Shooting a Classifier

[shtr3]

Guys and Gals,

How can I solve my problem. When I go to a match, and prepare/shoot any stage other than a classifier, I am at ease, not nervious, just there in body and mind thinking about that stage and that stage only, not mess ups on stages before or looking ahead. BUT,,,,,,, when that classifier comes up as the current stage, I cannot seem to be at ease and relaxed. I usually get as relaxed as I can be when I step into the startinng position and load/make ready, but at the classifier, I cant and this usually/ really always messes up every classifier I shoot. I am a pretty accurate shot, a ton of alphas, but classifiers, its all over, or I can break all the shots in the fixed time, and so forth. Any advice or help with be greatly appreciated. Thanks ahead of time.

[Poppa Bear]

It is a tough lesson to learn but the classifier is just another stage. It is tough because you will come up with a predetermined idea of how fast you should be able to shoot it. You will watch others shoot it and say i can do better than that. Now when you get to the line you push yourself to shoot faster than you are capable of shooting accurately, reloading faster than you can control your movements, transitioning faster than you do on any other stage.

So even though it is hard you need to step back and plan the stage as just that, a stage. Work your movements out behind the scenes as you would any other stage. Draw, BANG BANG....... step reload..... BANG BANG BANG........ imprint into your head how you are going to shoot it and just let it flow.

Now I will be honest and say I have the same problem in that I will push myself rather than relax and let it flow, and generally I screw up the stage. When I can stay relaxed everything flows and even though it seems like it took a long time I am surprised to find out I did it several seconds faster than it felt.

So in general stop thinking about it as a classifier and start thinking of it as just another stage.

[GuildSF4]

As Poppa Bear says treat it like any other stage. I would add establish a routine that you perform before shooting.

An example would be: check magazines, sight picture, load with barney, load full magazine, holster pistol, close eyes,

run through stage plan, open eyes, assume start position. (Some also use a mantra like: smooth, front sight, see the A...)

[Ultimo-Hombre]

Perhaps you want it more on the classifiers because you are focused on results (moving up).

Wanting it should happen in training, not at the match COF.

Just keep having fun, and remember classification isn't the measure of your awesomeness as a human being.

(If we all keep telling eachother this enough it may sink in!)

[Chris iliff]

I'm with you. I suffered with this also for years. What helped me was practice. Serious, ........practicing at home and knowing what I was capable of helped tremendously. That to me was the ticket, KNOWING almost exactly what i was gonna do on any given stage, which slowly became just "shooting alphas". My expectations got aligned so to speak. Also, really understanding that all I can do is "shoot A's at my natural pace" helped a ton. Learning to place my focus squarely on an A. Every shot, every time. I still get some nerves every once in awhile, but not near as bad as it use to be.

Realizing that I was the cause of my nerves, especially on classifiers, helped me a ton.

All of this started changing for me when I read, "With Winning in Mind", by Lanny Bassham. I didn't state it real well above, but using the principles outlined in the book, I was able to do the above.

You have a mental game deficiency and it ain't gonna cure itself. There are two sources widely used in the shooting world for building a good mental platform, one I mentioned above, the other is Saul Kirsch's books.

I have both. They are fairly close to the same, but I prefer Bassham.

[Ultimo-Hombre]

+1 on the Bassham book

[shtr3]

I will definitely try the books. Thanks and keep all the info coming.

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[blaster113]

Went through this too, wanting to move up and working myself up on classifiers. Of course the result is I'd tank classifiers badly. Have to force yourself to relax and treat classifiers like any other stage. What helped me the most in getting over this was preparation. when I started using a structured dryfire and live fire regimen the gitters started to go away and scores started to improve.

[Chris iliff]

Went through this too, wanting to move up and working myself up on classifiers. Of course the result is I'd tank classifiers badly. Have to force yourself to relax and treat classifiers like any other stage. What helped me the most in getting over this was preparation. when I started using a structured dryfire and live fire regimen the gitters started to go away and scores started to improve.

Couple that with a solid mental program like "With Winning in Mind" by Lanny Bassham and you've got it!!!

[steel1212]

Like others have said the classifier is just another stage. Shoot it no differently than the others.

[shtr3]

Just bought the Lanny Bassham book, 3rd edition, for my kindle, looks very interesting. Hopefully it will help out. But I must say that Enos' book helps out somewhat with mental conditioning as well, if you havent read it. Give it a shot.

[shilberry]

Just bought the Lanny Bassham book, 3rd edition, for my kindle, looks very interesting. Hopefully it will help out. But I must say that Enos' book helps out somewhat with mental conditioning as well, if you havent read it. Give it a shot.

The bassham book definitely changed the way I prepare for almost everything in my life - not just shooting. I think you'll love it!

[jcarpenter82]

I used to be the same way, my nerves would just Eff up a classifier for me.

As soon as i was able to believe its just another set of targets, the better i did.

My issue is consistancy

[bigfish]

Go through the classifier during your sight picture almost as if you where doing a dryfire drill after the "Make ready" command. That way after the buzzer goes off it is almost like you just shot the classifier as you are actually shooting it. It might not calm you down completely but everything will feel a little bit more familiar when shooting it

[shtr3]

Go through the classifier during your sight picture almost as if you where doing a dryfire drill after the "Make ready" command. That way after the buzzer goes off it is almost like you just shot the classifier as you are actually shooting it. It might not calm you down completely but everything will feel a little bit more familiar when shooting it

I like this approach for now. Thanks

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[Goldenmotors]

Dry fire drills helped me a lot.

[waterboy]

Like mentioned before, dry fire drills have helped me a lot as well. The first time I shot a classifier with my revo I was very nervous because there was a reload involved. You just have to think of it as its just another stage. I have also found that talking with some of the other squad members that have shot it before me takes my mind off of it so my nerves don't build up as much.

[Jukez]

working on this myself

[BEC]

Bought a book by Anderson and just started doing dry fire drills, time will tell.

[Tuflehundon]

What really helped me once I got my initial classifaction was knowing I could never go down a class. My initial rating was mid C class. been working on moving up to B class and am pretty close now. Waiting on 6 classifiers to post from early this month, and maybe I will move up.

When I did my initial classifiers (did a classifier match were we had 6 stages and 5 were classifiers) I had a tendancy to want to shoot all A's and try to be as precise as possible. My hits were great, but my times suffered. Did a few more classifiers before I found out I couldn't go down in class. once I knew that, the pressure was off. If I wanted to give 100% and I screwed up, it didn't matter as much.

Even if you blow your initial classifacation, you can only go up from there.

There was also a time that I took my wife shooting. I was doing OK that day and right when my squad got to the last stage I get a call from my daughter, and we had to leave. Had the RO let me shoot 1st. Didn't have much time to overthink the stage, just looked at it quickly, came up with a plan and did it. Ran the stage no longer caring how well I did, and it was one of the best stages I have ever run. Steel was hit 1 for 1, almost all A zone hits, and my time was blazing fast for me.

[ericjhuber]

I'm waiting for my initial Production classification to come in after shooting five classifiers at USA in Frostproof this month. The best I can tell from what classifiercalc is telling me, I'll go from unclassified to a mid-C. This is pretty much an early Christmas miracle since I'm not very good at this yet (and Tuflehundon has had the misfortune of seeing me shoot so he can attest to that) so I was certain I'd come in at a D especially after posting a 28 percent classifier (which was my first classifier ever) at a recent charity match.

What I've learned in my first six months or so in USPSA is that if I'm doing anything other than standing (kneeling, etc) or any of the targets are moving, the wheels immediately come off my shooting and it's a complete and total clown show. Avert your eyes. It's going to get ugly. So I tanked the kneeling classifier, did Cs for everything else and even pulled off a B performance on another classifier. So if it's four of my best six for the initial classification...I drop the 28 percent. I drop the kneeling clown show and it comes out to a C average for everything else (the four remaining classifier scores).

I think what helped me shoot the classifiers is that I didn't have any real pressure on me. I'm not all that great at USPSA shooting and I just wanted to get classified before the weather cools off and the Level II matches start up in the area. I figured so as long as I didn't get DQed during the match, it was all upside for me. The squad that I was with were a bunch of very nice people so it was a relaxed day on the range with uncharacteristically nice weather for the match.

So that's my strategy going forward now with classifiers. I'm have all sorts of goals that I have set for myself to help push myself forward, but achieving a certain USPSA classifier isn't going to be one of them. I'll just shoot the classifiers when I have the chance to shoot them, do the best I can with my skill level at the time, and let nice USPSA folks figure out where I am in the ranking system.

(Steel Challenge is different. I'm setting a B classifier as my goal because that means I broke the 115 second barrier. This will not happen any time soon...or maybe ever.)

Edited August 27, 2013 by ericjhuber

[Hi-Power Jack]

See current posting "I always go too fast on classifiers" by charliedelta.

[Leftylivesmatter]

I have been stuck on a B classification for a couple of years. I've always shot them defensively (not to screw them up). I have been improving on my match results pretty dramatically in the last 6 months, mostly due to going to Max Michel's school and a lot of hard practice. I have been accused of "sand bagging" the classifiers by my "friends", but I have always tried to shoot them the best I could (albeit safe).

I made a conscious decision to go as fast as I could on all classifiers about a month ago without fear of misses. While I have been a low B for 2 years I have thrown 86%, 87%, and 92% in the last 3 local matches classifiers. All M level. They have not all posted yet, but I will be moving up soon!

Hope that helps.

[Ben Stoeger]

Guys and Gals,

How can I solve my problem. When I go to a match, and prepare/shoot any stage other than a classifier, I am at ease, not nervious, just there in body and mind thinking about that stage and that stage only, not mess ups on stages before or looking ahead. BUT,,,,,,, when that classifier comes up as the current stage, I cannot seem to be at ease and relaxed. I usually get as relaxed as I can be when I step into the startinng position and load/make ready, but at the classifier, I cant and this usually/ really always messes up every classifier I shoot. I am a pretty accurate shot, a ton of alphas, but classifiers, its all over, or I can break all the shots in the fixed time, and so forth. Any advice or help with be greatly appreciated. Thanks ahead of time.

I am guessing that you are feeling pressure on classifier stages because they somehow "matter more". You need to practice dealing with that pressure.

Try going out and setting up a classifier in practice and making your FIRST run "count" in terms of how you feel about your shooting. (hopefully you feel some pressure)

[ericjhuber]

You need to practice dealing with that pressure.

Which reminds me Ben, you're one of the reasons why I improved as fast as I have. I've seen you give variations on that advice to other people in various forms and that's one of the reasons why I've been trying to push myself to stay out of any sort of comfort zone. It's also helpful to have people at my club like Tuflehundon politely remind me speed is a part of the game as well as accuracy. I obviously put safety as the top priority and sometimes the wheels really come off, but pushing myself within the bounds of safety has really helped.

The other big thing that has helped is the Stoegarian stage management wisdom I've been soaking up. The YouTube stage breakdowns that you have done previously are very helpful. I shoot Production so learning things like how standing reloads are just death on your score really caused some significant improvement in my results.

Thank you, Ben.