How much practice do most GMs do?

[chuckbradley]

One thing I left out. My practice was to shoot a local match every weekend, sometimes 2 a weekend. I hated dry or live practice. When i did do it it was just to work on a problem area. You also have to be careful to keep it fun or it becomes a job. Too much practice and it becomes no fun. For me any practice is not fun.

[dirtypool40]

Last Saturday, TGO shot at a local match I shot at, and I almost didnt want to bother him because I'm sure he gets beseiged by questions everywhere he goes, but I couldnt pass on the opportunity.

He was very gracious, did not appear or seem put out by my inquiries at all, and offered this about practice.

Most people practice what they enjoy doing or are good at, like draws and A's at 10, or whatever...but you have to look at what it is that is killing you, or that you hate doing, and design your practice to improve that area of your shooting. Those that do, improve, those that dont keep getting good at what they like and never really advance....I thought it sorta related and good enough advice to include here.

I picked that up from an interview he gave years ago, and it's kinda become my whole philospohy "train hard, win easy" as it were.

It's like changing up your workout and focusing on the muscle groups you already know are weak. Look at your whole game objectively, and fix what's weak, until it's strength, or at very least not a concern anymore. Then step back and do it again. After you've improved everything, there will be something else that needs a polish.

It's a never ending struggle, and can get frustrating. It's like being a golfer and when you hit the driver well the putter is out of whack. There's that much to practical shooting, between gun handling, speed, accuracy, movement, stage breakdown, timing, grip, agression, control, visual discipline, trigger control..... and I'm only a garden variety GM, imagine how much more "one of the boys" worries about?

This game, like all the great ones, can be so simple or so maddeningly complex. Ain't it grand?

[Tim James]

I picked that up from an interview he gave years ago, and it's kinda become my whole philospohy "train hard, win easy" as it were.

Man, I hope your classes aren't hard. I want to "train easy and win easy, then drink some beer while posting on the forums."

[Flexmoney]

In reading this, I think we are starting to see some themes come out.

I don't know that it is all about how much or how often, but it's got to be "enough" that you are clawing forward, not slipping back.

Practice (live or dry) just for practice sake...well, there will have to be some benefit there, but it may lack good progress if it lacks direction.

Like Chuck, I'd practice problem areas. Anderson did, pretty much, the same thing.

My suggestion is to figure out what is the most fundamental aspect of your game that needs work, and fix that. Make that a strength. Once that is going strong, work on the next most fundamental thing.

Build the foundation like it is Fort Knox.

[konkapot]

This thread is shaping up to be............well...........

actually informative.

With awesome responses from Jake, Keith, DP, James Ong, et al

Good stuff.

FY42385

[Ben Stoeger]

It took me about 5000 rounds (lifetime) to get a GM card.

I imagine it wouldn't take that much work to maintain the same skill level. However, if you want to improve, you need to put a LOT into it.

When I practice, I like to shoot at least twice a week. Last year before nationals, I was shooting 5-6 days a week for about a month.

I dryfire every day, except when I am hurt, or I am forcing myself to take a break from it.

[el pres]

It took me about 5000 rounds (lifetime) to get a GM card.

5000 ??? 50000 ???

[eerw]

It took me about 5000 rounds (lifetime) to get a GM card.

Edited March 14, 2008 by eerw

[Ben Stoeger]

It took me about 5000 rounds (lifetime) to get a GM card.

5000 ??? 50000 ???

5000

Dryfire works better than you think.

[Religious Shooter]

5,000 rds lifetime? Wow.

[el pres]

It took me about 5000 rounds (lifetime) to get a GM card.

5000 ??? 50000 ???

5000

Dryfire works better than you think.

Ok, you need to write a book on how to dryfire or scratch that, just let "me"

know excactly what you did !!!

5000

[Ben Stoeger]

It took me about 5000 rounds (lifetime) to get a GM card.

5000 ??? 50000 ???

5000

Dryfire works better than you think.

Ok, you need to write a book on how to dryfire or scratch that, just let "me"

know excactly what you did !!!

5000

I don't think you would find the book as amazing as you think!

[JD45]

5000?? Holy smokes. Ben, you need to write whole series of books.

Did you use Anderson's book for your dryfire?

[Mick]

It took me about 5000 rounds (lifetime) to get a GM card.

5000 ??? 50000 ???

5000

Dryfire works better than you think.

Ok, you need to write a book on how to dryfire or scratch that, just let "me"

know excactly what you did !!!

5000

I don't think you would find the book as amazing as you think!

We just went through this in another forum about dryfire! Bottom line, if your gun isn't going bang and recoiling, you aren't learning as much as you think. Number of rounds?

Since '97 I've fired over 230,000 rounds in 2 SVs and 1 STI. But, I got the GM card in '00 so it would be considerably less to get there...

Try getting some .10-11 splits in dryfire.....

[Ben Stoeger]

The point was, I learned enough in dryfire I didn't need to fire THAT much in livefire in order to get the G.

You need to do live practice, but dry practice can take you a long way.

[spook]

Practice (live or dry) just for practice sake...well, there will have to be some benefit there, but it may lack good progress if it lacks direction.

I think everyone has days where you just go through the motions. I try to avoid that feeling.

Going through the motions means I'm not learning anything.

[Ramas]

Practice (live or dry) just for practice sake...well, there will have to be some benefit there, but it may lack good progress if it lacks direction.

I think everyone has days where you just go through the motions. I try to avoid that feeling.

Going through the motions means I'm not learning anything.

Good points!

[Ramas]

By the way I have a chance to ask Eric Grauffel about it on his courses. He shoots about 300-500 rounds per day 5 days a week. When he is preparing for big events he increases it to 1000 rounds a day for 2 weeks or one month before. On non shooting days he does dry fire about 15-20 minutes per day concentraiting on something he needs to work.

Also I heard somwhere that Cris Tiley was shooting about 1000 rounds one month before US Nationals'06. Another example- Jorge Balesteros an European Open GM (3rd in World Shoot) practices 2-4 times a week, but shoots 150-200 rounds per practice session.

I would like to know how mutch time and how GM's do mental practice? Maybe someone can post here about it? It would be very interesting.

[ong45]

It took me about 5000 rounds (lifetime) to get a GM card.

I imagine it wouldn't take that much work to maintain the same skill level. However, if you want to improve, you need to put a LOT into it.

Phil S. is another one who's reported to have done very little live fire practice over his shooting lifetime. i suspect these freaks are the exeption .

[ChrisStock]

I picked that up from an interview he gave years ago, and it's kinda become my whole philospohy "train hard, win easy" as it were.

I think I have a hat and shirt with that written there

I think that some definitely have more natural skills that no amount of practice can surmount. However, that said, this thread has been most informative as it develops...good stuff!

[JThompson]

Practice (live or dry) just for practice sake...well, there will have to be some benefit there, but it may lack good progress if it lacks direction.

I think everyone has days where you just go through the motions. I try to avoid that feeling.

Going through the motions means I'm not learning anything.

I hear ya Spook. Some days I'm thinking about having a beer instead of what I'm doing. Waste of ammo/time.

[Ramas]

Phil S. is another one who's reported to have done very little live fire practice over his shooting lifetime. i suspect these freaks are the exeption .

Phil S. have shot only about 70000 rounds in whole career, including matches

[Mick]

Shooting is more than dry firing too.....

I like to shoot.

[Woody Allen]

Shooting is more than dry firing too.....

I like to shoot.

Mick, I saw your posts about dryfire on the other site. The optimum would be all practice livefire.

However, assuming you have limited time/resources to livefire, what is the most productive use of your live rounds, i.e., the drill(s) that would maximize your use of the rounds.

Would it be a three-target 2 on each drill, then maybe a reload and again 2 on each drill, and then strong/weak hand? If you have no time/ammo do any other live fire drill, would this be the one you would do?

[Ron Ankeny]

It took me about 5000 rounds (lifetime) to get a GM card.

That doesn't suprise me at all...it really doesn't. I am no high zoot GM, but I did move up through the classification system rather quickly. I managed to gather up a wallet full of M cards with suprisingly few rounds down range. Quality practice, good coaching, lots of dry fire, some mental management... It's not all about trigger time.