My Running Log of Random Thoughts at the Range

[chickenzomby]

My name is Matt, and I am a currently-unclassified-but-shoot-B-class-classifiers USPSA shooter that also shoots Steel Challenge and 3 Gun. This is a collection of my thoughts and ideas as I travel towards GM and national level matches.

I would greatly appreciate comments, critiques, and advice from everyone.

2/21/14 - Dry fire day in preparation for live fire day (2/22)

- Objective: continue to explore what I believe to be a breakthrough in my transitions by way of shooting the 4 scholastic pistol program stages

- Method: Move smoothly/slowly at first, attempting to grasp the basic mechanics, gradually speed up and search for failure points or problematic habits, also observe the most efficient way (fastest) in terms of body and technique mechanics.

- No par time, perfect runs, move into a high par time, work smoothly, get "perfect" runs consecutively, move to a faster par time. Continue doing this until I cannot keep up with the timer (defined as moving so quickly that my technique is either deficient, or it deteriorates to the point of ineffective "hits" on steel)

- Work in four drills on each stage using the previously mentioned methodology: from aiming stake to first target with a good trigger break on the first steel plate. Then accomplish the "hardest" "zone" (termed by KC Eusebio - it essentially means zones of the stage) using the same methods, focusing on transition movement between them. Then run the zone after the hardest zone. Finally, put all together by running the entire stage.

Outcome:

Beginning to become more aware of the necessary components of the transition. A few key areas I've noticed that seem to be required:

-"seeing" the target and sights: I've noticed that my binocular focus is on a space in between the plate and my sights, so my sight focus would be a 2 or a 2.5 depending on the plate. My view on this has changed significantly, from having a type 4 focus (razor sharp front sight) to a type 1 (target focus) to now floating somewhere in between a 2 or a 2.5. My awareness of all targets is also something I've begun to notice as well - opening my eyes to see every target and my gun (and the aligned sights) in my peripheral vision allows me to transition much faster.

- Open the calculator on your computer. select a set of numbers you have to input (I was calculating my team's scores for scholastic pistol program when I was doing this) and try and input them as fast as possible. To go faster (past a certain point), you have to maintain a focus or awareness of all the numbers and signs on the calculator. The awareness of all numbers and signs allows me to direct my "attention" as I term it (the focus of my mind within the general awareness of the calculator) to a specific number (my target) and also lets me track where the pointer is (my sights) as it goes to meet the number (target). When it reaches that number, my mind subconsciously clicks the mouse (pulls the trigger) because it "sees" the pointer aligned on the number (where my attention or focus is) and then my attention transitions to the next number (because I am observing or seeing all the numbers on the calculator at the same time without a specific focus on them this is easy and fast). As the pointer (gun) moves towards the number, I see it moving very close to the next number and I subconsciously slow it down using my hand to guide it in the last little bit and then my subconscious sees the alignment of the pointer on the next number and clicks immediately. This is the state of my awareness and kind of how I figured out how maintain a certain awareness of my targets and my gun in relation to them.

- "abandoning" the sights: I have trouble with refocusing on my sights just before they reach the target, loosing my awareness and general focus and consequently not aligning the sights with the target.

- Knees: I never really got the idea of only using your knees and I thought I was transitioning correctly until one night when dry firing I had one run where everything tracked perfectly and VERY quickly. I have been trying to analyze that instance and the following instances for a week now and one thing that I have noticed is that you have to "lock" your upper body and your hips together to transition without "jerking" the sights past the target. Additionally, I'm still trying to figure out how to consistently maintain control over the movement of my knees so that I can move quickly to the next target while still being "smooth" and not causing my legs to "whip" the rest of my body and throw me off target.

Video to follow tomorrow for critique on technique.

[chickenzomby]

So I didn't get any video of my practice, and it was probably a good thing. Theory meeting reality can be harsh. I need a lot more practice on those transitions, though I was able to string together a few great runs.

Today I shot and one the local club match. Mostly production and limited shooters. I shot High Standards with a 59.83% (tried to do some fancy footwork on the mag changes and made it fall apart. Screwed up the transfer of the gun from my right to my left hand) and then shot Any Given Sunday with a 100%. I'm pretty sure it isn't a GM score, but Classifier calculator says it is. HF of 8.2474. The funny thing I found was that it was SLOW. I saw the sights rise in recoil, the slide moved back slowly, I could recall every shot I made, where I thought it had gone, but I did so instinctively, I 'felt' it. Now that I checked the scores for the match, I realize what it was and I'm going to work to achieve that state again!

[chickenzomby]

Finally able to settle down from Area 6. Lots of things learned, but most importantly, GET REST THE NIGHT BEFORE. Didn't sleep a wink and 9 IPSC long courses and 3 short courses really made for some mental fatigue.

It has been a long time since I was able to shoot metric targets, and it showed. I was naturally "aiming" to the right because of a rear sight I was forced to install on my Glock the day before the competition (previous one had its set screw back out). This caused my 4 mikes, 3 deltas, and 1 no shoot.

My reloads were sloppy. What I thought was an ingrained skill wasn't. Will run additional drills and attempt to find my natural point where I fold the gun for reloads.

Oddly enough, the stage where my mind was feeling the sleepiness and mental fatigue the most was one of my more solid stages (yank the crank). I told myself I would "just" watch my sights and only focus on getting hits and nailing my footwork and reloads. Oddly enough, everything came together on that stage - Lanny Bassham's advice of "focus on the process" is something that I will now model my shooting off of - focus on the process.

A couple of big breakthroughs for me though - I noticed that when I placed my focus or attention on my sight, I was able to see the gun rise in recoil. This has been happening more frequently for me and the only thing that I can think of to achieve it is to focus on my sights and let my subconscious press the trigger, then I don't think about blinking.

[chickenzomby]

Pretty good stage for me - a few mental hic cups and no practice on swingers of any kind. Used a grab bag of ammo that led to that malf (mentally hit myself on the last two plates).

On the 3rd and 4th set of targets (with the single plate and two metrics and two metrics) I had good movement on them (within 7 yards) and had all A hits on them. I had a good pause on the single steel plate to make sure I nailed it on the first round.

Any critiques would be appreciated. Overall, I think I could have shot faster and still maintained my A hits, especially on the second set of targets. I need more practice on moving targets (like swingers).