bierman

[Catfish]

Keep in mind that the targets you'll be shooting at tomorrow are the same targets you've shot at other matches.

Bring tools to take apart your mags if you need to. I have a brush you're welcome to use. The dirt/clay/silt at Double Tap is notorious for being quite ugly. Clean your mags after each stage, especially the ones that touch the ground and leave the mags in your bag when you're not shooting....

Other than that, one stage at a time, one shot at a time.

[bierman]

That is what I keep telling myself.

I will definitely take you up on the mag brush. I have heard the horror stories about the red dirt at DTR.

[bierman]

Well, glad that is out of the way. First big match and I did not do as well as I would have liked. I have been thinking about my poor performance since leaving the range yesterday and I have a few observations/thoughts.

1. I think I was a little hyped up because it was a "big" match, and so I was having difficulty concentrating. Made several mental errors (shooting to slide lock multiple times) throughout the day.

2. The stages at this match were much more complex than stages I have seen at most of the local matches I have attended. Much more movement, more moving targets, 180 traps, just a lot more to consider while shooting. I think this also contributed to the mental errors. I found that I was having trouble executing my plan once the timer went off. I think I was thinking too much about stuff other than the shooting when it was time to shoot.

3. I was squadded with some higher level shooters (at least one GM, maybe more and at least of couple of high A's) and I fell into the trap I often fall into when watching better, faster shooters. I forget that I am not ready to go that fast and I end up not seeing my sights and just blasting away. My accuracy really suffered for the day as a result.

On a positive note, I did shoot a Texas Star for the first time. It was on the next to the last stage I shot for the day. During the walkthrough I grabbed one of the more experienced shooters for advice on how to shoot the star. He gave me some sound advice, which I somehow remembered throughout the stage, and I was able to clean the star in 5 shots.

I also had a good moment on the last stage of the day, a stage that I did not do so well on. There was a mini-popper activated drop turner in an array with two paper targets on opposite sides of it. My plan was to shoot the paper on the far right, transition to the mini-popper, swing to the paper on the far left while the popper activated the drop turner, and transition back to the right, taking the drop turner before it disappeared. I don't remember what my hits were at this very moment, but I do remember that I got both shots on the target before it disappeared. Now, as for the rest of that stage...

Overall, I had a great time at the match, learned a whole bunch and got my first big match out of the way. I know that I need to continue to work on my mental game. I need to learn not to get distracted by the things stage designers do to intentionally distract shooters. I learned that I may need to be more selective when deciding which local match to go shoot. My shooting budget is limited; I need to get the most out of it by shooting more demanding matches, not necessarily the closest or cheapest match.

I do have to keep reminding myself that this was my 15th USPSA match to shoot so I am still new at this game, and I have a lot to learn...

[Catfish]

And trust me, the learning never stops.

also had a good moment on the last stage of the day, a stage that I did not do so well on. There was a mini-popper activated drop turner in an array with two paper targets on opposite sides of it. My plan was to shoot the paper on the far right, transition to the mini-popper, swing to the paper on the far left while the popper activated the drop turner, and transition back to the right, taking the drop turner before it disappeared. I don't remember what my hits were at this very moment, but I do remember that I got both shots on the target before it disappeared. Now, as for the rest of that stage...

It's really easy to get through a perceived hard part of a stage and then relax and tank the rest of the stage. Been there, done that and all you can do is keep in mind that every shot counts, not just the hard ones.

[bierman]

Not a whole lot of dryfire this last week, about 3-4 hours. Local match at Tyler today, first time shooting there in about a year and half. After last weekend at DTR I approached this match with no expectations and no pressure on myself. I just wanted to shoot a clean match, have fun and work on my mental game. 5 stages, including a classifier, that offered good variety (swingers, steel, Tx star, etc) and multiple solutions. A couple of the stages really made me think as they gave me little room for error on planning my reloads. I managed to shoot clean up till the fourth stage where I threw one mike, but for the most part, I was happy with the way I shot. On the classifier, Can You Count, I really wanted to burn it down, but I had trigger freeze at one point, and I was shooting a bit high, so I dropped quite a few points ( 1 B, 4 C's) so I did not do quite as well as I had hoped. Still came in at around 60%, which is right where I stand currently. Funny how that worked out.

On a positive note, I won my division for the first time ever, so I was happy about that. Good thing for me that joseywales has decided to take a little time off . Maybe I can rack up another division win or two before he comes back from vacation.

[dfwmiket]

Very solid match today.....you looked very smooth. Excellent gun control and mag changes. I can see the hard work paying off for you.....keep up the good work. You finished 11th overall at the match, and that's shooting Production. Damn good job.

-Mike

Edited November 5, 2007 by cnemikeman

[bierman]

Thanks Mike. I felt pretty good today and, overall, I am happy with the results. It was a beautiful day, I got some trigger time in with good folks and I won my division. I can't complain.

[bierman]

Well, I guess the dryfire is paying off somewhat. I have been waiting for the classifier update to see how my last 4 were going to affect my classification. I had no delusions that I was moving to A, but I wanted to make some positive progress. 3 of the 4 classifiers I shot were going to knock out lower scores and I had a pretty good idea of where that was going to put me once the update went through, but I did not really trust my math. It looks like my meager math skills were on the money as I managed to claw my way up about 3% (I know, not much, but I will take the little victories where I can) putting me at 63.24%. Still a long way to go for A class, but I am content with it considering a one year layoff. I just need to stay focused, keep up the dryfire routine and relax when I am shooting a match. I have some new gear coming (Hi Torque belt and Safariland mag pouches) that I am hoping will help with my consistency on the draw and reloads. If I keep doing what I have been doing, I will see A class within the next year.

Edited November 16, 2007 by bierman

[Catfish]

Keep it up! 3% is a big jump!!

[bierman]

Haven't shot a match in about 6 weeks. Too much stuff going on around the holidays, and funds were low, so very little shooting. Dryfire about 2-3 hours per week is about all I have gotten in. I managed to get out to the range yesterday, but it was not a good day. I could not seem to get into a good groove and was having an inordinate amout of trouble with my reloads. I finally called it a day after flubbing a reload so badly I dropped the magazine. I think I am having difficulty concentrating due to some serious pain in my left shoulder. I am having a lot of trouble sleeping at night due to the pain. I really need to get in to see the doctor, but mine is out sick right now, recovering from surgery himself. As soon as he gets back I am going to see him. The pain is really starting to affect my attitude.

[bierman]

Well, this last month has been one from Hell. My shoulder pain has let up some, but my back has laid me out. I was first told by my family doc that it was sacroillial joint dysfunction, but when I went to the PM & R doc, he verified that it was most probably a bulged disc in my lower back. Steroids and pain meds have helped some, but I am not healed. No way I can shoot when I am on hydrocodone. I am supposed to start therapy on the 12th. Go for an MRI on Tuesday and then a Nerve test after that. Once we have those results we will know how to proceed. Then there is the saga my daughter is going through right now that, even if I was perfectly healthy, would be very distracting. Hard to focus on myself when I am so worried about her prognosis. Either way, it may be some time before I can get back to the range.

[carinab]

The range will still be there. Focus on getting everyone in your family well. Prayers inbound!