Chris Keen's Range Diary

[Coach]

Good job in Vegas. very impressive finish.

[AlamoShooter]

very cool

[Chris Keen]

Well Nationals went very well. I quickly acclimated to the heat / low humidity. The first day was the worst, at 105+ degrees. But it wasnt really as bad as I had imagined it would be. I did what everyone said and drank lots of water. 3 or 4 bottles of water every hour while walking the stages, and at least 1 bottle per stage while shooting. In fact I was kinda cold when I got off the plane in Ohio, where it was only 80 degrees. Funny that I could acclimate to the heat in just a week.

Note to self: To hell with 80%. I'm shooting for an 85% overall finish at the Limited Nats. I want to shoot Master Class scores this year, and I WILL!

I made a comment prior to Nationals that I wanted to shoot at least 85% or better, and I surpassed that goal easily. I haven't worked as hard as I could of this year, due to many factors (work, family, and selling my house) outside of my control, but now that I see how much I've improved just this season alone, I am inspired to set some new goals for next year.

Last Winter I took a laid back approach to the "off season" ..... telling myself I could afford to take some time off, and not get real serious until April or May. Well this "off season" is going to be different. I am setting some new fitness goals, and I am starting to look at either a personal trainer, or getting into a fitness program that closely resembles how football players train.

I also know that while dry-fire is good (and obviously cheap), live-fire is what it's all about at Master & GM levels. I have to find a range that allows me to do lots of movement, as well as shooting steel. During the Open match, I talked to Alamoshooter & Shred about shooting steel challenge type matches as a way to improve my skills when it comes to shooting steel. I have always shied away from steel challenge matches, because the "fun factor" isn't as high as it is in USPSA, but I need to work on this more. Looking at my videos from the Limited Nats I saw LOTS of extra shots that weren't necessary. Some were on partial targets, but most were on poppers, and of course the Texas Star.

Shot calling is important in this game, but I need to make the shot count to begin with. 1 aimed shot is still quicker than calling a miss, and making it up. Does that make any sense?

Ayways, I am setting a new goal for next years Nationals of 95%. I know thats a pretty high bar to set, but if I dont train harder this year, then I stay complacent. A good friend once told me "Get better, stay the same, or quit". It's up to you! (Thanks Bill)

[steel1212]

During the Open match, I talked to Alamoshooter & Shred about shooting steel challenge type matches as a way to improve my skills when it comes to shooting steel.

We have a steel match down here every month, Southern IN at Silver Creek has one as well. I know its pointed out some weaknesses I have to improve on.

Edited September 22, 2009 by steel1212

[ParaGunner]

I have shot the Circleville steel match and it is really fun. Some of the matches are close to 200 rounds. I think its the 3rd Saturday of the month.

Edited September 24, 2009 by KING 45ACP

[Chris Keen]

2010 has been an excellent year for me. Been shooting really well, and I can't wait for Nationals. Should be alot of fun.

I shot a local club match yesterday at Circleville, and won HOA with a LTD gun. Shot against a field of pretty good open Masters. I shot the match clean (no mikes, no penalties) but more importantly I only had 1 D for the whole match, and that was on a stage that I decided to accept some less than desirable hits, in return for speed. Pretty good if you ask me.

[Micah]

Ohhhhhhh Nooooooooo! There goes Tokyo.........

Great vid man, and great shooting I'm still impressed with that last "Where the f*#k do you think you are going" shot on the Star

[ParaGunner]

Wow Chris! Seeing your transitions through the head cam is awesome. Great shooting!

[dcarter]

Very cool. That star gave you a little fit stopping at the top like that.

[Chris Keen]

As you guys can see I don't update my range diary every day, or even every match I shoot .... but I do update it when I feel especially motivated. And after shooting the Limited Nationals I feel extremely motivated to put my ideas and thoughts down in black and white for me (and all) to see.

I told myself if I could have a repeat performance of last years top 16 finish at Nationals that I would go back to shooting open for some time, and by that I mean a year or two. But alas, that was not in the cards for me (yes, pun intended). I finished 22nd, and only 80% instead of the 89.99% I pulled off last year.

I had a terrible stage on day 2 right after lunch, that I blame on being sick from something I ate at lunch that day .... Chicken fingers with Ranch dipping sauce. I had bad stomach cramps, and could barely walk at times. I really wanted to excuse myself to the port-o-john, but my turn was coming up, and I just went ahead and shot anyways. I was in a hurry to get through the stage, and missed 4 out of 6 rather easy head-shots. But when you get right down to it, I am the only one to blame for my lack of accuracy. I thought I practiced enough accuracy prior to the match, but apparently I was wrong.

I also had difficulty with steel targets (extra shots needed), and a lack of confidence with far partial targets, so I'm thinking I need ALLOT more accuracy training. That was something Frank Garcia told me back in February after the Florida Open. He said I should practice accuracy like they do in Bianchi. Did I listen? No.

But I spoke with Frank again at this Nationals, and I have made up my mind that if I want to do any better than I did this year or last year, then the training for the 2011 Nationals has to start TODAY! Yes I'm serious ... the day after the 2010 Nationals I am dry-firing. I need to work on trigger prep, transitions, and trigger prep. But more importantly I will be shooting ever steel match I can get my butt to, as well as any Bianchi matches I can.

I WILL DO BETTER NEXT YEAR.

PS Sean the last line there comes directly from your thread about whether a WIN motivates you more than a LOSS. I think the WIN builds your confidence to WIN again, but the LOSS makes you hungry enough to work for it.

[Sean Gaines]

PS Sean the last line there comes directly from your thread about whether a WIN motivates you more than a LOSS. I think the WIN builds your confidence to WIN again, but the LOSS makes you hungry enough to work for it.

I feel you brother, I am thinking the same thing, practicing accuracy. It does drive you doesn't it!Its a pretty powerful force...

[SNSCaster2]

Good stuff Chris.. here's a steel match for ya! http://www.bigdawgsteel.com/ 12 or 15 stages, all plate racks with 6 plates shot 4 times each. That makes for alot of shooting at a fast pace, and 3 fun days if you want to shoot every day.

[Chris Keen]

Well I had some really great Limited shooting in the past 3 or so years, but I've decided it's time for me to go back to the gun that got me started in USPSA. THE OPEN GUN!

That's right, I've put the LTD guns away for a while, and been keeping the old open gun warm for some time now. In fact I've shot my open gun once a week, every week now since the 2010 Nationals back in October. Thats approx. 22 weeks now.

I can't even begin to tell you how much more I love shooting open than any other division in USPSA!!!!!!!!!!!! It's an absolute freaking blast. And it's even better that I have a gun that treats me right too! My gunsmith built a beautiful STI 2011 blaster for me a few years ago, and I just havent done it the justice it deserves. I won an Area match and a couple of states with it when I first got it, but now it's time to ride that beast full blast, Charlie Sheen party scene style! WINNING!

I shot it again tonight, and I just can't say enough good tings about it. I honestly can't tell you the last time I've had a malf. with that thing. I keep it clean and oiled, and it just purrs like a little tiger!

I'll be shooting a small major with it here in a couple of weeks in preparation for the big Area 6 match held in Florida in April, then at that point, the major match season will be WIDE open! I can't wait! This will be my first full season of shooting open, so it should be very interesting. I know there's a lot of strong talent out there in Open Master, but I believe I'm ready for it. I've only got one speed, one gear ..... GO! I've got tiger blood in my veins! And I've got a radical racing red open gun to launch me right out of this terrestrial realm I'm in.

I'm tired of pretending I'm not a total bitchin' rock star from Mars. - Charlie Sheen

I'm sorry, man, but I've got magic. I've got poetry in my fingertips. Most of the time - and this includes naps - I'm an F-18, bro. And I will destroy you in the air. I will deploy my ordinance to the ground. - Charlie Sheen

(ya gotta love how he threw something about naps in there, lol)

[Addict]

Sounds like a heck of a lot of fun Chris! I mean Open.... Charlie Sheen for a day would put me in the hospital. More than a pot of coffee knocks me over.... Must be a Cessna .

I think you moved to Limited right when I started so I haven't seen this Red Beast you speak of. Hope the USPSA has to reset all the Classifiers because of it.

Addict

[Chris Keen]

Shot a local match today. It's a small club so we only had 4 stages, but It's still good to get out and shoot anyways. Even if the last stage was a total rain-out!!!

Gun and mags are running great!! Ran the last 2 30 rds. stages without reloading, once with an SV bigstick, and once with a STI bigstick. But I feel like I'm shooting S-L-O-W! Looks & sounds like I'm shooting LTD with an open gun.

Any feedback on what I could improve on would be greatly appreciated. Transitions? Splits? Both?

[Sarge]

But I feel like I'm shooting S-L-O-W! Looks & sounds like I'm shooting LTD with an open gun.

Come on MR Positive don't look at it that way. From what I've seen you shoot a limited gun as fast or faster than alot of Open guys shoot their guns so don't be too hard on yourself.

[Chris Keen]

But I feel like I'm shooting S-L-O-W! Looks & sounds like I'm shooting LTD with an open gun.

Come on MR Positive don't look at it that way. From what I've seen you shoot a limited gun as fast or faster than alot of Open guys shoot their guns so don't be too hard on yourself.

Oh I'm not being hard on myself. But I know there's gotta be more I could be working on, besides consistency & functional epqt.

There's gotta be more WINNING to be found around here, Charlie!

[Micah]

Great vid and nice shooting bro! Damn that was a wet match !

[Corey]

nice shooting! If you want to take from a B-shooter, here ya go: It seems to me that you are shooting faster splits after you do some movement. Splits seemed faster in that last stage than in the others (with the exception of Can You Count). Were those stages in order of the day? Maybe you were just warmed up a bit more towards that last one? Your transitions still amaze me!! That's one thing I've set myself to working on!

[Chris Keen]

Yes they are in the order we shot them in.

[CHA-LEE]

Chris> What is your default aiming point on an open target?

[Chris iliff]

Chris it looks good to me, but what do you expect, I'm just an A. You make it look easy. Have you thought that maybe your mind is starting to slow it down? See you guys in a couple weeks!!!

[Chris Keen]

Chris> What is your default aiming point on an open target?

Default aiming point on open targets is generally about dead-center, to about 2/3rds of the way up. Why do you ask?

[Chris Keen]

nice shooting! If you want to take from a B-shooter, here ya go: It seems to me that you are shooting faster splits after you do some movement. Splits seemed faster in that last stage than in the others (with the exception of Can You Count). Were those stages in order of the day? Maybe you were just warmed up a bit more towards that last one? Your transitions still amaze me!! That's one thing I've set myself to working on!

Corey, I do think you may be right. I tend to start out cold/slow and as I get warmed up, shoot faster or with more confidence as the day goes on.

[Chris Keen]

Shot a small little 3 string practice match last night, and tried recording some more footage with the new camera. I'm really digging this new Contour HD camera, but I still havent worked out all the little issues yet, such as where to mount it. I discovered my hat was partially showing up in all 3 videos, which I really don't want, but I'll figure it out.

In the video, you'll see that I'm trying to shoot faster, but am still wildly inconsistent with that. Sometimes I speed up, then slow down, etc. My opinion is, I'm still learning what kinda splits I'm capable of, at different distances, but as always I welcome all opinions & advice.

Edited May 3, 2011 by Chris Keen