What Book Or Video Helped You The Most In The Beginning?

[tpe187]

I've been shooting for several years, and have done several IPSC matches, but haven't really focused on a training program.

I have both limited and open guns and depending on how I feel on a particular day, I shoot either one. I would say I was a C to B class shooter right now.

I now have the new PACT MKIV timer and I want to start improving my skills. I'd really like to start getting the most out of the timer. I initially noticed that I was pretty accurate, but slow in my draw and initial shot.

What books or DVD's are most helpful to a shooter trying to learn the basics or break old habits? Thanks for any help.

Tom

[Flyin40]

I hear Practical Shooting, Beyond Fundementals is a good book. I really need to go ahead and gets some books. The only book I own is SA dryfire book.

I would recommend MBurketts videos. He covers the basics for a decent price. There are many. I would go with Volumes 1-4

I would recommend Steve Andersons Refinement and Repetition dryfire book.

Between the videos and dryfire book that will give you solid start.

Go here for Refinement and Repetition

Go here for MBurkett's videos and Brians bookClick here

Flyin40

[XRe]

For me, the biggest thing that helped me when I was D to B class was personal contact w/ IPSC folks and the help they gave me. There were MacGill videos out there, but I didn't have any to watch.

I hooked up w/ Burkett via the IPSC-L mail list, and bought his book. That book was a *great* resource. I've only seen vol. 4 of his videos, so I can't speak for them - my understanding is that they cover the same kind of ground.

Later, as I was moving into A and into M, I found Brian's book and a book called Performing Your Best (mind game stuff) extremely useful.

Lately, I'm using Anderson's book for a structured dry fire routine and ideas, and I've found both of Saul's books interesting, and Lanny Bassham's book is also great, so...

[kimel]

Biggest help for me when I was initially trying to figure out the mechanics and build a solid foundation was Matt Burkett's Practical Shooting Vol 1 - 3.

Then Matt's Vol 4 (How to Shoot Faster).

Brian's book is invaluable. Refer to it as you move along. Initially there are things there that might not be that useful (or understandable) but as you gain experience and skill then more and more of Brian's book makes sense.

Steve Anderson's Dry Fire book is invaluable in helping build a good dry fire regimen.

[davidball]

Videos:

Matt Burket Vol. 1-3, 7

Ron Avery - Secrets of a Professional Shooter

Any and all vidoes of Nationals / World Shoot

Books:

Matt Burkett's Book

Brian Enos - Beyond Fundamentals

Saul Kirsch - Perfect Practice, Mental Training

Steve Anderson - Refinement and Repetition

Lanny Bassham - Mental Management

Audio CD:

Lanny Bassham - Mental Management (this changed my shooting life entirely)

[j2fast]

+1 on BE's book, BEyond Fundimentals (just started rereading it again)

+1 on Steve Anderson's dry-fire book

[DrawandDuck]

+1 on Matt Burketts' videos, as a new shooter they helped me sorta know what I was supposed to do before I shot the first match!! All his videos were very helpful and informative!!

[Cameron]

Burkett's Volume 4 DVD. Excellant stuff

I am now reading Saul's new book, "Thinking Practical Shooting", and so far, this is a book that should stay in the range bag for reference. The information contained in Saul's book is written so simple minded people like myself can excel in the IPSC game. Recommend it 100%

[tpe187]

Thanks to all for the quick replies!

I just ordered BE's book, Steve Andersons Refinement and Repitition, Saul Kirsh's Perfect Practice and Matt's DVD's Vol 4 and Vol 7. Now I'll have all of Matt's videos minus Vol 5 beause I don't do IDPA.

These should be a great start and with the new timer it will be interesting to see the areas that I make improvements in.

Thanks again.

Tom

[kellyn]

Jerry Barnhart's video series helped me a great deal. After that Brian's book.

But many of the resources that are available now (Matt and Sauls' stuff in particular) were not available then.

[Merlin Orr]

Jerry Barnhart's video series helped me a great deal. After that Brian's book.

But many of the resources that are available now (Matt and Sauls' stuff in particular) were not available then.

Jerry Barnhart's video series helped me a great deal also. My first purchase of this type.

Edited to add: I did not list Brian's book - because that is a given for any serious student of shooting.

Edited January 17, 2006 by Merlin Orr

[raz-0]

Well, I can tell you waht I got the most benefit from starting from zero.

Matt Burkett's videos vol 1-4, With Winning in Mind, Brian's Beyond the Fundamentals, and Steve anderson's dry fire practice book. Plus a timer, which you already have.

honestly, the Burkett videos could proabbly ba cut down to volume 4 only.

Burkett's videos are good for seeing how to get a good grip and get into and out of positions, and other things that are easier to understand visually, and books just don't cut it for some

Steve's dryfire exercises aren't terribly enriching from a "how to play the game" standpoint until you know enough to go back and disect what is in them and infer why. But if you go and do them, you WILL hone a bunch of fundamental skills. Probably the best bang for the buck in regards to training I have spent.

With winning in mind didn't seem to be that great a book at first pass, But it made a huge difference in how productive my self-instruction was. For me? Immensly valuable. For someone else? No idea.

Beyond the Fundamentals, is probably the book you can get the msot out of. I have read the thing three times now, and I'm still getting new stuff out of it. And no, it is not because I wasn't paying attention when I read it the first two times However, if I picked it up as my first book, I don't know how much use it would have been out of the gate.

[Shooter Grrl]

Honestly, the best money I spent was on a CLASS! The books and videos can only do so much - I found myself developing bad habits because no one who knew any better was there to watch and add correction.

[IceDragon]

Chet Polo's DVDs at CompetitionDVD.com are awesome! Check 'em out!

After a rough time at work, I inadvertantly found Chet's DVDs on eBay. They perked me up and inadvertantly, like with any other videos, it gives you ideas of how to tackle stages/COFs in the future & tricky obstacles/range equipment.

I've also used what Matt Burkett's Practical Shooting DVDs Vol 1-3, Saul's Thinking Practical Shooting and vid clips of shooters in action on the Internet, too. Got to love Google. All of it was ace! Learning about rhythm/cadence, target maths, etc, is much more interesting than certain things I've had to learn in the past.

Lab.

Hiya again,

apart from books, DVDs, etc, in my 1st IPSC year, I found that going back to what my Basic Safety Intructor taught me helped a lot.

If you've done, or are going to do, a Basic Pistol Safety Course (not sure what the US-equivalent is called but the one before you are allowed to do comp's?), then your instructor may give you an info pack. In mine, I got a sheet of recommended training programme. It includes basic exercises like:-

*"5m Draw & Shoot at Targets until All Shots in Alpha zone".

Then, logically progressing thru a step at a time:-

*10m Draw & Shoot at Targets until All Shots in Alpha zone".

It also allows you to exercise the various moves you'll have been/will be taught like El Presidentes, etc. It's just an A4 sheet.

But, again, I'm not sure if there are variations in practice between instructors. If you want it, just PM me and I'll send you a picture file for you to print out.

Lab.

Edited January 18, 2006 by IceDragon

[j1b]

I started in the old days.

"Shooter Ready" with TGO got me the fundamentals. Yeah it's cheesy - but it worked.

Next I bought tapes of nationals. They, in my opinion, gave me the best knowledge about what I had to learn, and the level that I'd have to perform at to be good. A great lesson in competition shooting.

Brian's book was the thing that glued it all together. It's a book I reference today.

Interesting thing to do though - since this question is mentioned many times. And I'm not volunteering to do it BTW A complex poll should be created that includes as many data points as possible that then basically graphs what the average shooter on BE goes through to get where they are.

The data points could be infinite. Tools used (books, videos) frequency of shooting (matches and practice), level of competition (class, placement at nats) Time competing. Divisions actively shooting. Etc. etc. So that in the end a person could say hypothetically of course, that many folks have seen success by watching Burkett's video series combined with 2 matches a month, 4 practice sessions a month, 3 nights a week of dry fire for 45 minutes each session etc. etc. etc.

It could be a road map that helps people start. All of us are different - so we'd each need to tweak it for our own development. But on paper it feels like this could help in getting people a starting point.

Sorry for the thread drift.

J

[h4444]

Ah,,,,money,,,,money,,,,,money.

How about the free approach. Most good shooters are more than willing to help out.

There are several great videos and classes out there, I've certainly spent money on some myself. But I get more out of watching my top local shooters in person.

I mean,,,,really watch them.

Watch their footwork, watch how they move/transition, watch were there hands are at given ponts in time, where the reload/how,,,,,stage approach/execution.

There is an old saying a teacher of mine would use when someone had a "brain lapse",,,,basically, she'd say, you heard me, but you didn't listen.

In this case, instead of seeing someone shoot,,,,,really watch and process what they are doing, be very analytical in observing how they go about doing what it is they are doing.

Again, not discouraging you from buying because the information presented is excellent. But there is a lot more to garner from local studs.

H4444

[dirty whiteboy]

The book "Golf is not a game of Perfect" by Bob Rotella

I have never played Golf in my life, but this book helped me tremendously with my confidence in shooting! Go ahead and laugh now!