Speeding Up Splits

[blackwolf]

Bruce,

My approach would be a little different than those mentioned. Nothing can teach relaxation - it's like skydiving - you've either done it or you haven't. There isn't a book that accurately quantifies how it feels.

Dedicate a 30 or 45 minute practice session to just bill drills. Load the ammo - and just go. Eventually it'll become something like a speech you've given 100 times. The first couple have nerves and you stumble through. The next few are pretty good - still crisp and willing to give the speech. The last few are like "jeez - let it be over - I've done this a hundred times!"

I don't care if the fastest bill drill is 1.2, 1.7 or 2.0 seconds. Fact is YOU KNOW there is faster and YOU KNOW you can do it. A bill drill is not complicated. So just get out there and feel your way through several of them in a row. You'll get that feeling for speed relatively quickly - now figure out how to make them A's.

BW

[shooterbenedetto]

shoot IPSC matches and with squad with good shooters preferably A, GMs and master shooters. Buy 50,000 rds and i guarantee by the time you finish this you'll be in master class.

[jrguar]

Put less emphasis on fast splits they will come later (and they will come later), work on the basics target to target transitions are where you will make up time in competition.

Practice once a week is good, twice a week is great.... grab anyones book on practice & training, (Jerry, Saul, Brian .....) check out traininig techniques here...in one year your splits will be where you want thwm without any special effort...

[XD Niner]

Practice once a week is good, twice a week is great.... grab anyones book on practice & training, (Jerry, Saul, Brian .....) check out traininig techniques here...in one year your splits will be where you want thwm without any special effort...

Amen to that! I've bought the full suite of USPSA DVDs from Matt Burkett, Brian's book and now Saul Kirsch's. I also spend a lot of time on this forum. I've learned a great deal from each and have really seen an improvement in my shooting, tactics and mindset compared to when I started 18 months ago. The key for me has been to attain the knowledge and then practice live fire 1-3 times weekly and dry fire 1-2 of other nights to convert the knowledge to ingrained skills. I'd practice even more but I travel almost every week and that makes it tough.

Edited July 15, 2006 by XD Niner

[Steve Moneypenny]

Something else that might help, squeeze a ball in your hand (about the size of a tennis ball) work on isolating the trigger finger and getting it to move fast and relaxed.. almost like it requires no effort whatsoever at some point... great exercise to do while driving, watching TV, ETC

comfort has a huge thing to do with relaxation which equates speed thanks for bringing that up!

[Holshot]

Newbie to newbie,

My splits are fast, at least in practice. My bill drills are pretty fast too. This comes from practicing things I enjoy a little too much.

My times in competition are slow. This comes from practicing the things I don't enjoy a little too little.

I came to the realization that I'm practicing the wrong things, read Steve Anderson's book, did the dry-fire, shot with people who know what they're doing (very important) and now my competition times are MUCH better. Learn the fundamentals at home, learn how to compete at competition...at least it's working for me.

Thanks, good luck.