Lookin' for Dry-Practice Training Advice

[little_kahuna]

Hello,

I am dry practicing 4-5 times a week, with my dad running the timer. I usually practice out of Steve Anderson's book, some things like 6-reload-6 hands at sides, 6-reload-6 hands above shoulders, el presidente, 6-reload strong, and 6-reload weak, etc. but I'm looking for some new types of things to practice. I don't feel as if I'm making as much progress with the same drills every week. I'm just looking for something new to work on. I need a lot more experience, especially with field courses. Does anyone have any suggestions about what i can practice rather efficiently in my house? I only live fire on the weekends, what ratio of live fire to dry fire practice would be optimal for the most progress? Although dry practice is free, and my dad won't cough up the dough for more ammo, I feel much better after a live fire session.

I'm 15 years old, currently shooting Lim. Maj. with a Glock 35, but my dad's been talking to Mr. Benny H. about upgrading my gear.

Any and all input is appreciated!

Thanks

Nick

A-57820

[Chris Keen]

Sounds like you already know what you need to do.

Just shoot.

[Z-man]

It can get a little dull dry firing that much doing the same drills. I understand! Just try to think of new variations to the drills in SA's book. For instance, take his draw 1, reload 1 and vary it. Do the same drill only reload while moving laterally or horizontally. Do the entire drill while on the move. Do the drill with a draw while moving and a static reload. Then do the drill and fire your second shot after the reload with your strong/weak hand. Just out of that one drill you can make another 6+ just by adding movement (and movement is usually key in this game). Apply the same principals to all the drills. Just some ideas. Best of luck.

[Chris Keen]

Buy some "mini paper-poppers" from Chris Patty CPWSA

Practicing with some different targets helps break up the monotony.

Plus you can put these mini-poppers all over your house and move around the house more like a big field course. And I like to put my targets in groups of two's instead of groups of three's. Feels more like a big match stage than a classifier.

Edited December 19, 2007 by CHRIS KEEN

[AlamoShooter]

at 15 I started working maybe too soon. I had a job on a construction site as a carpenter helper, summer weekends, after school. What can you do to earn extra cash for your own shooting expense.

Shooting is about doing the rite thing, as much as the matches them selfs. thinking in terms of "cough up the dough" will not get you any place worth being.

& You are supposed to feel better after live fire.

Dry fire is about personal honesty, with what did you see when the gun pointed, and could it be better.

for new things to practice

If you have the room to set some targets inside a doorway with a hall you could move past the opening and engage the targets on the move as you go past, stop turn and engage them from the other direction as you pass the opening.

Keep aware of how the sights look as you move and how your balance is on stopping and changing directions.

Sounds like you have a great dad

[little_kahuna]

Wow some stuff I'm gunna go try right now lol

ill look into some new targets/setups as well

thanks alot Mr. Chris and Mr. Z-man

thanks AlamoShooter

i didnt mean for it to sound like that rofl

i work and i pay for as much as i can, i was just trying to guilt-trip my dad again heh

[AlamoShooter]

Cool are you guys near Benny?

Edited December 19, 2007 by AlamoShooter

[big_kahuna]

Cool are you guys near Benny?

Not near at all LOL!

This is cool seeing my kid post here. He was really excited about dry practicing tonight, now I know why. Great stuff.

He does work and pays for stuff... and son, the guilt trip thing isn't going to work.

[little_kahuna]

dad you have the responsibilities of supporting a family, making a living, while i, still a juvenile, am virtually care-free!

.....it will work.....

well practice was pretty good, switched some stuff up, got pretty challenging, shot stuff out of order etc.

just cant wait till i have enough time to set something up that will really be out of the norm for me =D

[BSeevers]

Nick

I only have two words for you.

Pharaoh Bender

Search his posts. He dryfires so much I think I can't even make a comment.

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=47027

[North]

Check out this thread. Good stuff here.

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?...&hl=dryfire

[Micah]

Nick

I only have two words for you.

Pharaoh Bender

Search his posts. He dryfires so much I think I can't even make a comment.

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=47027

Heh. Thanks

When you first start to dryfire, the biggest thing that you will be doing is breeding familiarity with your gear and your body's natural index. Hopefully your dad is taking video of your matches...this will allow you to identify key points of skill sets that you can improve upon. We often avoid shooting stages a certain way to avoid skills that we need work on...but these are the skills that need the most attention! If you notice that you never shoot on the move, reload in less than 3 steps, or shoot arrays from right to left when there is an advantage, those are just the things that you should be dryfiring and livefiring.

I would recommend doing as many drills from both of Steve Anderson's books as you can for a solid week. Obtain an accurate par time, and evaluate which drills test the skills that you want to work on the most...then make them a part of your permanent dryfire routine. I dryfire daily in my garage on 1/4 sized targets with the A zone shrunken down further with business cards at 25 feet. Before I had the garage, I used the bedroom at a townhouse...before the townhouse, I lived in a 1 bedroom apartment and make it work there. If you have 10 feet to play with, you can dryfire. If you are using a timer that can do par times (and you should) you will be able to track your progress and test out different things to see if they are more efficient.

For the longest time I practiced Steve's drills exactly as printed in the books, but now I have made them more organic, utilizing poppers, plates, barricades, awkward starting positions, gun on table, shooting on the move...pretty much all of the stuff what we will encounter at any given match.

Feel free to post here or pm me if you have more questions! Dryfire has become my main method of training due to time constraints (school, work, wife), so it is paramount that I do it right every time. All A's, all smooth, all focused. We compete just like we practice

[Stefano]

I've started dryfiring since I've started doing practical shooting and thanks to this great training tools I was encouraged with greats results at the beginning (I passed from "D" dyrectly to "B" class).

Basic training can be done virtually everywhere, just standing still in front of a wall; using sized targets you can simulate different distances, and different arrays of "papers/steels".

Of course, you can achieve the best results working with a little bit of space (garage, basement, etc ...) where you can help yourself adding shooting boxes, fault lines, barricades, ports, and the biggest difference consists in MOVEMENTS (exiting, entering shooting positions).

Pharaoh Bender has a simple but GREAT setup to work with: thanks to this (and his steadiness in training) he has GREAT RESULTS !

Just after Steve Anderson he's my myth: now I am a production "A" class shooter, and next year I hope to get my "M" class working as he did !

Edited December 19, 2007 by Stefano

[Jake Di Vita]

If you aren't happy with your progress so far than your only option is to work harder. At the height of my dry fire obsession I would dry fire until my hands literally bled. I'm not suggesting you do this, but if you want to be a great shooter this is the mentality you need to have.

Until you reach GM, dry fire should be 80 to 90% of your practice routine.

[Stefano]

If you aren't happy with your progress so far than your only option is to work harder. At the height of my dry fire obsession I would dry fire until my hands literally bled. I'm not suggesting you do this, but if you want to be a great shooter this is the mentality you need to have.

Until you reach GM, dry fire should be 80 to 90% of your practice routine.

Totally agree with you Jake !

That' why I am only an "A" class shooter: my hands are only calloused (and not bleeding ...)

Anyway I'll be so happy when I'll be able to get my "M" class !

I am 45 old: not sure of being able to become GM .....

[Rocket35]

This will keep you busy for awhile :

Matt Burkett's Dryfire Routine

[dirtypool40]

Dry fire for stand and shoots and oddly enough you'll be fast at stand and shoots. You need to decide if you want the classification or you want to win matches?

Most of the matches we shoot locally rarely have a stand and shoot, so I focus on how to improve field course performance.

Blast off reloads, moving into and out of positions and finding that first target in a "window" or past a barricade seem to help the most.

Practice drawing to index on some targets, blast out, and have the gun up early as you find that next target and are ready to shoot it before you even settle in.

Because you have already chosen the path of righteousness (High Cap Limited ) I would NOT practice reloading every time your feet move. Maybe once every 2-3 times. You don't want to program it in so it happens without thinking.

Just one guy's opine, but I'd practice blast off loads WAY more than standing loads. And I'd practice position entries and exits WAY more than standing still.

[Catfish]

Hey bubba - that's great!! Other than all the great advice already given - I'd make sure to practice stuff you don't like practicing when you dry fire. Don't just keep doing the stuff that you like doing - do the stuff you hate doing too - and learn to like it.

Good luck in getting your dad to splurge, sounds like he's on to your tricks.

[Enthusiast]

Plus you can put these mini-poppers all over your house and move around the house more like a big field course. And I like to put my targets in groups of two's instead of groups of three's. Feels more like a big match stage than a classifier.

I'm a big fan of practicing while moving around the house. One big tip though: Close the blinds. I don't know what your neighbor situation is, but being spotted doing that in my neighborhood might lead to complications.

[Rocket35]

Very good point DP- I have set up mini stages around the house, to include opening doors and reloads. That has been a big benefit to my dryfire routine.

[little_kahuna]

Stefano, i as well passed from "D" to "B", but im still working for "A" lim. lol

Thanks everyone

This advice is some things i hadn't even thought of, its great lol. I'm still picking the threads you all gave me links to, and gettin some great info, thanks alot everyone, i am going to really change up my routine now. I really believe that i have too much practice on stand n shoots, not enough movement (in and out of positions), definitely going to start practicing that.

I have bled from practice but mayb not enough, calloused as well heh, i will definitely keep practicing now AT LEAST 4-5 days a week, bout and 1.5 hours, now if drypractice should be 80-90%, and probably MORE for sure.

I am really working for the skill level and i dont care so much about the card. I hope to get a M or GM card when i am honestly an M or GM.

I think that my routine has been too regimented, and may have influenced my shooting to be not as flexible for different situations, i definitely do not want to program a reload after i leave every box if i dont need it lol

I believe that i am practicing too much what i am already familiar with and i need more variation.

Thanks again for all the great advice everyone, ill keep going thru all those threads, yet to extract all available info!

Nick

[Jake Di Vita]

Eh, I don't think it's possible to be too familiar with any skill set in shooting. Without exaggeration I have dry fired over 200,000 el prez's and most likely 500,000 draws and reloads. Don't forget that the way you improve is by focusing on the fundamentals. It may seem boring but that is the only way for constant and consistent improvement.

If your draws and reloads are getting good, start trying to make them faster. You will be able to get them faster than you ever imagined with dedication and time.

I remember when I was first starting that I never thought I would be able to reload and draw in under a second.

[Micah]

Just one guy's opine, but I'd practice blast off loads WAY more than standing loads. And I'd practice position entries and exits WAY more than standing still.

Trust me DP, if I had the time and money, I would spend 8 days a week at the range! Dryfire simply provides me with a less expensive and time taxing method of training. I also agree with practicing more than stand-and-shoots. If you're not moving during practice, how do you think you'll move in a match?

[Catfish]

Stefano, i as well passed from "D" to "B", but im still working for "A" lim. lol

Thanks everyone

This advice is some things i hadn't even thought of, its great lol. I'm still picking the threads you all gave me links to, and gettin some great info, thanks alot everyone, i am going to really change up my routine now. I really believe that i have too much practice on stand n shoots, not enough movement (in and out of positions), definitely going to start practicing that.

I have bled from practice but mayb not enough, calloused as well heh, i will definitely keep practicing now AT LEAST 4-5 days a week, bout and 1.5 hours, now if drypractice should be 80-90%, and probably MORE for sure.

I am really working for the skill level and i dont care so much about the card. I hope to get a M or GM card when i am honestly an M or GM.

I think that my routine has been too regimented, and may have influenced my shooting to be not as flexible for different situations, i definitely do not want to program a reload after i leave every box if i dont need it lol

I believe that i am practicing too much what i am already familiar with and i need more variation.

Thanks again for all the great advice everyone, ill keep going thru all those threads, yet to extract all available info!

Nick

Keep it up, young man!!! Keep it up!!

I would also add that you need to factor in rest to your routine. Good rest is as important as good work. Too much work/practice/dry fire and you will be one burned out puppy. Keep things in balance and in perspective and you'll do just fine.

[big_kahuna]

i will definitely keep practicing now AT LEAST 4-5 days a week, bout and 1.5 hours, now if drypractice should be 80-90%, and probably MORE for sure.

Nick

Son,

I'm only a C shooter so I don't have as much proven experience as the other folks here. Also, I will let you make the decision on how you want to approach your training.

That said, I don't recommend overpracticing. You were going 6-7 days a week before area-2 and it didn't help as much as we thought. It wasn't fun at that point and you had worn off your fingerprints on the grip tape. IN MY OPINION your current 4-5 days a week (an 1 hour or less per session) is the way to go. Lanny Bassham talks about this in his book, so ya might want to revisit it.