jedpeters Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 I've shot a couple USPSA and a couple of 3 gun matches and am learning so much it's crazy. I'm also having a blast. I'm trying to absorb as much as I can, but I have to say--it's hard to suck. It's tough to come into something just shitballs when you have had a history of marginal athletic success or never really sucked at something...if that makes sense. I just get the feeling when I do these gun games--wow, everyone seems to rock it. So, assuming you are a decent enough athlete (or used to be) with a desire to get better, how long is the right amount of time to expect to improve?Right now i'm finishing 40th-50th out of 60-ish in my local matches, but I get into the low to mid 30s in some scenarios, but then other scenarios I am DEAD LAST (and, like, by a mile!). So, ,with practice and a drive to get better, how quickly did you progress in your gun games? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thermobollocks Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 I'm a craptacular athlete and I still think I suck, even though I've started placing pretty routinely in the top quarter to 10% in Production division at club matches. Sucking isn't a result -- it's a state. Do what you want to do when you want to do it, and you'll find it all starts happening faster. Go in thinking you're going to eat a big shit sandwich, and not only will you eat it, but you'll cook it yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightUp_OG Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 Just shoot, learn and have fun the rest will work itself out. Focus on the fundamentals safety, sight alignment, trigger control, stage breakdown, draw and reloads (in no particular order except for safety which is always first). Get your hits and the rest will come. Hang out with the best shooters at your club but DO NOT try and shoot as fast as they do, instead, watch how they break down a course of fire and where and when they reload. Watch where they go fast and slow then ask a ton of questions. Before you know it you will be in the top 20! There are many great teachers on this site with our host being the best of the bunch. Read as much as you can here, get Brian's book and Practice, Practice, Practice!!! Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motosapiens Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 (edited) Right now i'm finishing 40th-50th out of 60-ish in my local matches, but I get into the low to mid 30s in some scenarios, but then other scenarios I am DEAD LAST (and, like, by a mile!). So, ,with practice and a drive to get better, how quickly did you progress in your gun games? Sounds like you're not doing too bad. If you can figure out what stuff you suck at, and work on that, it will help you suck less faster. I wish I had worked more on bill drills and really seeing my front sight the first few months I was shooting. I think I did alot of fairly unfocused practice. I took a class from a world-class competitive shooter, and that really helped me figure out what to work on and how to work on it, and what sort of process to go through to get to the next level. One thing I learned from racing bicycles is that deep down, we all suck except for a handful of guys at the elite level. The best guys at your local club still suck, so instead of picking an arbitrary level and saying 'that's where I want to get to', I find it works better for me to just set immediate goals of improvement. USPSA scoring gives you plenty of opportunities to track your improvement, through classifier scores, match overall percentages, and individual stage percentages. Even when I have a bad day, I can always find some things I did better than before, so that helps me stay positive, and as a result, I don't have a lot of bad days, more like bad individual stages, or a bad array of targets when I lost track of what I was doing. Edited August 12, 2013 by motosapiens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowdyb Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 3-6 months if you compete 3-4 times a month and do some sort of live or dry fire practice in the week as well. As a sports psychologist told me, "focus on actions, not outcomes." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 Still suck, but enjoying it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimitz Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 How much effort and time do you plan to devote to the sport? As a famous GM once said: you are not going to win the Production Nationals by shooting twice a month ... I picked up a pistol for the first time one month prior to my first match, at the age of 51, I finished dead last overall and last in Production. That was 19 months ago. Then I learned how to train correctly, took some classes from top GMs and got down to training. Two days ago I finished 6th in my monthly club match. The week before I finished 2nd in our monthly Steel Challenge match. I also train a lot and I still suck .... If you can learn to persevere in the face of constant setbacks you'll be able to succeed. The most important thing you can do is be really honest with yourself about what your goals are for practical shooting. Once you come to terms with that everything else will fall into place .... Most importantly, make sure you are always having fun ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 (edited) am learning so much & having a blast. how long to expect to improve? So, ,with practice and a drive to get better, how quickly did you progress ? I practiced & had a drive to get better for many years (No athletic ability). Never improved at all ... UNTIL, I took a course with a GM, & started shooting more matches and larger matches, and started talking to some excellent shooters. Still can't get myself to dryfire (that would REALLY help - but can't do it). Practicing incorrectly with a lot of drive & enthusiasm didn't get me anywhere - little knowledge from experts got me way ahead of my athletic ability. And, dry fire would really kick me into high gear:) And, as much as I've improved, I STILL SUCK:(( Edited August 13, 2013 by Hi-Power Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
actionshooter38 Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 Depends on how much time you plan to devote to getting better. I do this for fun, so I still suck most of the time. But I have a hell of a lot of fun doing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerTrace Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 No doubt about it. This sport is just like training drug detector canines. Shit it.....shit out. If you want to dedicate yourself to several (correctly performed) dry fire sessions per week along with 1-3 live fire sessions per week (correctly performed) along with a couple of matches per month, you will most likely improve faster that the person who trains less..... But seriously, it takes money, bullets, time and talent unless you are one of the few greats who had initial classifications of A+. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobS761 Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 Suck? Look at like this, you're still probably better than 90% of gun owners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasM Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 I have been shooting competitively for 2 years and very dedicated for the last year putting in at least 1,000 rounds a month of shooting, split between matches and practice 10 times that amount in dry fire training. I suck hard. However even with all that shooting I am fairly new to USPSA an its a different beast than the matches I was used to. My old matches you could absolutely miss fast enought to win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jriera Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 I suck so bad that I suck at sucking ... But enjoying it and having fun ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin c Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 What, I don't suck? Practice. The more and the better, the better it will be. How soon you achieve your goals is up to you. But, setting that aside, if you enjoy yourself, or you practice and see improvement, even if it comes slowly, then in my book you don't suck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TH3180 Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 I still suck. I still enjoy every minute of it. As long as I'm still having fun, I'm going to keep playing the games. I guess you could say I have learned to embrace the suck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxriver6 Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 I still suck. I still enjoy every minute of it. As long as I'm still having fun, I'm going to keep playing the games. I guess you could say I have learned to embrace the suck. This!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 (edited) "Suck" is kind of a relative term that relates to your desired goals, dedication to practice, and expected results. Frankly, the people who are most impressive (to me) and who I enjoy shooting with at matches are the ones with good attitudes and who are truly enjoying the game and the company of those who play this game. Their match placement isn't what totally defines them in my mind. I think the best path for most folks just getting into the game is to acquire the gear they need for the division they intend to shoot, get to know that gear inside and out, get that gear running 100%, get lots of bullets, and then go to matches and practice as you can. Give yourself a good year of shooting matches at least monthly (say about 15-20 club matches) and then re-evaluate your goals and expectations. You will get to know people, get to see how they shoot, learn the details of the game, learn the investments required to progress, and hopefully have a lot of fun along the way. From there you can decide what you want, and how best to get there. I'm betting that your perspective will be different a year from now. It is a great game for people who like to shoot. I quit USPSA for a long time because of life issues and burn-out, but always was dabbling with either skeet or rifle or ppc type leagues. Got back into USPSA a couple years ago and have been really enjoying it. It's all about perspective, balance and expectations. (BTW - i made master with an iron sighted single stack before there was a GM class or any divisions, and am still shooting that level in classifiers and sometimes even at matches. But now my goal is to just participate and enjoy the experience, and of course do the best I can but not sweat it when I blow-out...it is much more enjoyable to me now! My practice is pretty much just going to matches!) I mean, it if ain't fun, then why do it? Might as well join a bowling league! I know this doesn't directly answer your question, but it does give you some perspective and maybe a little food for thought. Enjoy the ride! Edited August 13, 2013 by Bamboo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuck in C Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 I've been doing this for 10 years, and I still suck. mainly because I never practice due to lack of time, and I have other activities that have priority (mountain biking, hiking, fishing, raising children and trying to get along with my wife). I do this just for fun and I discovered shooters are some of the best people out there. How good you get depends a lot on what you put into the sport as to practice and number of matches you go to, along with natural talent (I have none). And it's important to define what you mean by no longer sucking. Winning local matches? Placing high at major matches? Becoming Grand Master? Not having to wear a bag over your head after a match from embaressment? Set your goals, and work up a plan to reach them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedpeters Posted August 13, 2013 Author Share Posted August 13, 2013 I've been doing this for 10 years, and I still suck. mainly because I never practice due to lack of time, and I have other activities that have priority (mountain biking, hiking, fishing, raising children and trying to get along with my wife). I do this just for fun and I discovered shooters are some of the best people out there. How good you get depends a lot on what you put into the sport as to practice and number of matches you go to, along with natural talent (I have none). And it's important to define what you mean by no longer sucking. Winning local matches? Placing high at major matches? Becoming Grand Master? Not having to wear a bag over your head after a match from embaressment? Set your goals, and work up a plan to reach them. Ha. Sounds like my life! Steelhead season's coming up soon, so obviously that'll take priority.... To define not sucking I'd like to not have to wear a bag over my head after matches--that will satisfy me. Seriously though, GREAT tips in here. I just got set up with the right firearm for production (34) and a decent holster setup. That should help over shooting subcompact and tactical stuff.... December (lul in our season between fall run fish and winter run fish) I'm going to set up a class w/ a GM to really iron out some deficiencies in technique and methodology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HI5-O Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 If I were to start where you are, I would definitely take a class from someone. Then read all the books and watch the videos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnpyeron3 Posted August 14, 2013 Share Posted August 14, 2013 My suck factor is directly related to how much time and effort I put in. The last 2 years, the suck factor has been great. (Work and home life ruin the best practice intentions) But I have also noticed that IF i can keep my focus for an entire match, the suck factor is less. But lately I have noticed that I just can't stay focused for an entire match and I keep doing dumb things. I am hoping the suck factor will change for next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fireman489 Posted August 14, 2013 Share Posted August 14, 2013 I'm amazed at how many people "suck"..... Self image ????......read "With Winning in Mind" to the OP I feel it really depends on exactly what your willing to sacrifice to reach your desired goals......time ? $$ ?? resources ??? take a class from a GM (WHO CAN TEACH !) there's a ton of em who think they can teach just because they have GM behind their name...... make a set schedule... 5 days a week dry fire 3 days a week live fire 2 matches a week has worked well for me.... someone said it earlier....... be PROCESS oriented not OUTCOME oriented... someone said it earlier...... shoot w the best guys & gals you can..... be a sponge Lastly, you DONT suck.... you just havnt reached your desired level of success..... YET,... trust the process it will happen.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shtr3 Posted August 14, 2013 Share Posted August 14, 2013 I'm amazed at how many people "suck"..... Self image ????......read "With Winning in Mind" to the OP I feel it really depends on exactly what your willing to sacrifice to reach your desired goals......time ? $$ ?? resources ??? take a class from a GM (WHO CAN TEACH !) there's a ton of em who think they can teach just because they have GM behind their name...... make a set schedule... 5 days a week dry fire 3 days a week live fire 2 matches a week has worked well for me.... someone said it earlier....... be PROCESS oriented not OUTCOME oriented... someone said it earlier...... shoot w the best guys & gals you can..... be a sponge Lastly, you DONT suck.... you just havnt reached your desired level of success..... YET,... trust the process it will happen.... This is a great book that you need to read if you think u "suck" Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DyNo! Posted August 14, 2013 Share Posted August 14, 2013 You don't suck - there are plateaus. You are on one. I've been "decent" for a while but it would be years before I saw any results from practicing calling shots, transitions, movement, etc. The same isn't true for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motosapiens Posted August 15, 2013 Share Posted August 15, 2013 I'm amazed at how many people "suck"..... Self image ????......read "With Winning in Mind" even if you read a fancy self-help book, you will still suck. Luckily, one can suck at something and still have great self-image, and still work harder and get better and suck less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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