How To: Improve your Shot Cadence or Rhythm

[StefVanHauwe]

Video of a 8'-presentation, directed towards new and beginner IPSC-USPSA shooters, that explains what shot cadence or shot rhythm is and how you can train and improve it to gain time engaging targets in different target arrays faster and sooner.

 

 

[hre321]

Nice one. Thanks for sharing

[uncledoc]

Thank you for this info . . .

[MattInTheHat]

I kinda disagree with cadence in any application other than a 5yd target. I remember having dinner with a top shooter and some other folks and one asked this question, "What cadence are you using?" The response was none, at a high level you're waiting on your sights, not your finger, even in revolver we had a bunch of the travel already out of the trigger by the time recoil ended and the sights were arriving. If you're not waiting for the sights then you need to focus on getting your shooting motion ingrained enough to where you are. But, like I mentioned on burner arrays, three targets at a few yards, then you just run the gun as fast as you can and have practiced it bouncing down into a somewhat reasonable position during that motion. In that case you point your core/platform at the target rather than looking for sights.

Edited July 9, 2023 by MattInTheHat

[StefVanHauwe]

On 7/9/2023 at 2:16 AM, MattInTheHat said:

I kinda disagree with cadence in any application other than a 5yd target. I remember having dinner with a top shooter and some other folks and one asked this question, "What cadence are you using?" The response was none, at a high level you're waiting on your sights, not your finger, even in revolver we had a bunch of the travel already out of the trigger by the time recoil ended and the sights were arriving. If you're not waiting for the sights then you need to focus on getting your shooting motion ingrained enough to where you are. But, like I mentioned on burner arrays, three targets at a few yards, then you just run the gun as fast as you can and have practiced it bouncing down into a somewhat reasonable position during that motion. In that case you point your core/platform at the target rather than looking for sights.

Hi there, thanks for sharing your insights. I agree. The Hit Factor of the stage, together with your Stage Plan AND your vision, i.e. RD or Iron Sights in the Acceptable Target Area, should dictate your speed. 

[waktasz]

On 7/8/2023 at 8:16 PM, MattInTheHat said:

I kinda disagree with cadence in any application other than a 5yd target. I remember having dinner with a top shooter and some other folks and one asked this question, "What cadence are you using?" The response was none, at a high level you're waiting on your sights, not your finger, even in revolver we had a bunch of the travel already out of the trigger by the time recoil ended and the sights were arriving. If you're not waiting for the sights then you need to focus on getting your shooting motion ingrained enough to where you are. But, like I mentioned on burner arrays, three targets at a few yards, then you just run the gun as fast as you can and have practiced it bouncing down into a somewhat reasonable position during that motion. In that case you point your core/platform at the target rather than looking for sights.

 

Using something like the Blake Drill for training and self evaluation is huge though. Most people take way too much time between targets. I could talk about this for hours. 

[chevymen21]

I think waktaz is on the correct path. You need to focus on the level of accuracy needed for each target instead of listening for a certain cadence. Level of experience plays a huge difference here. Talking about new to intermediate shooters focusing on cadence is not the first aspect of this sport to be focusing on.

[stick]

14 hours ago, chevymen21 said:

I think waktaz is on the correct path. You need to focus on the level of accuracy needed for each target instead of listening for a certain cadence. Level of experience plays a huge difference here. Talking about new to intermediate shooters focusing on cadence is not the first aspect of this sport to be focusing on.

I agree.  Ask all the top shooters.  First thing they say is in order to shooter faster, you need to see faster.  Teaching a new shooter to shoot faster or with a faster cadence, is leading them down the wrong path.

[shred]

I've taken classes with a couple different top shooters where we did cadence drills, but the point was to force transitions to be faster and splits slower as a training tool.  They were clear this was a training tool and not for a match situation.

 

[flyinverted]

My local club does weekly 'practice' matches. Sometimes there are hoser stages with many targets that allow for quick transitions.  In my head there's a cadence before I start I want to keep. If all goes well, the dot, my trigger finger and my eyes work together to keep that pace.  I try to keep the same split between shots 2-3 as there was between 1-2. In retrospect, I'm doing predictive shooting. I see the dot on target, pull the trigger, and before or just as #2 is fired, my eyeball is already on target 2.  I know where the gun will return to if I hold it right, and thus comes shot #2, while my eyeball waits for the red dot to superimpose on target 2. Rinse and repeat for the rest of the stage.

 

This came with a cost though initially where my %of C hits went up. (My goal is no more than 15% C hits per match)
With just a very slight slowdown and a quicker dot acquisition on the next target, the C hits reduced and the scores improved slowly. 

 

Long story short with an avg of 95-100 competitors per weekly match,  I started this April placing in the high 70's placing to #8 overall recently.

People say I improved quickly. Honestly I don't practice that much other than dry fire. I went from 2.75 seconds time to first shot to 1.1-1.2 average. That improvement on 5 stages is a 10-15 higher placing just on the time saving HF increase alone. There's all this talk about going faster, transitioning faster, and I see way too many people leaving 1-2s seconds on the table with the time to first shot. We can all practice that and improve for free.. well it took me 3 holsters to find the one that works the best for me, but I found it.

 

 

[ColoradoNick]

1 hour ago, flyinverted said:

There's all this talk about going faster, transitioning faster, and I see way too many people leaving 1-2s seconds on the table with the time to first shot. We can all practice that and improve for free.. well it took me 3 holsters to find the one that works the best for me, but I found it.

 

The only time your draw speed really matters are classifiers and "start anywhere in the shooting area" stages. Otherwise you can be drawing and moving at the same time. If 1 step equals 1 second and you have to take a few steps to your first shooting position draw speed doesn't matter. Especially if I were teaching new-ish shooters. Take the necessary time to build a proper grip. If we're talking about a 32 round hoser stage with 16 targets that's 15+ transitions people could save .2-.3 seconds on each or 4-5 seconds overall.