How to Improve performance

[AlexOsensei]

Hello everybody,

I started IPSC standard division in october,

I had my first match in december ad I noticed some big error.. I dont know if

it's me or just I had not enoguht time to learn what to do and how.

Let me tell you what Happened.

First of all, I forgot the order of shotting the targets,

Ex. I had a ipsc target to shot after the popper and , even If I tryed to make a mental routine, I failed, shooting at the first the paper and after the iron.

In another stage I forgot a Popper..

In all the competition I shotted 90% of A

but the misses and procedure bring me down in the classification.

I thought is It possibile I was too much focused on running and be fast to forget

to do all rightly?

please help

another thing,

When I start someone tell me that I am not aggresive... but what does it mean?!

[Flexmoney]

There are a lot of things that are going on while you are shooting an IPSC stage. It will take a while for all of that to calm down. Experience will help.

First and foremost, keep your focus on safety and making good shots.

I like to break the stages up into smaller chunks. So, it can be like I am shooting sub-stages within the stage. Seems to help.

[GoinHot]

Experience is going to be the biggest thing at this stage of your development. When you get to a match you have to think about things differently than you do in practice. Do not think about how you do things at the match, think about what you have to do in each stage. The how you do things happens when you dri fire and live fire practice. At the match you do not need more things in your head so just think about what you have to do at each shooting position in the stage. After the match pick out two or three things you want to work on that would have helped you shoot better and work on those. Don't try to work on too many things. It takes time, be proud of your successes, the rest will come.

[pjb45]

Hello again,

Mike's book and DVDs are pretty good. Matt's DVDs are very comprehensive.

As a former math major in college, they key is to break a big problem into smaller problems. This is true for shooting.

As you read some of the insight from BE, TGO and others, they seem to find one aspect of shooting and work on improving that aspect.

You need a solid training plan to follow. This will help prevent you from getting training scars that come back to haunt you later in your shooting career.

[PrinC]

Maybe you are so keen on doing very well that you forgot to relax to enjoy the 'dance'of the game. Its just nervousness at this time.Its something most new competitive shooters have to overcome. After a few more competitions and lots of practice you will learn to dance through the stages, mentally and physically and it will be one hell of an experience ( great joy where I come from). I think that's what keep most men in this sport, getting into the rhythm and completing the course as expected. Keep at it.

Edited January 14, 2012 by PrinC

[AlexOsensei]

Update

I am usingSteve anderson dryfire book, 30/50 min a day everyday..

I feel more confident,

and I am building long course in my apartment(crazy man)

I am forcing me to stay on focus from the begin,

and not after warm up..

Telling me" stay focused, be fast, be aggressive, but relax..)

I think is working, and now I have lost the fear to fire,

even if sometime I forget to stay relax and jerk the shot, even if are A s.

Now I have to work on transition, and moving keeping high the gun,

but a question, if you have to move, you change at the begin or at the end of run from box A to B?

[38supPat]

I reload at the beginning of movement, I like to have the gun up start tracking the first target and be ready to fire as soon as possible when entering a position and doing a reload at that point is a distraction

[Tom Brannon]

Just shot my first match, didn't have butterflys.. I had BUZZARDS...

I know now why everyone stressed dryfire practice...when your mind goes blank its nice to have muscel memory

[AlexOsensei]

OK.. first match of interregional Championship, yesterday..

Less problems, more fluidity.. but have to work on focus..

My errors were only on focus.. not on shooting(for my level) I shooted 90% A's

I forgot a mag change, because I lost my concentration during the stage..

As a matter of fact the short and medium stage, for me, are harder, because the time go fast..

The long course is my prefered..

Yesterday 2° in my division, for my category.

ps: shooting 2 swinger at 30 mt. ..is really hard!! I have to work a lot..Mikessss

[ozdogg5]

I like to break the stages up into smaller chunks. So, it can be like I am shooting sub-stages within the stage. Seems to help.

That is an awesome tip! I can see how that can help, especially with the bigger stages.

[peasant]

All good advise...thanks...

[38supPat]

Keep in mind that when you are new to this there is a lot going on, it's hard to think your whole way through a stage. Training and practice is good but you need match experience. Guys that have shot this sport for awhile don't have to think about a lot of things, they just do it automatically because they have done it so many times. Think about it like this: next time you are going to the corner store, before you leave try to plan the whole trip in the smallest detail. Before you even get in the car think about every little detail you will have to do, from unlocking the car, getting seated, putting the key in the ignition, turning it and starting the car, putting the car in reverse, check your mirrors, ease off the brake and onto the gas and then back on the brake before the end of the driveway. Now continue that planing all the way to the store, braking for corners, turn signal, turn steering wheel etc.

Now go get in your car and try to consciously think all those actions through EXACTLY as you planned it. How do you think that will go? Do you think you'll make mistakes and not exactly follow the plan? Now think about the fact that you can normally do that drive with out thinking at all, you've done it many many times so the path there is easy and to make it even easier you know how to drive. You don't have to think about any of the actions required to manuver the car, steer, brake, gas all done without thought. Now apply the same process to going somewhere you are unfamiliar with. Plan the route and all your actions. It's really hard. Now just plan the route and don't worry about the actions because you know how to drive, a little easier now?

Think about how that applies to shooting a stage. When you have to think not only about how to get through the stage but also every small action like drawing, sight pictures, reloads etc. it's really hard to keep that all in mind and not screw up. After awhile you will get to where you know how to handle the gun so you wont have to think your way through those actions, now it's alittle easier because you just have to think about the stage plan...and after awhile once you are more experienced with matches certain parts will become automatic. You won't have to think about how to enter a box, you know how to do that, you just need to shoot the first target in the array.

[BoyGlock]

Keep in mind that when you are new to this there is a lot going on, it's hard to think your whole way through a stage. Training and practice is good but you need match experience. Guys that have shot this sport for awhile don't have to think about a lot of things, they just do it automatically because they have done it so many times. Think about it like this: next time you are going to the corner store, before you leave try to plan the whole trip in the smallest detail. Before you even get in the car think about every little detail you will have to do, from unlocking the car, getting seated, putting the key in the ignition, turning it and starting the car, putting the car in reverse, check your mirrors, ease off the brake and onto the gas and then back on the brake before the end of the driveway. Now continue that planing all the way to the store, braking for corners, turn signal, turn steering wheel etc.

Now go get in your car and try to consciously think all those actions through EXACTLY as you planned it. How do you think that will go? Do you think you'll make mistakes and not exactly follow the plan? Now think about the fact that you can normally do that drive with out thinking at all, you've done it many many times so the path there is easy and to make it even easier you know how to drive. You don't have to think about any of the actions required to manuver the car, steer, brake, gas all done without thought. Now apply the same process to going somewhere you are unfamiliar with. Plan the route and all your actions. It's really hard. Now just plan the route and don't worry about the actions because you know how to drive, a little easier now?

Think about how that applies to shooting a stage. When you have to think not only about how to get through the stage but also every small action like drawing, sight pictures, reloads etc. it's really hard to keep that all in mind and not screw up. After awhile you will get to where you know how to handle the gun so you wont have to think your way through those actions, now it's alittle easier because you just have to think about the stage plan...and after awhile once you are more experienced with matches certain parts will become automatic. You won't have to think about how to enter a box, you know how to do that, you just need to shoot the first target in the array.

This is great! Thank you!

Edited May 1, 2012 by BoyGlock

[Bshooter]

All good tips indeed. Practice doesn't seem to be an option for me because I shoot so many matches, I don't have time to go to the range for practice. USPSA twice a week and IDPA once a week. I reload all my ammo and my sons so that takes up the rest of the time. I still like to read how other shooters practice.

[Chris Keen]

Try taking a little time off from shooting matches, and just go to the range to practice by yourself. You will actually get more out of it. I know shooting matches with your friends is more fun, since matches tend to be a social event. But you really do get more out of practice, since you will learn what techniques work best for you by trying them 2 different ways, using the timer as a judge, plus it's cheaper, since there is no match fee, but ammo & fuel costs are probably going to be the same.

[PrinC]

Try taking a little time off from shooting matches, and just go to the range to practice by yourself. You will actually get more out of it. I know shooting matches with your friends is more fun, since matches tend to be a social event. But you really do get more out of practice, since you will learn what techniques work best for you by trying them 2 different ways, using the timer as a judge, plus it's cheaper, since there is no match fee, but ammo & fuel costs are probably going to be the same.

+2

Practice is what separates the great from the rest. When we see shooting as fun the practice takes you to new heights of joy.

[Ofishl1]

Keep in mind that when you are new to this there is a lot going on, it's hard to think your whole way through a stage. Training and practice is good but you need match experience. Guys that have shot this sport for awhile don't have to think about a lot of things, they just do it automatically because they have done it so many times. Think about it like this: next time you are going to the corner store, before you leave try to plan the whole trip in the smallest detail. Before you even get in the car think about every little detail you will have to do, from unlocking the car, getting seated, putting the key in the ignition, turning it and starting the car, putting the car in reverse, check your mirrors, ease off the brake and onto the gas and then back on the brake before the end of the driveway. Now continue that planing all the way to the store, braking for corners, turn signal, turn steering wheel etc.

Now go get in your car and try to consciously think all those actions through EXACTLY as you planned it. How do you think that will go? Do you think you'll make mistakes and not exactly follow the plan? Now think about the fact that you can normally do that drive with out thinking at all, you've done it many many times so the path there is easy and to make it even easier you know how to drive. You don't have to think about any of the actions required to manuver the car, steer, brake, gas all done without thought. Now apply the same process to going somewhere you are unfamiliar with. Plan the route and all your actions. It's really hard. Now just plan the route and don't worry about the actions because you know how to drive, a little easier now?

Think about how that applies to shooting a stage. When you have to think not only about how to get through the stage but also every small action like drawing, sight pictures, reloads etc. it's really hard to keep that all in mind and not screw up. After awhile you will get to where you know how to handle the gun so you wont have to think your way through those actions, now it's alittle easier because you just have to think about the stage plan...and after awhile once you are more experienced with matches certain parts will become automatic. You won't have to think about how to enter a box, you know how to do that, you just need to shoot the first target in the array.

This is great! Thank you!

+1 to that advice, I found for me on a complicated run and gun stage, with corners, ports, bear traps and clams, I had to break the stage down in my mind, and visualize myself in my head running just the portion to the first mag change....over and over a few times, then on to the next section, I see myself making transitions, the mag change, keep the gun high, and how long in seconds it will take me to get from a-b and b-c,...then I know roughly a time I should be able to shoot it in...

and the mental rehearsal with eyes closed and muffs on while I am waiting between shooters, watching helps, but some guys are shooting L-10, Limited or Open, or single stack, and I shoot limited so I cant always rely how the next guy and the next will break it down..so I come to a plan and stay with it,...it helps me to virtual shoot the stage before I step up,...of course dry run walk thrus are always included, however the visualized run its just added confirmation to execute the way I plan...

O1

[Not-So-Mad Matt]

Try taking a little time off from shooting matches, and just go to the range to practice by yourself. You will actually get more out of it. I know shooting matches with your friends is more fun, since matches tend to be a social event. But you really do get more out of practice, since you will learn what techniques work best for you by trying them 2 different ways, using the timer as a judge, plus it's cheaper, since there is no match fee, but ammo & fuel costs are probably going to be the same.

You can also go to the range with one or two friends and still get a lot more shooting in than at a competition. Just make sure they're up for working on whatever you need to work on.

[peasant]

Great info... for sure...

Thanks you...