Ever feel overwhelmed at what you need to improve?

[wdfwguy]

I feel like the more I shoot, read, listen to podcasts, etc....the more I learn I don't know. 

 

I'm definitely seeing improvement, I can see that I'm shooting more accurately and finally getting faster too.  But it feels like every time I learn something new, I see three things I need to do differently.

[Eureka1911]

Yep, but I look at it this way. Practical shooting sports are a journey, not a destination. I am stuck on the cusp of going from D to C in single stack. At a recent match I was second or third overall in 2 or 3 of the 6 stages, but then seem to stumble on other stages. And like some folks who don't test well, I always seem to screw up the classifiers.

 

But having said that, I am a much better shooter than I was a year ago. I consistently am in the upper 3rd of most matches, when I used to be in the bottom third. I make fewer mistakes, and I am better at planning. SO while I want to be better faster, I know that at least for me it is an incremental process, and trying to rush towards a goal seems to be the most certain way to ensure I will not reach it.

 

Nature of the beast. Consider that the things you now know you need to learn are things you did not even know existed before. That for me is the surest sign of progress.

Edited July 20, 2018 by Eureka1911

[Seif26]

Throw in some anxiety about match procedures (shooting my first 3gun match this weekend), trying not to do anything unsafe, worrying about getting DQ'd, knowing that my cardio/conditioning isn't really where it needs to be and still improving some serious 'shooters elbow' that flares up anytime I grip a pistol and extend my arms.....  

 

Yes, a bit overwhelmed  and I haven't even gotten to the shooting part yet.

 

I am following the sage advice of going slow, being safe and having fun for the next few weeks as I get into the sport.  

 

 

[Hi-Power Jack]

On ‎7‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 11:02 AM, Eureka1911 said:

  I am on the cusp of going from C to D 

 

You are currently a C, and desperately trying to get to D ?    

[SCTaylor]

Yup... That's how it goes unfortunately.  Hate to bring bad news, but it never gets better.  As you progress along the path of learning then the more little things become apparent.

 

A stage I'd be damn proud of 1 year ago, is dog poo today.  At least for me.

[MemphisMechanic]

And, to expand @SCTaylor’s point, by the time you’ve gotten to A or better... when you learn of a bad habit you need to change, you’ve spent countless hours of practice burning that technique in.

 

So changing it becomes twice as hard.

 

Edited July 19, 2018 by MemphisMechanic

[Racinready300ex]

I would say I feel like that. I need to get better at everything, but there is only so much time and money for practice so I can't practice everything.

 

You can only try to focus on what you think either needs the most work or will yield the largest gains. The better you get, the harder that becomes.

[MemphisMechanic]

For me I find it helps the most to pick one skill you’re bad at, and work on it until it’s a stength.

 

Maybe it’s transitions, or perhaps staying low and with weight forward for the entire stage, or more accuracy on distant partial targets.

 

In the beginning I constantly worked on everything, and saw very slow progress.

If you feel discouraged or like you’re burning out? Pick a single isolated goal and work on it really hard. Maybe it’s taking 10% of the time off your draw, or reload. Maybe it’s a faster bill drill. Maybe it’s gripping the gun harder.

 

You’ll see progress much more quickly, and that helps to avoid becoming discouraged.

 

Edited July 19, 2018 by MemphisMechanic

[Eureka1911]

13 hours ago, Hi-Power Jack said:

 

You are currently a C, and desperately trying to get to D ?    

 

Oops. See, I'm so anxious about it I cannot even type straight!!

[wdfwguy]

10 hours ago, MemphisMechanic said:

For me I find it helps the most to pick one skill you’re bad at, and work on it until it’s a stength.

 

Maybe it’s transitions, or perhaps staying low and with weight forward for the entire stage, or more accuracy on distant partial targets. 

 

 

That seems like good advice.  I think every couple weeks I'll pick a couple things to focus on in dry and live fire.

 

I've been shooting carry optics for about a month, and switched from a Glock to a CZ a couple of weeks ago.  So, seeing the dot and a smooth first shot in DA are two things I need to work on.  That, and anything to do with movement, especially getting in and out of positions sooner.

[MemphisMechanic]

@wdfwguy use something as a short wall, lay down a fault line of some sort and dryfire various awkward leans around it with the CO gun.

 

Those are the places it’s easiest to lose the dot - along with weakhand shooting  

[wtturn]

Everyone who's trying to achieve something in the sport goes through the same thing.

It gets worse the higher you climb up the totem pole.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk

[Eureka1911]

It's almost like the more proficient you get the more you realize how bad you are!! I see things I need to improve on that I did not even know existed when I started USPSA shooting. That's why I say that it is a journey not a destination.

[HoMiE]

I only feel overwhelmed when I have not practiced. Regular practice routine helps you with the mental game cause  you show up to a match and then you have the confidence that there is nothing there that is not out of your skill set. You can only Perform at the level you have practiced at. As you progress in the sport, you only build on skills but always have to execute the fundamentals. 

[Nalle2491]

I feel overwhelmed with what I don’t know all the time. Especially when I shoot with people that are much better than I am. But it gives me something to work towards.