Austin Hemphill Posted November 25, 2002 Share Posted November 25, 2002 While I was practicing today, I noticed that I was missing targets on the right, or getting poor hits. I can hit them just fine if I start on the right. I also noticed that there seemed to be more of a bounce as I transitioned right than left. What can be the problem? Am I just not giving it the needed focus, or is there something else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted November 25, 2002 Share Posted November 25, 2002 You may be setting up so that you are fighting your index. Try some dry-fire practice with a spread of targets that really make you have to swing the gun over quite a few degrees, from side-to-side. Take notice of how you are lining up. Do the "close your eyes and present the gun" thing...see where you naturally align. I would guess that, when going left-to-right, you are mostly lined up for the left targets. The further right you swing, the more you get out of your natural shooting position...almost to the point of needing to adjust your feet (which loses time). Going the other way, you likely line up with a more neutral left/right index. Also, some find it easier to "wind in", shooting from the outside toward your center. Opposed to "winding out". If you wind out, you get more and more out of your natural shooting position, which is compounded by the gun pushing on you. Winding in, brings you into a better position to deal with the multiple pushes of the gun...your are coming into a stronger position. And...as with all transitions...make sure to lead with your eyes and then follow thru. Going left-to-right may feel more natural to you (we read text l-to-r). since this feels faster, you may be rushing the shots some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vluc Posted November 25, 2002 Share Posted November 25, 2002 Austn, you don't tell us if you are a right or left handed shooter. Physics tells us which way the gun responds after it is shot, which is why many are told, if right handed to shoot right to left due to the natural recoil of the pistol, and lefties, shoot left to right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detlef Posted November 25, 2002 Share Posted November 25, 2002 well, then physics doesn't work for me. I am right handed and prefer left to right. It doesn't make nearly as much of a difference as only a few y ago, but I am still slightly faster and more accurate left to right.... I personally think it has more to do with vision, and us in the Western hemisphere doing virtually everything left to write errrr right.... --Detlef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vluc Posted November 25, 2002 Share Posted November 25, 2002 detlef, i also prefer right to left, my reference was to how a pistol will recoil inwards when shot one handed...hence it is "easier" to let the gun do part of the work as it is moving in a direction anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detlef Posted November 25, 2002 Share Posted November 25, 2002 agreed, whenever possible I shoot right to left right-hand-only... --D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j1b Posted November 26, 2002 Share Posted November 26, 2002 Austin I would think by simply becoming aware of the problem you will probably fix it. I don't know what the pros and cons of transition left vs. right if you're right or left handed are - I do know you will probably be asked to do it all ways at some point in time. I would do the dry fire thing like Flex suggested, and take note of what Detlef said - most Westerners prefer left to right because that's the way we read. Doesn't sound like a serious problem though. I know of several top shooters who will absolutely shoot transitions one way if given half the chance. I always tried to make it a non-factor by practicing with a kind of in-difference. A long post to say that practice will make it go away. Probably no more complicated than that. JB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin Hemphill Posted November 26, 2002 Author Share Posted November 26, 2002 Thanks for the great replys. I haven't been shooting as much as I used to and have seen some other problems start to surface. Flexmoney, the more I think about it, the more I see your answer applying. I used to spend my practice sessions as I called it "exploring" and now I am more or less trying to return to where I was a couple of months ago. I wonder if I have closed my mind to observing what I didn't have as much trouble with in the past. Thanks again for the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted November 26, 2002 Share Posted November 26, 2002 Austin, Keep us updated on what you see and feel...and what you figure out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin Hemphill Posted November 28, 2002 Author Share Posted November 28, 2002 Flex, I got a chance to do some shooting today and noticed a number of things. I think the main problem was that I was trying instead of just shooting. I noticed that I was snapping my eyes to the next target before the shot broke, and that I was trying to muscle the gun over to the far targets and not using my lower body to pivot. Thanks again for the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted November 28, 2002 Share Posted November 28, 2002 Wow...great break-thru! I am guilty of having done (and still doing) most all of the things you just mentioned. I think the main problem was that I was trying instead of just shooting. That's a big one there!!! It has kept me off the top of the list a number of times. And, I have seen it keep some of my shooting buddies down on the scoresheet too (not saying any names ) It is something we all need to deal with...constantly. I noticed that I was snapping my eyes to the next target before the shot broke... Opps. I am guilty of that one too. Gets pretty hard to call the shot if the eyes are somewhere else. I always try to remind myself to have the visual patience to make, AND call, each and every shot. (thanks BE) Sometimes it feels really slow, but the score sheet tells the tale. ...and that I was trying to muscle the gun over to the far targets and not using my lower body to pivot. Thanks again for the help. If you have the chance, try some Steel Challenge type matches...or just set them up in practice. No movement, and lots of swinging from target to target. Setting up in a good stance can be important here. I use these matches as practice, with the pressure of the clock and competition. I don't really care about the outcome...I just try to learn from them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin Hemphill Posted November 29, 2002 Author Share Posted November 29, 2002 Flex, Steel Challenge has been a serious challenge for me. We have a club here that shoots it about once a month and the best I have done was 114. It's good to know I am not alone in this. The more I work at this sport, the more I find that the sublties make huge differences. A small change in my attitude can change my performance dramatically. When I noticed that I was really forcing my transitions, I decided not to care about the outcome on the next run. And I managed to get my transitions to almost perfectly match my splits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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