Analyzing Max Michel's Footwork

[Bigbadaboom]

Great video! What I notice most that no one has mentioned is that Max utilizes crossover stepping techniques when he launches out of a position. Crossover stepping is the fastest way to accelerate from a standstill. Dirtypool40 (Eric Stanley) used to teach this in his classes and it was the single most influential movement technique that got me from B class to A class. Watch the Max video again and then watch the videos I'm posting. Add crossover stepping to your training and your movement times will decrease very noticeably.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vUfZKYbBSw

[CHA-LEE]

I don't see Max using a cross over step as his initial "Power" push off launch out of any of the positions in the video at the start of this thread. He is pushing off hard with his trailing leg to exit from every single position. He also continues the acceleration out of the positions with a second hard push from his leading leg.

Using a crossover step is usually deployed when shooting as you are exiting the position, which most trainers would refer to as a "Soft Exit". When you are not shooting and simply have to haul ass to the next position its very hard to beat the aggressiveness obtained from a solid push off with your trailing leg. When people try to deploy a crossover step to exit they really can't "Launch" until their leading leg foot is past the centerline of their body. With a crossover step It usually takes about .20 - .30 to get the leading leg foot below you far enough before you can actually push off with it. Verses being able to push off hard instantly with the trailing leg.

Edited November 24, 2015 by CHA-LEE

[adamge]

I think we have to consider the differences between regular sports movement and action handgun movement. A big one that appears in the video is the implications of fault lines. Max stands on the fault boards, and uses the hop to get started because the fault line requires him to compromise his feet position. On that last item, he is doing exactly what Ripken says not to do in the video posted above, but it is due to the fault line.

Take a new shooter and have them move to a position that requires careful balance to see a target (hidden behind a wall for instance). The rookie move is to stop in position, slowly lean until you can see the target, then try to get off the shot without loosing balance. The next level is to take that shot while falling out of bounds (I saw it a ton in Stoeger videos). Then Max seems to have found the next level, which is taking the shots while falling out of bounds, and then doing the quick hop to re-position the feet out of bounds to start the acceleration out.

The other is that the deceleration we use strikes me as being totally unique in the world of sports. Can anyone think of a similar scenario than running into a shooting position fairly quickly and needing to come to a stop both quickly and smoothly? Max is shooting before his final foot is even on the ground, and certainly before he is stopped.

Another thing interesting in the Max video is how he uses his weak arm to accelerate out of a position. He throws his weak arm, which is a good move but only beneficial in certain scenarios, so using it only when advantageous takes experience.

Edited November 24, 2015 by adamge

[Nimitz]

I don't see Max using a cross over step as his initial "Power" push off launch out of any of the positions in the video at the start of this thread. He is pushing off hard with his trailing leg to exit from every single position. He also continues the acceleration out of the positions with a second hard push from his leading leg.

Using a crossover step is usually deployed when shooting as you are exiting the position, which most trainers would refer to as a "Soft Exit". When you are not shooting and simply have to haul ass to the next position its very hard to beat the aggressiveness obtained from a solid push off with your trailing leg. When people try to deploy a crossover step to exit they really can't "Launch" until their leading leg foot is past the centerline of their body. With a crossover step It usually takes about .20 - .30 to get the leading leg foot below you far enough before you can actually push off with it. Verses being able to push off hard instantly with the trailing leg.

Absolutely true ... When I first learned to shoot Outer Limits in Steel Challenge I used the cross over step to exit the first shooting box ... My times were always in the low to mid 5 sec range. Once I learned to step off aggressively with my lead foot instead my run times dropped overnight by almost a full second .... The 2 techniques are night and day different in their result ....

[Nebwake]

The Israelis and many of the socom courses teach the stutter step technique to get into a shooting stance quickly. You can go from dead sprint to shooting stable very fast without blowing past your intended shooting location. Kinda a big deal when you dont want to blow past good balistic cover.

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Edited November 25, 2015 by Nebwake

[Bigbadaboom]

What I see Max doing out of the second position (can't see him exit the first position) is leaning out over a fault line to gain visual of targets and then pushing with his back leg to get his lead foot planted as fast as possible and then bringing his rear leg over to exit that position. Out of the third position he only stops for a brief sec. and launches with his rear leg (His lead foot isn't planted at launch).

Watch Dave's footwork.

Edited November 25, 2015 by Bigbadaboom

[pjb45]

it is my observation that many GMs spend a lot of time on movement. They have attained a certain level of accuracy in almost any shooting position. Mike V was at the MidCoast dual championship at the Hogue range some years ago. In talking with the ROs on each stage they all said Mike enters and exist a shooting area faster than anyone they saw. If you look at Dave S, coming from an ice hockey background-I believe- he is low and he powers out of shooting positions. When I would talk with Matt B. he would tell me a great majority of his practice revolves around footwork.

Break a mid-size match down:

10 Stages

10-Draws

10-15 Reloads

3-4 shooting areas per stage = 30-40 movements.

160 + Transitions

As Steve Anderson once wrote, "if you whittling a tooth pick with a chainsaw"-get the biggest bang for your buck.

[Just4FunLP]

Wow! Love this thread. I'm a big goofy 52 year old and never was much of an athlete, but it didn't take me long to figure out that moving fast was huge, and I needed to get in shape. Once I got started I began working on some mevement drills of my own, but I don't know what the heck I'm doing. I go to a gym in a strip mall, and always go out on a sidewalk where they have pillars spaced about 15ft apart. I center myself on three pillars and back a few feet away. I take off for the one on the right pointing my invisible air gun all the way (it's about 615am) take my imaginary shots, then run left to the center shooting on the left side, then run to the far left shooting on the left side, then back right stopping around the center and right barriers again, then finally sprint all the way back left 30ft to the other end and stopping in a straight forward shooting stance. I start in he opposite direction on the next run.

What seems to work best for me is to stay low all the time. It's hard, but to me it doesn't make sense to have to take time to drop down and then push off. When I'm low to the ground and leaning around a barrier to the right, and I need to run left, I end up hopping both of my feet to the right making my right leg ready to push very hard, and my left leg is also able to push.

The comment about breaking with the back leg is interesting because that's kind of what it feels like when I do it. I run up and try to pretty much stop myself with the second to the last step (my back foot) and settle out on the foot at faces forward. The shuffle at the approach is pretty cool. I find myself doing something like this naturally as I'm coming into barrier shots, but not so much on the straight forward approach. Maybe he's watching that wood as he approaches, and once he's at the correct distance goes into the shuffle, changes focus to the target, and the heal landing gives him a little room for error at the end. .??

Don't misunderstand me. This is just what I've been doing on my own. It may be totally wrong. I knew I had to regularly do some kind of running around to simulate a match. I just can't imagine wanting to get better at USPSA without doing something for your agility. The only problem is there's not a lot of sports that compare to this, so finding a local trainer may be difficult, and finding a comfortable place where you can run around with a gun is almost impossible.

One huge thing is knowing where your going when you take off so you can move decisively. The same is true with transitions. It's one thing to do the same drill over and over, but it's another thing to walk up to a stage for the first time and have a world class performance in five minutes. I think the reason a lot of these guys are so good is that their minds work about twice as fast as mine. When they move their gun, or take off in another direction, they can make that move applying 100% effort instantly. With me there's often a little hesitation or It takes me a while to get moving fast. I like the way Ben Stoeger put it on one of his YouTube videos. Just haul a$$. It really helps.

It's a cool subject, and (you may have guessed) I've never had a chance to talk to anyone about it.

Edited November 26, 2015 by Just4FunLP

[BenBreeg]

I do see Max using the crossover for his initial power movement. He drops his trailing leg while keeping his lead leg in place for the most part which sets him up to push with the lead leg and drive the back leg across and forward. This is the same as stealing a base. There is discussion about whether a directional jab step with the front leg before the crossover is necessary but the crossover itself is the first explosive movement.

[CHA-LEE]

Some times people only see what they want to see instead of what is really happening.

[RickRak2000]

If you get the chance, watch Angus Hobdell move through a stage. He used to be involved

in Fencing, and some of the footwork techniques used in that sport are also valuable in practical shooting.

[my00wrx1]

Does anyone have any video or opinions on moving forward aggressively from the initial start position, both where you can step backwards and where you cannot i.e. Heels starting on the rear fault line in IPSC.

[adamge]

Good question my00. I always do that back-step before accelerating hard forward, and I always think I'm doing it wrong.

[Rangerdug]

CHA-LEE, when are you doing another training session?

[imeyers78]

Aggressive but still looks smooth..

Agreed, economy of effort. Smooth and effortless movement/transition.

[sarge450]

Some great information in this thread, thanks!

[wcklink]

I took a class with Max - best money I ever spent on USPSA. His main focus in the 3 days of shooting was movement. Not splits, not even reloads or draws but movement. The way he put it, you can only shoot as fast as you can shoot - ie see the sights and make good shots. The shooting speed is almost predetermined by the target difficulty and your ability (which of course you can practice to get better at). So knowing that, the place to make up time is in movement.

Watching him shoot, the little stutter steps are huge for him. They slow him down as he is entering a position but it also allows him to stay steady which allows him to start shooting as he enters a position rather than wait until he is stopped and set. It sounds a little funny on dry dirt we have in NM - big blast out of a position with big hard steps then these fast rat a tat tat shuffling steps as he is getting into a shooting position. I've started really making myself do it even if it is unnatural for me right now because it really does settle you down faster into the shooting. Also, you'll notice that he sits really low as he is settling into a position - ie knees really bent then slowly extending as he is shooting in a position. This also really helps in body control and stability - but does require you to do some leg workouts to get your legs strong enough to handle shooting in a squat.

If the opportunity comes up, spend the money and take a class with him. You will come away with more than you can put into place but better yet, you will have a practice regime that will help you on the fundamentals that make the difference.

I had the same experience. Great class, well thought out and constructed. Lots of focus on movement and getting out of and into shooting positions. Max shoots down the whole " those who can do, those that can't teach" thing. He's every bit as good an instructor as he is a shooter and engaging on a personal level to boot, just like talking to the guy across the street.

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[alma]

[adamge]

Not as much fun if he just tells us the answers.

[Rangerdug]

Not as much fun if he just tells us the answers.

agreed

[4me2ply]

subscribed to this thread. Good information and right on track with the part of my game I'm currently trying to improve!

[Hello]

Can anyone think of a similar scenario than running into a shooting position fairly quickly and needing to come to a stop both quickly and smoothly?

Yes, racquetball and tennis.

[justpaul]

great thread !

[pjb45]

I took a class (multiple days) from Max in 2015. Max quit shooting for a while and just played baseball. So he sometimes incorporates those movements. In certain situations he will employ a shuffle step, stutter step, drop and launch, etc. He does not just have one technique. He practices them all. Sometimes he will hold his grip, relax it and keep his hand on the gun and totally release his weak hand.

So it not just his foot work, it is also how he incorporates his total body into the movement. A lot of his practice is NOT at full speed-get the technique embedded into the subconscious first.

Listen to CHA-LEE. The sport is a little shooting with lots of movement.

[d_striker]

Good video.

On the easy exit, why does load and leave with his lead leg rather than pushing off with his trailing leg like on the hard exit?