Sucker Targets

[ErikW]

Sucker targets are targets which are visible from a distance but which are best engaged closer in. Merely because they are visible, you tend to engage them too early, costing points and time because of the distance. Resist the temptation to shoot sucker targets before it is most efficient to do so. This is one case where you break the "Get to the Shooting" rule.

Imagine a stage where you've got a long hallway with some targets at the end of it. The end of the hallway turns 90 degrees and you've got more targets around the corner.

          T1  T2  T3  T4  T5  T...

         |          

         |          _____________

         |          |

         |          |

         |          |

         |          |

         |          |

         |          |

         |          |

         |          |

         |          |

             A

When you arrive at the uprange end of the long hallway at position A, you begin to see the targets down range. Your brain screams, "Targets! Slow down and shoot them. Shoot! Get to the shooting. Shoot!" What some people do here is slow down from a sprint to a shoot-on-the-move pace. As they transition from the sprint, they have a hard time keeping the sight in the A zone and burn time setting up their first shot. Then they shoot on the move from a distance, or worse still, stop to shoot. After engaging the sucker targets from too far away they spool up the engines and sprint to the next array. All this accomplishes is adding time to the clock and dropping points.

In your walk-throughs, plan to keep on running when the sucker targets become visible. When you're on the clock, don't be distracted by the sucker targets, just move on to the more efficient engagement position. Shooting the previously described stage, run like your hair is on fire to near the end of the hall, then engage the targets on the move from close-up.

Here's another example. There's a wall with an array of four targets behind it. Starting at position A, you can see the fourth target from far away, but you've got to get up right on the edge of the wall to see the first target.

         T1  T2  T3  T4

--------------------C

                      B

 A

Don't bother shooting from the A position. Start shooting T4 , T3, T2 somewhere around position B, just before you get into position C for T1.

(Edited by Erik Warren at 1:29 pm on Mar. 12, 2002)

[benos]

Erik,

"This is one case where you break the "Get to the Shooting" rule."

I hate to be a picky bastard, but strictly speaking, that concept intends to "get you shooting" AFTER you've decided your engagement sequence.

be