The Leap of Faith, and focusing on "speed or points"

[DonovanM]

Sooner or later, if your goal is to succeed at this sport, or even to shoot a handgun to a high degree of speed and accuracy at all, most people are going to need to make a leap of faith.

You are going to need to trust absolutely in your subconscious ability to guide your shooting and overall performance. You are going to need to give yourself over completely to this while in the process of performing, with no attempt at conscious redirection or influence of your performance whatsoever.

I think this is absolutely terrifying for most people. Myself most certainly included. But it's gotta happen and I've gotta do it. Otherwise, I will never be efficient enough. (Not fast enough, efficient enough, huge distinction.)

Now for something distinct, but still related. Personally, I've been going into the last several matches wanting to shoot good points. So I've been trying to shoot good points, and consciously redirecting myself to shoot good points. And I have been shooting freaking awesome points, and I'm very happy with and proud of my ability to do so, because it means I have regulated my ego sufficient to overcome it constantly screaming GO GO GO SPEED SPEED SPEED. But, after looking at my match videos, there are times when I just look dead freaking slow and completely lack any kind of aggressiveness in my shooting. I need to address this to further advance my performance.

I have decided that it is not ideal to focus on points. And I decided long ago it wasn't speed, either. Because this game isn't about one or the other. Ideally I should focus on my actual SCORE for crying out loud. My efficiency. That's my hit factor, because hit factor is points AND speed. I know right? Apparently I was having trouble with that.

BUT, did I just contradict myself? Do I need to focus on and try to consciously influence the hit factors I shoot? Or is this separate? I suspect no, that instead I should be consciously "keyed" towards shooting good hit factors and offering my subconscious a "template" of sorts to do so, but shit just got deep - I don't know!

So further experimentation is required. This opens up a whole new attitude and an entirely new realm of things to be focused on during training and stage planning for me, things that I probably should have been focused on from the start.

It is always a work in progress.

(I do not feel this post was all that original, especially in the context of this forum, and I still haven't read With Winning in Mind so this may relate to something in the book but I am still proud of it and hope you get something out of it, just as I did by writing it.)

[TediousAndIneffectualMcGee]

Fabulous

[mhop]

You should right a book.

[ParaGunner]

It's about speed,accuracy and power. Shoot A's as fast as you can call them and any movement done while not shooting should be as fast as you can go. All the little things about movement can add up quick.

[DonovanM]

You should right a book.

Oh god no. Not even several years from now and/or if I actually end up accomplishing something in this sport.

I must admit though, watching you guys attack it like you attacked Steve Anderson would be hilarious for me.

[dravz]

It is absolutely terrifying.

I've only managed to 'leap' twice, both times on classifier stages. What's scarier is afterward I don't really remember seeing sights or pulling the trigger or anything about the run -- at Unload and Show Clear I felt like I just woke up or something.

[toothguy]

You should right a book.

Oh god no. Not even several years from now and/or if I actually end up accomplishing something in this sport.

I must admit though, watching you guys attack it like you attacked Steve Anderson would be hilarious for me.

Maybe a Range Diary. Great stuff, keep writing.

[Flexmoney]

Fabulous

You should right a book.

Brownie/Matt... troll elsewhere. Admin.

[rpcruab]

Thanks for posting. Good stuff!

[DonovanM]

It is absolutely terrifying.

I've only managed to 'leap' twice, both times on classifier stages. What's scarier is afterward I don't really remember seeing sights or pulling the trigger or anything about the run -- at Unload and Show Clear I felt like I just woke up or something.

Nice! Yeah, me too, only happens sporadically. I have definitely come out of a bunch of stages not remembering the sights but still having good hits and shooting well, but I have never remembered my trigger. I am usually still "switched off" in ULSC, too.

Fabulous

You should right a book.

Brownie/Matt... troll elsewhere. Admin.

It's always Brownie!

[TGibe]

Speed vs. Points is an area that I am looking into and trying to work on as well.

There are times when the highest hit factor for a stage can be estimated/calculated by people smarter than me. Then it becomes a math problem as to whether dropping a few points (yeah, it is a little easier shooting Major), but gaining a time advantage will yield a higher hit factor that getting all A's would require.

Because I haven't been successful as calculating the stage hit factor I have been focusing on accuracy on smaller stages and speed on large stages. Of course, going the same speed while getting all alphas should be the goal...

[cpa5oh]

I guess the focus area is different for everyone - I've been told to focus on "shooting alphas" at match time...and when I do that I get mixed results (sometimes feeling like I'm just out there moseying around.) I can reshoot a match very competitively right after shooting it like I was wading through mud with zero sense of urgency.

[DonovanM]

Speed vs. Points is an area that I am looking into and trying to work on as well.

There are times when the highest hit factor for a stage can be estimated/calculated by people smarter than me. Then it becomes a math problem as to whether dropping a few points (yeah, it is a little easier shooting Major), but gaining a time advantage will yield a higher hit factor that getting all A's would require.

Because I haven't been successful as calculating the stage hit factor I have been focusing on accuracy on smaller stages and speed on large stages. Of course, going the same speed while getting all alphas should be the goal...

All I can say now is "roughly 4-5, 6-8, or 9-10" when looking at a typical hit factor for a stage. I don't know if I will ever refine that estimation further given some more experience. Maybe that will be a barrier to my success one day, or will just happen on its own?

Points are obviously more or less important compared to time on a stage given a typical hit factor for it, and maybe that should factor into this discussion more. I don't really know. Interesting point though, I dig it.

[ryanbanks]

I believe you need to work on all of it but i usually work on one side at a time

[mike g35]

Great post!!! I'm in the same boat as you. I can get great hits, but....(see OP's post)

I'm planning to try a little something different tomorrow. I'm gonna burn my way through anything 10 yards or less, focus on footwork, reloads, etc., and try to slow down on all the long stuff. I seem to always go one way or they other. Finding the comfortable medium is TOUGH!!!

[DonovanM]

You should right a book.

Oh god no. Not even several years from now and/or if I actually end up accomplishing something in this sport.

I must admit though, watching you guys attack it like you attacked Steve Anderson would be hilarious for me.

Maybe a Range Diary. Great stuff, keep writing.

Thanks! I made a new one. Here you go. http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=173654#entry1921328

[DonovanM]

Great post!!! I'm in the same boat as you. I can get great hits, but....(see OP's post)

I'm planning to try a little something different tomorrow. I'm gonna burn my way through anything 10 yards or less, focus on footwork, reloads, etc., and try to slow down on all the long stuff. I seem to always go one way or they other. Finding the comfortable medium is TOUGH!!!

Yeah it is, but finding the happy medium is practical shooting, in my mind. It's the soul of the game, and what makes it so great.

All of that sounds awesome, but don't give up easy points. I am going into my next match with a similar mindset.

[benos]

I like your efficiency focus Donovan! In the end, that's what it ALL COMES DOWN TO.

A common IPSC shooter's cycle...

In the beginning it's all about going fast! The after you figure out that will only take you so far, you figure out how to call your shots shoot good points, and you step up to another level. But it's easy to get complacent there, like you said, and become comfortably happy with just shooting good points.

Then in the end you figure out: Shooting each A at the eariiest opportunity is where its at.

And the same "efficiency theory" applies to everything else you do. Breaking the first shot at the earliest opportunity. Leaving each shooting position at the earliest opportunity. Beginning each mag change at the earliest opportunity. ...

be

[MikeHarrell202]

Efficiency is a good way to put it, not just fast. Its hard to wrap your mind around it sometimes, just like shot cadence initially it didn't sound like it would make your transitions faster/ more efficient but the times prove it.

[benos]

I like your efficiency focus Donovan! In the end, that's what it ALL COMES DOWN TO.

A common IPSC shooter's cycle...

In the beginning it's all about going fast! The after you figure out that will only take you so far, you figure out how to call your shots shoot good points, and you step up to another level. But it's easy to get complacent there, like you said, and become comfortably happy with just shooting good points.

Then in the end you figure out: Shooting each A at the eariiest opportunity is where its at.

And the same "efficiency theory" applies to everything else you do. Breaking the first shot at the earliest opportunity. Leaving each shooting position at the earliest opportunity. Beginning each mag change at the earliest opportunity. ...

be

Edit to add: Leaving each target at the earliest opportunity. Knowing the sights are on target at the earliest opportunity.

[DonovanM]

I like your efficiency focus Donovan! In the end, that's what it ALL COMES DOWN TO.

A common IPSC shooter's cycle...

In the beginning it's all about going fast! The after you figure out that will only take you so far, you figure out how to call your shots shoot good points, and you step up to another level. But it's easy to get complacent there, like you said, and become comfortably happy with just shooting good points.

Then in the end you figure out: Shooting each A at the eariiest opportunity is where its at.

And the same "efficiency theory" applies to everything else you do. Breaking the first shot at the earliest opportunity. Leaving each shooting position at the earliest opportunity. Beginning each mag change at the earliest opportunity. ...

be

Edit to add: Leaving each target at the earliest opportunity. Knowing the sights are on target at the earliest opportunity.

I have been spoiled by instant gratification, because this sounds like it will take years to truly master.

[benos]

I like your efficiency focus Donovan! In the end, that's what it ALL COMES DOWN TO.

A common IPSC shooter's cycle...

In the beginning it's all about going fast! The after you figure out that will only take you so far, you figure out how to call your shots shoot good points, and you step up to another level. But it's easy to get complacent there, like you said, and become comfortably happy with just shooting good points.

Then in the end you figure out: Shooting each A at the eariiest opportunity is where its at.

And the same "efficiency theory" applies to everything else you do. Breaking the first shot at the earliest opportunity. Leaving each shooting position at the earliest opportunity. Beginning each mag change at the earliest opportunity. ...

be

Edit to add: Leaving each target at the earliest opportunity. Knowing the sights are on target at the earliest opportunity.

I have been spoiled by instant gratification, because this sounds like it will take years to truly master.

About 10 (years of serious training), maybe.

[Nimitz]

I went the other way, spending the first 15 months I've been in this sport learning to shoot accurately and ignoring speed. The result is that I can shot great points very slowly. However, I have not learned the fundamentals of shooting acuractly at speed, I've just learned to shoot accurately. I now have to learn to shoot at speed with this same accuracy. I only realized recently, after a long discussion elsewhere on this forum that I shouldn't be decoupling accuracy and speed but that these need to be worked on together. Movement and transition work will come after I've learned to shoot fast at speed. If I can't "stand and shot" fast (ie: classifiers) I'll have no hope of learning to move and shoot fast ...

[MarkCO]

This might sound weird, but I have learned so much this year about myself watching my 11 year old kid play competitive baseball and starting to shoot. In practice, he is great, come game time, he slows down and tenses up. Working through that with him is like self diagnosis! I wish someone had done this for me when I was a kid. Having him tell me what he is thinking has unlocked some of my own issues related to the coupling of speed and accuracy. I have even experimented with my verbal to him and have seen differences in performance. That helped me figure out some self talk that helps me perform better as well. It is pretty cool. This has helped me push past the control (slow) speed and bypass the train wreck speed (shooting fast while thinking) to just letting the sights tell me how fast to go.

Taking that "leap" happened maybe 4 times total for me prior to 2013. I've been able to let go and "leap" 6 or 7 times this year and I am just starting to figure out what it is. I am pretty sure it is not universal, meaning the formula to arrive at the same place is a little different for each person.

[Nimitz]

There have been times in the past when I remember during a stage that I was simply pulling the trigger every time I saw the sight return back into the notch and remember nothing else about the run. These runs we're usually some of my best for the match .... I assume this is a form of subconscious shooting but don't really know ...