Make Ready Rituals - POLL

[teros135]

Usually do one more draw with the gun loaded, as a gun with 22 rounds of 40 in it weighs a bit different than an empty one.

Indeed it does. About 14 oz more, in my 2011. That's a perceptible difference. Without it in the gun tends to just jump up into the air and I rise above the intended target.

[teros135]

A ritual is a mental crutch, end of story. It helps some, does not help others..

That does not mean that a sight picture on a hard target, or into full light and shadows is not beneficial, in fact almost necessary in some cases. Making sure the fiber optic or dot is present is also a good idea. A "free" practice draw and dry-fire can't hurt, but I do not let myself do so "religiously" as a ritual.

A

whole bunch of professional athletes and olympians use the "Crutch"...

"End of story." I like that. It sounds definitive.

[coolpapabell15]

Pull the gun up, barney mag in, rack the +1 round into the chamber, press check, barney mag back to the empty mag pouch, pull full mag from front pocket, firm press to seat, tug on the mag, press check again, bump the magazine again for good measure, into the holster... Will keep the strong hand on the gun for a few seconds afterwards to build a last minute pre-draw muscle memory, same thing with the support hand on the first mag on my belt. Quick visualization of the stage, hands relaxed at sides.

[ctay]

I've had a lot more success on my runs when I spend the time to do a full run through of the stage in my head.

My ritual:

Start with empty draw, dry fire at a few targets to get a good sight picture in my mind, then load the gun and holster. At this point I mentally run through the entire stage and actually shift my legs on my mental transitions. When done, slap my hands together to get the blood flowing and assume the start position. Maybe takes me 20 seconds but it makes all the difference on the stage.

[BeerBaron]

well I shoot ipsick rules so cannot take a sight picture on a target. that basically rules out practice draws too. We can take a sight picture on the ground. cannot dry fire either.

mainly shooting open these days.

unlock holster draw pistol up into my working space.

insert mag out of my rear most pouch, give an extra tap on the base after inserting

grab the racker and rack the slide

flip up the safety

drop out the mag, replace it in the rear most pouch

grab mag off magnet, insert into gun and again, extra tap to make sure it's seated

turn on the dot

extend arms out sort of 45 degrees and pick up the dot pointing at the ground (as per the rules)

gun into holster, ready to roll.

I tend not to press check. I probably will start doing it if/when I have a round loading issue. I find in an open gun with light slide and a racker I can actually feel a round picked up or not. I also look at the mag that comes out and can see there is now no round in the witness hole. Once before when new I did a press check (shooting production) AFTER I'd decocked the gun. I moved the slide just enough that the hammer caught half cock. Luckily I saw it as I was re-holstering. If I'd holstered and the RO noticed it would have been DQ. Obviously less of an issue with SAO guns.

I do find some of the more 'extended' routines in USPSA entertaining. Some guys doing 2 or 3 draws. 3 or 4 dry fires. air gun the first array a couple times. fiddle with mags etc. a 30 second LAMR for a 12 second stage is good entertainment. Would I have a problem with it? not really. We already spend way more time on scoring, policing brass, resetting targets etc etc than we do shooting. A few more seconds for a guy to do his special voodoo routine doesn't bother me at all.

My only advice is whatever you do, do it the exact same order every single time. Me incorporating the press check into my routine in the wrong order nearly cost me. Whatever the routine, practice it and always execute it.

[BoyGlock]

Signs of insecurities inspite of?

I LAMAR normally without any of those rituals.

I tried it but I felt Im giving in into my doubts. So i get rid of it. I trust myself that Im prepared technically and mentally and that I will shoot according to my skills. Thats it.

[Graham Smith]

I think that this topic needs to be broken up into gun/mag fiddling rituals and mental preparation rituals.

I tend to agree but have two stories. I when through a spell where I was having trouble with mags not seating. So I kind of have a gun/mag fiddling ritual that isn't strictly needed but helps me focus. After doing that, I find it does help to keep my hand on my gun in the holster for a few seconds and take a breath or two and focus on the targets.

When I first started shooting, one Limited guy would always go through the practice draw and sight check and I asked him why. He told me that one time he had drawn his gun and the front sight had caught on his shirt and when he started to shoot had found that his front fiber optic was missing. So, he always did a practice draw to make sure everything was clear and checked that his sight was still there. As reasons go, that struck me a pretty good.

One more thing, watching an A or M shooter go through a couple rituals is easier than watching a D shooter do the same. That's not a fair comparison, I suppose but there it is.

Edited July 13, 2015 by Graham Smith

[Yeti]

Empty draw, sight picture on first target, insert mag, press check, safety on, tap mag, holster.

[teros135]

So how does getting focused make us "insecure"?

[BoyGlock]

So how does getting focused make us "insecure"?

Its the other way around.

Insecurities or self doubts make it difficult for some to focus.

Hence the need for the rituals.

Remove self doubts and its easy to focus.

At least it is for me.

Maybe I do have some rituals

But its so nondescript that I dont even notice It.

I just assume the start position, LAMAR, then focus on the start beep to erase any thoughts in my mind.

Thats it.

For me the key is early mental preparation for the stage at hand.

[gng4life]

One thing I haven't read much of so far is that the ritual is not just "play time", it's also a time for checking your equipment. The biggest being the mags. After starting with empty mags a few times and it cures you of not checking them again on the line. I know you should be ready when you are called to shoot but with running timers, taking score, patching targets, etc., sometimes you get behind making sure your equipment is ready.

[kevin c]

Changes from the standard starting stance and the position of the strong side hand relative to the grip can throw off my grip acquistion and presentation to the first target, so I like to acquire my grip at least a couple times to get the kinesthetics down, and maybe draw to the first target.

Anything else I do after the MR command, evening checking my gear (which was checked before I came to the line) is to mentally settle myself.

Edited July 17, 2015 by kevin c

[Nimitz]

the word 'ritual' used by the OP makes me believe that the OP generally thinks these kinds of things are born out of superstition and therefore maybe not very valuable ....

The pre-shoot routine I outlined earlier for myself is 100% mental preparation to ensure a consistent run where my subconscious is in control when the timer goes off. I have no need or use for rituals, superstitions, voodoo, black magic, white witches or luck ....

Edited July 17, 2015 by Nimitz

[Neomet]

My ritual actually starts when I am in the hole. At that point I check my mags to be sure they are full. Mag pouches/holster tight on the belt. If I'm shooting Open I'll make sure the dot is still bright. If I have my Bladetech holster I'll loosen the tension screws (if appropriate). When I am on deck I'll turn the dot on and do a couple moves to the gun from whatever starting position. Then I will just stand there and run through the stage in my mind a couple times visualizing my foot placements. When they call me to the line I will check the dot again, do a draw to the first target then load up, think about my first movement and go.

I don't like screwing around with a bunch of stuff in the moments right before I shoot. All I want to be thinking about is the shooting. That's just me though.

[Nimitz]

according to the guy who is widely recognized at the godfather of the 'pre-shoot' routine, the entire purpose of doing it right before you shoot is so you stop thinking ...

[Neomet]

Yeah, I get that theory. Repetition as a way to clear the mind. It's also a meditation "trick" if you will. Repetition of mantras and all that. If it works, more power to them. I just personally find it distracting.

[TonytheTiger]

I find this discussion interesting looking at it from a 3 gun perspective. There's so many variables to which gun (if any), what starting position, loaded/empty starts etc. that it's hard to come up with any consistent pre-run program. Like Neomet I try to have all my gear fiddling done ahead of time, the only thing I do regularly on the line (when possible) is to seat mag, tug on mag, load pistol, press check, engage safety and watch the gun into the holster, verify mags in pouches and shells in caddies are present and secure. Then I do a really quick mental run through and stare down the first target or the gun I have to go retrieve. This all takes about ten seconds and is more about a last second gear check than a mental or habitual ceremony. On many occasions I've deleted many or all of these steps with the exception of the quick mental run through and done just fine.

[BoyGlock]

Yeah, I get that theory. Repetition as a way to clear the mind. It's also a meditation "trick" if you will. Repetition of mantras and all that. If it works, more power to them. I just personally find it distracting.

Maybe this is where I am.

[Bwana Six-Gun]

I liken my pre-shot routine to a golfer's "waggle". If you watch pro golfers or tennis players also, you will see that the best of them go through a routine before each shot or serve. It settles them in to their game. For me it is the same. I have had many people ridicule or joke with me about it over the years, but I notice that more and more shooters are doing the same things at matches. When I get the LAMR, I take an unloaded sight picture, then load the firearm. If it is a semi, I check to make sure a round is chambered, and if a revolver, I spin the cylinder to make sure I don't have a high primer or other obstruction. After that I holster, check my hearing protection, eye protection, and adjust my hat. Then I make sure my sleeves are pulled up and not binding take one last look at the targets and flex my knees while I take a couple of deep breaths. At that point, I assume the ready position. This sounds like a lot, but it will take you longer to read this than it does me to do it. Call it a crutch if you will, but it works for me.

[Peally]

Grab gun, load, top off mag, holster, ready. Doing the same thing every time can help calm your mind before the beep, but at some point it becomes ridiculous and hilarious.

I've seen videos online of shooters practice drawing, sight picture, practice reload, practice reload again for extra round, seat the slide with a bump, check the chamber, seat the slide with a bump, reholster, airgun the entire stage from the start position, rest their hand on the gun, and THEN take it off and they're ready. Those sort of people require their heads removed from their behinds, there's quick and effective pre-run drills and there's acting like a dancing twit for a literal 30 seconds while everyone stares.

I won't post videos, but from what it sounds like no one here has one that's THAT bad.

Edited July 21, 2015 by Peally

[motosapiens]

I don't really care about other people's LAMR routine. I've worked 3 nationals now and a couple area matches, and have not yet seen a shooter take what I would consider to be an unreasonably long time. Do what you need to do to get ready.

Another thing I've noticed is that pretty much every really competitive GM has some kind of routine.... so for those who don't have one, what do you know that the top shooters don't?

What about other superstitious rituals, like cleaning your gun before major match, or chamber checking your ammo, or walking the stages the day before?

Edited July 21, 2015 by motosapiens

[Nimitz]

for me, the sole purpose of my pre-shoot routine is for mental preparation. The actual physical acts performed are irrelevant as long as you can repeat them without error under any conditions. If sticking your right finger in your left ear while wiggling your nose is what you do as part of your mental preparation that's fine. I think a lot of people call these things rituals because they have no predetermined rationale or basis or reason for doing whatever it is that they do. Some sound like they do it for the same reasons pilots use a preflight checklist before takeoff - to make sure they've done everything required to execute a safe, successful take-off - but properly preparing the subconscious mind to takeover the task is not one of them ....

[GunBugBit]

I move my hands holding a phantom gun through the stage as I plan on shooting it, complete with a pretend draw and going through the motions of the reloads. My thumbs pressed together serve as fake rear sights, so I get a visual preview close to what I'll be seeing when I shoot. If there are multiple boxes to shoot from, I take a few seconds to visualize myself moving and executing even though I can't see the targets as they'll appear from the other boxes. I do one practice turn if there's a turn-and-draw involved.

Edited July 27, 2015 by GunBugBit