of big dogs and lesser pups

[ErikW]

The big dogs don't usually burn up the triggers with insane splits because they don't have to.

The lesser GMs and Masters are the only ones who are cranking out rounds like their hair is on fire.

Note: this observation does not apply to Taran; he's a special case.

[Loves2Shoot]

Note: this observation does not apply to Taran; he's a special case.

Amen

My goal is to keep my splits at .2 Itis hard to slow down but well worth it.

[mcoliver]

cranking out rounds like their hair is on fire.

Hey, I've been doing that for the last couple of range sessions. The primary goal is to make 0.15 a "regular" split (of course we all know once we get to that, 0.11 seems closer, so the cycle begins ).

A side benefit to this, however, is that 0.20 or an even slower 0.25 seems like an eternity. The shooting feels more deliberate at these speeds. Just need to learn to change gears at the right time.

[tightloop]

It is amazing how long .03 is when your splits are running .17 and .18 and then do some at .2 or .21

[BigDave]

Nice, Erik.

I've been watching the 2003 Open Nat's Super Squad video and the first thing I noticed is how slow those guys shot, overall.

[Sam]

Note: this observation does not apply to Taran; he's a special case.

Yeah and it's so unfair because, unlike me, he actually has enough hair to burn.

Great observation Erik: It's Hits, not Splits!

Keep watching those tapes fellas. We may never get good enough to beat them, but at least we can know why they beat us so consistently.

[chp5]

I've noticed an inverse relationship between my splits and transitions. The faster my splits, the slower my transitions, and vice versa.

[JPro45]

Like BigDave, I have been watching the 2003 Open Nats SS video. I was also surprised at how slow (relatively speaking) the spilits were. What impresssed me was how fluidly they moved. Inot and out of positions and transitioning between shooting on the move and running to the next static position.

It suddenly dawned on me that the smooth movement is where the time savings come from. I guess I just had to see it. I have read it here and been told by others, but seeing is believing!

Now on the other hand when I have a bad stage, shooting way to fast and having a score to show it (too amny mikes), I decied to slow down. The problem is I slow down the movement but not the splits. This became painfully evident while reviewing my performance at the Area 2 match.

So I to have to learn not only to change gears, but the right gears.

[Kingman]

I have a goal of slowing down to .15 -.2 splits and shooting about 95% of the points. When I rush my hits go to hell.

I tend to lose several places overall because of poor hits.

[blackdragon]

Generaly, I try to shoot as fast as the timing of my gun will let me as long as Iam seeing what I need to see.

Ivan

[EricW]

From: Rob Rants

At the recent USPSA Nationals in Bend, Oregon, this became painfully obvious...the best shooters, not necessarily those who fired their guns the fastest, finished at the top.  This is a recurring theme that has exhibited itself over and over for the 20+ years I have competed at the national level.

[MattBurkett]

Why do shooters get so emotionally tied to a particular time frame for a split? Is it because it is cool or something? What matters at the end of a stage is the TOTAL time on the clock. Let the need for speed go away and work on the complete picture. I bet that most here could cut seconds off of field course in their movement and yet worry about a few hundredths on a split.

[vluc]

Why do shooters get so emotionally tied to a particular time frame for a split? Is it because it is cool or something? What matters at the end of a stage is the TOTAL time on the clock. Let the need for speed go away and work on the complete picture. I bet that most here could cut seconds off of field course in their movement and yet worry about a few hundredths on a split.

Naw, it's because you bigger dogs run that fast. And you wear a certain pair of shoes or pants or use a certain gun or bullet or whatever....

We all "know" if we use what you use, we can be you!

LOL....just shoot.

[chp5]

Why do shooters get so emotionally tied to a particular time frame for a split? Is it because it is cool or something? What matters at the end of a stage is the TOTAL time on the clock. Let the need for speed go away and work on the complete picture. I bet that most here could cut seconds off of field course in their movement and yet worry about a few hundredths on a split.

Thanks Matt.

Are there specific movement drills you like the best? Thanks.

[Dead Buff]

From my "test" you get a much shorter total time when your splits and transitions are equal. A fast double sounds cool, but a steady stream of fire though out the whole CoF wins the game.

[MattBurkett]

I would think that a steady stream of hits is what wins a match. :-)

chp5 - yes all of them. Figure out what you need to work on then just go out and do a drill. There are also some nice ones on my V4 - How to shoot faster! DVD.

[MattBurkett]

Sorry, reread that and it sounded a little short. Didn't mean to sound mean at all.

Merry Christmas!

[shred]

I was poking around at some major match results and was kinda interested to see that a large proportion of the stage wins were in the 10 HF range.

We all know 10 HF is 10 points per second. Or, written another way, 2 Alphas per second. Most of us can probably manage a 0.50 split every now and then.

[MattBurkett]

Shred,

Remember though that that includes movement. Most static stages run a 12 or so.

:-)

[schmitz]

Shred,

Remember though that that includes movement. Most static stages run a 12 or so.

:-)

Matt,

if so I need some DVD's extra to raise my level

[dajarrel]

"I personally look forward to these challenging courses of fire filled with difficult shots. They strike fear in the hearts of those less prepared than I am. RL" (Rob Leatham)

At Area 4 last year, there was a 50 yard course of fire. Because of the rain we didn't have to kneel or go prone but got to shoot the three strings standing. I had practiced at this distance and found that those who hadn't were grumbling about it, but I really felt comfortable with it.

I also practice shooting 6" steel plates so that when I see the 8" plates in a match they look huge.

Now if I could just figure out what that bump on the end of my barrel is for

FWIW

dj

[grassy knoll]

Wolf Hoffman 1999, 2000, 2003 Canadian champ is a real pleasure to watch shoot, his cadence is so smooth that you can hardly tell the difference between transitions and splits.

[schmitz]

Wolf Hoffman 1999, 2000, 2003 Canadian champ is a real pleasure to watch shoot, his cadence is so smooth that you can hardly tell the difference between transitions and splits.

This is what I want, what I train for, what I saw on Matt's DVD's, even when I'm competing in senior-class.

Forever Young!

[Patrick Sweeney]

Yea, spending time with the GMs is kind of like walking through a door and finding yourself in bizarro world: so many things are upsidedown. Many of the top shooters look at it as not "How fast can I shoot his" but "How slowly can I shoot this?" At 10+HF, a single point means more than .01 seconds off each split.

Arriving ready to shoot means more than your sprint times beteeen shooting locations.

Knowing the hit from the sight lift, rather than seeing the hits or hearing the steel is the least of it.

From my few forays into that elevated zone, it is definitely a zen-like viewpoint.

[MattBurkett]

"How fast can I shoot his" but "How slowly can I shoot this?"

Sorry, but, I don't know a single GM that has ever said that.