StandardError's Training Diary

[StandardError]

Background:

 

This is in all likelihood the wrong time for me to start a training diary. I've been shooting USPSA off and on for about 10 months but have moved between carry optics, production and PCC. But I've recently gotten a new Shadow 2 and decided to commit to production. The downside is that I'm 4-5 months out for needing to submit my PhD thesis. So time for anything is at a premium. 

 

But I think a training diary will be the best way to keep myself honest but also introspective about what I'm aiming for, expecting, and working towards. 

 

Short term goal:

 

I want to improve my consistency at my local matches. Sometimes I shoot 60%, other times I shoot 20%. The goal is to bring that variance down while still improving. 

 

Medium term goal:

 

I'm going to nationals this fall as my first major. Simply saying "I don't want to make an ass out of myself" is too vague. Rather, I want to bring my competition ability from local matches to nationals. I've competed nationally for bullseye and olympic style shooting before and have often underperformed on the 'big stage'. My goal is to be consistent and not let the occasion overawe me. 

 

Long term goal:

 

I don't want to become a professional shooter. By all accounts it is a hard life of measly 'sponsorships' and lots of travel for teaching. I have full time professional goals ahead of me and rather I want to improve my skill to M or GM. I'd like to be competitive nationally. 

 

Other notes:

 

USPSA is honestly such a draw to me because I am a poor grad student and dry fire has been lauded as a way of helping me 'get there'. I'm sure I'll be popping up more in the forums asking naive and obvious questions but hey, as long as I can get an answer to the problems I'm having, I don't care how dumb I seem. Right now, my weaknesses are fundamentals but also transitions. So that's what the majority of my dry fire (from Ben Stoeger's books) is focused on. 

 

I also don't have access to a range where I can draw from the holster. But that may change soon, I hope. 

 

Either way, gotta start somewhere!

[StandardError]

I spent today's dry fire session working on my index. Specifically focusing on the arm and wrist tension to bring up my gun with the sights aligned. 

 

It's a very weird thing to ingrain into muscle memory a very foreign task. The "right" amount of tension I thought to align the sights actually had the gun significantly pointed to my right. When I adjust it to the correctly aligned amount of tension, my hand feels awkward. But then again, I'm going to take that as a sign that I'm training the correct muscle memory into my system. 

 

In terms of the time to draw and get a sight picture, it's about 0.7-1.0 sec for a 15 yard alpha zone.

 

Transitions are still a struggle. But then again, I expect that to be the case given that my index is poor, too. 

[StandardError]

Spent a good live fire session at the range today. 

 

I can now manage to rip an all alpha bill drill at 7 yards from a low ready (unfortunately no holster work at my indoor range) under 2 seconds. 

 

Importantly, I've been working hard to improve my grip so that i can both control and track the sights reliably. It's been a slow process, but I finally have a push-pull type grip which seems to be working well. 

[JohnS23]

On 6/13/2018 at 2:53 AM, StandardError said:

Spent a good live fire session at the range today. 

 

I can now manage to rip an all alpha bill drill at 7 yards from a low ready (unfortunately no holster work at my indoor range) under 2 seconds. 

 

Importantly, I've been working hard to improve my grip so that i can both control and track the sights reliably. It's been a slow process, but I finally have a push-pull type grip which seems to be working well. 

Could you expound on your push-pull grip? I have been trying this as well but with mixed results. Some days, it just does not feel right. Could you explain how you enforce this while shooting? Thanks!