Best day to date at the practice range, but why?

[Joe L]

I shot a local IDPA match on Saturday after practicing on Wednesday and Friday evenings using my match gun, a stock P226 9mm SIG. I had rotater cuff surgery a month ago so shot the match with my weak arm in a sling for much of the match. Obviously a serious distraction and a source of concern for the preceding weeks. But the match went well for me, no injury, and I completed all the stages in spite of my temporary "disability". I was very happy with being able to compete at all and to finish the match (ESP Unclassified).

Then I spent a lot of time Saturday evening and Sunday morning reading through the posts on this forum and re-reading sections of BE's book. When range time came today, I was very relaxed and just wanted to see the sights and call the shots. I wanted to shoot my other pistols. I wanted to shoot my friends guns. I was unusually confident about shooting any pistol.

Two hours later I was the happiest shooter out there! Total around 200 rounds of 9mm, 40 cal, and 45 cal and I had put 40 shots in a row in an 8" target at 25 yards with one gun, 10 out of 10 from a PM40 at 25 yards, and many tight groups at 15 and 20 yards with three other guns, weak left arm and all. Why? Because I simply watched the shots take place and was content with what I was doing as the shot broke. I did not force a shot. I had no flyers today. I relished in my ability to let the shot hit the target, regardless of the distance or caliber or gun.

In other words, just reading the forum posts for ideas to help me just be a shooter instead of trying so hard to become one resulted in a very very good day at the range practicing with my close friends. I don't understand it all yet, but I am open now to understanding more about how shooting a pistol accurately is accomplished. Much more open, much more interested in the mental side of shooting.

Not very eloquent, I know. Thanks for letting me share this success with you.

Joe

[Chris iliff]

Joe, that's a great post.

As an "A" Open shooter with 6 or so years of competition under my belt, you just described something I've been trying to describe in my range diary. Fourtrax's range report, by the way.

I think I had been trying very hard to become a better shooter, instead of just shooting and observing.

Thanks for posting and good luck on your journey.

Edited August 16, 2011 by Chris iliff

[Sam]

Joe, that's a great post you just shared. It really does all come down to seeing the sights and calling the shots. There are just so many other factors involved in IDPA match shooting.

Col Whelen said, "Only accurate rifles are interesting". And I agree, accuracy is interesting. And accuracy at high speed is simply fascinating!

I think your day was the "best", because you had never experienced a day like it before. And here's the beautiful thing!

With the right mind set, every day can be the "best".

[Joe L]

Thank you for the replies. Turns out I also did well (for me) in the IDPA match last Saturday, 4th in ESP (unclassified). I went without any goals other than to finish the match (with my left arm in a sling and the weak hand really weak). I was relaxed and didn't rush. However, I had already done two range sessions during the week prior. The "work" was done. It was time to relax, see the sights, and watch the shots. It worked. By next spring, I should be quicker with the sights and thus move a little faster and hopefully trim about 5 seconds/stage.

So, I really had two "best" days, not just one. Maybe I have started a string?

Joe

Edited August 17, 2011 by Joe L

[inkballedtarget]

This is a fantastic post! I have yet to fire a shot a USPSA cof, but I have been reading and trying to learn as much as I can!

Congrats on the progress!

Cal

[AlamoShooter]

What makes it worth wile is when you find how that same thing works in the rest of your life. Work hard but but let things happen, and the reward is large.

The real test is when thing go wrong, remember what works

I liked your post too

[Joe L]

I've had a series of good range sessions over the last week. My shoulder is getting much better and I am able to use the weak hand grip more. I've also started dry firing using a firing pin actuated laser and have been able to reduce my time to first shot from a draw by 30% in a week.

While doing physical therapy exercises on my left shoulder (30 minutes, twice per day), I have been watching and thinking through shooting videos, especially Volume 3 of Matt's training videos and this has helped me as much as the dry fire and therapy.

I was able to reduce my 6 shot, 3 target drill time from a draw from 7 seconds to 5 seconds as of last night. I couldn't be happier with my progress. Three weeks ago, I thought I was 2 years off from a 5 second result. Then I realized that that thought alone was a limitation. I seemed to be able to speed up without trying as a result of turning loose of my self-imposed restriction and, once again, just seeing the target, and releasing the shot when the gun was aimed at the target. I will see some additional improvement over the next few weeks, I am sure of it, if I don't get in the way.

Joe

[Joe L]

Another good day at the range last night. I have my 6 shot drill down to 5.0-5.5 seconds with 0 misses. Seems like the next thing I need to do to continue improving is reducing time to get on target after recoil with my SSP standard P226 9mm pistol. I think my grip is not optimum for minimizing recoil. I will try rotating the weak hand down more and get the weak hand thumb forward more next. I can shoot faster than 5.0, say sub 4.0, but not accurately--in other words, I am not getting the sight alignment needed before releasing the shot. I need to be able to achieve sight alignment quicker and hold off releasing the shot until I get it.

Joe

[Sam]

What makes it worth wile is when you find how that same thing works in the rest of your life. Work hard but but let things happen, and the reward is large.

The real test is when thing go wrong, remember what works

+1 Great truth here!

[MrP]

Great post, inspiring to say the least. Might I ask why you were shooting ESP with a stock P226?

[benos]

I got a big reading your post Joe L.

be

[Joe L]

Great post, inspiring to say the least. Might I ask why you were shooting ESP with a stock P226?

MrP--The back up gun is an X-5 AllRound is one reason. The beavertail has to be trimmed 0.050 to fit the box and it is supposed to be lightened a couple of ounces so, if I had to use it, it would not be SSP. The MD had already ok'ed it if needed in ESP. I didn't use it because there are still some spring issues that I haven't fixed yet. The stock P226 never fails. Never. Real reason, however, is that its easier to find my results in the ESP division.

I got the FO front sight for the P226 last weekend and will have my shooting lenses on Monday, so that maybe I will be able to see the sights, at least physically. This is fun.

Joe

Edited August 29, 2011 by Joe L

[Joe L]

I got a big reading your post Joe L.

be

Thanks, Brian. I'm going through your book for the 4th time. This time, I'm going slower and really trying to understand what you are saying. I did not pay much attention to or attempt to understand your first chapter until this last pass through the book. Observe while shooting, think while reading, alternate. Its working for me. This is fun.

Joe

Edited August 29, 2011 by Joe L

[Joe L]

The new shooting glasses and Fiber Optic front sight are both big helps. There is hope for me now. I can see the sight clearly and the target clearly enough out to 20 yards. I think these two changes are going to allow me to make some improvements. First thing I noticed is that my left hand grip was too weak resulting in the sight moving up and right. I had to increase my left hand grip pressure by nearly "double" to get the sight to track up and straight back down. I missed this before. This alone is a great outcome for me, although I should have been able to see this with the old glasses and old sights. Fact is I didn't.

Observe while shooting, think while reading, repeat, improve. This is fun.

Joe

[benos]

Observe while shooting, think while reading, repeat, improve. This is fun.

Make that a general rule!

[Joe L]

A November update, and an apology for turning my own thread in to the training diary above.

I have continued to improve. But not by trying. By doing what Brian has suggested, getting the gun aimed at the target while focusing on releasing the shot. A 22 slide has helped with this development a bunch. Changing the thought process from aiming then pulling the trigger to moving the gun to the target and releasing the shot while the gun is on target has helped me a bunch.

I had a match after my weak arm had healed up 80% from shoulder surgery in which I made a mental mistake. I tried too hard. I didn't have any excuses any more in the form of wounded shoulder. I was physically capable of "trying" for a good match. Didn't work. Shot worse than when my left arm was in and out of a sling. Why? Because I moved away from what was working so well at practice. Instead I forced shots, worried about the timer, thought too much about points down instead of all the 0's. I had shifted my injury from a physical one to a mental one. The mental one is worse.

Joe

[benos]

A November update, and an apology for turning my own thread in to the training diary above.

I have continued to improve. But not by trying. By doing what Brian has suggested, getting the gun aimed at the target while focusing on releasing the shot. A 22 slide has helped with this development a bunch. Changing the thought process from aiming then pulling the trigger to moving the gun to the target and releasing the shot while the gun is on target has helped me a bunch.

I had a match after my weak arm had healed up 80% from shoulder surgery in which I made a mental mistake. I tried too hard. I didn't have any excuses any more in the form of wounded shoulder. I was physically capable of "trying" for a good match. Didn't work. Shot worse than when my left arm was in and out of a sling. Why? Because I moved away from what was working so well at practice. Instead I forced shots, worried about the timer, thought too much about points down instead of all the 0's. I had shifted my injury from a physical one to a mental one. The mental one is worse.

Nice observations. Now shift back (to just paying attention).

be

[Matt Griffin]

You might consider that with a bad shoulder you're going in without expectations which is letting you relax and just shoot the sights. I don't get how other people pay attention to scores during a match, if I could possibly be shooting better then I WOULD be shooting better. I suppose there's value in knowing you're way ahead so you can really calm down and phone in a stage, but so far I haven't had the pleasure against Jerry M. I just shoot as clean as I want without wasting motion, and that's as fast as I can go that day.

Matt

[Joe L]

Sure, I think going in without expectations was a help. I didn't realize how much of a help until I went in WITH expectations, and didn't do as well. Definitely a lesson there for me, even at my novice skill level.

I hope to become a much improved weak hand shooter by January.

Joe