood why after the first chapter.

Now I'm a much more mature competitor and am shooting better at matches than in practice for the first time ever. I never understood that phenomenon, now I understand it perfectly.

It has to do with turning pressure into focus, and picking the right conscious mind desire.

I have it and have read it. Great book and highly recommended (it's also a quick read). Believe it or not, it's even helped me when playing Call of Duty!

And honestly that kinda prompted my earlier question about measurable goals. Notably, I want to be a GM -- so, the Lanny Bassham question which immediately follows is: what can a GM do that I cannot? So now we start down the list of: GM can do 6 reload 6 in x seconds, GM can do a 5A/1C El Pres run in x seconds, GM can do a draw to first A shot in x seconds, and so on. I am/was looking for those GM-level metrics to strive toward.

Now obviously that makes me a little hesitant when you mentioned actually competing as a GM on a national stage. I don't know how to measure that, except to maybe talk about having generic placement goals like Top 10 at nationals, etc. But that type of goal isn't as objective as simple skillset goals. All I can do is meet and exceed my skillset goals so I know, and my self-image/confidence knows, I am capable of shooting like a GM, and then I will attend matches as regularly as I do now to ensure I can perform as a GM.

If I am off-base on anything, by all means shoot me down. I would rather hear about it sooner than later!

[lugnut]

You know when you can shoot like a GM when you get your classifiers up to 95%.

[Steve Anderson]

You're thinking the same way I was... The reason that competing at that level is so hard is that the top GMs are very, very good at things that classifiers don't measure.

Stage strategy

Movement

Entries/exits

Shooting on the move

These are things not normally found in classifiers, and would be noticably absent from your skillset if all you did was practice classifier skills.

[dravz]

You're thinking the same way I was... The reason that competing at that level is so hard is that the top GMs are very, very good at things that classifiers don't measure.

Stage strategy

Movement

Entries/exits

Shooting on the move

These are things not normally found in classifiers, and would be noticably absent from your skillset if all you did was practice classifier skills.

Is this what Principles of Performance focuses on? As opposed to those classifier-esque drills in R&R? Or is that the sort of thing only learned in the wild (hard to drill stage strategy, eh).

Thanks again for your input, Steve. Your R&R book has done more for me than any other! (Don't tell BE though!)

[Steve Anderson]

Yes, the second book is for those who are now more interested in winning matches than improving classifier scores.

It may seem counterintuitive, but classifier scores don't have a lot to do with winning matches.

Now, that will be more or less true depending on the actual stages, but think about a field course and compare it to a classifier... totally different challenges and a different set of strength/weakness evaluations.

The classifier system would work much better if nobody ever knew which stage was the classifier. It could never work that way, but it would prevent the sand/grand bagging and emphasize more well-rounded training.

It's important to remember that both books were written from the perspective of my experiences.

Book 1 was written after I made open GM and got tired of giving my drills away.

Book 2 was written after I made GM and realized I was still miles away away from where I wanted to be.

And don't worry about telling BE. He knows the books are very different and work well together. Brian's book is like the bible... full of useful stuff but it can be overwhelming when read straight through.

[dravz]

Yes, the second book is for those who are now more interested in winning matches than improving classifier scores.

It may seem counterintuitive, but classifier scores don't have a lot to do with winning matches.

Now, that will be more or less true depending on the actual stages, but think about a field course and compare it to a classifier... totally different challenges and a different set of strength/weakness evaluations.

The classifier system would work much better if nobody ever knew which stage was the classifier. It could never work that way, but it would prevent the sand/grand bagging and emphasize more well-rounded training.

It's important to remember that both books were written from the perspective of my experiences.

Book 1 was written after I made open GM and got tired of giving my drills away.

Book 2 was written after I made GM and realized I was still miles away away from where I wanted to be.

And don't worry about telling BE. He knows the books are very different and work well together. Brian's book is like the bible... full of useful stuff but it can be overwhelming when read straight through.

It isn't counterintuitive at all. After only competing for a year, even I can tell which stage at a match is the classifier just by stage descriptions alone. Everyone knows they are different skillsets, right?

But you just sold me on your second book. If PoP helps me as much as R&R I should build a statue in your honor, probably in my front yard, out of snap caps. There's no shame in that.

Brian's book was a little too "airy" for me. While I may read it once a year to stay on the zen path, it's your book(s) I'm opening three times a week for practice. Probably depends on what kind of learner you are though.

[Mat Price]

I have been really happy with mikes book It has really upped my game. I am ordering your book this week steve I have more time to dry fire than to live fire so I really want to take advantage of that time.