When Did Consistent Match Performance Arrive?

[boo radley]

I'm curious when y'all started finding yourselves really shooting consistently at matches?

Right now, I can tell I've gotten better: I'll typically have one stage in a match that is good by any objective standard: right up there with A's and M's: 8 months ago that would have been a dream. The problem is the *rest* of the stages; one will be rotten, to offset it, and the others so-so. I think that I'm better than my match results and classifiers reflect, but...it's hard to argue with the cold facts.

I'd like this extreme spread to tighten up, and I assume eventually it will?

[AikiDale]

Consistency is a major factor in improving. As one gains consistency one gains the smoothness which reduces time and improves performance.

I shot a stage a couple of weeks ago fairly well I thought. Came in 12 out of 15 shooters. The shooter in first place had one more point and 3/4 second on me. In a game where there is so little difference between really good and needs work inconsistency is a major factor.

[davidball]

I'm curious when y'all started finding yourselves really shooting consistently at matches?

When I had dry fired at least for times a week for three months . . . kinda started coming together at that point . . .

[Steve Anderson]

Consistency arrives when you decide that shooting points at your natural speed is the key to success.

SA

[spook]

Consistency arrives when you decide that shooting points at your natural speed is the key to success.

SA

Yeah, that sounds very true. I remember when Eric Grauffel was asked how he got to be so consistent. His reply: "It's a choice I make".

You can be as consistent as you want. The biggest danger to consistency is trying to hurry/go faster and the tension that comes with that (at least to me)

[Steve Anderson]

I applied that mindset at the open nats this year and had ONE penalty for the whole match. Yeah, I felt slow at times, but I remained undeterred from my goal.

It's a sh*tload of fun to walk with the RO and not be worried about your hits.

My goal was top 16, and that one mike made me 17.

That's good tacklin' fuel.

SA

[spook]

It's a sh*tload of fun to walk with the RO and not be worried about your hits.

Oh yeah! Those were my best matches/stages. It's cool to even know where your hits are on the target as you score.

[Clay1]

I think that it is touched on in this thread, but to put a finer point on it, I think that my shooting became more consistant when I knew how to do the mechanics of the game and added mental training to the mix.

The mental game is just huge. If you do X in practice but can't duplicate that on match day because you are "trying" to make it happen then mental training will add to your technique approach.

Highly recomend Saul Kirsch's book: Thinking Practical Shooting along with a great dry fire book like Steve Anderson's. Perfect combo to get to that next level.

Rick

[davidball]

The mental game is just huge.

Lanny Bassham, Lanny Bassham, Lanny Bassham.

Consistency arrives when you decide that shooting points at your natural speed is the key to success.

I'm putting this on my bulletin board . . .

[Clay1]

Can second David's recomendation of Lanny Bassham as well. His book: With Winning in Mind is a classic and a part of my shooting library. Saul's book compliments Lanny's very well indeed.

As a production shooter I wasted months literally "trying" to go fast. I still have a ton of work to do to get where I want to be, but shooting as fast as I can shoot A's really helped my final score as well.

Rick

[boo radley]

Thx all -- the hard part is letting go of imagining the best stage as my actual level, if that makes sense. It's easy for me to think, "Hmm, well THAT is how I should be shooting, and the other 5 stages were mistakes," instead of recognizing the really good stage as a happy accident.

For sure, I'm still trying to push, and trying to make the speed happen. <sigh>

[Clay1]

Boo, I will have to respectfully disagree with you. I think Saul Kirsch and Lanny Bassham would definately dissagree with you too. This is part of the mental game. This is a big part of the game. You have to expect that this better performance is "how I normally shoot" This is what I do, I shoot A's, I do it fast and accurately, I normally hit my reloads, etc. This is you not only saying these things to yourself, but believing it and programming it to your subconscious. Yes, you must back up the positive self talk with hard training and skills development, but the positive attitude and "knowing" that you can do something starts between your ears.

I will encourage you to visit Brian's book store here: http://www.brianenos.com/store/books.html

Rick

[Steve Moneypenny]

Consistancy comes when you stop pushing to 100% on every stage. It comes when u can call every shot. when u Know if the mike was there before the RO calls it. It sounds like your at the same place many of us have been.. the tension of trying is causing an adverse effect in your results. ... try shooting with some beginners. so there is no pressure. or just be as alone as you can, ignore time don't even think about it for a few matches. Time and points have their equilibrium to find that for yourself it will be at point no one else has. .... remember enjoy the experience not the result.

[boo radley]

...Time and points have their equilibrium to find that for yourself it will be at point no one else has. .... remember enjoy the experience not the result.

Thx, Steve --

Man, there are a couple pithy quotes in this thread, and I should start writing them down. Both you and Steve Anderson are providing some gems.

In truth I probably do know how to get more consistent, and that is to "see", call my shots, whatever one wants to call it, but I've been in a bad streak lately, of trying to force gains, speed and improvement, with predictable results. Maybe I DO need Bassham's book, I'm such a freakin' mental weakling -- back to making the same old mistakes again, albeit a tad faster since I'm learning how to move faster/more efficiently. Enough whining.

[Steve Moneypenny]

Thanks Boo

My biggest problem was my yearning for greatness and to be looked at by others with awe crushed my want to be in control. One huge help was shooting with a few GM's it helped realize we all suck, some worse than others. No one has shot a perfect match... EVER! the match winner is the one who makes the least mistakes consistantly.

Rely on what you KNOW you can do. Don't try something your not sure of in a match.

[Jake Di Vita]

Just aim...

[Airic]

I dont have the book here on me to look it up, but wasnt there a quote in the sidebar of brians book that said something to the effect of "people dont want to believe how simple it is to be consistant"

*- refering to jake's post above me about "just aim"

Edited November 28, 2005 by Airic

[benos]

Consistency arrives when you decide that shooting points at your natural speed is the key to success.

SA

+1

Without knowing its importance, I had the good fortune to do that early on. (Could have been my Temperament combined with my accuracy-oriented background, before I started IPSC.) Then after 20 years of training and experience, I really learned the truth of that sentence.

be

[kimel]

I think that shooting steel really helps one determine what their natural speed is. I know it sure has helped me.

Nothing like standing in at a steel stage and going through it trying to burn it down for a couple runs and having horrid times. Then you slow it down and shoot your own game and the times drop way down. What seems slow really is faster.

Unlike IPSC matches, with steel you get to run the same COF 4 or 5 times back-to-back so you can play around (if you don't care about overall score).

Steel taught me what my natural speed was. Now I just have to figure out how to turn that natural speed up a bit.

[kellyn]

Although I'm not as consistent as I need to be, I am more consistent than I used to be. I gained a great deal of consistency when I learned not to fear any shots presented in a match: prone, near, far, swingers, movers, stronghand, supporthand, through ports, etc etc. etc. I'd shot enough matches and shot enough drills (especially the Bianchi plates!), that I don't get all stressed by target presentations. Wait for the necessary sight picture and fire the gun!

[Flyin40]

I'll let you know when it happens

This past yr was fun but one of my main goals this yr is constistency and the other accuracy. Lots of work to do before the season starts. Visual patience, Visual Patience,

did I mention visual patience.

LOL

Flyin40

[boo radley]

I'll let you know when it happens

Flyin40

I hear you. Actually, I'm finding this a case of being careful what you wish for -- the last couple matches have been consistent, in fact -- a consistently terrible performance.

I'm not at all burnt out, and my interest level is high, but I'm giving serious consideration to taking a month or two off from shooting matches. My psyche ain't fragile, but I'm getting a bit frustrated.

When I started playing golf seriously, there was a period in which round after round would be trash, because of triple-bogey's (or worse), or shanking it on the first tee, etc. There would be some solid holes in the round, but not enough to offset the damage.

I feel like I'm in that state, now. First stage, "bang bang bang....." Look at the targets, oh, there's a no-shoot, a mike and a delta. WTF??? I *was* aiming, too. I need to get through this, or I'll remain a solid C-performer, like the weekend golfer who can't legitimately break 100.

May time to modify the way I practice, or go back to a 1911 for a while from the Glock. Change something.

[Flexmoney]

Instead of "bang bang bang"...

Perhaps...see sight lift see sight lift see sight lift

[Jake Di Vita]

Ever consider that maybe you aren't aiming at the correct thing?

Remember what the target is....the center of the A zone.

[glock17w]

I am no expert on being consistent but I have been in your shoes in many different situations. Maybe you are trying too hard to be consistent. You are tensed up while you shoot. Seems like if you relax and get back to what you learned in your training, you will be able to execute. You may be letting the conscious mind taking over your shooting. Let your subconscious mind do the work for you. Relax. Have fun. Change to a positive attitude.

It sounds like it is more mental than physical. It seems you already have programmed your mind to have one great stage and 5 bad ones. Take it one stage at a time.