When you analyze your scores, what is the best indicator of performanc

[kcobean]

I'm curious how people evaluate their performance when looking at scores, particularly at things like major matches. Do you look at your:

- Overall place amongst all shooters

- Your place within your division

- You place within your division and class

- % of points shot excluding / including penalties

- Raw points shot

- All of the above

Is one of the above a better indicator of performance than the others?

[herky]

I don't know if it means much to some people, but the less entries in the "M" (miss) column, the better I do. If old and slow, better be accurate.

[a matt]

Overall. If I shot as good as I can, on every stage. 12 stages, thats tuff to shoot at a high level for them all. We know what we can do. Then we know what we need to work on. It's best to write it down too.

[kneelingatlas]

- % of points shot including penalties

If you're not shooting at least 90% of the available points, you should focus more on getting good hits. Penalties are killers, avoid them. At least this is what I've been told by guys better than me.

Once you're getting good hits I think its important not to think about shooting faster, but about doing everything else faster and eliminating wasted movement. I recently shot next to a GM and he didn't seem to be shooting faster than me, he just did everything else faster.

When changing shooting positions I'm trying to focus in the voice in my head screaming MOVE!!!

Edited May 19, 2013 by kneelingatlas

[grapemeister]

The total percentage for the match (at least level 2)in my division means a lot to me. Unless I just had a terrible match, my percentage tells me if I'm worthy of my classification, and it gives me an idea of my progress. For example, when I first made B class I wasn't sure if I was worthy of that classification. I shot an area match soon after, and my percentage in the end was 65. I didn't place high in my division, but I felt that my classification was justified, and I felt worthy.

Percentage of points shot means a lot to me, and is the next thing I look at. No matter how I place in the match, if I'm not at 90% or better on points, I'm disappointed.

[Nimitz]

First thing I look at is % pts shot. This is an independent measure of your accuracy and is completely under your control. Less than 90% means I shot faster than I'm currently capable of and still get acceptable pts. The super squad guys look at this to be around 95% but for the rest of us 90% is good. More above thins you were probably taking it too easy. If there is a top GM in your div then comparing your match points to them can be useful.

Where you pace in a big match is mostly irrevelant since it it totally dependent on who showed up to shoot the match.

[Chills1994]

My general rule of thumb is ASSuming no mikes and no hits on non-threats/no-shoots my total raw time for a match should be less than the total minimum required count for the entire match.

That is why I wish IDPA would publish the MRC at the top of the results pages for each of their major matches.

That is my rule of thumb, for me. I was B class.

Your for real USPSA GM's and M's easily blow my rule out of the water, and their total raw times can typically be 66% or less of the MRC.

For your usual IDPA Master in a semi-auto division, their final scores are usually right around the MRC.

The other thing I look at or rather used to look at for me are my stage placements in my division regardless of class to see how consistent I am. When I really drop in the standings is because of a mike or a no shoot.

[kcobean]

Thanks for the input gent's.

At the VA/MD sectional this weekend, I shot 90.92% of the points before penalties and 85.92% after penalties (6 mikes, no other procedurals.) The 1st place finisher (a GM) shot 92.66%. I need to get rid of the Mikes.

I placed 27th of 75 in Limited and was the 5th place B class in the division with a 66.909%, which is just a tad higher than my current classification percentage, so I think I performed on par with my current abillity.

I'm pleased with my finish given where I'm at in my shooting progression but I need to work on minimizing time spent on movement and presentation when coming to a shooting position. I think those two things cost me the most time. A good example of this was a 30 point stage (15 metrics) that required lots of movement. I shot the stage clean (the only person in the match to do that in fact) but almost 10 seconds slower than the top finisher. 10 seconds! That 10 seconds is what I need to work on eliminating.

Edited May 19, 2013 by kcobean

[pjb45]

I had no clue when I first started. I was looking to go fast. This is where are the training scars (ala Mike Seeklander) are formulated.

In the quest for speed we train our subconscious mind with bad technique then during a match this routine is shoot. I spent years breaking those training scars.

It is better to teach yourself accuracy before speed. If you had a trainer, he (or she) would probably say the opposite since they can teach you accuracy but learning speed is harder, but you need a trainer to keep on you.

Some people recommend 90% of the points, I would suggest something higher. No Mikes, No shoots are allowed.

Let do some simple math:

100 point stage

90 points

15 seconds

HF 6

v.

1 mike

75 points

15 seconds

HF 5

1 Mike means you lost almost ~20% of your potential score.

You cannot make up very many mikes with speed elsewhere in the match.

There are smaller percentage of people that actually shoot their classifications in Area or National matches as opposed to those who shoot less.

Two books are great for our sport are by Seeklander and Anderson.

Find John Hill's article about Seeklander's method in Frontsight.

[motosapiens]

In local matches, I look at my percentage compared to several good shooters ahead of me. I keep track of them over time, so if I am closer to them than usual, I either had a good day, or am getting better.

I've only shot 2 majors, but in those, I look at my percentage compared to the GMs. Hopefully, over time, that percentage will gradually increase.

I also look at the individual stage percentages, to get an idea of what kind of stages give me trouble, so I know what to work on, and what kind of stages I do well on, so I can push a little harder next time I see one like that.

I get annoyed about EVERY mike and no-shoot.

any formulas about total points shot or points per second or whatever are heavily dependent on the character of the individual stages, so I don't worry about them. I try to shoot as many points as the top gm's, just slower.

Edited May 21, 2013 by motosapiens

[juan]

I like to look at stage times of like the top 3 in my division.

and figure out what I need to do to scrub all those seconds off,

[kosh79]

i look at the top shooters score and see what my percentage is. I used to shoot around 30-40% of the overall match score against the overall winner.

Now im shooting around 90-95% of the winner, now winning a few matches here and there.

[gearguywb]

Shoot good points quickly. A "D" is a lucky miss. Then look at your overall percentage in the match. Class scores are not necessarily a good indicator.