Whats Is The #1 Thing That Slows Up Improvement

[DrShooter]

My answer to the OP is the number of paths that branch from each point as we progress. As Lanny writes in his book, (paraphrasing) he, or another good coach, can bring a new shooter along very rapidly. Not having a dedicated coach, most of us are guessing what we should work on to improve at any point in time.

My periods of rapid progress coincide with my having identified something that really needed fixing. Like not properly memorizing the COF.

This forum is great for me, because all paths (well almost all) are being examined at once, like in the quantum world. I can then recognize, from what others are saying, something I hadn't considered before in the appropriate way. This improves my practice and my matches because I am working on something that needs improvement right now.

So I would say the number 1 thing slowing us down is the lack of an accurate self-model of ourselves as a shooter. Sometimes this is ego, sometimes it's just lack of self-knowledge. Mainly, it's lack of a critical observer: ourselves, coach, fellow shooters, etc.

If I'm always working on stuff that needs to be fixed and not wasting time working on incidental stuff, improvement is much faster.

Not very philosophical, but I did mention the quantum universe.

[Duane Thomas]

If I had to pick one thing, I would say it's a belief on the shooter's part that they already know everything. You see this even in people whose skill level is not at all impressive.

This is a belief that can infect shooters at the higher skill levels, as well. One thing separating the best shooters from the rest is a questing mind, a lack of dogmatism, and an absolute willingness to instantly scrap shooting techniques (and equipment) they've spent years perfecting, if they see a better way. Thus their skill level is consistently evolving and improving, rather than hitting a plateau. Jerry Barnhart said to me once, "You should always leave a match feeling like there's something you need to work on. I do."

[Flexmoney]

Whatever is most fundamental...that hasn't been mastered. That is what slows progress.

Build a solid foundation.

[shooterbenedetto]

Whatever is most fundamental...that hasn't been mastered. That is what slows progress.

Build a solid foundation.

+1 knowing what you can do consistently is the key!!

Edited August 21, 2008 by shooterbenedetto

[Jim B]

Add: age, stiff joints and old eyes!!

Jim B.

[benos]

Whatever is most fundamental...that hasn't been mastered. That is what slows progress.

Build a solid foundation.

Yes.

If were to re-title Practical Shooting, Beyond Fundamentals, today, "beyond fundamentals" would not be in the title. Because you cannot go beyond the fundamentals. You can only master them.

I originally liked "beyond fundamentals" because it suggested there was more to the book than just "this is how you do it." But over the years since then, I've become a real stickler for finding the right word(s) to convey exactly what I mean, so that I'm understood. If I'm in the mood, of course.

be

[Flexmoney]

Thinking about it, and where the vocabulary has taken us....hmmm

Regardless, your book seems timeless (and by that, I mean it has more and more meaning each time it is read...as the reader grows). I think that comes from the material being so solid. So...fundamental. (< )

I've adopted your definition of fundamental...essential. (in case anybody had any doubt )

[leam]

Flex is right Brian, your book is a deep well of wisdom. However, I disagree that you can't go beyond fundamentals. Not that there are things beyond the fundamentals, but our individual understanding and integration of the fundamentals needs to grow. That requires not only thinking, but thinking about how you think. Your book encourages people to continually go beyond the fundamentals we think we have now and see what is more fundamental, more attuned to the actual essential.

Leam

[Graham Smith]

If were to re-title Practical Shooting, Beyond Fundamentals, today, "beyond fundamentals" would not be in the title. Because you cannot go beyond the fundamentals. You can only master them.

I did some martial arts training in college and later in the military. The instructors kept emphasizing the need to constantly return to the basics.

I know this well, as it is a part of my normal work (computer programmer), but it's amazing how easy it is to lose sight of this basic fact. Every time things start to get a bit too complicated, I step back and look at things afresh making sure that the fundamentals of the design are sound.

Last night, I was having a look at the 3GM video and it started with basic accuracy - not grip, stance, movement, any of the technical stuff - just basic slow shooting accuracy. Their point was that no matter how good your technique or how fast you were, accuracy was still the foundation of it all.

And, Brian, with all due respect, I have to agree with something I was told by my first karate instructor. Loosely quoting he said, "You can never master the fundamentals - you can only get better or worse. The choice is yours."

[benos]

After my last post last night, I went for a walk and got to thinking a little more on "fundamental"... And realized I would now say - There is nothing beyond what is fundamental; so from moment to moment, pay attention to what is fundamental.

For any single, specific act, there will always be one fundamental.

I've said previously that there are three fundamentals to shooting: Find the target, point the barrel at the target, and hold it there until the bullet leaves the barrel. But today I would no longer say it like that.

I would say something more like... What is "fundamental" to any act is what must be done for the activity to be accomplished. In the case of shooting a successful shot, keeping the barrel pointed at the target until the bullet has left it is the single fundamental.

I think of activities as simple or complex. A simple act has only one fundamental. Like picking up a pen (that is within your visual field), for example. All that is required is that you exert enough pressure with your fingers to lift the pen off the table. Firing a single shot and hitting the target - keep the barrel pointed at the target until the bullet has left it is what is fundamental. But shooting a string of multiple targets - finding (visually locating) the next target is the first fundamental. Pointing the barrel at the target is the second fundamental act you must do. And then the final fundamental - keep the barrel pointed at the target until the bullet has left it.

Anything other than what is fundamental to a specific act should be done with the goal of assisting or improving the accomplishment of what is fundamental. That's where looking at the target, or your sights, comes in.

Your progress will flounder if you don't find what is fundamental for each thing you do.

Once you find what is fundamental for each act to be accomplished, now, from moment to moment, you know where to place your attention.

be

[HoMiE]

I like to think about shooting in terms of Adapting Fundamentals.

[benos]

I like to think about shooting in terms of Adapting Fundamentals.

Would you say some more on that?

Thanks,

be

[38supPat]

This is something I have been discovering lately and really paying attention to. Maybe sometimes you need to step away from the shooting to be able to look back at it in a new way.

I'm probably going to have to spend some time organizing my thoughts to be able to communicate my thoughts properly, but the more I see the shooting act, the more I realize how complex we try to make it and how much that handicaps our learning.

[HoMiE]

I like to think about shooting in terms of Adapting Fundamentals.

Would you say some more on that?

Thanks,

be

Sure. I don't consider myself or think that anyone shooting can be so perfect that they can make any shot that they try, on demand, everytime. Nothing is ever the same. What is happening from moment to moment is in constant change. In contrast, the three fundamentals you talk about never change. So being a shooter, you can try different things out to try and figure out what it takes to make any shot and come to your own conslusions. Or, you could work on finding the target, keeping the gun on target until the bullet leaves the barrel and adapt and make that shot fit what you know works.

I looked up what the defition of adapt is: to make fit(usually by modification) or to become. Sometimes if we let go on what we think we know, our body will find a way to adjust and make the shot happen. I guess you could say one becomes the shot as you have mentioned previously.

[benos]

I like to think about shooting in terms of Adapting Fundamentals.

Would you say some more on that?

Thanks,

be

Sure. I don't consider myself or think that anyone shooting can be so perfect that they can make any shot that they try, on demand, everytime. Nothing is ever the same. What is happening from moment to moment is in constant change. In contrast, the three fundamentals you talk about never change. So being a shooter, you can try different things out to try and figure out what it takes to make any shot and come to your own conslusions. Or, you could work on finding the target, keeping the gun on target until the bullet leaves the barrel and adapt and make that shot fit what you know works.

I looked up what the defition of adapt is: to make fit(usually by modification) or to become. Sometimes if we let go on what we think we know, our body will find a way to adjust and make the shot happen. I guess you could say one becomes the shot as you have mentioned previously.

Cool - now I understand. I wondered if you meant adapting or changing the fundamentals themselves. But now I hear you as adapting within the fundamentals.

I remember reading once (I can't remember where), a golf instructor said - "I never swing the club the same way twice." I identified with that when I read it. Even though at that point I'd practiced the draw an uncountable number of times, I remember thinking, "I never draw the same way twice." It really puts what you are doing and your goal in perspective. The goal being accomplishing what is fundamental, and how you adapt what you do to get that done.

be

[BigDave]

Maybe sometimes you need to step away from the shooting to be able to look back at it in a new way.

...but the more I see the shooting act, the more I realize how complex we try to make it and how much that handicaps our learning.

You're stealing the thoughts right out of my head.

[45Fundi]

I'm learning amazing things from this thread...many of which will be dealt with in my future training, ....but for some of us (ME) the greatest impediment is "ignorance"! I consistently "think" I know how to do something correctly and realize I do NOT know. I will analyze a mistake in form, grip what ever and "fix" it in dryfire only to find that it was not a fix. Example: I changed grip and didn't realize that I started resting my support thumb on the slide stop pivot disk (on a P-35) and started having the slide lock back randomly...thought it was mechanical. I guess I need to buy Ghost Dog's book ;-) I recently found a really good break down of changing mags and it improved my mag changes by light years. I just didn't know there was a better/correct/fundamental way to do mag changes other than practice, practice, practice and genetically good hand eye or hand to hand coordination.

Lately, I get frustrated sometimes and don't want to practice because I think I know so little that I'm certain I'm just creating lots of unknown bad habits that I will one day have to undo and maybe I should just not waste my time and lead until my "Mr. Meyagi (Karate Kid Mentor) of Shooting" decides to magically appear and teach me how to do it right!

[JThompson]

Too much time spent typing and not enough spent shooting?

Taking my own advice, I'm off to load and head for the range.

Edited October 18, 2008 by JThompson

[Flexmoney]

Detached awareness.

(...a lack of. That was the first thing that popped into my head when reading the title again)