Focus: Tight or Wide

[Loves2Shoot]

Can we nominate this for Thread of the Month?

I think threads like this are what really make the forums a great place to visit.

[Flexmoney]

L2S,

I was on an old thread the other night...I think there were 12-15 top (GM level) shooters posting on it. Awesome.

There is a gold mine of info around...too bad we have to dig for it sometimes.

Thanks DT...for steering the ship toward shooting.

[38supPat]

As soon as I have a free moment tonight I'll post my thoughts, but of course through mulling this over it occured to me. Inspite of all the great posts and deep thoughts listed above....is it possible you are merely blinking?

[j1b]

L2S,

I was on an old thread the other night...I think there were 12-15 top (GM level) shooters posting on it. Awesome.

There is a gold mine of info around...too bad we have to dig for it sometimes.

Thanks DT...for steering the ship toward shooting.

Do you recall the thread? I like the oldies but goodies.

Reality is that there's a large social component to this forum. And that's fun. But it's impactful threads like the one Duane started here that make this place special.

The things I enjoy most are the perspectives. The way that people see things that I'd never contemplated. Or at least never quantified. When Duane posted this I read it, but had to think on it a time or two before being able to quantify what my thoughts were on the matter.

And like many things in shooting (and life) it's really rather cool when you are empowered to think about an idea or a concept, to formulate an idea, and to solidify that idea within yourself. Even if you do or don't agree with thoughts and ideas being expressed - the very exercise of thinking about it and understanding how it impacts you has to make you a better shooter.

I'll second this thread as the thread of the month.

J

[Flexmoney]

Jack,

On your post #24...

I'm having a hard time putting myself in either of those two camps. If I am hosing along and not really seeing, then that puts me in index mode. Go ahead and knock 5-10% (or more) off my placement. I'll both both slower and sloppy.

When I have my goals/head right...I am seeing well. For me, I'd say that I'm pretty opened up with my vision/awareness...yet I really like that front sight. I have a desire to see that front sight on those 4y targets. I'm not tunneled in though. I don't need to have that much input from the front sight...I can easily call the shot with the outline of the gun on the target...but, I want the input from the front sight. The front sight, for me, just gives the most accurate information/feedback. And, I don't think it costs me any time. If I am seeing...the front sight is there for me to see.

I guess I am looking for the best of both world. I really want that front sight input, even on the close stuff...yet I need to get there from an open awareness to do my best. (which is a lot easier to get from behind this keyboard than it is on the range )

[Flexmoney]

Do you recall the thread?

The things I enjoy most are the perspectives. The way that people see things...

Funny. That is just exactly what I was doing. I was looking over some of the threads that I started in some of the "shooting" sections here...with the thought of reviewing them as a whole...to see my perspective.

Here is one list. http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?...mp;highlite=%2B

The thread I mentioned was "Wanna-b-speedy (part 2)"

And, here is another list of stuff I felt like talking about, in another section of the forum. http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?...mp;highlite=%2B

Reality is that there's a large social component to this forum. And that's fun. But it's impactful threads like the one Duane started here that make this place special.

+1

And like many things in shooting (and life) it's really rather cool when you are empowered to think about an idea or a concept, to formulate an idea, and to solidify that idea within yourself. Even if you do or don't agree with thoughts and ideas being expressed - the very exercise of thinking about it and understanding how it impacts you has to make you a better shooter.

BIG +2

I'll second this thread as the thread of the month.

+3

[Skywalker]

I could do it again and again. Honestly, I don't even remember seing the sights for the first two shots, and only the very briefest of glimpses for the head shot. But I must have, otherwise how could I have directed the shots that well?

It might have been a combination of muscle memory and habit. This might be especially true in the case of a static shooting, with small arms movement involved from target to target.

If you have been training on that drill for quite some time, it is possible that your body "learned" the index and movement involved, thus it no longer needed the visual input.

Like, when you practice mag reloads for a long of time, in the end you can do it at top speed with your eyes closed, and still hit the reload 99% of the time. This doesn't mean that you can do it blind anytime; it only means that, after a good dose of repetitions, your body learns the exact movements, and can replay it without visual input.

I know in my case this is true, YMMV.

Edited January 30, 2008 by Skywalker

[benos]

I still have quite a few LOHF (Limit of Human Function) runs etched in my memory. And for all that I'm able to recall right now, for every one of them, I remember seeing the front sight just unbelievably clear and huge. And I can also remember how I felt during those strings - there was very little sense of the "me" there at all. It's like I was the front sight and the front sight was me. Perception and action was one activity, and there was absolutely no sense of passing time (speed, fast or slow) at all.

This thread got me thinking about a shot-calling-enhancing drill. Set up one USPSA/IPSC target at 15 yards. (By now we all know that is the UD (ultimate distance).)

Draw and fire 2 shots on the target as fast as possible - with your only goal being that both shots hit the target, anywhere. As soon as the last shot fires "look away" from the target, and call both shots. The "calling goal" is to have each call be within 2 - 3 inches of the actual bullet hole. Keep experimenting with different mindsets and different ways of seeing until you can consistenly make accurate calls.

To benefit most from this drill, this is really important: Do not go to the range or start shooing with any sort of ideas or conclusions of what you might need to see to make the calls. Or what your time might be for 2 called shots in the A-box. Forget everything. Just keep your eyes wide open and remember what you saw. And if an amazing run should happen to you - you tap 2 shots into the A box at your maximum speed, and, precisely call where both shots hit the A-box - whatever you do, don't try to repeat it. Just remember how you felt and what you saw.

be

[Chris Keen]

Great stuff Brian.

[Radical Precision Designs]

This is a very interesting topic. Maybe I can contribute some to it.

It has helped me immensely to shoot and practice both iron sight and red-dot, both at static and moving targets. This taught me not to focus on either the dot or the front sight. What I need to see/find (first) is the spot I want to put a hole in and determine where it is. This is the most difficult part as there are no real "landmarks" to go by other than peripheral vision of the entire target. I must track quickly in my transition (and splits) where that INTERSECTING point is. Once that is acquired everything else falls in place. You need, more than anything else, to know WHERE you are going to put that hole, quickly without reservations or multiple choices.

The rest is training and action on demand upon need and the moment.

You need to be one with your "tool", and know at all times where it is and its limitations on reaction to your need. Your need IS to intersect that front sight/dot unto the selected spot you want the hole in unison with the bullet arriving there. It is simple to mount the gun in a vise and pull the trigger on a pre-sighted target continually. It is just as simple to do the same thing when the target is moving, the gun is in your hands, and you are spontaneously selecting the landing spot, IF YOU ARE SYNCHRONIZED as a UNIT. We do it every day, as we walk, drink, talk, drive a car, fly a plane, use a power tool, etc. It is your knowledge and understanding of where everything is at and where it is moving to, the speed that it is moving at, and knowing or accurately predicting when it will get there.

When shooting bulls-eye, you have picked/selected the landing spot, you have pulled the trigger and the bullet went where you wanted it go. Then you maintain or re-acquire your grip and as soon as the previous formula is reached you pull the trigger for a repeat performance. Now do it faster, just as soon as the same formula is in place, no sooner, no later. Now pick a swinging target and do the same, only this time the gun is static while the target is moving. As soon as the target spot gets there the bullet has arrived. Without thinking about it you subconsciously calculated the moment to squeeze the trigger so that the bullet would leave the gun and arrive at the spot at the moment of intersection. Use a static target but move the gun using the same criteria, and you will get similar results.

Practicing at becoming one with your gun as an extension of your body or synchronized part of your arms, just like a hand or a finger is the essential part. As I type this post I am not consciously individually telling each of my fingers where to move, when to move or how far to move or how strong to press each key. They just follow what my intent is, and "they" know where they are in relation to everything relevant to the task ... and perform.

It is your task to see the spot and "call" the shot. Many shooters do not quite understand what "calling the shot" really is and consider it a magical mystical ability. It is an ability, but it is not magical or mystical. It is just training and embedding a necessary synchronized sequence of steps to complete a task. As you shoot your gun enough times, you will get to know when the sight is on target, even before it gets there by knowing its response to what happens after you pulled the trigger with a specific load. Calling the shot means judging when and where the bullet will get there before you start the action, by knowing where things will be at that moment. The only changeable item should be the WHERE, not the when. The WHEN it will be the moment it all converges into place. Not sooner. Not later. If you loose your synchronization (by choice) and choose to pull the trigger before or after the time the bullet will get there ...

Do not follow the front sight or the dot to determine when it will get there. You should know its timing by heart, just as you need to know what lead to expect as you start to pull the trigger, and the time travel of the bullet to the target after the shot breaks to intersect as you move the gun or the target moves. Follow/find the spot in your target and (if you must) "focus" there.

Soft focus or hard focus on the target, depends on the size of the target area deemed acceptable. Soft focus or hard focus on the front sight or dot: never. Its position should be known to you at all times even without really looking. You just look at it/them to reaffirm what you already know, for in case there is a sudden/unexpected change of the "landing" spot, or necessary pull-back/stop in the chain of actions. If you do not know your gun as second nature, then go and learn it. After all "calling your shots" IS second nature. "Seeing" what you need to see is the actual convergence or these elements in synchronization. How you visualize it or configure it may vary with individual perceptions, but the end "physics" are the same. IMHO.

Edited January 31, 2008 by Radical Precision Designs

[el pres]

Just remember how you felt and what you saw.

be

Wow that sounds like a really good drill and especially the outcome (how you feel)!

I'm still really struggling to call shots, I do the 25 yd slowfire drills and try to mark a target but this drill adds that

flash input (speed). It's like any mechanical task you are trying to learn, no matter how much it is described to you or

you read every step in the process, until you do it right and remember the "feeling" at that ecxact moment you have no idea what everyone is talking about. I have been learning to really see the sights. I shot for a long time with a target

focus and a blurry fiber dot bouncing around. The best thing I ever did was to black out that fiber optic and quit cheating my

sight picture. I've been doing a lot of focus training with dryfire, just find to spot on the target move gun and pull in hard

on the front sight, over and over.

At the last match I really scared myself, we had a stage with targets all over the place in a sort of tunnel scenario and I felt alright about it but when the buzzer went off I dont even know what happened.

Almost all A's and the fastest time. All I remember is this black sight post all over the targets and I could see bits of paper and tape flying and smoke. I have never seen my front sight in just that way. When I was done I had to back up because

I though for sure I moved by a target, but no they were all there. Awsome feeling!

I know a lot of times I let my technique slack and so I practice with a super front sight focus (see the lines on the sight) because I know that in a match I wont do that (racing to the next position, target,task)....my lowly contribution to a GM thead!!!

Edited January 31, 2008 by DIRTY CHAMBER

[Radical Precision Designs]

Just remember how you felt and what you saw.

be

Wow that sounds like a really good drill and especially the outcome (how you feel)!

I'm still really struggling to call shots, I do the 25 yd slowfire drills and try to mark a target but this drill adds that

flash input (speed). It's like any mechanical task you are trying to learn, no matter how much it is described to you or

you read every step in the process, until you do it right and remember the "feeling" at that ecxact moment you have no idea what everyone is talking about. I have been learning to really see the sights. I shot for a long time with a target

focus and a blurry fiber dot bouncing around. The best thing I ever did was to black out that fiber optic and quit cheating my

sight picture. I've been doing a lot of focus training with dryfire, just find to spot on the target move gun and pull in hard

on the front sight, over and over.

At the last match I really scared myself, we had a stage with targets all over the place in a sort of tunnel scenario and I felt alright about it but when the buzzer went off I dont even know what happened.

Almost all A's and the fastest time. All I remember is this black sight post all over the targets and I could see bits of paper and tape flying and smoke. I have never seen my front sight in just that way. When I was done I had to back up because

I though for sure I moved by a target, but no they were all there. Awsome!

I know a lot of times I let my technique slack and so I practice with a super front sight focus (see the lines on the sight) because I know that in a match I wont do that (racing to the next position, target,task)....my lowly contribution to a GM thead!!!

Bravo, eureka !!!!

The first time, with the blurry front sight you were "looking/focusing" on the target with your dominant eye, hence the sight was blurry, but you were not using your peripheral vision to see everything else. The second time you were using your non-dominant eye to clearly "see" the target (and the flying bits of paper and tape and smoke) which means you were clearly seeing/focusing on the target with that eye. But the fact that your sight was very sharp as you shot means your dominant eye was overimpossing it on the target. My friend, you were using both eyes as they should be used to see what you need to see at the moment of impact. (Now, please, don't tell me that you were closing one eye during this, or I'll have to commit hara-kiri !!) The best part is that you were doing this sub-consciously, and leaving yourself to truly enjoy the experience. I love a candid post such as yours. Thank you for sharing.

[el pres]

(Now, please, don't tell me that you were closing one eye during this, or I'll have to commit hara-kiri !!)

What do you mean both eyes? Theres only one sight??

No, you can live I had both eyes open!! That was my last stage, The other ones were like that too just this one really

stood out because I was so dattached from the doing! Now I'm dryfiring every minute cause it felt so good I dont want to

loose it..

Edited January 31, 2008 by DIRTY CHAMBER

[Duane Thomas]

As soon as I have a free moment tonight I'll post my thoughts, but of course through mulling this over it occured to me. Inspite of all the great posts and deep thoughts listed above....is it possible you are merely blinking?

To answer your question, no, it's not. I've seen a string of photos, shot with a motor drive camera, where I was firing a six-shot string, and my eyes are open for every shot. I've had people stand to the side and watch my eyes while I shoot, and don't the've reported to me to me that I don't blink. All on top of which I just know I don't blink because I can feel I don't, and can watch the sights bounce up and down out there. What the problem may be is that I simply don't change focal planes that fast.

So, how 'bout those thoughts we were promised?

[38supPat]

LOl...Sorry, just had to throw that out there. Sometimes the easy answer is the correct one.

And apologies for not writing sooner, working out of town for the next 6-8 months (maybe longer) and with limited internet access. I'll have to try to pick up a laptop to stay in touch....what was the question again?

[38supPat]

I notice that when I go for the classic, hard-on-the-front-sight focus, it's hard for me to track the front sight in recoil. It's like my eyes are a camera lens that's been tightened down, and the sight in recoil will actually bounce up out of the tight cone of my vision. Then it just suddenly reappears on the way down. Would a more relaxed focus, when I can see the sights, several targets (assuming a multiple target array), etc. and more space above the gun help me with the ability to track the front sight up and back down?

Like most things you can't force yourself to see something, you must experience it. Once you have seen it, it becomes easier to see it. It's like the first time you see a .45 or .40 bullet in flight. You can't LOOK for it, but once you've seen it it seems like you can pick it up at will.

I've found that I'm most open to inputs when I don't have something to direct my focus on. I don't mean shooting without focus, but rather the more there is to see, the more I see. When I am looking at one thing and one thing only, or focusing on a specific item or objective, other stuff fades out. But if I have more to see, my vision opens up. Like on a multiple target array, or beyond that...just shooting into the berm. Since you don't have something very specific to look at, the eyes or mind just see or observe objectively. Try it. Without a target just fire some shots into a berm. Since I haven't been shooting as much in the past few years, I immediately notice the tension levels in every part of my body. It's like by focusing on an aiming point I tune it out, but it's there. By noticing it in a non directed drill, like shooting a berm, I am then more aware of it when I'm back to shooting targets, I just had to show myself without something to distact me.

[benos]

Good stuff Pat.

be

[Duane Thomas]

To add another level to this:

I wasn't, during the shooting drills detailed before, actually experimenting with target focus, though that was a side-effect - I was experimenting with how to hold my mind. We all know that the subconscious mind can process input and control our actions far faster and more efficiently than the conscious mind. The conscious mind tends to have a very linear, A-to-B-to-C-to-D way of thinking, thus there's a limit to how fast and efficiently we can shoot with the conscious mind. The subconscious mind, by contrast, can process many different inputs, and direct many different facets of our physical performance, simultaneously. Thus shooting from the subconscious mind is innately more efficient and allows a far higher level of performance than shooting from the conscious mind.

The classic method to free the subconscious mind is to occupy the conscious mind with something else. Since the conscious mind can only deal with one thing at a time, if you tie up its attention with something else - and keep it there - this frees the subconscious mind to do everything else. In pistol shooting the thing we use to occupy the conscious mind is to focus on the front sight. The conscious mind is like an overbearing, micro-managing boss who won't give his employees credit for knowing how to do the job themselves. By focusing on the front sight, this gives the conscious mind a job - that, arguably, is generally useful - that allows it to feel good about itself: "See, look at my invaluable input. I'm watching the front sight." But the greatest advantage of watching the front sight may be that it tricks the conscious mind into getting the hell out of the way of the shooting.

So I thought, why not just cut out the middleman? Instead of using the front sight to occupy the conscious mind so the subconscious mind can come to the fore, why not just clear your mind and let the subconscious mind do everything - including pick up the sights? That's what I was doing during this shooting, not thinking about any sort of target focus, not trying to pick up the front sight - just standing there with my eyes and mind relaxed, then drawing and shooting as fast as possible and trusting my subconscious mind would take care of things. And, as already reported, not only my speed but accuracy improved immensely.

Thoughts?

[j1b]

To add another level to this:

I wasn't, during the shooting drills detailed before, actually experimenting with target focus, though that was a side-effect - I was experimenting with how to hold my mind. We all know that the subconscious mind can process input and control our actions far faster and more efficiently than the conscious mind. The conscious mind tends to have a very linear, A-to-B-to-C-to-D way of thinking, thus there's a limit to how fast and efficiently we can shoot with the conscious mind. The subconscious mind, by contrast, can process many different inputs, and direct many different facets of our physical performance, simultaneously. Thus shooting from the subconscious mind is innately more efficient and allows a far higher level of performance than shooting from the conscious mind.

The classic method to free the subconscious mind is to occupy the conscious mind with something else. Since the conscious mind can only deal with one thing at a time, if you tie up its attention with something else - and keep it there - this frees the subconscious mind to do everything else. In pistol shooting the thing we use to occupy the conscious mind is to focus on the front sight. The conscious mind is like an overbearing, micro-managing boss who won't give his employees credit for knowing how to do the job themselves. By focusing on the front sight, this gives the conscious mind a job - that, arguably, is generally useful - that allows it to feel good about itself: "See, look at my invaluable input. I'm watching the front sight." But the greatest advantage of watching the front sight may be that it tricks the conscious mind into getting the hell out of the way of the shooting.

So I thought, why not just cut out the middleman? Instead of using the front sight to occupy the conscious mind so the subconscious mind can come to the fore, why not just clear your mind and let the subconscious mind do everything - including pick up the sights? That's what I was doing during this shooting, not thinking about any sort of target focus, not trying to pick up the front sight - just standing there with my eyes and mind relaxed, then drawing and shooting as fast as possible and trusting my subconscious mind would take care of things. And, as already reported, not only my speed but accuracy improved immensely.

Thoughts?

First thought is WOW! That's a pretty intense post.

Fundamentally, I'd agree. I think "getting out of your own way" is probably by default getting your concious mind out of the way so your subcon can get the job done.

It's hard to get my mind around the subconcious. I guess that's good, I'm not supposed to. But it plays a role that is crucial.

So many thoughts on this, and so hard to quantify. And inevitably it'd end in a post that is ENTIRELY too long. I'll try an abbreviated version.

First, what if the subconcious is confidence? If confidence is high doesn't that give you that little edge to "relax" a little and let the things you KNOW you can do just happen? So be it through practice, experience, dry fire, cross over from other areas - whatever - maybe that's a key to allowing yourself to get out of your own way.

Second, it's difficult for me to enter any stage relaxed. I've never been able to achieve that level of relaxation that Brian describes. My face contorts, and I feel it in my gut. But I associate that feeling with action. And action is what I want. So I doubt I could do the whole "blank my mind" and get a good result. The part of competing to me that is so appealing is that feeling of needing to perform. That need to step up. That nervousness. And when it goes good, that feeling of accomplishment. It's so intangible to me though that maybe I'm more relaxed than I give myself credit for, or at least maybe my subconcious says "got this one" when the buzzer goes off. I don't know.

But my third point is that to some degree this has always been integrated into the shooting in some way. As mentioned earlier, I was never a soul front sight focus guy (or maybe I am but it isn't a concious focal point???) but I do remember using terms like "crisp" or "smooth" and driving those into my mind. "Crisp" was the word I liked most. And I do believe that one appeal of terms like "crisp" or "smooth" to me were that they are intangible. I can't conciously be "crisp" - so even though I've never contemplated this topic in the way Duane has, perhaps the practices of using terms like "crisp" or "smooth" or whatever were my own way of jumping on his bandwagon?

Or maybe for me it's some combo deal on all the above? Maybe (back in the day) I practiced so much that I had the confidence in the skill set to let them just take care of themselves. And that allowed the focus to be on something outside of the traditional front sight focus.

It occured to me the other day that because I don't choose the front sight as a concious focus doesn't necessarily mean I don't focus on it. I don't have 20 misses at a match. Even 20 D's. So something is going ok with the shooting. Because I can't articulate how I focus on the front sight doesn't mean I don't. It just means I haven't mastered the english language or I haven't been able to quantify what I'm seeing.

*** I just realized this. I just realized I manage my shots by exception. God I can't believe I've never realized this before. I just realized why I am so unlike many that I talk to. So many folks can clearly remember the sight lifting, can remember every shot in a stage. I can't. The reason why is not because I'm not seeing. It's because if I've seen what I believe I needed to then I move on. I don't process it. I let it go. The other night I was shooting a match and the only shot in one of the stages I remembered was a shot that was close to a no shoot. I remember that single shot and I think the reason why is because all the others were good. I let the memories of those shots go, but the one that I knew was a close one I processed. My mind recognized it - and I remember it. Wow - that's something for me to process on later***

Ok - didn't answer the question - rambled - had a discovery about my own shooting - and thread drifted. All in one post.

Guess I should quit now.

Let me dwell on this and try to get a better post going later.

Interesting stuff! And Thanks Duane - if for no other reason than a little discovery for myself.

J

Edited February 20, 2008 by j1b

[el pres]

To add another level to this:

remember that single shot and I think the reason why is because all the others were good. I let the memories of those shots go, but the one that I new was a close one I processed. My mind recognized it - and I remember it. Wow - that's something for me to process on later***

You could say that you run in the subconcious until you have to solve an unexpected problem bringing the concious

up front to make a choice, then you only remember that part. What do I know.. I guess I kind of shoot like that too,

If it's going real smooth then its just going. You get to the end and think "wow, its already the end, how did I get here"

Hope I did everything right!!

I had a 3gun stage at Elko one time that went really smooth, everything went right, I hit all of my markers on que and

no make-ups. At the end of the "3rd" gun I put it down and went searching for the forth ??? I heard a big chukle from the

crowd and quickley realized that I was done...

I think tight and wide all the time....

Edited February 20, 2008 by DIRTY CHAMBER

[Duane Thomas]

Years ago there was a post on here asking the question, "Is there any special quality that separates the very best Grand Masters from the rest?" No one had a good answer. There were things mentioned like dedication, drive, etc. But the fact is there are also people who have all those things, who work just as hard as the top guys, but they're not beating the top guys. I mentioned this to Bruce Gray, and he instantly said, "What separates the very best shooters from the rest is a superior ability to turn the shooting over to the subconscious mind - and stay there. A lot of people can get into the zone, but then they hit something they consider especially hard - a long shot, a tight no-shoot - and they come out of their subconscious mind, suddenly they're shooting with their conscious mind....and they fall apart."

[G-ManBart]

Years ago there was a post on here asking the question, "Is there any special quality that separates the very best Grand Masters from the rest?" No one had a good answer. There were things mentioned like dedication, drive, etc. But the fact is there are also people who have all those things, who work just as hard as the top guys, but they're not beating the top guys. I mentioned this to Bruce Gray, and he instantly said, "What separates the very best shooters from the rest is a superior ability to turn the shooting over to the subconscious mind - and stay there. A lot of people can get into the zone, but then they hit something they consider especially hard - a long shot, a tight no-shoot - and they come out of their subconscious mind, suddenly they're shooting with their conscious mind....and they fall apart."

Man, that's good stuff!

It makes me think of a couple of times when I've made "hard" shots and afterwards thought to myself "wow, how did I do that". I recall one time moving into a position and hitting a small steel plate way before I stopped, still moving fast, because the sights were there and I guess my unconscious was running the show. I didn't think about it at all....it just happened and then I was on the next target. Afterwards I was going over the stage in my mind and realized I was never "thinking" about what was happening. I knew that while shooting I had been aware that I shot that plate way earlier than I expected to and that when the shot broke it was going to be dead-center, but I wasn't thinking about it...I was just aware that it had happened. It's almost like being on autopilot and is surreal enough to almost be scary.

We program ourselves to shoot in response to certain conditions...as a reaction to them rather than as a planned action in expectation of them. When the front sigth/dot is in the right place, the shot breaks without us having to think "okay, press the trigger". It's sort of like when someone throws a ball to you...your hand comes up and catches it without conscious thought. Man, I need to get more unconscious when I'm shooting

[Paladin]

I rem sometime ago talking to TGO about me being accurate and slow or fast but missing but rarely fast and accurate.. his suggestion was not to think in terms of hard or easy shots but rather fast or faster shots. In so doing the subconscious stays on top of the conscious as speed is something the sub-c is programmed to handle (also why you shouldn't force speed but let it happen- it is already there)... the sub-c doesn't know what hard or easy means, those are conscious human manifestations...when properly trained in the fundamentals (read Brian's book..again!) the eyes will tell the sub-c 'fast shot' or 'faster shot' and the body will do the necessary including changing your visual plane to make the shot.. my shooting moved several levels up the rung thereafter.

For eg when shooting say 6 plate racks which I have classified as hard, I would usually miss the 4th or 5th one as the success of hitting the first 3 or 4 begin to tire my conscious and my eyes (the hard focus) (yes, success can be tiring esp. when you are tentative about achieving it). Now I just look at a rack and say this is a fast rack, forget about it and at the sound of the buzzer pull and clean the rack.. if a miss occurs it is usually made up back so fast...

(..feels like deja vu..may have posted this already in another time, in another area for another question..)

for short: when training a new skill, the conscious sits on top of the subconscious; when just testing/executing the subconscious sits on top of the conscious.. how do you flip? ..change your perceptions..

[el pres]

For eg when shooting say 6 plate racks which I have classified as hard, I would usually miss the 4th or 5th one as the success of hitting the first 3 or 4 begin to tire my conscious and my eyes (the hard focus) (yes, success can be tiring esp. when you are tentative about achieving it). Now I just look at a rack and say this is a fast rack, forget about it and at the sound of the buzzer pull and clean the rack.. if a miss occurs it is usually made up back so fast...

I find that when I miss the 4th or 5th plate its because I set a speed for that rack but as things are going really easy I

speed up alot when the miss happens.

Strange thing I noticed a couple of times (C, sub-C conflict). At a local match our wonderful coarse designers like to put

arrays of 35yd 4-8" plates, I'm alright with that but always notice something new when shooting these sets (great learning exp)

most of the time I have no problem with them but every once in a while I get stuck, I think its when coming out of a [wide

focus] (hoser targets) followed suddenly by prcision shots I get stuck sub-c in the wide focus. Now as I'm missing these shots

,bang,bang,on autopilot, I start thinking to myself "why am I missing these targets, I can see the ft. sight on there". Now heres

the killer that I saw last time this happend, while shooting, now remember the shooting is happening automatically, I changed

my focus to tight and saw that my rear sight was way off but could not correct it as I had this feeling of possibly overcorrecting

and loosing time, could not tell the sub-c to move it just kept shooting until I threw a curve ball ..

Now for me the speed of the shots is auto control, when coming onto a hard shot I tink to myself "sharp,sharp" ft sight

[tight] focus...

to see the top of the ft sight

[Duane Thomas]

When actually you shouldn't be thinking anything.