Immersion Training Plan...

[tanks]

If you have 40 days straight you can fully dedicate to shooting, how would you go about it to get the best result? Here are the parameters:

 

- You have unlimited ammo, unlimited range time, a local GM available for training 1-3 days a week, and can shoot a local competition 1 day a week.

 

What is a good balance between private training, range time and dry fire? I realize that one would need to dry fire and have range time after each private training session in order to build muscle memory, so how to optimize it?

[George16]

With those parameters, I’ll start off by asking the GM the best training approach for this particular scenario and go from there. I bet that since he’s a GM, he got the knowledge and experience to guide and teach me in a way that would be the  most beneficial for me. I’ll have him come up and write down a solid plan that I’ll follow under his supervision. During the days he is not available for training, I want him to come up with drills and things I can do to further improve my skills which he can then evaluate during our next training session.

 

 

[GunBugBit]

One thing I'd do is get a lot of video of myself.  The GM can give feedback based on live observation of course, but with video, I'd be able to see for myself what I'm doing and not have illusions about how I move or bad habits I exhibit.

 

For sure I would dry fire and exercise every single day.

 

I don't know that it would be necessary to shoot live ammo every single day, but for best results I suppose you'd want to since the assumption is unlimited ammo and unlimited range time.  I'd change it up every day.  On one day, I'd take one or two classifier stages and run them a couple dozen times.  On another day, I might do very simple drills.  On yet another day, I might try difficult things like clearing a Texas Star and/or plate rack with weak hand only.  On still another day, I'd run larger and more complex stages.   I'd want the GM with me at the weekly matches.

 

I have no suggestions for the balance of time across the different components of training.  If it were me, as a pretty blue collar guy, if all I'm doing is training every day, I'd try to fill up an 8-hour day with shooting-related activity.  It doesn't all have to be physical all day long, some of it could be sitting and having coffee while the GM dissects my videos.

 

Whatever activity I scheduled for myself, I would plan to not burn myself out, but not baby myself, either.  Depends on one's personal stamina level, both physical and mental, and desire/drive.

[Jake Di Vita]

If I had no other responsibilities and unlimited resources, 6 days a week I would dryfire in the AM, workout, livefire early afternoon, workout, dryfire in the evening.

[Hi-Power Jack]

And, buy a LOT of bandaids.

 

I took a 2-day course, and my hands were bleeding ...

 

Cannot imagine 40 days.

[CHA-LEE]

I think that the best plan of attack on this is fully understanding what YOUR content absorption rate is along with a realistic end result expectation. For example, you can fill a thimble with a fire hose but a lot of water will be wasted during the process. If you try that and expect that no water will be wasted then you will be disappointed. 

 

We also need time to let new concepts "marinate" with a significant amount of pass/fail testing before we truly get it. This process takes time and there is no getting around that fact.

 

How about looking at this from a different perspective. 40 individual or pairs of days with full training immersion spread out over a whole year would yield a more successful result than trying to cram all of that stuff in 40 consecutive days of training. Spreading this out over a whole year would also mitigate burnout.

[RangerTrace]

Look at it like this, I would assume that the AMU does nothing but train/shoot all year long and they have all the resources to do it.  Ask one of them what their training regimen is.

[tanks]

Too add content to this. My current program is dry fire 30-45 minutes in the AM and 30-45 minutes in the PM daily (Stoeger's/Anderson's combinations). Live fire once a week, training with a local GM 3-4 times per month, and 1-2 matches on weekends. 

 

Scheduled major matches for the year are Arizona Classic, Golden Bullet, West Coast Brass Fest, Colorado State, Limited Nationals, Area 2. The immersion training would take place after West Coast and before Colorado matches.

[Jake Di Vita]

1 minute ago, tanks said:

Too add content to this. My current program is dry fire 30-45 minutes in the AM and 30-45 minutes in the PM daily (Stoeger's/Anderson's combinations). Live fire once a week, training with a local GM 3-4 times per month, and 1-2 matches on weekends. 

 

Scheduled major matches for the year are Arizona Classic, Golden Bullet, West Coast Brass Fest, Colorado State, Limited Nationals, Area 2. The immersion training would take place after West Coast and before Colorado matches.

 

What class are you?

[tanks]

I am C class, about to make B after next 2 classifiers once a 51% and a 55% from early 2017 roll off.

[Jake Di Vita]

How long have you been doing your current program?

[tanks]

Since end of November. Added the training by local GM in January which has helped out quite a bit. We started by working on my transitions as low hanging fruit to movement between arrays (exit and entry) just recently. 

 

Edit: For example shot an 8 stage match last Sunday. Looking at the video I know a couple of things I can improve on (at the very least). One thing I have no idea on is why I did much better (as much as 6-7 places) on low hit factor stages as opposed to high hit factor stages with similar hits. Heck, I got my best placement on a Stage with a Mike that was a low hit factor stage as opposed to high hit factor stages with no Ds, or Mikes. Something we will discuss on Friday's session.

Edited May 8, 2018 by tanks

[GunBugBit]

You won't be in C for long.

[Jake Di Vita]

37 minutes ago, tanks said:

Since end of November. Added the training by local GM in January which has helped out quite a bit. We started by working on my transitions as low hanging fruit to movement between arrays (exit and entry) just recently. 

 

Edit: For example shot an 8 stage match last Sunday. Looking at the video I know a couple of things I can improve on (at the very least). One thing I have no idea on is why I did much better (as much as 6-7 places) on low hit factor stages as opposed to high hit factor stages with similar hits. Heck, I got my best placement on a Stage with a Mike that was a low hit factor stage as opposed to high hit factor stages with no Ds, or Mikes. Something we will discuss on Friday's session.

 

If I'm being honest, it smells to me like something is off. I feel like 6 solid months of the amount of work you've done should have gained you more ground than it has. I obviously can't put my finger on anything as I'm not on the ground with you day to day. My sense is however an immersion is not going to be as beneficial in this case as you think it may be. I have the suspicion that whatever is holding you back isn't going to be fixed by more hours alone.

[tanks]

Well, we figured some of it is mental. Here is a video of a stage from Sunday and I went mentally off on the last array after missing my spot and I can see it costing me a few seconds right there including very slow transitions. Now, the good thing is I had fixed shooting close targets at the same cadence as the far targets which is what we had worked on the previous week. Funny thing is even with that and a Mike it was one of my better stages overall (10 o/o 32). I placed 12 o/o 32 (60%) in the match in Limited. So, a bit to go.

 

 

Edited May 8, 2018 by tanks

[CHA-LEE]

This is what I see.......

 

(1) Looking for holes in the targets after engaging them. You need to call your shots and know you have your hits so you don't have to look for the hits on the targets.

 

(2) Not launching out of the shooting positions. You need to produce solid acceleration launch steps while exiting positions. That and we need to run hard like our lives depended on it when the only thing we can do is run during the stage.

 

(3) Gun is low when entering positions. The gun needs to be up and ready to shoot at least 1 - 2 steps away from the shooting positions. All of those walls are see through so there is nothing stopping you from aiming at the targets through the walls just before you move past the wall.

 

(4) Your shooting speed is the same regardless of the target distance or difficulty. You need to be able to let it rip on the closer stuff and slow it down on the harder shots. This same cadence of fire situation makes me think that you are seeing the sights once and just rowing your finger twice.

 

(5) There are a few instances where you are taking shuffle steps within the same shooting position. This usually happens if our Natural Point of Aim isn't set correctly within the shooting position or the stance isn't wide or deep enough to allow your Effective Cone of Fire to engage all of the targets without moving your feet.

[MemphisMechanic]

You’ve been working hard on getting better since November and your GM buddy still hasn’t called you out on running that slowly?

 

There’s a solid 3 - 4 seconds to be carved off of this stage just by sprinting like you’re in a frantic hurry, and then arriving with the gun up.

[pjb45]

How do you learn?  This is fundamental. 

Read up on losing or gaining a new habit because that is what your are trying to do.  You have to have a plan to do learn.  RE: Lanny Bassham.

Personally, I do not like the AMU advice because AMU shooters have already acquired advanced skills.  So how they train might not be applicable.

Second, not all GMs are great communicators.  See BE forums on Myers/Briggs.  iMO, they are great at diagnosing what needs improvement.

GMs like Angus, TGO, Taran, Seeklander, Max, Travis, those guys in CO are very good communicators.  There are others, but these guys I know personally.

I have seen TGO diagnose a stage; 1. how he would shoot, 2. A more conservative way, and 3. his recommendation on how I or someone else on the squad should shoot it. He tailored his recommendation to the shooter's skill level.

Think of your training program as a pyramid.  The bottom is the foundation.  It needs to be broad and strong.  Each subsequent skill is based on acquisition of its predecessor fundamental.

 

Take Big Pando's #2; What is the plan to improve? Dead lifts, squats, box jumps, mini sprints.  Two boxes or ports with targets and live fire--with times recorded?

How about #3; Dry fire drills?  Live fire Drills.

I haven't read Big Panda's but I know a reviewer who did and thought very well of it.

Seeklander was giving his drill book away on his facebook page.  It is excellent.

[promtcy]

Not to discount working with a GM, just keep in mind that because someone has mastered the skills to reach GM level doesn't mean they know how to teach someone else to improve. 

 

My brother in law is a PGA Teaching Professional and while he is a scratch player he is a much better teacher. He is constantly working on his teaching techniques, including diagnosing how a particular student learns and what they are physically capable of doing. It's an art, and not everyone is good at it. 

 

Cha-Lee and pjb have pretty much nailed it. 

[konkapot]

Might be tough to be productive for 40 days straight. Fatigue/knowledge absorption etc. Seems counterintuitive but maybe schedule breaks in there? Every 4 or 5 days have a regeneration day?

[tanks]

14 hours ago, pjb45 said:

...

Take Big Pando's #2; What is the plan to improve? Dead lifts, squats, box jumps, mini sprints.  Two boxes or ports with targets and live fire--with times recorded?

How about #3; Dry fire drills?  Live fire Drills...

 

At home I have staged areas at the yard working on the technique of hard and easy exits from 3 to 5 yards. Doing it at half speed to make sure all the elements are there (push off, head and pelvis turn etc.) and then full speed with a timer. On live practice we have setup exactly what you suggested two barricades and shooting around them back and forth and recording the times concentrating on both movement and bringing the gun up prior to coming to the final position so that as I come to a breaking step the gun is already up and by the time I am square to the target I am firing. Another thing we discovered is that I tend to take small steps rather than big steps and I need to take big steps pushing off. It will take a ton of reps though before it is a subconscious skill.

 

Number two, as someone suggested in my "hosing targets" thread I will be concentrating on 3 yard bill drills. Now, my time for 7 yard Bill drill splits is about .22-.23. My BEST time just shooting at the berm is .19 splits. So, working on trigger speed is something I definitely need to do.

[Angus46]

Another suggestion,

 

In your third position, your gun is down, you stop, sight picture engage all four targets then leave the shooting position.  They are close targets.  Enter the position acquiring your sights knees bent ready to fire your first shot as you stop or ideally just before.  Pick up the speed on those targets then transition to the last ones.  As you are finishing on the last target, start your transition to the next spot by shifting the weight on your legs a bit load them to be ready to go.  Then try to be moving out of the position or as least ready to as you are making your last shot.  Don’t wait until after you are done shooting to do this.

Edited May 26, 2018 by Angus46

[pjb45]

I want to revisit my first question:

 

How do you learn?

 

This is critical.  For me, the process of learning has never stop, professionally and recreationally.  I learned how to learn.  So different techniques or styles generally work for me.

 

I have friends that can see someone do something then imitate pretty well, others have natural talent,-I am not that lucky.

 

For example, Mike Seeklander communicates  in a style that resonates with me. For me, I like the mental part marrying the physical part of the learning process. 

[xtian999]

 

 

Assuming you are physically fit, the rest is mental: some have it, some don’t.

 

Edited May 28, 2018 by xtian999
Concison

[tanks]

On 5/26/2018 at 10:02 AM, pjb45 said:

I want to revisit my first question:

 

How do you learn?

 

This is critical.  For me, the process of learning has never stop, professionally and recreationally.  I learned how to learn.  So different techniques or styles generally work for me.

...

 

That actually was pretty important as early on  Ron Avery had issues communicating with me when we first started specifically with the grip. I am very detail oriented and all mechanics have to be broken down and then I have to feel and understand each piece individually. "Grip front the back, press palms in like a nutcracker and cam the wrists" did not work for me. I used to be an open tennis player until my right hip gave out (have a titanium one now, so I am good for shooting) , so I explained how to serve a tennis ball and actually wrote a page long essay on it. Then applied each of the actions on gripping the gun in similar detail feeling each piece separately. Took a while but just like serving I do not have to think about it anymore, and if I mess up when I acquire my grip (after a draw, running, reloads etc.) correcting is automatic as I know how it is supposed to feel. One drill that helps me is Stoeger's 25 yard drill where you bring up the gun slowly and feel the grip and trigger through the action. It is my warmup for every dry-fire session for 6 minutes each time.

 

On movement, going in and out of positions I have to do the same thing. Turn the hips, turn lead foot, load the foot etc., etc.. First almost like a robot in slo-mo getting the feeling of each micro movement and then faster and faster in repetitions. And of course there are different types of movements to learn as well. Because I do not have it down yet I still have to think about how to move, how to enter positions with the gun up, how to exit and so forth. Of course, that also slows things down not to mention during the stages and I do not always execute in time or at all. Working on movement and calling shots is going to be one of the primary items on training agenda for August with my trainer. Good thing is we communicate fairly well and he can point out things that I am doing inefficiently and I can make the appropriate corrections.