Do you shoot better when you are with better shooters?

[MrT_shootsAcz]

46 minutes ago, rootacres said:

 

This will be my 4th season now playing the USPSA game. I found myself early on trying to chase the faster guys and causing a lot of problems. Over time I tried to catch things they were doing differently to help me improve. I made Master in Production half way through last season and the biggest takeaway I learned from the faster guys, and it took me a long time to realize this, is that what really starts separating people is what they are doing when the gun isn't going off. Footwork, mag changes, entries, exits etc. Keep shooting with the better shooters. They will teach you far more and will help push the limits of your capabilities. 

 

This, so much of this!

[MattBaker5745]

It’s not about if the shooters are better or not, but what kind of attitude they have and if they’re spreading positivity or not.

[Barcode1337]

On 5/12/2019 at 8:29 PM, rootacres said:

 

This will be my 4th season now playing the USPSA game. I found myself early on trying to chase the faster guys and causing a lot of problems. Over time I tried to catch things they were doing differently to help me improve. I made Master in Production half way through last season and the biggest takeaway I learned from the faster guys, and it took me a long time to realize this, is that what really starts separating people is what they are doing when the gun isn't going off. Footwork, mag changes, entries, exits etc. Keep shooting with the better shooters. They will teach you far more and will help push the limits of your capabilities. 

 

This is only my third year, and I just switched to open division, but this is pretty much it. I've really been trying to internalize that splits really aren't a big deal, and I'm focusing on transitions, footwork, and the stage planning that goes along with it. Because of this I was able to smoke my most recent (first and only so far this season..) club match. The last couple years I would just hammer on the trigger while running around like a crazy, which, while fun, was not terribly smart. USPSA requires a lot more thought than I expected.

[Nic_USPSA_C]

I believe this to be true.  If I shoot with a group out to have fun, scores are low.

 

If I shoot in a squad with a GM or M’s I shoot better and learn a lot.

 

It does help to watch how people approach a stage.

[Novagunner]

I have had mixed results shooting with people that are much better than me. I do see better stage break downs but at the same time I end up pushing more speed and start going off the rails if I don’t watch myself. Then again it is only a game.

[jsoupene]

If my main goal is to get better then I definitely find it useful to shoot with better shooters so I can learn from them plus it helps me to push myself.  However,  there are also times when I just want to have fun so squadding with my buddies is the way to go.

[ekaiser]

I always try to squad with people better than me. I'm lucky to usually shoot with a good group of guys that are totally willing to give pointers and analyze what I'm doing wrong or can improve on. As others have said, it has shown me that positioning, footwork, movement are really key... I'm decent at the purely shooting aspect of the sport but what sets the pros apart is stage planning and execution. Watching them do it helps me figure out what I need to fix.

[Ross Carter]

There are very few who aren't always shooting with people better than them on any given day.

[Sdlrodeo]

10 hours ago, Ross Carter said:

There are very few who aren't always shooting with people better than them on any given day.

 

Never really thought about it but that is true more often than not. 

[Nic_USPSA_C]

I have a fun squad I shoot with.  We are all friends and like to have appropriate “fun”.

 

 I have noticed that my scores are not as good when I shoot with them.  When it is time to get serious, I like to squad with good shooters, pay attention to how they plan a stage, walk a stage, shoot a stage, and listen!

 

 

[xdf3]

I shoot better with better shooters or near my level. Sometimes we can think of a stage plan together, while when I'm alone or with "not-at-my-level-yet" shooters I tend to miss some little details here and there, or take more risks than I should. 

[DixieBushcraft]

I tend to shoot better with better shooters. 

I get all guilty feeling if I an showing up lesser shooters and throttle back to not seem like a showoff. 

 

No idea why, it just happens. 

[Tanders]

The biggest change I notice when I'm squadded with other shooters at or above my level is that I drop a lot fewer Cs since I'm focusing harder.  Probably should be shooting like that all the time, but shooting too fast with worse points is kinda fun.

[GunBugBit]

Yes.  Also, the things I expected to receive suggestions on from, say, a GM on my squad, is not usually what I expected to hear.  I hear things I never thought about before.  Which is good because I get new input from a good source based on watching me shoot up close.  This can hardly help but make you better, if you take it in and apply it.

[xdf3]

I shot with a GM in my squad last match. It was really good. I had a confirmation of some of my stage plans, some of mine were better at times, and I realized I didn't have to do anything special. The time I realized that I won a stage (a long with 32 rounds) by doing nothing special, in fact. I shot under my usual speed and had good accuracy. He was also inspiring. All positive stuff

[MrT_shootsAcz]

One area I seem to do better with by shooting with GM’s/better shooters is bringing more intensity to the line with me.  It’s not shooting  faster... it’s making sure I am not wasting time when not performing the shooting in a course.  Movement and even starts.  I don’t try to shoot another persons speed but I will be reminded that a particular movement/position can be done better/cleaner shooting with the big guys.  There are a couple guys that I know I can regularly be within a couple seconds of over a field course.  I found I am much more likely to consistently perform at that level when shooting with them.

[travail]

Like others mentioned, I do better by watching how better shooters do their transitions or run through the course. Do worse if I try and push too hard.

[Tango]

I like shooting with better shooters if they are nice people too, and it is very educational indeed. But i did mess up a match because i squadded up with a top GM who also happens to be insecure and overly competitive. 

[Eric802]

With only two matches under my belt it's not a stretch to say pretty much everyone is a better shooter than I.  At my first match I squadded with a few people who I was told were very friendly and very helpful to new shooters, and they absolutely were. I think for my first match that was exactly what I needed.  For my second match I was about to squad with them again, but then I looked and I would've been the only person in the squad shooting Production.  I switched to a different squad that had more Production shooters, including an M, and it was a huge help.  My HF's were higher across the board, but that may just have been because it was my second match versus my first.  As far as what I was able to learn, though, I think shooting with better shooters definitely helped - especially because they were in my division, and as a newbie learning entries and exits and stage planning is a big deal.  

 

I've only shot a couple local matches in USPSA, but over 30+ years of shooting and previous competition experience I've found that generally speaking, the people you meet at the range or matches are very helpful to less experienced shooters.  Shooting against better competition, IMO, can only make you better.  I used to shoot highpower rifle with a couple guys who are national civilian champs and while I could never hang with them on the score sheet, what I learned from watching them was tremendously helpful. 

Edited December 4, 2019 by Eric802

[GunBugBit]

18 hours ago, Tango said:

... a top GM who also happens to be insecure and overly competitive. 

Oh no, say such a creature doesn't exist!

[Lowsc3]

On 4/19/2016 at 3:52 PM, Hi-Power Jack said:

Depends ...

If I shoot with friendly better shooters, they will sometimes offer great

suggestions that help.

But, I've also shot with a few "better shooters" who were not too

friendly - didn't help a bit.

I got the most out of a local shooter who is just a bit better than me -

we discussed the COF's and made plans to shoot beyond what I

normally would have - and it works, sometimes.

But, I LOVE to shoot, now and then, with newbies who can't believe

how "good" I am - and ask for my help.

Probably depends on how I feel that particular day, also.

I agree, I tend to shoot with people better then me but they criticize and help me get better. I have shot in squads that were all just newbies and there wasn't much to gain for me, just made me feel like a star. 

[Tango]

i dont want to be the best shooter in my squad, makes me slow.

[Edwards30]

I think it is always better to practice/compete with someone better than you.  It's an easy way to get out of your comfort zone.

[pjb45]

For me, it was easy and preferred to shoot with better shooters.  I have been pretty lucky since most are more than willing to answer questions or give some advice.

 

I shot with the Super Squad at the Desert Classic.  We had a particularly fast stage with two positions; two drop turners, activator, statistic, then move to another area and do the mirror image.  TGO was kind enough to offer several shooter his way and the way he thought would be best for 'you.'

 

I have seen, Angus, Robbie, Seeklander, Burkett, Golembieski,  and Strader, but especially Taran, all do the same thing.  Most Master class shooters are pretty good about answers/suggestions in my limited experience.

[gnappi]

At handgun games watching how better shooters break down the match helped me shoot a stage better. I don't know why but I shoot better in a squad with superior shooters at International skeet.