Calamity Jane

[Calamity Jane]

Mental Management

Learning to Take a Pitch

If I were to describe myself I would say I'm like a strong cup of coffee. The problem I have is not everyone likes a strong cup of coffee. I seem to run into that at work quite a bit. My main struggle seems to be with (IMO) insecure MD's. If I were to describe this dynamic it would be to use a baseball metaphor. My boss is the baseball manager, the MD is the pitcher and I'm the batter. The problem is my manager wants me to take a pitch, but the pitcher insists on pitching it right across the plate. I'm unable to lay off the pitch and I swing for the fence. I hit a home run which of course humiliates the pitcher. As I take home plate I then have to deal with my manager. It's hard for me to understand, but apparently in this game you don't play to win. You play this game to make everyone look and feel good. I'm not very good at the game. My instinct is to swing. What keeps me from being able to take the pitch? Pride. I'm full of it. I want to get rid of it but I struggle. My mind has tried to grasp what is humility, to be humble, to humble oneself but I struggle. I've come to realize that while I've wished, wanted and prayed for humility I haven't actually chosen humility. I'm learning that to humble oneself is a choice. It's the ability to take the pitch even when you know you can hit a home run.

Do you know why I love shooting so much? When I shoot I can be who I truly am and not have to apologize for it. Shooting liberates me.

I'm on my way to the range now to experience a little freedom. I needed to post this to clear my mind.

Edited April 20, 2007 by Calamity Jane

[DougBarnes101]

Jane,

Don't give up your pride. Hit the home run. As long as you are right if the MD can't deal with it it isn't your problem. Maybe your boss should be talking to the Dr and not you.

Just my .02 and it is worth exactly what you paid for it.

[Calamity Jane]

Jane,

Don't give up your pride. Hit the home run. As long as you are right if the MD can't deal with it it isn't your problem. Maybe your boss should be talking to the Dr and not you.

Just my .02 and it is worth exactly what you paid for it.

Thanks Doug Oh yeah...the MD did talk with my boss. I gave him her name, number, email, and told him where her office was.

I'm back from the range and I feel a little better. Bill drills always make me feel better. Here's what I did...

Live Fire

sunny temp near 70 degrees

"V" formation target structure

Group Shoot (25 yd, 15 yd, 15yd SH, 10yd WH) (40)

Step and draw one shot 10yds (easy entry into box) (20)

Step and draw one shot 15 yds (hard entry into box) (20)

Barrel Baricaide (engage 2 targets, mag change, engage other 2 targets) (40)

Transitions with steel (2 paper 15 yd targets set wide with 4 steel inbetween) (40)

Bill Drill (40)

Total round count 200

I tried to work on my weakness from last match....steel and moving on the draw. Moving to the left seems to be a little more difficult to find my dot than moving to the right. Hard entry at 15 yards was a real eye opener. The dot moves it's a matter of timing when to pull the trigger. I feel like my stand and draw is pretty good so I'm going to continue to work on the move and draw as I did today.

I plan to shoot a steel match this weekend. I've shot one other steel match in my life. I don't really know the rules or understand how they score...but I think it will be awesome practice for me!!! Speed and transitions! I can hardly wait to see what I'm going to learn.

Edited April 20, 2007 by Calamity Jane

[Calamity Jane]

I learned a lot shooting steel this past Saturday. I would love to incorporate shooting steel into my training. I came home wondering how I was going to get Dave to buy 5 pieces of steel We don't have the $$ to purchase the steel so we will probably have to start shooting more steel matches.

I liked shooting the same thing 5 times. I could feel the progression. I had some runs that were absolutely "the greased wheel" AND there is NOTHING like that! I had one run in particular that I keep playing over and over in my head because it felt so right. I'm starting to get little glimpses of what it feels like to really "rock it". It's been a long time coming but something special is happening with this gun.

Note to self...when shooting a steel match take along: a lawn chair to sit in, Ipod for rock'in tunes while waiting to shoot, beach umbrella for shade, cooler for drinks and snacks. Shooting steel requires a lot of down time waiting. I wasn't quite prepared for that.

The plan is to live fire tomorrow. I'm going to try to get some video to post. It's time to take a look at myself on camera.

[Steve Moneypenny]

Great to hear you are liking steel that will make a great addition to your USPSA skill set.

Before i was able to purchase steel of my own i used paper plates and would cut out the centers.. or just use the center for what you call acceptable. It is good for a couple of reasons, 1 it teaches you not to listen for the Ding and shoot with your eyes... the second is it gives you a use for all those dang white pasters.... the ones I'm sure you don't need very often

[Shawn Knight]

it gives you a use for all those dang white pasters.... the ones I'm sure you don't need very often

Good thing yer talkin' 'bout Jane! I need lotsa white pasters.

[Calamity Jane]

Paper plates...good idea, thanks Steve.

Did some live fire today.

Sunny, windy, 70's

Group Shoot "V" (40)

One shot draws at "V" (40)

Outerlimits with paper right (40)

Outerlimits with paper left (40)

7 yd no dot (20)

Bill drill (no dot, blind, regular) (48)

Total round count 238

The goal of this practice session was to again work on movement and dot acquisition. Someone suggested to me to try to shoot my gun without the dot and see what happens. VERY INTERESTING idea.

I learned that I can shoot my gun without the dot at 7 yards...no problem. I was all over the A just indexing. I drew the gun a 7 yards with no dot and I also moved side to side with no dot and hit the A. I'm wondering now if I could be in the A at 10 yards without the dot. I've got a hunch I might be able to. I also did another experiment. I'm not sure the value of it but I wanted to see what would happen. I shot a couple of bill drills blind. I've got video of it so you can see I'm on the target. I wanted to see what it would feel like. I wanted to see if closing my eyes would help me tune into what the gun was doing in my hands. I'm going to do this again. I know what I can do when I SEE. I wonder what I can do if I could FEEL. And then I wonder what would happen if I can SEE AND FEEL it at the same time. Some of you may be getting what I'm saying...others may think I'm nuts. Please know I'm shooting in a 3 sided, 12 foot berms bay and I'm deep into it. It's not as scarey as it sounds. I probably could learn some stuff with blind one shot draws or double taps at 7 yards.

My draw stinks...that's really not the word I wanted to use. I'm hesitating at the end of my draw. It's like I'm over confirming my shot. I'll show you some video and you will see what I mean. The draw starts out really good and then I just stop at the end of it. I don't pull the trigger when I first see the dot.

I set up outerlimits (steel stage) using paper targets and then I practiced going right and then left. I was trying to use an easy entry and fire the first shot as my entry foot enters the box. I didn't do it very good but I'll show you on the video.

As I've said, I did take video today. My son is out of town on a field trip so I don't know if it will get posted this week. If I can figure it out, I'll get er done.

What did I do good?? I've got total control of the gun at 7 and 10 yards shooting .19 splits. I know that for an absolute fact.

What's keeping me from my goal of a 2 second bill drill....my draw.

[Matt Cheely]

I learned that I can shoot my gun without the dot at 7 yards...no problem. I was all over the A just indexing.

My draw stinks...that's really not the word I wanted to use. I'm hesitating at the end of my draw. It's like I'm over confirming my shot.

You know you can hit the target without aiming the dot. Now mix that with a normal draw.

Be confident that your sights dot will be there when the gun comes up and you can start to prep and pull the trigger even before you see the sights dot.

Edited April 23, 2007 by Matt Cheely

[Jake Di Vita]

Not without aiming...just without using a dot. Big difference there.

When it comes to the draw. Here are the biggest time wasters.

1. Time getting hand to gun

2. Time getting a grip and snatching gun out of holster (most people pause here...as soon as your hand touches the gun it needs to be coming out)

3. Time getting the gun to target

4. Time after extension that gun fires

Steps 1 through 3 can all be worked on in dry fire.

[Matt Cheely]

Not without aiming...just without using a dot. Big difference there.

Yea, you know what I mean

[Calamity Jane]

After this post, I'm going to work on the video and then you all can see what the problem is with my draw. I think it is Jake's #4

I've been thinking about my "blind man" experiment and I'm mad at myself because I did it wrong! I pretty much just closed my eyes and did a bill drill. What I plan on doing next time is this:

1. Dry fire with the dot while paying attention to my body

2. Mentally picture and feel (mental program) shooting the target

3. Then do it with my eyes closed

I've got a hunch that running a mental program will cause me to be closer to the A zone with eyes closed. I'm mad that I can't experiment with this until later in the week.

[XRe]

Speaking of "blind" drills... a real confidence booster for me was realizing one day that I could set up on a 12" plate at 10 yards, close my eyes, and draw and hit the target with my eyes closed

It took me a while to figure out that I don't have to precisely align the dot somewhere, and then confirm its really there, before I let off a round. Unfortunately, its been so long ago, now, that I can't seem to recall what finally clicked to make it happen for me... hmmm....

I *think* it had something to do w/ Burkett kicking me in the butt to draw faster, and then pushing on it until I was at that point of pulling the trigger before I could see the dot, but seeing the dot enter the target, and lift away, and then it made sense all of a sudden... Sorry... I know that's no help...

[Jake Di Vita]

I'd say that almost 90% of the time savings in a draw come from reasons 1 - 3 on my list.

[Calamity Jane]

Here's the best I can do (I miss my son!)

I don't know why the picture quality is so poor??

The Draw at 10, 15 and 25 yards

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1171195139334181674

Movement

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9017847071815957848

Bill Drills

First 2 bill drills with no dot

Second 2 bill drills blind

Last 2 with dot

http://video.google.com/videouploadfinishe...afe18f29b3a66a3

Edited April 24, 2007 by Calamity Jane

[Calamity Jane]

Video is up

[Jake Di Vita]

K, you were definetely right about where you were losing the most time. (You should try and get your hands to the gun a little faster though).

From what I see at a glance. You need to establish a more direct line to the target. That will do a few things. First is it will cut time from your draw simply in eliminating wasted motion. And second it will allow you to peripherally see the orientation of your gun sooner as it is coming onto the target.

You might try just putting a target at 2 yards and doing reps of hitting the A zone as quickly as possible. At that range the gun doesn't have to be at full extension when you fire so it will start training your body to rely more on its index.

When you extend the gun, is the dot on the target during the entire time the gun is extended or is the pause for making adjustments to your sight picture?

If the time is for making adjustments, that again will be greatly helped by developing a superior index. If the dot is on target the entire time, what you are looking at is eliminating any hesitation from when your eyes aquire the sight to when your finger pulls the trigger. That would also be helped by developing a better index, but practicing your draws live fire on closer targets (at least to begin with) will get your body used to shooting in a much faster time period.

The secret of having a great draw is to develop a superior index. The better your index is, the less adjustments you will have to make. Even bigger than that though, it will allow you to accept much more input from how your body is feeling.

[Calamity Jane]

You might try just putting a target at 2 yards and doing reps of hitting the A zone as quickly as possible. At that range the gun doesn't have to be at full extension when you fire so it will start training your body to rely more on its index.

When you extend the gun, is the dot on the target during the entire time the gun is extended or is the pause for making adjustments to your sight picture?

Thanks Jake!

I was all over the A zone today at 7 yards with no dot. Does that prove that maybe I have an OK index?

I've been working on bringing the gun to middle and then pushing it out...however I don't see the dot until I'm almost at full extension. For the most part, the dot is always there at extension. The problem I think I'm having is...I'm trying to make that dot perfect before I pull the trigger.

I think more index drills like you suggest will help me build confidence that I can go ahead and pull the trigger without it looking "perfect". Next trip to the range I'm going to do index drills.

Thanks Matt and XRE also....you guys are confirming that I may be on the right path.

[Jake Di Vita]

With a great index, if you do 10 seperate 1 shot draws at 7 yards, you should be able to cover the group with your palm and eventually your fist.

I don't see the dot until I'm at full extension either. However by the angle of the slide and I'm extending to the target, I can extrapolate approximately where the dot will be when I am at extension.

The problem you are describing is a huge one among Open shooters. Really try and take some time to burn in that each shot does not have to be perfect. You should be pulling the trigger at the earliest possible moment that the bullet will strike your target.

Don't forget about developing your index in dry fire too...that's where 90% of it comes from.

[XRe]

You should be pulling the trigger at the earliest possible moment that the bullet will strike your target.

I agree 100% w/ Jake - keep in mind that the term "target" here doesn't necessarily refer to the entire available scoring surface of the target, but rather the "acceptable" area of the cardboard that you wish for the bullet to strike. Usually, that'd be the A-zone - but possibly a very small part of the A-zone, or... in some situations, a part of the C-zone, or even D-zone (in very special circumstances only...).

I pick up the dot in roughly that last 6 or so inches of travel, as well. Nothing wrong, there...

[Calamity Jane]

With a great index, if you do 10 seperate 1 shot draws at 7 yards, you should be able to cover the group with your palm and eventually your fist.

I'm so going to do this...just to prove to myself that I can.

I'm going to try it with dot on and dot off and record times. I'm curious as to what I will learn. Will I shoot faster having the dot off? Which way will produce the tightest group?

Posting video has put me in some emotional pain. Mostly pride...which ofcourse I have a lot of. I know I can do better. I know I'm being a whimp by not pulling the trigger when I first see it. That is going to change! I'm off to dry fire.

Thanks again everybody!

[j1b]

With a great index, if you do 10 seperate 1 shot draws at 7 yards, you should be able to cover the group with your palm and eventually your fist.

That's true. For some reason my body had a wierd formula back in the day though - when the term "match" came up on my calendar my body chemically altered my index (that's the only way I can figure it out) so that I had to work really hard to insure my one shot draw could just be covered by the target

J

[Calamity Jane]

Dry Fire

I don't have Matt Burkett to scream at me "faster" so I put the par timer on 1 second. This helped me greatly.

I also did a lot of drawing with my eyes closed then opened them to see my index.

I'm learning.

[Calamity Jane]

ENTJ

"Hearty, frank, decisive, leaders in activities, May appear more confident than their experience warrents"

I hate that Myers-Briggs is right about me. I am a ENTJ and I don't think I'm going to change. So when Jake posted that one should be able to do a 7 yard index draw and be able to put your fist over the group...I really believed I could do it. I was wrong. I'm not there yet. I've got the video so you can see where I'm at.

I shot some more Bill drills and had a personal best of 2.16. I broke the 2 second mark but didn't get all the hits. I'm wondering if my goal of 2 seconds with an open gun may be too low. I just don't know what I'm capable of?? I've got video of 3 runs.

At this point I don't know exactly where I'm at in development. So I guess I'll just keep plodding along and shoot'em as I see'em.

This has been a frustrating and stressful month at work and it has spilled somewhat over into my shooting I hate that. It's time to set some goals for May.

Stay tuned for goal analysis for the month of April. It's not going to be pretty.

Here's the video links:

Bill Drills

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5973008470927310257

7 Yard Index Draw

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4315474669187390452

Again...I don't know why you can't see as well as I can. When I look at those targets on my computer screen when I'm making the movie I can see it really good...when we post it to Google it gets all blurry???

[Shawn Knight]

Again...I don't know why you can't see as well as I can. When I look at those targets on my computer screen when I'm making the movie I can see it really good...when we post it to Google it gets all blurry???

Google Video changes the video to an slightly lower grade AVI to work with their flash based system. It does it with all of my videos too. I could see where the holes were I just had to look hard and play the video back a few times.

[Matt Cheely]

I shot some more Bill drills and had a personal best of 2.16. I broke the 2 second mark but didn't get all the hits. I'm wondering if my goal of 2 seconds with an open gun may be too low. I just don't know what I'm capable of??

Looking at that video, you definetly have the capability to go under 2.0

Don't push it. It will come.