stage planning for 150+ point stages with cover/ports/etc.

[DrLove]

folks, I go to this local match where they always put so many targets behind cover and at different angles that confuse hte hell out of me. I mean each target can be seen from multiple angles and even if I put a plan, I always end up forgetting if I already shot that target or not once I move (again since the target can be seen from at least 3-4 different positions behind ports, covers, etc.

How you do guys put a stage plan for these weirdly designed stages and how do you make sure not to get confused once you start moving around?

[sperman]

Here's how I break down a stage like that.

First, I find all of the targets. This usually requires walking downrange to make sure I know where all of them are. The other advantage of being downrange is that you can stand next to the target and figure out at which positions they can be seen.

After that, I move back up to the shooting area and start working on a plan. At this point, I don't worry about reloads, I just figure out where I can see the targets, and figure out where I want to shoot them from.

Next, I start breaking down the stage with reloads. Depending on which division I am shooting, I may have to make some compromises on what to shoot where in order to avoid standing reloads. (When I was a newer shooter, my #1 priority for these stages was making sure I got all of my hits. If that meant my approach to the stage took twice as long, so be it. Eating a standing reload is much better than eating 2 mikes and a procedural.)

Once I finish the walkthrough, I start rehearsing the stage in my head. I think it was Burkett who said he visualizes every stage a minimum of 20 times before he shoots it. You really need to have it burned in, so that when the buzzer goes off all you are doing is watching the sights and pulling the trigger.

Hope this helps.

[Poppa Bear]

I run a similar approach in that I check the targets from down range first. Some is to see where I can shoot them from. Some is to see which targets are only available from one location. Once I lock in which targets need to be taken from a specific view I start planning which other targets can be taken from there. Now I can start planning my reloads. Now just stand in back and try to lock the plan in to my memory.

I can do better if I am not also acting as RM/MD. It is hard to lock a plan into place when you are also watching the other stages to make sure they are operating properly.

[MoNsTeR]

Go with the first simple plan you can come up with and do not change it. Don't even watch other shooters run the course once you have a workable plan.

You will probably not end up with an optimal plan, but if you have enough time to drill it into your head you will at least have a shot at executing it properly.

Try to find reference points for your feet and your eyes. Memorize the specific positions you will get into and which target you will snap to when you get there. Use whatever cues you can to find those targets, such as the shape of hardcover, how tall the targets are set, maybe one of the stands has a paint mark on it or a rock nearby. Then memorize a sequence of targets you will engage from that position. So you might end up with something like...

Draw, engage 1, 2, 4

Move to corner of fault lines, engage 3 (near big rock), 5, 6

Move to center of square port, engage 10 (target stand with yellow stripe), 11, 15 (scary no-shoot), 16

Move to round port, engage 7 (leaning left), 8, 9, 12 (v-shaped hardcover), 13, 14

[atbarr]

Shooting .45 SWC helps also.

[JAFO]

I do something similar to sperman, but once I know where all the targets are, I start doing walkthroughs with reloads in mind. Since I shoot Production, I usually take it in groups of 4-5 targets, but adjust that depending on things like a star, or poppers. Once I have a plan, I go through it and count targets (or shots required) to make sure that my plan accounted for all of them.

Recently we had a stage like you are describing. It was 35 rounds with 2 ports, three wall gaps, and targets around the end of a wall, two plates, four poppers, and a Texas Star. A lot of the targets could be seen from more than one position, and some were out of sight unless you leaned out. I had a plan and was doing another walkthrough, this time counting total shots, when I realized that I was missing one of them. One of the poppers had blown over before we arrived on the stage, and no one had noticed it with the plethora of other targets around. Seeing it there after it was set back up totally changed the second half of my plan.

Even after all the planning (and replanning), I forgot to plan on the fact that it was an unloaded start. I was unconsciously thinking I had 11 rounds in the gun, so I could afford one miss. Of course, that miss happened. The gun went to slide lock unexpectedly, and my plan almost went completely out the window. But I remembered what another experienced shooter had told me when I first started - "Make a plan and stick to it. If you get off your plan, get back on it." So after going to slide lock and having to do a flat-footed reload, I stuck with the next planned reload even though I had a practically full mag in the gun. That got me back on the plan, and I had a pretty decent run on the stage.

[Bunchies95]

On complicated stages like that, I find it helpful to draw out the stage on a piece of paper. Draw lines from the target to where you can see it within the fault lines. This will help you easily visualize what targets get shot from where.

[bikerburgess]

On complicated stages like that, I find it helpful to draw out the stage on a piece of paper. Draw lines from the target to where you can see it within the fault lines. This will help you easily visualize what targets get shot from where.

I never thought of this but I like it