Turret Technique / Training

[EricW]

I'm having a lot of problems with breaking/tweaking my freestyle platform on large transitions. I like to set up distant steel (all 10" round plates) with plates at the sides of the bay (maybe 50 to 60 degrees arc from plate to plate) and work on my transitions. Characteristically, I'm skewing the sights on the outer plates and missing like crazy. Shooting distance is generally 15 yards and back to 25. (And yeah, I know 10" plates are freaking barn doors, they're just the smallest thing we've got at the range.)

Any tricks/drills to breaking myself out of this poor technique? It's where at least 50 to 60% of my misses are coming from.

[XRe]

I've thought of, like, 3 smart ass replies already, but I'll spare you

A couple of potential thoughts - and I'm interested to see what others say, too... Put the timer back in the bag for a while, and just work on shooting one target, eyes snap to the next target, see the next sight picture, shoot that target. Period. Maybe to force the discipline, focus on wanting to see a type 4 or type 5 focus on the transition plate - just for the purposes of working this out.

Second thought was play Break Out with yourself on it - ie, try to take a certain amount of time, instead of trying to do it quick. Say, try to take 1 second to hit the second plate after hitting the first - that's maybe an obscenely long time, but whittle it down to suit you.

The trick is - you likely don't have an adequate sight picture, but you're letting a round fly anyway. When I do that, it seems to be because I'm concerned about shooting fast. If I shift (in a positive way) to being concerned about hitting the target, it seems to help - but I have to allow myself to forget about time, for the time being

[EricW]

The problem isn't so much that I can't find the targets, its that my gun is skewed by the time I get there. I know to turn using my hips, but there's some kind of tension that I'm allowing to tweak my "triangle". This must be where the yoga and Tai Chi come in I guess....

[Clay1]

Eric, no pro on this end, but just read in Brian's book tonight (still up from yesterday no early riser here) about shooting and transitions. I remember a couple of specific comments from the book. One was that Brian bends his knees more the faster that he must turn.

The second point that he made was that he does break his upper body index if the targets are farther apart and snaps his eyes and the gun will follow. The book is at work or I would give you a page number to look at - he describes it so much better than I. It's in the section on specific conditions and right before shooting one handed.

Sorry couldn't be more of a help.

Rick

[Flexmoney]

Bend you knees more...turn with them (not so much your hips)...get a bit lower.

Make sure your toes point to the outsides of the targets (your stance losses stability when you turn further than you knee can point)

If the swing is large enough, then don't line up on the draw target. Line up a bit more neutral. It there is 90 degrees between the targets, if you line up on the draw target (0 degrees)...you have to turn a full 90 degrees to get to the other target. Lining up neutral mean you only have to go 45 degrees in each direction.

Ensure that you shoulders really square up to the target you are shooting (this is likely the isuue, the other things I mentioned are causes).

I hear a lot of shooters (good shooters) that really want to line up on the draw target...nearly exclusively. They talk about losing too much time on the draw if they don't.

- Unless they are shooting a one round stage, there is a likelyhood (depending on the stage/array) that the shooter can make up that time by shooting from a more stable stance for the rest on the targets (transitions). This is likely more important in snappy guns, shooting Major (minor, steel, open guns might be easier to handle)

- Many shooters that line their NPA up in a more neutral way, then line their index up on the draw target...I have a feeling that they really aren't getting their shoulders squared up as best they could on the draw target. They are starting with a faulty index. Because...

- It is something that they don't practice. So, it feels unfamiliar. Being unfamilar...it is easier to dismiss. With the index being off, they are less successful...

[XRe]

The second point that he made was that he does break his upper body index if the targets are farther apart and snaps his eyes and the gun will follow.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Rick - check out this thread - Brian states that you should never consciously break the triangle, ever.

The part in his book that you saw, he says he's "seen it happen" - ie, he had a strong desire to shoot the targets as quickly as possible, and his body responded in that fashion. But, that's not something he did/does on purpose.

Eric, if what Flex says doesn't cover it, describe "tweaked" a little more

[EricW]

Thanks Flex,

I'm printing out that post and taking it to the range with me tomorrow.

[Schutzenmeister]

Eric ... I find that when I have this problem it is usually because I've become more concerned with getting to the next target than with accurately hitting the target I'm engaging. In my case, I find this to be 95% mental discipline, 5% shooting skills. I would assume that you, like most of us, have the shooting skills to hit any of the targets at will. Much of the trick is in maintaining the mental focus to engage each target as if it were the only target you had to hit ... then, and only then, transition to the next target and repeat.

I like the comments on deliberetly slowing down. To that I would add reduce the number of targets ... start with 2 or 3. When you can hit say 3 targets without fail in say 10 consecutive runs, go to 4 ... etc. Do not allow yourself to go faster than you can actually hit the targets. This is an exercise, not a match. Once you work your way back up to 5 or 6 targets with total accuracy, then GRADUALLY work on doing it faster ... always keeping in mind the need for hitting the target you're on before even thinking about the next target.

For me, training the mind is as important as training the body ...

Good luck