Video Match Review

[HuskySig]

I brought my digital camera to the USPSA match last weekend and had people take video of me on the stages. After watching them all a few times, I've picked out a few things that I need to correct.

Stage 1: I engaged the first target while moving towards it. I knew I pulled the second shot (D hit), but had already moved passed the target. I didn't start the reload after the drop turner and the swinger soon enough into moving positions.

Stage 2: Light mainspring + cheap ammo = light primer strike

I've got 4000 rounds plus of match ammo, I'm not sure why I'm not using it?

Stage 3: I got a Delta-Mike on the third target I engaged. Pushing too hard. Then while moving to the last position, I didn't go far enough to the left. I ended up with a bad shooting position trying to engage three pepper poppers, requiring five shots.

Stage 4: Three shots at a steel plate is two too many. Why did I stick my hands into the port?

Stage 5: Nuevo El Presidente classifier. I shot it way too slowly. If I'm going to improve in classification I need to start pushing. This one isn't going to count against me.

Stage 6: I slipped entering the second box which threw me off a little bit. I think this might account for a Mike I got on a partial hardcover target.

Stage 7: I didn't post the video because you don't see anything but me. Long range standards type course. Four paper targets, two pepper poppers and four US poppers all at about 30 yards. I won this stage for Production.

I had two Mikes for the day which cost me the win in Production. Because of them I got second overall out of 14 shooters. The weather sucked, but the stages were challenging and fun.

[Micah]

I am a big fan of using video as a tool to analyze my shooting.

The one thing that I though of while watching your stages is that it seems like your reloads are taxing. Plan where you are going to reload, and after you break that last shot, dart your left hand down and grab the next mag while your empty one is falling out of your gun. I practice around 500 reloads a day, and although they still are not perfect, they do not hinder my game either. Be sure that you are proficient in reloading from your 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th mag pouches too.

[HuskySig]

The one thing that I though of while watching your stages is that it seems like your reloads are taxing.

By taxing, do you mean that they are requiring too much effort? Or that I'm expending too much extra effort and motion to complete them?

Thanks for the help!

mattk

[Micah]

The one thing that I though of while watching your stages is that it seems like your reloads are taxing.

By taxing, do you mean that they are requiring too much effort? Or that I'm expending too much extra effort and motion to complete them?

Thanks for the help!

mattk

*Please keep in mind that I am not yet a master class shooter!*

Yes and yes. Ideally you want to have your reload completed in one step so that you can key in on your next target. Your reloads seem to make your movement to the next shooting position slow, and ding you again when you should be engaging the next array. H E R E is a link to last months Indiana Sectional match. My reload takes two steps, and as soon as it is completed, I am shooting again.

H E R E is another from Area 6. By keeping the gun up at eye level on the reload, I am able to snap it back on target.

I thought that your classifier video was one of your best runs. Classifiers are just like any other stage. Collect your A's, smile at your competition, and move on to the next bay. You will up class when it is time.

[HuskySig]

More reload practice for me then. Thanks for your thoughts!

mattk

[Flyin40]

Don't listen to Pharaoh about being Master class. He has plenty of knowledge to lend. You don't have to be master class or above to help someone out. You can always learn something.

There is a thousand things you can pick out of a video, not just your video but anyones video. I shoot with Gm productions shooters constantly, ones that place in the top 10 at nationals. I just shot a match Sunday with one and on the ride home(or maybe on the way there) he said "shooting 5 C's in production equals a miss". Basically 5 C's equal 15pts vs 5 A's equal 25. Its like getting -10 every 5 C's. The biggest thing I picked up on you shooting right away was how much shooting on the move your are doing in production. How are your points on each stage??? If your getting your points then keep doing it but if you could post your points and the possible total for that stage.

What was the total points for the match and what was your total??

Flyin40

[HuskySig]

...he said "shooting 5 C's in production equals a miss".

That's a brilliant thought. I've heard countless times that when shooting minor it's all about getting good hits. I never stopped to think about what the numbers truely mean.

The biggest thing I picked up on you shooting right away was how much shooting on the move your are doing in production.

I've taken several classes from a now retired GM shooter who says the more shooting you can do while moving towards the final location the better off you will be. I realize that at this point in my shooting career, I don't have the skills to reliably hit all A's on partial hardcover and no-shoot covered targets much past 10-12 yards while moving. If a target is wide open and I need to get from one place to another I will shoot it on the move.

What was the total points for the match and what was your total??

Stage 1: 11A, 1B, 7C, 2D. 81 points out of 105.

Stage 2: 16A, 6C. 98 points out of 110.

Stage 3: 16A, 1B, 8C, 1D, 1M. 108 points out of 135.

Stage 4: 11A, 4C. 67 points out of 75.

Stage 5: 5A, 6C, 1D. 44 points out of 60.

Stage 6: 13A, 4C, 1M. 77 points out of 90.

Stage 7: 12A, 1C, 1D. 64 points out of 70.

Too many dropped points...

mattk

[Flyin40]

...he said "shooting 5 C's in production equals a miss".

That's a brilliant thought. I've heard countless times that when shooting minor it's all about getting good hits. I never stopped to think about what the numbers truely mean.

The biggest thing I picked up on you shooting right away was how much shooting on the move your are doing in production.

I've taken several classes from a now retired GM shooter who says the more shooting you can do while moving towards the final location the better off you will be. I realize that at this point in my shooting career, I don't have the skills to reliably hit all A's on partial hardcover and no-shoot covered targets much past 10-12 yards while moving. If a target is wide open and I need to get from one place to another I will shoot it on the move.

What was the total points for the match and what was your total??

Stage 1: 11A, 1B, 7C, 2D. 81 points out of 105.

Stage 2: 16A, 6C. 98 points out of 110.

Stage 3: 16A, 1B, 8C, 1D, 1M. 108 points out of 135.

Stage 4: 11A, 4C. 67 points out of 75.

Stage 5: 5A, 6C, 1D. 44 points out of 60.

Stage 6: 13A, 4C, 1M. 77 points out of 90.

Stage 7: 12A, 1C, 1D. 64 points out of 70.

Too many dropped points...

mattk

Whoever the GM was is right on about the movement. I recently just learned what my limits are shooting on the move and thats with an Open gun and a dot. I never really had a max distance but I shot with 4 Gm's at the Michigan match and I learned quite a bit. All 4 said about 12-13yds is the max they will shoot on the move, that is with an open gun or limited gun. Anything further than that they will setup on. With production I'm sure the distance is quite closer.

A stage like stage 2 you can shoot on the move. You movements and shooting were great. You were square with every target except the 5th(your right foot was back and you looked strained when trying to turn your upper body against your hips, your hips and feet were facing right and you were trying to shoot left), your knees were bent and you looked smooth. I'm guessing your shots were off on the 5th target and the back targets(looked alittle unstable back there).

Movement doesn't mean you acutally have to be running or going fast. Movement can be a little lean and half step out of a position. Also coming into a position, having the gun up and slowing down on the last couple steps so as soon as you are stable you can shoot. You do that well already, I would just use it more. Some of the best shooters I have seen will come into a position, say at 15yds on 2 targets, will be slowing up and starting to shoot the first target and as they are leaving they are shooting the second target. On video it looks like they almost stop but really they kind of glide through the position. They really never stop, its just not alot of movement. Doing this will save alot of time.

Are you calling your shots??? I didn't see or hear alot of extra shots on the video. You had some D's and Mikes.

I suggest 2 things

1. Group shooting off a bench and freestyle This will open up your vision. When you can call your shots and tell and D from a C or A you can start letting your vision control your speed(something I struggle with constantly)

2. Box to box drills Use this drill to practice shooting entering the box and leaving the box. You can do this in dryfire too.

So what class are you??? Your shooting is solid, footwork is good, you don't have that much wasted movement. Your stage breakdown looks good, you seem to hit you positions really well and seldom have to readjust your position. You can put alot more energy into your vision since your pretty solid everywhere else. Practice shooting on the move, find out what "your" distance is for 2 A's. Learn how much of a sight picture you must have for entering position, leaving positions etc. and still shooting a A.

What I have been told by many here on this forum is if you shoot between 90%-95% then your fine. Lower than 90% you need to see more(slow up), higher than 95% you need to see less(speed up).

645 total possible points

your score 539pts 83% of available points.

If you didn't already have your 2 mikes subtracted from your points

519pts then 80% of pts

I don't want to tell you to slow up but you need to see more. You need to see more of your sights which may mean a more stable shooting position.

Another thing is there are guys that can shoot that fast and faster with production guns and not drop very many points. It can be done.

If you can pm me a link where I can view all the results I can break it down for you with a little slower time and better points. This is something I do with almost every match.

Flyin

[HuskySig]

Are you calling your shots??? I didn't see or hear alot of extra shots on the video. You had some D's and Mikes.

On the first target of Stage 1. I drew and engaged it while moving towards it and the fault line. First shot was a solid A and I knew I pulled the second shot. If the video were higher quality you would see my head still watching that target as I moved to the position between the two walls. The problem was I was already commited to going downrange and couldn't/didn't stop my momentum.

On the third target of Stage 3 I had a Delta-Mike. Both were a complete surprise to me when scored. This tells me that I was pushing too hard and not seeing enough of what I needed to be seeing.

The other Mike was on Stage 5. I slipped while entering the second box which caused me slow down and refocus once I restabilized. The first target I engaged from that position was a target half hidden by a no-shoot at about nine yards. I got two Alpha on it. The second target I engaged from the second box was hardcover except for the vertical A zone strip, it was at about six yards. I'm pretty sure I rushed the second shot in an effort to get running. There was a shot about an inch into the hardcover, again it was a surprise when scored.

I suggest 2 things

1. Group shooting off a bench and freestyle. This will open up your vision. When you can call your shots and tell and D from a C or A you can start letting your vision control your speed(something I struggle with constantly)

2. Box to box drills. Use this drill to practice shooting entering the box and leaving the box. You can do this in dryfire too.

I do a lot of group shooting in the offseason, mostly with a .22LR pistol. Earlier in the season I was going to an indoor range with a couple of friends and all I would do was shoot groups at 10 yards. I haven't done that in a least two months and it's starting to show. I do start and end each of my practice sessions with a six round group at 10 yards.

I have done the box drill as shown on the Matt Burkett dvds. Though neither of the ranges I belong to have enough space, or quantity of boxes to setup nine at a time.

So what class are you???

Currently I'm B class. Sitting at 65%.

Practice shooting on the move, find out what "your" distance is for 2 A's. Learn how much of a sight picture you must have for entering position, leaving positions etc. and still shooting a A.

I have made some interesting discoveries about my shooting doing the box drills going left to right and right to left. I learned that I have a hard time entering boxes from right to left. From my days as a soccer player, I am left foot dominant. So when going left to right, I use my left foot as my "Brake" foot. When going right to left, my right foot doesn't like to brake. It feels really awkward, but I just need to practice it more to get familiar doing it.

I don't want to tell you to slow up but you need to see more. You need to see more of your sights which may mean a more stable shooting position.

You're absolutely right. I do need to slow down and watch my sights.

Another thing is there are guys that can shoot that fast and faster with production guns and not drop very many points. It can be done.

The guy running the timer in Stage 4 is one of them!

If you can pm me a link where I can view all the results I can break it down for you with a little slower time and better points. This is something I do with almost every match.

Check your mailbox. Thanks!

mattk

[SteveZ]

Matt...realistically speaking...how much dryfire (or live fire) are you doing each week? When I got stuck at B class...I did two things....learn to shoot with both eyes open..and start doing dryfire practice about 3 times a week and practice live fire once a week (and that was while going to school AND working)....that eventually lead to learning to call my shots.

Doing dryfire for me really helped to reinforce what good sight alignment looked like....and if you can do dryfire with full size targets...all the better.

And having said that....I'm going to go work on some dryfire right now....

Edited July 3, 2007 by SteveZ

[HuskySig]

Steve,

I wouldn't say that I'm stuck in B class having only been promoted at the recalculation in June. I was stuck in C class for too long! My goal is to make A class by November when most of the matches around here shut down for the winter months.

As far as my practice goes. From February to May I was getting to the range to do live fire one or two times per week. As you know, most months I get to three local USPSA matches and one local IDPA match. From about mid-May until about now, I've been pretty busy with school, research, playing match director, and other hobbies. I've now got some a couple of nights free that I'll be able to get back out to the range for more regular practices. I think my match performance has suffered due to a lack of live fire practice the past six to eight weeks.

I dry fire religiously. Hardly a day goes by that I don't dry fire at home. I use full size IPSC and IDPA targets as well as 1/3rd scale IPSC and IDPA targets. I only pull out the IDPA targets the week before a match to help me remember where the scoring zone is.

mattk