Old guy, new to USPSA. Need advice or tips

[cas]

On 5/8/2020 at 12:48 PM, RangerTrace said:

If you can't close your eyes and shoot the stage in your head from memory, you are not ready to shoot the stage yet. 

 

 

Then I have never been ready to shoot a single stage, in any match, ever.

[motosapiens]

On 5/8/2020 at 10:48 AM, RangerTrace said:

If you can't close your eyes and shoot the stage in your head from memory, you are not ready to shoot the stage yet.  You have to run it in your mind as many times as it takes.  Obviously the harder the stage, the more reps it will take.  You have to memorize the shooting order of the targets, where you will shoot each target and from what position, along with mag changes etc.. 

this.  I've never had a problem with the timer wiping my memory or any other silly newb stuff because someone told me right at the start to memorize the stage and visualize it repeatedly before shooting. All i have to do is get my sights to the first target and watch them while my subconscious executes everything else without hesitation.

 

Literally EVERY good shooter does this, and also every good downhill skier, gymnast, bobsledder, etc.... When Mikaela Shiffrin is waiting for her turn to ski, you can often see her with her eyes closed bobbing and weaving back and forth as she mentally goes through every single gate on the course.

Edited May 12, 2020 by motosapiens

[motosapiens]

15 minutes ago, cas said:

 

 

Then I have never been ready to shoot a single stage, in any match, ever.

 

even several days later after a local match I can usually still close my eyes and visualize every position and every target on all the stages.

[Boomstick303]

I have made the mistake of starting a stage plan without understanding where all of the targets are located.  This has caused confusion in my stage plan once I run the stage.  Your subconscious mind is amazing once you visualize the stage correctly.  It takes time for sure, but come up with a process and it gets easier with time.  Not having a good stage plan and memorizing using visualization is one of the biggest time sucks for all new shooters, as I am sure you understand after experiencing the issue yourself. 

 

For me, my process is:

 

1.  Look at stage brief and get round count.  How many paper and how many steel (Make sure you read the stage brief entirely to prevent having to change your plan later)

2.  Physically locate all of the targets

3.  Come up with a plan which includes reload position (Be sure to include the reloads in your visualization.)

4.  Make sure my round count in the stage plan equals the round count on the stage briefing

5.  Verify my round counts for the reload positions make sense (try to avoid standing reloads, if this means only shooting a couple of rounds out of the first magazine so be it as long as you have enough magazines to make it through the rest of the stage) You don't have to use all of the bullets in the mag to reload

6.  Keep it relatively simple (if you are struggling with a part of the stage you are probably over complicating that portion of the stage by over thinking it)

7.  Try to avoid changing your stage plan right before you shoot.  (Almost everyone I see including me that changes their stage plan without enough time to visualize the new plan train wrecks their run)

 

After you start to get the hang of stage planning you can start thinking about adding more details.

2a.  Where your point of impact for each target will be

3a.  Understand exactly you want your feet and body position to be at each shooting location for static shooting locations.  Minimize shuffling feet in shooting positions

3b.  Think about entry and exit, can you shoot target on entry and exit of positions and try not standing up when entering and exiting positions? (this kind of goes into skills that need to be worked on independently but for me its something I have started incorporating into stage plans for now to be a part of the visualization process after coming up with a plan.)

 

I know it seems like a lot.  These are skills as you work on them the will become afterthoughts after they become a process.  Memory stages tend to be very difficult because I spend so much time ensuring that I have a plan to engage all of the targets to prevent a Failure to Engage Procedural.  Being new I would not stress over this stuff.  Start creating a process for yourself and if you are diligent in using that process it will get easier and easier.  Add details as things become easier. 

 

I am far from perfect and still make mistakes from time to time and I am not anywhere near being a top tier shooter, but I am working on it and wanted to share kind of the process I went through to help me remember how to get through stages when I was first starting.  I am much better on most stages and typically my stage plans matches what the upper tier shooters come up with, and I can typically run the plan without hesitation.  At the beginning I think almost all shooters experience the memory zapping device from Men In Black once the buzzer goes off.

 

The reason I went into so much detail is that I feel the subconscious mind is super powerful.  Top tier instructors discuss this a lot in their training.  I include every detail I can in the visualization in a hope to have my subconscious aid my physical actions while shooting the stage.  I figure it can only help.  I only added these details later after I had the basics down, and I was not making very many mistakes when I ran my plans in stages.  I am still working on the details part for certain.

 

The other thing you will see is most people are meandering around talking shop with other shooters in the squad while other shooters are shooting the stage, and not really  visualizing the stage during this time.  When I do not visualize my stage plan enough times, my stage plan tends to fall apart.  I will miss targets for forget the order of targets and/or miss my reload points.  Its like anything in life you get out what you put in.  You put in little to no effort to visualize, it will materialize during your run.

 

There are a lot of shooting material and instructors that will help you figure out your own process.  Podcasts, books, YouTube, and people you shoot with.  My process has come from numerous sources to create something that works for me. 

 

+1 on the showing up early.  This allows you to read stage briefings and find targets early so it does not seem so stressful when you get your 5 minutes to walk the stage before you shoot it. 

Edited May 12, 2020 by Boomstick303

[Boomstick303]

49 minutes ago, motosapiens said:

 

even several days later after a local match I can usually still close my eyes and visualize every position and every target on all the stages.

 

I have started to do this driving home from matches to help my brain become more efficient at performing the task.  Like training your brain, so the process gets easier at the next match.

[Warpspasm]

Boomstick303, that was an excellent description of how to develop a plan. I'm actually going to print it out to review once matches start up around here again.

 

[Boomstick303]

15 hours ago, Warpspasm said:

Boomstick303, that was an excellent description of how to develop a plan. I'm actually going to print it out to review once matches start up around here again.

 

 

I wouldn't take that as you end all be all.  I would find some other sources and incorporate what works for you. If you don't know of him Steve Anderson is an accomplished shooter and instructor.  He has many good books and a Podcast called "That shooting show".  He has a really good system much of which I have incorporated into my system. Have fun with it and don't beat yourself up when you make mistakes.  I have to remind myself many times, the guys that make shooting a stage easy have mastered many aspects of the sport and it all comes naturally to them after years of experience.  At least you have a head start in that your gun handling should be on par already. 

 

You do not have to wait for a match to work on this skill.  Set up a stage using targets, or objects around a room or your garage.  Create a plan using your process, then air gun or dry fire the stage once you feel you have memorized the stage.  I set up stages all the time at hope to practice this skill.  Maybe something to try, while we can't really shoot matches right now.  I do practice this even when we are able to attend matches. Visualization is a skill that needs to be practiced to become proficient at it, just like many of the other skills we use in matches.

 

Good luck. 

Edited May 13, 2020 by Boomstick303

[DesertTortoise]

Ahhhhh.... Actually, I do plan to shoot limited, but I have a 9mm, so I guess I'm stuck shooting minor then. That kind of stinks.
 
 

Limited minor is a great place to start, if that's the gun you have. You can move into production (where stage planning is really important due to 10 round limit) or you can eventually buy a nice race gun if that's what you want to do down the road.

By then you'll have a good idea of what you like, what works for the game, and can test drive other people's equipment.

Maybe you'll decide to shoot carry optics or even open?

___________

The only thing I'll add to the stage planning discussion is to have someone video you so you take watch yourself or get feedback from others. You can also video others shooting the same stage and compare what they did. Lots to learn from this. I believe there is a section in this forum just for posting video and getting feedback.

[p7fl]

At 71 and 25 years of USPSA I think of myself as an aggressive competitor.

Two rules help me keeping going.

A. I never look at scores

B. I never watch the video's people post of their perfect runs.

Reasons should be obvious and lend themselves to be able to compete another 10 or 15 years.

[Slalom45]

P7fl

Those sound like words of wisdom for long term enjoyment of the sport!

[fishhunter3]

The best thing I did after coming back to the sport after an extended period was take a  RO class. And the remember that I wasn't the same person I  was 15 years earlier 

[TANFARM]

Great topic and threads.......” The buzzer wipes your mind clean”......excellent!