PaulW Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 Thought this might be cool to talk about. In your experience thus far, what has been your #1 lesson learned? I'll go first. I've been shooting IPSC since 1997 and have loved shooting way before that. I started off shooting IPSC and was pretty clueless as to what it took to shoot a pistol fast and accurate. I worked, studied, and asked a billion questions to help improve my shooting. Once I started moving up in class I started to really feel the pressure that I had to live up to eveyone elses expectations. Before I shoot a stage someone would ask me, "so how fast are you going to shoot this"? Usually I would tell them I had no idea. Then there would be a wager going on as to how fast I would shoot it. Then, trying to push myself beyond my capabilities I would crash and burn. Now what do I do? I really, really try and be true to myself. I shoot to my expectations, which are very high, and no one elses. I shoot the best I can right then and there. takes a huge amount of pressure off. Makes shooting a whole lot more fun as well. I am hard enough on myself and try to be a perfectionist and don't need that added pressure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Anderson Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 Mine is similar to yours. My best lesson is to shoot MY game, and not worry or even think about placement or final scores or winning. Before I shot at the Summer Blast I consciously avoided the preliminary stage results, as I didn't want to be thinking, "you can win the stage if you shoot it XXX seconds, X points down. This strategy worked well for me for the first half of the day. So well in fact, that I began to think about results a little, thinking I might be in the hunt for M class placement at my first M class major match. I made three mistakes on my last 4 stages...reinforcing my lesson. Ahhh, the journey. SA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 This one is easy for me... The #1 lesson I learned was to call each and every shot. ...and realizing that having the visual patience to call each shot is actually faster than just hosing. (OK...that was two things...I gamed the topic a bit. ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 My #1 lesson, the thing that moved me from B to M, was to trade sight picture for speed and not always use a front sight focus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L9X25 Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 Erik, Funny that you say that ... what got me from B to M was to trade speed for sight focus and actually see the dot for both shots! You cannot shoot faster than you can see. I guess we all reach the same point, just from different directions! Leo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooter Grrl Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 For me, the #1 Lesson Learned is to make sure your equipment runs perfectly, all the time, every time, in all conditions, no matter what !!!!! Once you take this factor out of your equation, it's actually really fun to learn all the other lessons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loves2Shoot Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 #1 lesson for me is it is hard to shoot with your head up your butt. Relax and let the shooting happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 #1 No matter what else happens, the most important thing is to look good while you're doing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eerw Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 My lesson..is to make sure it stays fun... I shot seriously for several years and it just got to be a lot of work..I quit for a couple of years and then slowly got back into it..now I am having a blast again... then my lessons are: Use equipment that works, don't switch anything before the match. Relax Call my shots, stay focused If I don;t have too..makes no sense to stand out in the rain or snow.. and there you go... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 My number one lesson for competition shooting came when I was in junior high school before USPSA even existed. "It is not the desire to win that wins. It is the desire to prepare to win that wins." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 My #1 lesson is that there are no #1 lessons. Everything is important and you'll always run into things that need attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 The application of what I learned, which I continue to benefit from daily, can be divided into three realms: PLAN EVERYTHING you know you need to see and do, down to the most minute detail. Then TRUST and ALLOW (it to happen). (Or don't rush.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 Good idea for the thread Paul. Should this be in some other forum, like Tips? be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulW Posted June 18, 2003 Author Share Posted June 18, 2003 Thanks BE. So many of these have been very thought provoking. For most of the last year I have been waiting or in the midst of building my new open gun, what a nightmare, don't ask. I am so hungry to get back at it and was looking for some fresh perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulW Posted June 18, 2003 Author Share Posted June 18, 2003 Yea, I was not sure where to put this so if the moderator wants to move it, he's got the power, and of course Ghost Dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Moneypenny Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 My most important lesson... RELAX TENSION KILLS... once i did that i had a btter time, and a FAR better score... i think it's tied with #1 for shoot solid, not fast, not accurate, just do what you know you can do.... i tend to win when that happens... go figure. i don't have any big title's i'm a B class shooter. but i rarely shoot classifiers. and have beaten A class shooters and a master from time to time. yes, this should be in tips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detlef Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 funny noone came up with this yet: I learned my no. 1 lesson in 1998 at the North American Champs: You can't do well without regular practice. Practice (dry and live, each) three times or more a week, and you'll go up in capability and learn all those cool things that were already mentioned. --Detlef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin c Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 Stick to one gun and one load: I have books full of load data, enough that it was seriously suggested that I could publish some of it, and it hasn't made me a better shooter. The gun and the load shoot better than I do, and that should be enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AikiDale Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 When learning a skill one must practice, study, practice, experiment, practice, refine, practice, ask questions, practice, accept advice, practice, reject advice, practice, and practice. When applying a skill one must simply allow the action to happen. Any attempt to influence the action changes it to practice. Practice is good. There are two kinds of practice: First is the endless repetition required to refine the movement. Second is the looking within oneself to understand which imperfection inhibits the perfect execution of that refined movement, and by seeing the imperfection, allowing it to vanish which allows the skill to be perfectly executed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dani Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 My #1 lesson was when i asked to myself just before a difficult stage: Q: Do you know what you have to do ? A: Yes Q: Do you know how to do it? A: Yes ok, so go there just do it. After that day, I enjoyed IPSC much more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcoliver Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 My #1 lesson learned is that I can't always win, but I can always shoot my best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cr10x Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 From another perspective the Number 1 Lesson: Choose to have Fun Fun creates Enjoyment Enjoyment invites Participation Participation focuses Attention Attention expands Awareness Awareness promotes Insight Insight generates Knowledge Knowledge facilitates Action Action yields Results by "Davis M. Love, Jr." (was an absolutely outstanding golf coach and mentor, check out his writings) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luiz Francisco Ramos Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 Hey Guys! You are all confusing the 1° lesson with the final lasson. Our 1º lesson was the single: - see the sights and squezze the trigger Or not ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattBurkett Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 I can't say that there is a #1 lesson I have learned other than when I got told I was an F'in a_-hole back in 93 or 94. Somethings change, somethings don't. I hope that is one that I have been able to make up for by helping others shoot better. Other major lessons have been: Mentally plan everything and then let go and do the job. Nothing matters but the shooting, don't let other crap fill up your noggin. When nothing seems to be working, get back to the gun and try to feel it again like it was the first time you picked one up. Try everything and figure out what works for you. Keep an open mind. Enjoy every moment you can on the range. Learn something everytime your there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cpty1 Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 Benos said: "Then TRUST and ALLOW (it to happen). (Or don't rush.)" Those words apply to me so much, I had to make sure I hadn't already posted a reply and forgotten about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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