Shooting on the move questions

[ardo]

I'm somewhat comfortable with sideways & backwards movement while shooting, but moving forward is a different story. Still trying to time the shot after my foot lands, often finding that I'm still 'bouncing' when I take the shot. This error becomes more pronounced when I add transitions to the forward movement.

Yesterday, I tried firing 10 shots at a classic IPSC target while moving forward from 15 yards to about 7. Firing two shots between steps, I ended up with times about 10-11sec. It felt very slow, too, plus I had a miss on almost every run.

I then tried taking smaller steps and firing one shot between steps. This brought my time to 7-7.5sec, with only one flyer after 3 runs. I think taking smaller steps helped with bouncing. It also felt like I was shooting in cadence.

Where should I go from here? Should I learn to shoot twice between steps, or continue working on a single shot per step?

Edited April 17, 2014 by ardo

[motosapiens]

This is one of the areas where dry-fire practice has helped me the most. A couple times a week i just practice shooting on the move in my backyard. It really helps me get used to seeing the sights while I'm moving. Sure, they bounce around a little on the target, but i wait to pull the trigger until they're aligned over the target. You'll figure out pretty quickly how fast you can shoot and what you can do to your movement style to steady the sights more.

15 yards is a long ways while moving. I would not be likely to shoot a target that far in a match while moving (at my current mid-B skill level). I prefer 10 yards and in. Sometimes I'll put 3 targets in a row lengthwise, about 5 yards apart and practice moving past them while shooting. This sort of thing comes up frequently in matches.

[Guest]

This vid is a good comparison of top tier shooter's on-the-move style, but they all have one thing in common...lowering their CG by bending the knees slighty and keeping a quiet upper body while moving.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE2go2TjHK8

[Acespeedy]

I'd say don't try to time it with your steps, just press the trigger when you have the acceptable sight picture to make the shot. Stay low, concentrate on the sights, prep the trigger and press the trigger when you have the acceptable sight picture, reset trigger and repeat. Do a couple of reps dry before doing it live, and slip in a couple of reps dry in between, remember stay low, drop that center, if you think your low enough you probably aren't bend those knees.

Good luck,

JG

P.S. sounds easy, its always a work in progress for me.

[ardo]

Guys, thanks for the advice and a great video. Clearly, the top guys don't seem to time their shots.

Oh, and I do bend my knees - it's the 'quiet upper body' part that still escapes me.

[motosapiens]

Oh, and I do bend my knees - it's the 'quiet upper body' part that still escapes me.

Dryfire will help immensely. I use a par timer, with 3 targets at 10-12 yards. I either line up on the left target, and move forward towards the right target, or vise-versa.

I figure out how long it takes me to shoot all 3 targets standing still (I throw in some hardcover targets sometimes, so it's not always the same time), then I add 1 second to that and try to shoot them on the move, AND move as far as I can while doing so.

[ardo]

Oh, and I do bend my knees - it's the 'quiet upper body' part that still escapes me.

Dryfire will help immensely. I use a par timer, with 3 targets at 10-12 yards. I either line up on the left target, and move forward towards the right target, or vise-versa.

I figure out how long it takes me to shoot all 3 targets standing still (I throw in some hardcover targets sometimes, so it's not always the same time), then I add 1 second to that and try to shoot them on the move, AND move as far as I can while doing so.

The problem with dryfire is that I simply don't have that much room in the basement. I only get to practice side movement there. The 1/3 scale targets are at about 6 -7 yards, and I cover that distance in a few short steps.

As for taking my training to the backyard: I'm from Canada. I figure once my neighbors see me run & gun, the SWAT team will arrive quickly. I suppose I could try this with airsoft, but I'm not sure if neighbors can tell the difference between that and real steel.

[motosapiens]

The problem with dryfire is that I simply don't have that much room in the basement. I only get to practice side movement there. The 1/3 scale targets are at about 6 -7 yards, and I cover that distance in a few short steps.

As for taking my training to the backyard: I'm from Canada. I figure once my neighbors see me run & gun, the SWAT team will arrive quickly. I suppose I could try this with airsoft, but I'm not sure if neighbors can tell the difference between that and real steel.

Hmm. That makes it more difficult. I do all my dryfire training in the backyard during the non-freezing part of the year. When the neighbors first looked out and saw me, I said hi and explained what i was doing (training for competition with no live ammo whatsoever). They don't seem to care.

If you have an airsoft gun, and you care what your neighbors think, I would probably suggest going over to explain it to them first.

[Guest]

Dave Pruitt has some good tips about shooting on the move here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHtjR37WpkI

some other vids about shooting on the move:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6stNVnPdMY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c5S2MHlmFM

edit - Oops, initially posted the wrong DP vid, now corrected. Also included a couple about moving on the draw and moving while shooting through a window

Edited April 18, 2014 by Bamboo

[Andreas]

Watch the guys in this video:

[Corey]

Need to bend your knees to act like shock absorbers when shoot on the move. When you think you are low enough, go a little lower

A drill i saw a long time ago for dryfire is hold a half empty water bottle up like your gun and walk around the house/yard with it. try to not let the water level change on you as you move. You can use a regular glass for further motivation. Fill it up to darn near the top and start walking around. You'll figure out real quick how to walk and roll your feet so you dont bounce.

Speaking of rolling feet, when you walk forward try to roll your foot down, heal first then to the toe instead of just planting the foot smack down on the ground.

[lawboy]

The part about the neighbors is funny. I live across the street from an elementary school. During the cold months I practice in the house every morning before work in the living room. I have the blinds open for light. So, this past winter it finally happened, a parent saw me in there practicing draws and transitions and called the police, lol. I had no idea.

Got home from work and neighbor came over and said cops had been out asking everybody about me and if they had seen me with any guns.

So I called the station, explained who I was, and asked for the detective to return my call.

He did the next day. I explained what I was doing and there has not been any issue.

[mgardner]

One thing I didn't hear mentioned was practice concentrating keeping your hips level to the ground. Short steps, heel-toe and knees bent. Setup your video camera and practice running in front of it and study your progress. Run near something level like a fence rail for comparison. It's all economy of motion anyhow, going up and down doesn't eat up horizontal distance.

[caspian38]

Need to bend your knees to act like shock absorbers when shoot on the move. When you think you are low enough, go a little lower

A drill i saw a long time ago for dryfire is hold a half empty water bottle up like your gun and walk around the house/yard with it. try to not let the water level change on you as you move. You can use a regular glass for further motivation. Fill it up to darn near the top and start walking around. You'll figure out real quick how to walk and roll your feet so you dont bounce.

Speaking of rolling feet, when you walk forward try to roll your foot down, heal first then to the toe instead of just planting the foot smack down on the ground.

+1 on the water bottle. You can do it faster than a walk ,but it's hard to get past a walk while shooting unless your headed towards the target.

Also make sure your shoes have a rounded back edge on the heel. If your using cleats they can really cause issues until you find the right pair, or grind down the heel so it has a smoother roll.

[38supPat]

Next time you are practicing before you go hot run the drill dry with out firing a shot, just focus on keeping the sight in the A zone as you move. See how fast you can move before the sights start to leave the A zone. See what it takes to keep them there. Once you can do this load the gun and try a couple of runs.

[38supPat]

Ardo, what club do you shoot at?

[ardo]

Ardo, what club do you shoot at?

I am at AGC.

[38supPat]

Aurora?

[ardo]

Yes.

[38supPat]

Let me know and I'll see if we can meet up and I'll walk you through it.

[ardo]

Thanks, Pat. I don't suppose you have plans to stick around at Sharon after tomorrow's match? I'm shooting there at 2pm.

[gtinney]

Walk like you're holding a beach ball between your legs. Get a flow, Roll heel to toe and start sending shots!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Demax]

Water bottle drill is good, agree.

Another trick which I practice is putting an empty case on the very end of the slide (just next to front sight) and moving in various directions.

Edited April 19, 2014 by Demax

[uncledoc]

Good ideas to improve my game....thanks!