Ability to remember long stage plans...?

[MemphisMechanic]

One more thing on reloads for production. For some reason most newer production guys want to figure out where to stick their reloads first. If you give them 5 minutes of walk through, they spend half of that precious time, or more, figuring it out.

Stop doing that.

Ben Stoeger got onto us for this during his class. "Once you figure out what you need to shoot from where, the reloads will take care of themselves."

I had never tried to do any differently, so I was going back and forth between two different ways to reload between positions 1 and 2 ... before I ever looked at position 5 or 6.

He's absolutely right. Plan the stage out in the simplest, most efficient manner as if you have an unlimited round gun. Once that's done it'll be absurdly obvious where to place your reloads.

Reloads are figured last.

Edited August 2, 2016 by MemphisMechanic

[Nimitz]

Ask a top shooter how often they visualize a complicated field stage before it's their turn to shoot and their answer is usually "continually until it's my turn to shoot". If you can't close your eyes and run through the entire CoF, knowing where every target is and every position you need to get into to shoot them then you are not really to shoot.

Learning to visualize is as important a skill to master as trigger control and takes effort ...

Nobody can come up with a great stage plan during the 5 minute walk through ....

I used to walk the stages a couple of days before our club match once they were set up and then show up at least 1 hr early on match day to walk the stages again to ensure I had working plan. I would then spend the time prior to shooting a stage off in a corner somewhere visualizing when I wasn't taping and once I was "in the hole" I would do nothing but visualize. I wasn't much fun to be around because I never really socialized but I always had a solid plan to execute ...

Edited August 3, 2016 by Nimitz

[rowdyb]

Have you ever had a nightmare and woke up from it scared? The nightmare wasn't "real" but your body acted like it was, even to your feeling of being scared.

That's the power visualization/mental imagery has. Harness that to an athletic or competitive end and see what happens.

Awesomeness, that's the answer to what happens.

[tanks]

...

Oh, being and old geezer. I absolutely must shoot wearing reading glasses or I can't make out the front sight...at all. Great for aiming, but I cannot see the targets clear enough to make out holes.

I am in the same boat. 20/20 distance vision and +1.75 reading glasses. I had www.decot.com get my prescription and make a +0.75 lens (their recommendation) for my dominant eye and clear lens for the other eye. I can see the front post and targets.

[tanks]

One thing that is helped me and yes I have forgotten targets and even an entire array in the past, is to break it down to number of shots per shooting position. 8, 6, 10 etc.. With a 32 round limit even the most complicated stage is not going to have so many arrays that one can't burn in memory the number of shots per shooting position. And as others have said: visualize, visualize, visualize.

[Mark Meyers]

You should walk through and rehearse the stage enough times that you can close your eyes and mentally shoot the entire stage. Then you are ready

[johnbu]

You should walk through and rehearse the stage enough times that you can close your eyes and mentally shoot the entire stage. Then you are ready

That's the goal, I'm asking HOW.

In 5 minutes, I haven't FOUND all the targets, best angles, shooting order, foot placements, etc etc etc.

[tanks]

You should walk through and rehearse the stage enough times that you can close your eyes and mentally shoot the entire stage. Then you are ready

That's the goal, I'm asking HOW.

In 5 minutes, I haven't FOUND all the targets, best angles, shooting order, foot placements, etc etc etc.

I think all you need for this is mileage. In my first few matches it was daunting. Last weekend was my 7th match and it seemed easy.

[johnbu]

You should walk through and rehearse the stage enough times that you can close your eyes and mentally shoot the entire stage. Then you are ready

That's the goal, I'm asking HOW.

In 5 minutes, I haven't FOUND all the targets, best angles, shooting order, foot placements, etc etc etc.

I think all you need for this is mileage. In my first few matches it was daunting. Last weekend was my 7th match and it seemed easy.

You may be right. It's frustrating to shoot the simpler stages well (upper 1/2 of the match), then fall down to the bottom on ones that are just a bit more complex!

[Speed0verdose]

Like a lot of these guys said. When i first started out I found the simplest way to shoot the stage. As time progressed and i learned the game it became a LOT easier.

Once you have YOUR stage plane, don't change it after your walk through. Just go shoot your plan and make sure you do it the way you planned. As you progress you'll start seeing ways to shoot it to better game it.

Next, when i shoot a stage i start by clustering the targets by shooting positions, i then will remember them by round count. Such as on a 32rd stage i'll shoot 8 from A (reload), 4 from B, 4 from C (reload,) 6 from C (reload), 8 from D, 2 from E.

Starting out. don't over think it. Get your hits from where you know you can get them. The rest will come with experience.

Oh and don't be afraid to chat up fellow shooters and ask them questions. One thing I learned about this sport is that seasoned shooters LOVE to help out new people. Just be courtious and let them walk the stage (while you follow them) and get their stage plane then ask them for tips or if they would mind showing you their plan. *this is for Level 1 matches lol*

Edited August 5, 2016 by Speed0verdose

[NickBlasta]

You should walk through and rehearse the stage enough times that you can close your eyes and mentally shoot the entire stage. Then you are ready

That's the goal, I'm asking HOW.

In 5 minutes, I haven't FOUND all the targets, best angles, shooting order, foot placements, etc etc etc.

Show up to the match early and walk the stages before it starts.

[fastluck13]

It might also be overstating the obvious to say watch the GMs shoot. Their stage planning and approach will likely be different from yours. Understanding stage strategery can help you plan and visualize your plan.

[Schultztec]

I do the walk through and come up with a plan, then watch other people shoot it and my plan changes over and over till it's my time to go..  I am new to,the sport by the way. Lol

 

chris