C shooter stuck in D

[pointerman1967]

I have no idea what the heck I am doing wrong in my classifiers. Mental block? This last weekend was a perfect example. I shot a pretty decent match. Placed 5th in L10 out of 12 shooters in my Division (2 Bs, 5 Cs, 2 Ds and 3 Us in the Division) . Even finished first on the final stage of the day (6 stages in the match). For the entire match I only scored two "D"s and one "Mike". Unfortunately that "Mike" was also a "No Shoot" and of course it was on the classifier. Shot the stage at the pace I knew I needed to shoot so I wasn't pushing it, but still ended up dropping a round about an inch low and into the no shoot on CM 03-04. Honestly, not sure if I pushed the shot or if I did not have a clear site picture but I knew right away I had screwed up. The bad shot was even on my strong side of the target array.

Any suggestions on why the heck I can do really well throughout the match and consistently screw up the classifer? I am sitting around 33% on my ranking with my current scored range of 24% to 42%.

Links to Youtube video with Go Pro and cell phone vid are uploading to Youtube now.

http://youtu.be/4miYfSEWiu4

http://youtu.be/HFkuI0lXvbg

Edited April 27, 2015 by pointerman1967

[fishsticks]

What's your practice regime ?

Once I committed to regular practice (mostly dry fire), both my match scores and classifieds came up.

[pointerman1967]

What's your practice regime ?

Once I committed to regular practice (mostly dry fire), both my match scores and classifieds came up.

I am starting to use the 15 minute a day dry fire drill included in the forum, but I am doing really good in five stages and bombing the classifiers.

[Racinready300ex]

If you keep dry firing 15 min a day, and add in some live fire here and there you wont be stuck in D-Class for long.

I can't see your video, says it's processing still.

[sfinney]

If you are doing well on 5 stages, but only crashing on classifiers, something mental is different. Anxiety over classification, whatever.... take a deep breath, shoot the classifier stage like any other stage. It does not matter any more, or any less, than other stages - its just part of the match.... shoot at your natural speed, get your hits, and quit trying to force outcome... just let it happen. Everyone tanks a classifier occasionally. I used to more when I "pushed" to hard.

You'll get there quick if keep on the dry fire program, and get your hits.

[racknrider]

I seem to rush myself on classifiers, especially those darn par time stages. Don't know how long you've been shooting USPSA, I'm in about 2 1/2 months and hoping that deer in the headlights feeling will pass so I can relax and shoot better.

[pointerman1967]

I seem to rush myself on classifiers, especially those darn par time stages. Don't know how long you've been shooting USPSA, I'm in about 2 1/2 months and hoping that deer in the headlights feeling will pass so I can relax and shoot better.

Been doing this for two years. Not expecting miracles, but am frustrated that my classifier always seems to be my worst stage. Really did not feel as though I was rushing the classifier yesterday and have no idea what I did wrong on that shot. FYI, if you watch the video it was the second target on the left side. Can't recall if it was the first or second shot on target. I have watched the video a dozen time from both cameras and can't see anything that looks odd.

[Nickb45]

Stick to the dry fire, read "With Winning in Mind", "Attainment" is also a very good book. Everything will come together very fast.

If your club posts classifieds ahead of time, you can try to figure out how long it will take you (1.1 draw, .2 splits, .3 transitions... Insert your times) then you can figure your hit factor at a "comfortable" pace with all As, then fast with all As and also figure it if you drop some points.

I recently did this before the last classifier match I shot. I figured out how long I had to shoot X amount of points to get me into B class. I shot all but 1 classifier right where I figured I would be.

Doing this ahead of time gave me a good idea of where I should be, I did not get stressed or worry about what my outcome would be.

The Max Michel Shot Coach app is great for figuring out your split times and all that (it's a very good thing to know in my opinion).

[fishsticks]

It isn't easy, and it takes a lot of work. I was where you are about a year ago.

What it really comes down to is practice, both dry fire and live fire. Taking a class focused on the fundamentals will help too. I can't say enough good stuff about Tactical Performance Center (Ron Avery & Ken Nelson). I learned a lot in their Bootcamp, but it wasn't until a few months later that it all started to make sense.

You read on here about "seeing what you need to see", and "calling your shot". If you take a good class, read some and practice - eventually a light bulb comes on and your scores start to come up.

Personally, I wouldn't stress out too much over any single stage, classifier or not. Nor would I focus on any single shot, or penalty. We all more or less shoot to our ability at any given moment. Focus more on improving your ability to make and call the shot. Once you get that you'll be well on your way.

[obsessiveshooter]

I feel ya, man. I used to bomb every single classifier, but do better than my C class in the rest of the match. Only in the last two matches have I turned that around. Two things I think I may be doing different is 1) making an extra effort to see my sights. In a normal COF I tend to give more weight to speed than accuracy. This has tended to burn me in classifiers. 2) I have done more dry fire and mag change practice at home, and I download my mags to make them seat easily for classifiers. Fumbled mag changes and failure to fully seat my mags has messed a bunch of my old classifiers. For what it might be worth...

[Reshoot]

I did the same thing when I started . . . shooting at C level and chocking on classifiers. It took two seasons to mentally change, and treat the classifiers just like any other stage. Quite frankly, I forced myself into a "don't care" attitude!

[Hi-Power Jack]

finished first on the final stage of the day (6 stages in the match). I am sitting around 33% on my ranking

I've shot hundreds of matches over the past 20 years, and I've

NEVER seen a 33% D shooter come in first in ANY stage.

Have you analyzed what could possibly have contributed to you beating

2 B's and 5 C's at any stage? What was that last stage like?

Did the 5 of them all have malfunctions? brain fades?

[sfinney]

Taking a class is a good idea.... always, for any skill level.

But IMHO for a D classified shooter to move to C, all you need to do is: have a gun that works; not be overly slow; and not miss much, get on the brown.

Now, moving from C to B.... that will take a little more.

[rowdyb]

It's not what you know, it's what you can prove. If you have proven on other stages to be shooting better than D, then indeed it is something mental about the classifier stage. Only you then can really diagnose what is going on in your head.

Everyone has tricks or tips for the mental game. I'll share some of mine, take whatever you want from it.

-Go first on the stage you are afraid of or feels hardest. Paradoxically this can be helpful for me. I haven't watched anyone or heard any times so it is a clean slate for me and I can just do my thing.

-Focus on your actions, not on your outcomes. This is huge for gauging and improving performance. The outcome is what it is, but rather focus on what you are doing. Your actions. Then let the outcome take care of itself. IE, focus on the components and skills of good shooting in the classifier, not trying for a certain result.

-If allowed at your range, go to a place you can dry fire and dry fire the classifier stage into the berm when you hear the beep of another shooter ahead of you. If you can't do that, then air gun the hell out of it behind the shooters ahead of you. Move when you hear the beep and "shoot" it this way 4 or 5 times until it's your turn.

-Breath and relax. Consciously slow and deepen your breathing. Find where you are carrying muscle tension from worry and relax those muscles.

-Carry an extra $3 in cash so if you tank it you can pay to shoot it again. Or just preemptively sign up to shoot the classifier only on a second score sheet. Again if that is an allowable practice in your club. You get the first run for your match score and ask for the best run to be the one submitted.

-Say things outloud before you shoot that phrase it in a positive tone. "I'm going to shoot all alphas", "I'm going to get a good firm grip on the gun", "I'm going to pull the trigger when I have a good sight picture and sight alignment", and so on.

I hope this helps.

[Sarge]

Taking a class is a good idea.... always, for any skill level.

But IMHO for a D classified shooter to move to C, all you need to do is: have a gun that works; not be overly slow; and not miss much, get on the brown.

Now, moving from C to B.... that will take a little more.

Taking a class is a good idea.... always, for any skill level.

But IMHO for a D classified shooter to move to C, all you need to do is: have a gun that works; not be overly slow; and not miss much, get on the brown.

Now, moving from C to B.... that will take a little more.

Lot's of truth here. I initially classed in C and thought, Heck this will be easy! It was hard making B but I finally got there. Then I started chasing A. After my last match I am about 1.2 percentage points from making it but damn, you can't be off even a little the higher you climb.

What worked for me was to do the math ahead of time and figure out what I needed to do on a given classifier. To make C you don't have to burn a stage down in 4 seconds. Trying to do that leads to mistakes. All you have to do is shoot for a time that will give you a good solid C class run

[Racinready300ex]

Sarge makes a good point, a few weeks ago I watched a D class shooter burn down a stage in 3.5 seconds. He shot it faster in limited then I did in open.

He had 7 mikes and 1 B.....he really didn't need shoot so fast. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.

[Sarge]

He had 7 mikes and 1 B.....he really didn't need shoot so fast.

That made me laugh out loud! But it is sooo true!

[Nickb45]

Figuring out percentages and hit factors really helped me realize that I don't have to burn down a stage.

I shot one at a match that I had already bought my "do over" I shot it at my pace the first run, get a 65% and thought I could do it better, I burned it down, I took 1.5 seconds off... But dropped more points than I care to count.

Rowdyb's post nailed it!

[rowdyb]

I really don't think it's super helpful to figure percentages and times ahead of time when you are D or C. Empirically you should know that "burning it down" at that skill level is a mistake. Most people in the game a little bit of time have already heard "shoot only as fast as you can see the sights where they need to be", or "shoot at the speed that lets you shoot 90% Alphas" and so on.

But I do agree with everyone who has said basically, if it is a mental issue causing him to tank the he needs to do mental things to fix it.

To paraphrase a different quote, "Everyone wants to be a winner until it's time to do winner things." I think this shooter can do the "winner" things to reach his goal!

[blueeyedme]

He had 7 mikes and 1 B.....he really didn't need shoot so fast.

That made me laugh out loud! But it is sooo true!

I bet he looked pretty awesome on video.

[bobapunk]

I feel ya, man. I used to bomb every single classifier, but do better than my C class in the rest of the match. Only in the last two matches have I turned that around. Two things I think I may be doing different is 1) making an extra effort to see my sights. In a normal COF I tend to give more weight to speed than accuracy. This has tended to burn me in classifiers. 2) I have done more dry fire and mag change practice at home, and I download my mags to make them seat easily for classifiers. Fumbled mag changes and failure to fully seat my mags has messed a bunch of my old classifiers. For what it might be worth...

I feel this way myself.

I always chalked it up to being younger and in better physical condition than many at my club. That allows be to match B and A shooters on field courses based purely on sprinting speed.

However, on classifiers, where the ability to run fast is not a factor, I am a solid C.

[pointerman1967]

Sarge makes a good point, a few weeks ago I watched a D class shooter burn down a stage in 3.5 seconds. He shot it faster in limited then I did in open.

He had 7 mikes and 1 B.....he really didn't need shoot so fast. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.

I shot in 13.5 seconds. Without the Mike/No Shoot is would have been a 46%. That is what I was targeting.

[pointerman1967]

finished first on the final stage of the day (6 stages in the match). I am sitting around 33% on my ranking

I've shot hundreds of matches over the past 20 years, and I've

NEVER seen a 33% D shooter come in first in ANY stage.

Have you analyzed what could possibly have contributed to you beating

2 B's and 5 C's at any stage? What was that last stage like?

Did the 5 of them all have malfunctions? brain fades?

Well I guess you would have been shocked. Uploading the stage video to Youtube now (server keeps failing, but I will get it posted eventually and include the link). I don't think they choked. I just shot it well. Came in second in another stage and 5th in the L10 Division overall. 5th our of 12 in L10 is reasonable. Remember, what I am saying here is that my classifiers tend to be my worst stage. It is mental and I really appreciate the mental tips people are posting here.

[pointerman1967]

I feel ya, man. I used to bomb every single classifier, but do better than my C class in the rest of the match. Only in the last two matches have I turned that around. Two things I think I may be doing different is 1) making an extra effort to see my sights. In a normal COF I tend to give more weight to speed than accuracy. This has tended to burn me in classifiers. 2) I have done more dry fire and mag change practice at home, and I download my mags to make them seat easily for classifiers. Fumbled mag changes and failure to fully seat my mags has messed a bunch of my old classifiers. For what it might be worth...

I feel this way myself.

I always chalked it up to being younger and in better physical condition than many at my club. That allows be to match B and A shooters on field courses based purely on sprinting speed.

However, on classifiers, where the ability to run fast is not a factor, I am a solid C.

I am 47. Definitely not younger or faster.

[pointerman1967]

finished first on the final stage of the day (6 stages in the match). I am sitting around 33% on my ranking

I've shot hundreds of matches over the past 20 years, and I've

NEVER seen a 33% D shooter come in first in ANY stage.

Have you analyzed what could possibly have contributed to you beating

2 B's and 5 C's at any stage? What was that last stage like?

Did the 5 of them all have malfunctions? brain fades?

Video for this stage is processing now. You can access it

Let me know if you think it wasn't good enough for the Division win and everyone else just choked. 6 squads so I do not get to see everyone shoot. Pretty big club with 99 shooters in the April match.

Here is a link to the Practiscore page for the stage. Don't think everyone else bombed.

https://practiscore.com/results.php?uuid=d51c65c2-8406-472a-8431-fcbf7a2c076e&page=stage4LTDTEN

Edited April 29, 2015 by pointerman1967