Visual Patience (with An Open Gun)

[pmd]

The last couple of years I have been struggling with "speed vs. accuracy" in both IPSC and Steel shooting.

I understand the concept of "Visual Patience" but have troubles maintaining it.

I know I need to see the dot in the A zone and the dot in the center of a plate before I pull the trigger - but once in a match (and in practice) I shoot as soon as I see brown (or the plate).

I know that slowing down a millisecond will get me good hits and when I tell my self to slow down and I do, I do get the hits I want.

For some reason my brain tells me to go fast and I ignor the basics..

So my question is - How does one work on "Visual Patience".

How can I train myself to slow down and see the dot?

Are there any practice drills that you'd recommend ?

Thanks in advance.

Paul

[Flexmoney]

You seem to have a speed focus.

We've been talking about that very thing in the thread directly below this one...

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=44017

[Supermoto]

Paul,

I was thinking about this lastnight after practice. We burn thru the stage and only really care about is time All you heard is your time and someone in the background calling your hits.

I think we need to change to points only practice. Who cares about speed if you are dropping 20% of the points. Instead of yelling out time, we'll yell out points

I thing if we take the speed componet out of it and focus on points, I think we will find that the speed is still there.

I think an eye opener for me and certainly my dad was when we shot fast and slow lastnight and figure out the HF. His fast time was 1/2 the slow, but the HF was only slighty better

[benos]

The last couple of years I have been struggling with "speed vs. accuracy" in both IPSC and Steel shooting.

I understand the concept of "Visual Patience" but have troubles maintaining it.

I know I need to see the dot in the A zone and the dot in the center of a plate before I pull the trigger - but once in a match (and in practice) I shoot as soon as I see brown (or the plate).

I know that slowing down a millisecond will get me good hits and when I tell my self to slow down and I do, I do get the hits I want.

For some reason my brain tells me to go fast and I ignor the basics..

That's the quintessential IPSC problem, well put.

I found this (on this topic that I wrote at some point).

You can beat this by learning to "bridge the gap." The "gap" is created by the buzzer, which separates what you want to happen with what actually happens.

I successfully battled the "tension at/from the buzzer" by programming a positive relaxing or "stabalizing" response, which begins at the buzzer.

Waiting for the buzzer - your mind is set, still, and sharp. Then at the buzzer, as the gun is coming into position, feel a slight exhale from your stomach that "extends," or runs from your stomach out into your grip as the gun is sliding into position. This stabilizing exhale, which is actually felt more as a feeling than an actual movement of the breath, also remains in your forehead, right behind your eyes, as is felt as very calm although intensely alert feeling.

You gotta really practice tuning this feeling while dry-firing, then take it to the practice range, then into the match.

If that doesn't work for you, try a simpler version, which can be condensed down to the concept of "the pause." Right at the end of the draw stroke (before firing a shot), pause - just long enough to recognize that you have paused, but not long enough to begin thinking.

The pause allows collecting your correct intentions. Also use the "pause" when moving into a new position, or anytime may tend to begin shooting while your mind is still rushing.

be

[Flexmoney]

Brian,

Interesting thought process.

I want to ask you a question on this, but I don't want to throw off the thread starter. (I kinda get the feeling that you want the shooter to get out there and experience the journey on this ?)

[so, the rest of you guys might not want to read beyond here...as I might be spoiling the idea a bit]

Brian, The Burner talked quite a bit about the exhale on the draw. I've always found it helpful. I never explored it from the perspective that you just presented. (I will.)

On the pause...I think you are talking about a mental pause, maybe a tick to allow our minds to get in step ? Not so much a physical pause ? Though, I assume, the two will be intertwined for a bit...

[Sharyn]

I could be way off base here... but for visual patience (amongst other skills) I'll set up some tight shot drills in practice. Multiple targets at multiple distances in different arrangements (sideways, upside down, 45 degree tilt) and plaster them with no-shoots... surrounding the A zone, cutting the A zone in half, leaving only a head shot, etc. Then shoot one or two shots per string on each, after the buzzer... great transition drill too. Of course, I want to shoot faster and faster... but as soon as I start plugging the no-shoots, I back off on the gas.

I'll also shoot this moving box to box (say 3 arrays from one box and three from the other) really concentrating on that last shot out of the box... lean, lean, lean... paaause...

I prefer the "surrounded by no-shoots" to hard cover or just steel because they seem to force me into a particular shot. Hard cover or steel just doesn't have the same effect on my brain. I'll add a lollipop steel or some hard cover after I've really focused on finding and hitting the A zones.

I may set up or add some wide open targets and try to maintain the same cadence.

Edited January 31, 2007 by Sharyn

[benos]

On the pause...I think you are talking about a mental pause, maybe a tick to allow our minds to get in step ?

That's exactly it. It's like or allows a "re-gathering" of your awareness. It's not noticeable physically at all.

The "pause principle" has been a good one for me for the last few years. I'm becoming more and more awake to it. It's a useful tool whenever you'd like a fresh response as opposed to a typical, habitual reaction. Just before initiating an action, mentally pause... just long enough to be aware that you are aware, but not long enough to start thinking.

be

[BritinUSA]

I tried my own method for visual patience, go to the line with exactly the right number of rounds to shoot the stage, and not one more. This works best on a stage with steel on it and is an interesting exercise for a local match.

There's that little voice in our heads that tells us that the clock is running. Like the white rabbit , "I'm late, I'm late"... Visual patience seems for me to be a process of switching off that internal (or infernal) clock and instead shooting to a pace. If I walk through the stage at the speed I want to shoot then switch myself off (in fact I'm known as a turn-off in social circles ) then I shoot the stage the same speed as my walk-through and usually with good hits.

The trick seems to be one of confidence. If you are confident in your abilities and you know that you will do well then it helps turn off that pesky wabbit.

So watch the sights and don't listen to the white rabbit.

[eerw]

time is a trap..and unfortunately this sport is full of them..

When I shot a lot...I did a lot of the mental relaxation exercises and I did a lot of precision drills..

what I found for me..was that the relaxation stuff I would take to the line..and that last exhale seems to get rid of the go fast notion in my head...the precision stuff really seemed to help keep my seeing what I need to see for the shots I needed to take..also really boosted the confidence when there were difficult shots. so there was no doubt placed at all in my head.

I'm going to go work on Brian's observation..it sounds good..