Please critique

[kcobean]

This is a stage from the 2012 VA/MD sectional. I am hoping that some folks can pick this apart and tell me what I'm doing right/wrong and where I should be focusing my time.

Scored 18 A's, 11 C's, 1 D and time was 28.72. Todd J did this in 17.37. Man that's fast!

Let me have it!

[Retread1911]

First I am a c class shooter on a good day so I don't do these things either. My hit ratio is about like yours

So the number 1 thing I saw was that you were not fluid. You ran between shooting positions stopped took aim and then fired. The A class and above are fluid in their motions taking double taps in stride.

The other thing I noticed is you were very tense before and during the stage. Relax and shoot more matches.

Remember while I may be able to pick at your faults I am even more tense and jerky in my shooting.

Cheers

ReTread

[Poppa Bear]

As you run the course look at the targets and have the gun up and indexed on the target as you are coming into position to shoot at it.

Stop. Plant. Bring gun up. FIRE is slow.

Bring gun up. Transition into a slow walk as you FIRE. Hustle into next position is much quicker.

If you watch the pros, you will see they never really stop moving. They just make quick transitions between hyper fast movement, a slow crawl as they engage the targets, and then hyper fast movement towards the next array. That is where Todd probably shaved off 8 of those seconds. The other 2 and change was trigger speed.

[bobtorre]

Keep that gun high as you move between target arrays + I agree with what is already posted. I myself am struggling with the same issues. I am a big guy and not the fastest hombre out there. But the few times I have slow down for the sake of being fluid and deliberate in my motion and foot work ... Well my scores have shown it ... Unfortunately that only happens once in a while...

[CocoBolo]

As explained to me in my Phil Straighter class its not how fast you get there it is how fast you get there ready to shoot. Each time you moved you arrived not ready to shoot. About two steps out you look to where your feet will land, then get the eyes and sights on target. The other thing I noticed on the long tansitions you were not driving the gun across, as Phil says you drive it so hard your hat almost flies off.

I've seen shooters come up, I recall one I called the charging Rhino, he was fast but not smooth, now he is smooth and has gone from charging Rhino B, to Master.

I saw at least 6 seconds just in movement refining you could get. This is always easier said than done.

I just studied the results of a few friends that shot the Mississippi classic what I came away with is the number you need to be good and that is @95% of all points after penalties. If you scored 95% of your points in the match chances are you were in the top 4 of your class, below 90% you fell into the also ran. The mix doesn't matter but you can't do that shooting D's.

I'm shooting about 75% right now in matches, and wondering how I'm going to get that next 25%, I know it is not on the trigger its in the feet, better movements and better positioning, and a few A's. The higher up you get the more important I think the hits become.

[CHA-LEE]

You need to stop shooting with a twisted up body situation. You tend to move to a shooting position, plant your feet then twist your upper body all the way around to engage targets on the extreme right and left. When you twist your body up like that you are forced to bend your elbows in order to keep the gun up and shooting. Any time you bend your elbows you circumvent your ability to manage recoil. When that happens your shot quality goes right into the ditch.

You need to keep your upper body, arms, and head locked together as a single unit, then move at your knees to transition between targets. I tell people that you will always have the best recoil management and transition speed/aggressiveness if they limit their "Cone of fire" to a total of 90 degrees from your natural point of aim. This means that if you are pointing straight ahead in your natural point of aim you only have 45degrees left or right from center in knee movement before you should lift a foot and take a step one direction or another to continue to engage targets in that direction. Maintaining this cone of fire will allow you to consistently manage the recoil while shooting fast, produce solid accurate hits, allow you to aggressively transition between targets, and lastly allow you to aggressively exit the shooting position.

[CocoBolo]

You need to stop shooting with a twisted up body situation. You tend to move to a shooting position, plant your feet then twist your upper body all the way around to engage targets on the extreme right and left. When you twist your body up like that you are forced to bend your elbows in order to keep the gun up and shooting. Any time you bend your elbows you circumvent your ability to manage recoil. When that happens your shot quality goes right into the ditch.

You need to keep your upper body, arms, and head locked together as a single unit, then move at your knees to transition between targets. I tell people that you will always have the best recoil management and transition speed/aggressiveness if they limit their "Cone of fire" to a total of 90 degrees from your natural point of aim. This means that if you are pointing straight ahead in your natural point of aim you only have 45degrees left or right from center in knee movement before you should lift a foot and take a step one direction or another to continue to engage targets in that direction. Maintaining this cone of fire will allow you to consistently manage the recoil while shooting fast, produce solid accurate hits, allow you to aggressively transition between targets, and lastly allow you to aggressively exit the shooting position.

Cha-Lee very good catch. Turrent the upper body like a tank and keep the gun and eye in the same relationship all the time. Getting there ready would take care of most of that but your explantion is spot on..

[Coach]

Reloads are low. You seem tense before the draw and that is not good. You do not seem to be driving the gun with your vision. Snap your eyes from target to target. As has been stated previously do not be all twisited up in the shooting positions. Engaging a target coming into or leaving a position is a huge time saver when you can do it and get the hits. In the last position you are shifting your feet and from the video I cannot see a reason to do that. Look at the pause between arriving in a position and the first shot breaking. There is time to be had there.

I think your draw stroke needs some work.

Edited June 7, 2012 by Coach