I plan things out before a stage, but when that beeper sounds, I'm a deer in headlights

[ass1434]

I've shot IDPA a handful of times, mostly practice, one official match, and of course during my wait for the stage I study and plan out every move. Then when the buzzer sounds I fumble for magazines, hesitate on targets and ran in the wrong direction once. How the heck do I get over this hump?

[perttime]

Trying to go faster than you realistically can go?

 

What happens if you deliberately go slow? Just to get good hits but ignoring time.

[waktasz]

17 hours ago, ass1434 said:

I've shot IDPA a handful of times, mostly practice, one official match, and of course during my wait for the stage I study and plan out every move. Then when the buzzer sounds I fumble for magazines, hesitate on targets and ran in the wrong direction once. How the heck do I get over this hump?

 

I wouldn't expect you to have the intricacies of stage planning ironed out after one match. I think you are being too hard on yourself. 
Come back after you shoot 50 matches and let us know if you have the same problem.  

[Barcode1337]

Essentially what waktasz says. Do it more.

[Joe4d]

stop trying to plan a better mouse trap thinking you can game an edge... Just do what the guys in front of you did.

[ddc]

I've learned the hard way that my feet can outrun my brain.

[Twilk73]

For now keep the plan simple. No where to reload and no the direction you’re going. When you’re on deck, stop pasting, start visualizing the plan. One thing that helped me and I thought no way it would, was to tune people out and run the stage in my head with my eyes closed. You can lean and crouch. I do all that oh and I still mess it up, but I’m messing it up less now. If the stage has something special like grabbing reloads off the table try getting some dry runs in picking up mags off the table and stuffing them in the gun. 

Edited August 15 by Twilk73

[synchronicity]

The Plan only lasts until the buzzer.  Embrace it.  

I. Don't.Practice.Anymore.

[GunBugBit]

A thing that happens after a certain number of matches is your brain figures out how to regulate adrenalin and nerves.  Well that’s my theory anyway.

[motosapiens]

planning it out is one thing, but to execute, most good shooters memorize the plan, and visualize it repeatedly in their heads. draw a mental picture of the sights (or dot) lifting off each target, imagine moving with the gun pointed in a safe direction (esp when reloading), etc.... If you can't play a movie of the stage in your head, then keep memorizing it until you can. Then once the beep sounds, just watch the sights and your memorized routine will take over and basically execute itself subconsciously. It's pretty magical the first few times it happens.

[Yagi]

Make it simple. Just repeat the process. 

 

[dsmarty386]

Practice stage execution and visualization in dryfire. surprised noone has mentioned this. get used to determining a plan and picking your cues and then execute the plan at home in dryfire. this helps get reps in and makes you less nervous during the real thing.

[HesedTech]

On 8/11/2023 at 7:32 PM, ass1434 said:

How the heck do I get over this hump?

Check out the many good instructors and books on the subject. But first of all is you can't remember the stage plan it may be because you really aren't comfortable yet with you shooting skills, the basics. These have to be subconscious so your only focus is on the stage and its execution.

 

Steve Anderson says it this way, "learn to shoot the targets and then do everything else." or something like that.

 

1. Practice the fundamentals of shooting, dry and live, until they are ingrained in you.

2.Work on a process for stage planning.

3.Before you shoot you must be able to close eyes and visualize where every target is and how you intend to move through the stage to shoot them. Every stage is a memory stage!

4.According to Anderson, at minimum, one must mentally executed their stage plan at least 10 times (yes count them).

5.When executing the stage the conscious mind can only do one thing at a time. If you are think speed then that will become the dominant thing and therefore the plan, points and shooting will suffer. 

 

Enos calls this mental aspect the "zen" of shooting and it takes practice to make it a norm.

 

There's a good book out there explaining the scientific side (myelination/repetition), "Outliers", and for the game side, "With Winning in Mind." Lanny Bassham.

 

Watch out you might get hooked with this sport!