Penalty free

[Catfish]

This past weekend, I shot the first penalty free match (USPSA) that I've shot probably since I started shooting USPSA a couple of years ago.

This really got me thinking.

Does this really matter, and is a penalty free match a worthy goal? I'm not saying I go into any match looking to toss mikes, shoot no shoots and step over fault lines. Not part of the game plan, and never has been. I want to shoot each match, each stage, and each shot as cleanly as I can.

I looked up the top 16 in this year's Limited nats. Not one of those 16 guys shot penalty free. Some of them had more penalties in that match than I've shot in the last 6 months.

Here's my concern. If a penalty free match is a worthy match goal for every match (and yes, I set goals for every match and every stage), then what happens to your conscious and subconscious mind when you toss a mike? Do you throw in the towel because you've just toasted one of your goals for the day?

I say this because when I went into the last stage at Sunday's match, I actually puckered up a little because I knew I had a penalty free match going. Stage 7 (that I designed) was a little one I called Black and White. Each target was either covered with hard cover, or a no shoot so that the only thing left to shoot was the lower A zone. I had a thought running through my mind that I could sure toss my penalty free match to hell in a hurry on this booger! I sucked it up and got my chi going and shot penalty free, but I really don't feel like I attacked that stage, more like I survived it.

So, is a penalty free match a worthy (and achievable) goal or does that slow you down and make you too conservative? Since I just got my M card, I know I'm going to have to start being more aggressive at times and is the occasional mike just the cost of doing business and being an aggressive, attacking shooter?

[EZ Bagger]

I personally don't like using penalty free as a goal because for me it's a somewhat secondary goal...one that can only be achieved if other things preceding it are done correctly.

Calling every shot is far more likely to result in a clean match than having the goal of shooting a clean match. And, calling every shot is something that can be done far more efficiently than avoiding no shoots/mikes.

[Chris Keen]

At the upper levels (Top 16) you can give up one or more mikes, etc. and make up for it (somehow) with speed or other dynamics.

However at the upper-middle class levels (A - Master) you cannot afford to mess up like that.

I had 3 mikes and a no-shoot.

I finished 4th A in Limited.

I was only 3 match points from 3rd place .............. and only 21 match points from 1st A.

How much did each of those penalties cost me ? You do the math.

[Chris Keen]

I personally don't like using penalty free as a goal because for me it's a somewhat secondary goal...one that can only be achieved if other things preceding it are done correctly.

Calling every shot is far more likely to result in a clean match than having the goal of shooting a clean match. And, calling every shot is something that can be done far more efficiently than avoiding no shoots/mikes.

I like that allot EZ Bagger.

I gotta admit that what I said is more about the results of shooting a good match ............. but what EZ Bagger said is more accurate as to what goes through my mind while shooting the match.

And dont get nervous about penalties. Call your shots, and shoot as accurately as you can and you won't have to worry about it. But if it does happen .... move on to the next stage / match. Don't sweat the little stuff.

[Jake Di Vita]

The short answer is absolutely penalty free is a great goal.

I also depends on what division you shoot. A penalty in Open and Production are usually more costly than in Limited. However shooting penalties by definition means you are shooting inconsistently.

Why would you not want to shoot penalty free?

[HoMiE]

I personally don't like using penalty free as a goal because for me it's a somewhat secondary goal...one that can only be achieved if other things preceding it are done correctly.

Calling every shot is far more likely to result in a clean match than having the goal of shooting a clean match. And, calling every shot is something that can be done far more efficiently than avoiding no shoots/mikes.

+1

I find it much more effective to think positive and think of hittin As instead of worrying over no shoots/hardcover mikes. Sometimes if the stage has a lot of no shoots/hardcover targets you just have to play it conservative and aim for the A/C line and give up a couple of points instead of losing a lot of points over penalties.

[EZ Bagger]

Why would you not want to shoot penalty free?

Well, of course you would most likely want to be penalty free. But, when you're coming up to a new stage, how does saying your goal for that stage is to be penalty free get you any closer to planning out how to shoot the most points in the least amount of time?

[eerw]

Being penalty free is the by-product and result of strong focus ..

is it a goal..not sure..

it is a good thing to be..

there is a balance..as it would be an easy goal to set and accomplish..by setting a pace really inside your comfort zone..same thing as saying I want to shoot 100% of all the possible points. set the pace back and this being your main focus you can accomplish this..

but we race in a sport that is balance by speed and power..and speed does and can tip the scale..the faster you push..the more risk you take.

[Merlin Orr]

My goal at this point is simple. Try to see my sights as I shoot every target. I don't have the focus to worry with more than that. Trying to think about not doing something screws me....

[j1b]

I just think you have to better define penalty.

I don't believe you want misses in a match. Missing the target defeats everything you've envisioned doing in the match.

Shooting a no-shoot, while bad, is less of a penalty to me. IMO there's a difference between accidentally hitting a target you didn't intend to (a no-shoot) versus completely missing a target you were aiming for.

Foot faults and the such are things you simply get every now and again. They have nothing to do with the shooting and IMO shouldn't affect the shooting.

At the end of the day though, matches are won and lost by the fewest mistakes. That is truly all there is to it. I lost nationals one year because I had one miss, and one gun malfunction. If one or the other had happened I still would have lost. If neither had happened I'd have a national title. So yes, every point costs something and even at the highest levels there is no "making up" a mistake. The only thing you can do is shoot clean going forward and understand that the mistakes you've made can be made by your competition.

Shooting to the best of your ability is paramount to seeing success. Once you can do that, a penalty (or error free) match is the key to getting wins.

Looking at TT's match results for limited this year, looks like he had 5 misses. TGO had 2 penalties. TT lost the match by 11 points or so. Think any one of those misses would have made the difference? Think, as good a shooter as he is, that he realistically should have had 1, maybe 2, misses. Notice how the results would have changed? But TGO is notorious for not only being a great shooter, but by getting through matches error free. Hell, he only won one stage. He accomplished his goal though - he won the match. It was his match management that allowed him to win. Clearly someone who had 5 misses but that gained 80 points in one day on the match winner was capable of beating him. It was the 91 points that shooter gave up in the match that cost him - NOT TGO shooting 11 points better . . .

Shoot to your ability (that is what I'm focused on) and then shoot error free. I can say that I've won many, many, matches where the folks I was shooting with were better shooters and I was able to get through with fewer penalties. I've also lost matches where I truly believed I was a better shooter but my errors were such that winning was something I did not deserve.

Just my $.02.

J

[carinab]

There is an attitude shift between shooting penalty free and shooting accurately.

If shooting accurately is the goal, the by-product is you won't incur penalties.

If you want to shoot clean, you are conversely thinking "I don't want to miss or throw a shot into a no-shoot or hard cover."

Which one is the more positive goal?

My coach in San Diego was big on ignoring no-shoots. The only thing you're supposed to see is a smaller target. It doesn't matter if there is a no-shoot or hard cover on a target.

Edited September 26, 2007 by carinab

[Catfish]

The short answer is absolutely penalty free is a great goal.

I also depends on what division you shoot. A penalty in Open and Production are usually more costly than in Limited. However shooting penalties by definition means you are shooting inconsistently.

Why would you not want to shoot penalty free?

Of course shooting penalty free is a great thing. But should it be a goal? Could shooting penalties also mean that you're pushing the edge and picking up time elsewhere? Could you accept a penalty to pick up time somewhere else?

The Barnstormer is close to describing what I haven't been able to clearly define yet, if that makes sense. I almost divide my penalities into two kinds of penalites, and forgive the football analogy.

1. a penalty that's a result of a mistake, something boneheaded or something that you just plain screwed up on.

2. "effort" penalties where you tossed a hit into a no shoot or pulled a shot off in transition but were not a result of a lack of focus, but a result of getting after it.

I think that not only are matches won by those who make the fewest mistakes, but those who are able to cope with those mistakes better. Which, long story short, gets to one of my points - if earning a penalty creates issues for your subconsious because now your match is no longer penalty free - is penalty free shooting something that should be in the forefront of our minds?

And, how do you find what your ability is other than pushing it from time to time, in which case you're going to earn penalties as a by product of learning what "too fast" is....

Sorry, end of a long day and I'm tired. I hope this makes sense to me in the morning.

Thanks everyone for humoring me here.

[joseywales]

Derrick, you're overthinking it...once the wasted motions are eliminated (most of yours have been), the stage tactics match your ability (it's there), it boils right back down to just: relax, watch/read your sights, call each/every shot, as quickly as you can. You are as fast & as accurate as you let your subconscious drive you. I really have a strong tendency toward overthinking things. In every sport that I've ever played, this overthinking makes one hesitant. For me, I've found that I have to train, train, and train to where my subconsious mind can just drive me. When I get to the line, the time for thinking is past, now it's just the DO part.

A penalty-free match for a goal?

Nice to achieve as a by-product, but the wrong focus. There are only A-zones on those targets.

[ChessRatz]

There is an attitude shift between shooting penalty free and shooting accurately.

If shooting accurately is the goal, the by-product is you won't incur penalties.

If you want to shoot clean, you are conversely thinking "I don't want to miss or throw a shot into a no-shoot or hard cover."

Which one is the more positive goal?

My coach in San Diego was big on ignoring no-shoots. The only thing you're supposed to see is a smaller target. It doesn't matter if there is a no-shoot or hard cover on a target.

carinab, that is very well put. Almost sounds Kirsch'ish in the approach. I will look at stages this way from now on. Thanks!!!

Edited September 26, 2007 by ChessRatz

[Jake Di Vita]

Honestly I get tired of the "no negative imagery" talk. Personally for me, having a goal of no penalties is truly not going to hold me back or make me think about the wrong things when I go up to a stage.

Shoot penalty free is a by product of making every shot count. However I think that putting the emphasis on being penalty free creates more mental stress for a shooter - thus it makes it harder to do.

If having a penalty actually gives you a better score than not having a penalty, that is simply bad stage design and nothing more. Shooting penalty free is the only way to go if you want to compete at the highest level of the sport (regardless of how your competition is doing).

[lynn jones]

i like the summary that the uspsa (9when they work:( )and ipsc give at the end of the match. they tell a lot of the preformance of the competitor. look at Eric G results at the EHC 2007. 24 stages and no penalities and very few "d's".

http://www.xtremeshooting.com.br/mss/shoot...8f04fea407d0cc8

[Catfish]

A penalty-free match for a goal?

Nice to achieve as a by-product, but the wrong focus.

Now that I'm awake and caffeinated, that's what I was trying to get at. Thanks Steve.

[BSeevers]

Yea I like the by-product idea.

If you are trying to Not Miss then you are thinking and shooting incorrectly and slower more than likely

[Turbo23]

Yea I like the by-product idea.

If you are trying to Not Miss then you are thinking and shooting incorrectly and slower more than likely

+2 on the by product idea.

I am fairly new to this game. But on the competition front I have a lot of experience.

I have found over the years that to focus on not making a mistake is not a good frame of mind to have. IMO

I prefer to focus on something like the aspect of a good HF for example. (ie good hits and speed ) and if I do it right. Then my by product is pent. free. That helps me stay on target so to speak. I will mess things up if I worry to much about making a mistake rather that try to tighten up a group or two by seeing my sights better....

Just my 2 cents

[vluc]

Playing to win versus playing to not lose.

[Turbo23]

Playing to win versus playing to not lose.

Well said

[mike cyrwus]

I immediately think of the Lanny Bassham story about telling his daughter not to spill the glass she was carrying; he told her, she spilt it.

To shoot penalty free, as a goal, is really saying "focus" on not hitting no shoots, and not missing the paper.

There are better things to focus on, like the A zone.

man, Im one to talk about this crap.

[Steve Anderson]

I whacked a no shoot a Rayner's recently...I realized after scoring that I didn't even know it was there. I whacked it because I desired a fast draw on that stage, and that's exactly what I got.

I haven't seen (looked at, thought about) a no shoot in a Long, long, time.

SA

Edited September 27, 2007 by Steve Anderson

[Flexmoney]

Our game isn't won by being the fastest...or the most accurate...or shooting with fewer mistakes.

It is won by collecting the most points over the course of the match. Break it down from there.

The match points are there. Go and get them.

[John Heiter]

Shooting penalty free is a good goal to start out with. Once you have done it, and you've proven to yourself that you are capable of shooting a match penalty free, then you can start focusing on other things because shooting penalty free means that there is a speed at which you can shoot stages w/out any penalties. As you get better, that speed will increase, but you know you're always capable of going clean so any time you get a penalty it means you chose (consciously or not) to compromise some accuracy for more speed. My only problem is that I frequently make compromises I shouldn't.