Shoot for All A's

[Paul Burtchell]

I've been shooting USPSA for less than a year, but a certified "gun nut" and infrequent Bullseye competitor for almost 20 years. If there is anything that I've learned so far about this game is the title of my topic. Learned, but not always applied.

I shot one of my best matches a few weeks ago, even won a stage and beat a Master Class shooter by simply APPLYING this knowledge. I shot a little over 90% A's for the entire match, no penalties or procedurals. The whole match felt as if I was shooting in slow motion. One of my friends who was shooting the match with me asked how I did after one stage and I told him I thought I was really slow. That was the stage I won.

Fast forward one week. Texas Open in Waco, Texas. Tried to "keep up" with better shooters. Looking back, I think that I was more concerned about looking fast and impressive than I was shooting well. Bottom line.... a horrible performance. More Mikes and penalties than I've ever experienced.

The battle, at least for me, is learning to consistently APPLY, what I've learned. I don't know if its fear, ego or something else that keeps rearing its ugly head, but when I shoot for all A's and let the front sight dictate my speed and call ALL my shots, good things happen.

I know there is nothing new about the above comments that isn't already on this forum many times, but I guess reading about it and experiencing it are two different things.

I guess the saying,"the application of knowledge is power", holds true.

[zhunter]

Good post

My goal is to shoot 95% of the points every stage, Single Stack of course

:blizzard:

[DonT]

Excellent...

I know I get caught up in trying to keep up with the big boys and feel if I don't, then I'm not going to be able to compete.

How many times I've started a match saying, I'm going for all alpha's. And when the buzzer goes off I feel I need to match the speed of the guy in front of me.

I have a match this morning. I'm going for all "A's". We'll see...

[Paul Burtchell]

Excellent...

I know I get caught up in trying to keep up with the big boys and feel if I don't, then I'm not going to be able to compete.

How many times I've started a match saying, I'm going for all alpha's. And when the buzzer goes off I feel I need to match the speed of the guy in front of me.

I have a match this morning. I'm going for all "A's". We'll see...

Best wishes at the match. Let us know how you do. All A's

[bofe954]

I have been working on this too. The need for it became more obvious after switching from production to SS. I am soon to be C class and I beat an A shooter on a stage last week due to his no shoot, mike. He smoked me on the other 2 stages and beat me in the match, but still, it proved a point to me.

I am not even close to shooting all A's, but the effort has at least eliminated a lot mikes from my score sheets.

[CDRODA396]

"...shoot the points you can at the speed you are capable of, and nothing more on every stage."

Our Good Friend Howard passed these wise words to me just before my first big matach and they ring true regardless of what size match...you cant let the other guys speed sway the speed of your shooting, it always results in bad things!

[eerw]

good thread..and great reminder..

wish you would have posted this two days ago

[cuzinvinny]

I shot my first match about 3 weeks ago, and had an absolutely great time. The one bit of advice that stuck with me from all of my reading on this forum was the "Try to shoot all A's". I was pretty happy with my performance. Shot a bunch of A's, some C's, a few D's and 3 Mikes (all into hard cover - all 3 were shots I pulled low). While my time was less than stellar, the "Shoot A's" advice was a huge help. So from my perspective you can't repeat this advice too often.

[DonT]

Excellent...

I know I get caught up in trying to keep up with the big boys and feel if I don't, then I'm not going to be able to compete.

How many times I've started a match saying, I'm going for all alpha's. And when the buzzer goes off I feel I need to match the speed of the guy in front of me.

I have a match this morning. I'm going for all "A's". We'll see...

Best wishes at the match. Let us know how you do. All A's

Ok, I'm back with the embarrassing results. Let me first say, this is a great thread and I don't want it to turn into a "Range Diary".

I've gone to our local matches numerous times with the intention of shooting all A's. I quickly forget about it when the buzzer sounds. Today I forced myself to do it through the entire match because of this thread. First stage got a mike into hardcover bordering the A. The rest were A's and C's. Trying to remember here, next stage I think were mostly A's and C's. Third stage, got all my available points. Fourth stage, Classifier 08-06, OMG. Gun starts farting on 6 second timed strings. Lost a bunch of points on that one.

Ended up getting about 79% of available points for the match. I'm just a "C" shooter but I know I can do better than that. I think everyone was having an off day because I came in 5th (I think) overall out of 16. Which is about where I normally come in anyway.

I know that shooting for A's is the goal. When you guys talk about trying for 90-95% of available points as in finding a happy medium between speed and accuracy, I don't know how you do it. If they took the timer off of me today and I had all the time in the world, maybe I could have gotten 90-95%.

I don't know how to explain this, and it goes against what I know is right, but I didn't feel at all comfortable with shooting for only A's today I probably shot more A's than I normally would have but felt like I was extremely slow and unsure. For instance, I've been trying to learn to shoot on the move more and today, instead of charging a target and shooting as I'm coming to a stop like I normally would, I found myself stopping to shoot. I realize it will all come with practice. And I'm not making excuses. I know my gun not running is my responsibility. And I didn't get all A's because I didn't see what I needed to see.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I feel more comfortable shooting my own game. If I can be happy with a C hit and save a second or two, well, that's kind of where I'm at right now. And probably why I'm still stuck in C-class.

[Paul Burtchell]

Excellent...

I know I get caught up in trying to keep up with the big boys and feel if I don't, then I'm not going to be able to compete.

How many times I've started a match saying, I'm going for all alpha's. And when the buzzer goes off I feel I need to match the speed of the guy in front of me.

I have a match this morning. I'm going for all "A's". We'll see...

Best wishes at the match. Let us know how you do. All A's

Ok, I'm back with the embarrassing results. Let me first say, this is a great thread and I don't want it to turn into a "Range Diary".

I've gone to our local matches numerous times with the intention of shooting all A's. I quickly forget about it when the buzzer sounds. Today I forced myself to do it through the entire match because of this thread. First stage got a mike into hardcover bordering the A. The rest were A's and C's. Trying to remember here, next stage I think were mostly A's and C's. Third stage, got all my available points. Fourth stage, Classifier 08-06, OMG. Gun starts farting on 6 second timed strings. Lost a bunch of points on that one.

Ended up getting about 79% of available points for the match. I'm just a "C" shooter but I know I can do better than that. I think everyone was having an off day because I came in 5th (I think) overall out of 16. Which is about where I normally come in anyway.

I know that shooting for A's is the goal. When you guys talk about trying for 90-95% of available points as in finding a happy medium between speed and accuracy, I don't know how you do it. If they took the timer off of me today and I had all the time in the world, maybe I could have gotten 90-95%.

I don't know how to explain this, and it goes against what I know is right, but I didn't feel at all comfortable with shooting for only A's today I probably shot more A's than I normally would have but felt like I was extremely slow and unsure. For instance, I've been trying to learn to shoot on the move more and today, instead of charging a target and shooting as I'm coming to a stop like I normally would, I found myself stopping to shoot. I realize it will all come with practice. And I'm not making excuses. I know my gun not running is my responsibility. And I didn't get all A's because I didn't see what I needed to see.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I feel more comfortable shooting my own game. If I can be happy with a C hit and save a second or two, well, that's kind of where I'm at right now. And probably why I'm still stuck in C-class.

Don, the feeling you experienced of feeling extremely slow is what I felt the entire match that I did well at. I think the time it takes to shoot an A instead of a C or D is actually alot less than what we may perceive it to be as we are shooting the course of fire.

Sounds like you placed well even with the gun choking on you

Maybe someone with alot more experience than me can give some better advice or observations. I know it felt like I was doing the wrong thing the whole match by not trying to go fast, but it paid big dividends. I just tried to eliminate the thought or feeling of speed altogether.

[Paul Burtchell]

I shot my first match about 3 weeks ago, and had an absolutely great time. The one bit of advice that stuck with me from all of my reading on this forum was the "Try to shoot all A's". I was pretty happy with my performance. Shot a bunch of A's, some C's, a few D's and 3 Mikes (all into hard cover - all 3 were shots I pulled low). While my time was less than stellar, the "Shoot A's" advice was a huge help. So from my perspective you can't repeat this advice too often.

Welcome to the sport and glad you had a great time.

[DonT]

..."I just tried to eliminate the thought or feeling of speed altogether"....

If going for all A's is the goal, I think that is what you have to do. And it is very hard not to think about speed. IMHO I should go for all A's and the speed will come with practice and experience eventually. But then there's the hoser stages that you actually can just point and shoot.

For me anyway, I'm not sure that I should go into a match with it burned into my brain, A's only. Maybe just take it stage by stage, shot by shot, depending on the circumstances...?

[j1b]

This is a really good thread.

I all too often sacrifice accuracy for speed. Because I perceive speed to be good (oh, and fun!). The trick is is to not compromise. And live with that slight down trend that happens in your performance as you evolve and learn to shoot differently. You have to keep in mind that changing your shooting style from a speed focused style to a points focused style is going to be uncomfortable. And your first few outings will most likely not produce the very best results. It takes time. A slight dip in match standings doesn't mean the path is wrong. It means you're just learning the new way. You're going to be slower until you become more efficient and learn to see what you need to see. At least for me that's how things worked.

When I first started shooting IDPA I immediately understood that I couldn't drop points like I did in IPSC. After that first match I change my perspective and raised my standards. The next few matches I really struggled. my strength in IDPA had been my speed and now I was deathly slow but finally shooting points. Didn't take long for things to come around. I had to redefine what I needed to see and then learn to see that faster. Needless to say it helped my IPSC shooting when I went back. Same with production now, I know accuracy is a premium. It'll help whatever other component of the sport I play in.

Good stuff - love the thread!

J

[DonT]

That's what I needed to hear. That the downtrend in overall match performance when shooting for only A's is temporary. Thanks

[Paul Burtchell]

This is a really good thread.

I all too often sacrifice accuracy for speed. Because I perceive speed to be good (oh, and fun!). The trick is is to not compromise. And live with that slight down trend that happens in your performance as you evolve and learn to shoot differently. You have to keep in mind that changing your shooting style from a speed focused style to a points focused style is going to be uncomfortable. And your first few outings will most likely not produce the very best results. It takes time. A slight dip in match standings doesn't mean the path is wrong. It means you're just learning the new way. You're going to be slower until you become more efficient and learn to see what you need to see. At least for me that's how things worked.

When I first started shooting IDPA I immediately understood that I couldn't drop points like I did in IPSC. After that first match I change my perspective and raised my standards. The next few matches I really struggled. my strength in IDPA had been my speed and now I was deathly slow but finally shooting points. Didn't take long for things to come around. I had to redefine what I needed to see and then learn to see that faster. Needless to say it helped my IPSC shooting when I went back. Same with production now, I know accuracy is a premium. It'll help whatever other component of the sport I play in.

Good stuff - love the thread!

J

I too shoot IDPA and I think it helps my USPSA shooting. Half a second penalty for every dropped point adds up FAST. I believe your quote"The trick is not to compromise", is the key. Call every shot.

[gunsablazin]

This is a really good thread.

I all too often sacrifice accuracy for speed. Because I perceive speed to be good (oh, and fun!). The trick is is to not compromise. And live with that slight down trend that happens in your performance as you evolve and learn to shoot differently. You have to keep in mind that changing your shooting style from a speed focused style to a points focused style is going to be uncomfortable. And your first few outings will most likely not produce the very best results. It takes time. A slight dip in match standings doesn't mean the path is wrong. It means you're just learning the new way. You're going to be slower until you become more efficient and learn to see what you need to see. At least for me that's how things worked.

When I first started shooting IDPA I immediately understood that I couldn't drop points like I did in IPSC. After that first match I change my perspective and raised my standards. The next few matches I really struggled. my strength in IDPA had been my speed and now I was deathly slow but finally shooting points. Didn't take long for things to come around. I had to redefine what I needed to see and then learn to see that faster. Needless to say it helped my IPSC shooting when I went back. Same with production now, I know accuracy is a premium. It'll help whatever other component of the sport I play in.

Good stuff - love the thread!

J

Thank you so much! This is the point I'm at right now I'm shooting for all 0's in IDPA it has cost me a few places in the overall standings for the past few months, which has been frustrating to say the least. It's good to hear from others who have been down this road before me that I'm indeed on the right path.

[benos]

But then there's the hoser stages that you actually can just point and shoot.

Yoda voice: No there aren't.

The best shotgun coach I've ever met once told me - "There are no easy targets."

I remember getting it. But applying it runs deep.

I remember a Tuesday Night Steel match... Before you left the first position, you had to double 2, 18" x 24" rectangles, close to each other at about 10 yards. I remember recognizing that as a trap. So I decided that I would "sacrifice" a small bit of time. Instead of cranking those 4 shots in "point and blast" mode like I normally would - I visualized stopping the sights with a crisp front sight focus on the center of both targets and tracking the front sight and calling the shots in slow motion. And when I shot the stage, that's exactly what happened. I remember, as I left the first position, I realized I was gone with good hits as fast as was humanly possible, for me. The first four shots were really mind blowing. I remember thinking - why don't you do that every time!!

be

[Paul Burtchell]

But then there's the hoser stages that you actually can just point and shoot.

Yoda voice: No there aren't.

The best shotgun coach I've ever met once told me - "There are no easy targets."

I remember getting it. But applying it runs deep.

I remember a Tuesday Night Steel match... Before you left the first position, you had to double 2, 18" x 24" rectangles, close to each other at about 10 yards. I remember recognizing that as a trap. So I decided that I would "sacrifice" a small bit of time. Instead of cranking those 4 shots in "point and blast" mode like I normally would - I visualized stopping the sights with a crisp front sight focus on the center of both targets and tracking the front sight and calling the shots in slow motion. And when I shot the stage, that's exactly what happened. I remember, as I left the first position, I realized I was gone with good hits as fast as was humanly possible, for me. The first four shots were really mind blowing. I remember thinking - why don't you do that every time!!

be

Why don't you do that EVERY time!!

That's wherein lies my problem.

[JThompson]

Choose to shoot As. Here is an example from my last match... as you can see others had faster runs, but I smoked them on points. BTW Most of the target were shot over low walls and the targets were at about three feet. Four were shot on the move.

I came in 5th at this match cause I was a little off the pace on some stages... I did get the most points of anyone at the match. Now I just need to work a little harder until the speed is better and the hits are the same. To that end... I have been working on time to first shot and transitions. Transitions are where it's at.

Stage: 1 Pistol 1 - Range 1

Place Name No. Class Division Pts Pen Time Hit Fact Stg Pts Stg %

1 Thompson, J 30 B Open 136 0 15.40 8.8312 140.0000 100.00%

2 Daniel 1 A Open 131 0 15.86 8.2598 130.9417 93.53%

3 Bruce 37 A Open 126 0 15.33 8.2192 130.2980 93.07%

4 Stephen 9 A Open 130 0 16.26 7.9951 126.7454 90.53%

5 Richard 15 A Open 131 0 16.56 7.9106 125.4058 89.58%

6 Gary 8 B Open 121 10 14.40 7.7083 122.1988 87.28%

7 Paul 22 M Open 134 0 17.59 7.6180 120.7673 86.26%

8 Dennis 13 C Open 124 0 21.24 5.8380 92.5491 66.11%

9 Jeff 5 A Open 128 10 21.53 5.4807 86.8849 62.06%

10 Don 21 U Open 132 0 29.63 4.4549 70.6230 50.45%

11 Nate 11 D Open 115 30 20.87 4.0728 64.5656 46.12%

12 Brian 19 U Open 122 10 44.50 2.5169 39.9001 28.50%

Edited May 29, 2008 by JThompson

[Paul Burtchell]

Choose to shoot As. Here is an example from my last match... as you can see others had faster runs, but I smoked them on points. BTW Most of the target were shot over low walls and the targets were at about three feet. Four were shot on the move.

66 As 4Cs

I came in 5th at this match cause I was a little off the pace on some stages... I did get the most points of anyone at the match. Now I just need to work a little harder until the speed is better and the hits are the same. To that end... I have been working on time to first shot and transitions. Transitions are where it's at.

Stage: 1 Pistol 1 - Range 1

Place Name No. Class Division Pts Pen Time Hit Fact Stg Pts Stg %

1 Thompson, J 30 B Open 136 0 15.40 8.8312 140.0000 100.00%

2 Daniel 1 A Open 131 0 15.86 8.2598 130.9417 93.53%

3 Bruce 37 A Open 126 0 15.33 8.2192 130.2980 93.07%

4 Stephen 9 A Open 130 0 16.26 7.9951 126.7454 90.53%

5 Richard 15 A Open 131 0 16.56 7.9106 125.4058 89.58%

6 Gary 8 B Open 121 10 14.40 7.7083 122.1988 87.28%

7 Paul 22 M Open 134 0 17.59 7.6180 120.7673 86.26%

8 Dennis 13 C Open 124 0 21.24 5.8380 92.5491 66.11%

9 Jeff 5 A Open 128 10 21.53 5.4807 86.8849 62.06%

10 Don 21 U Open 132 0 29.63 4.4549 70.6230 50.45%

11 Nate 11 D Open 115 30 20.87 4.0728 64.5656 46.12%

12 Brian 19 U Open 122 10 44.50 2.5169 39.9001 28.50%

Great stage, Jim That's the way to shoot A's !!

[bkeeler]

"shoot Alphas at your current natural speed. Work on your natural speed in practice."-Steve Anderson

BK

[Graham Smith]

I had a real good lesson this weekend on this very topic.

I've been shooting various "fun" matches for about a year and shot my first USPSA last month and found out just how badly I really SUCK. What a disaster! Way too slow. Way too much time spent on getting good shots and way too little time spent on speed and planning. As a result, I had some good runs point wise but the time was so poor as to cancel out any gain in points. So, for the past three weeks, I've been working on picking up some speed even it it meant more C's.

Well, this weekend I went to a GSSF match and forgot my own best advise to consider the scoring when shooting. GSSF is weighted more heavily towards accuracy than speed, with a miss counting a whopping 10 seconds! Other than one good 7 sec run at the plate rack, the rest of my shooting was well below what I know I am capable of.

So, the moral for me seems to be, "Shoot well first and fast second." (don't know where I heard that, but I have to start living by it).

Edited June 16, 2008 by Graham Smith

[10ring]

A couple of years ago, over the period of a few months, I experienced this feeling of going slow while letting my sight picture regulate my speed. I did pretty well during those times. I'm trying to get that feeling/experience back and am really struggling. For some reason, I can't seem to just sit back and watch what's going on.

[Seth]

I have really been trying to focus on this exactly. I pretty much shoot as slowly as I can see. I've progressed, for sure, but I need to be putting the hours in to get the results I desire. Thus far, I'm not being as dilligent as I should....

If I could string my movements together a little more delicately, I might not be so awful...

Edited June 17, 2008 by Sethmark

[matt2ace]

Most of us have heard the saying "You can never miss too fast"

As a C-shooter in the high-50% range, I have been working towards making "B" for a couple of years now (yea, stuck in the mid-50% for more than 2 years!). Last year a put a lot of focus on calling shots at matches, but did little in the way of practice between matches. The result was good scores and very few, if any, misses over the course of the year. However, my times were consistently slow. If I tried to go faster, it usually ended up pretty poor.

It was only when I focused on practice drills at home (draw, cadence, mag changes, etc.) and live fire practice between matches did I start to see progress in speed while maintaining accuracy. As I see it......going faster is all about learning to make all of the fundamentals from draw to shot-calling an unconcious action. Brian and others on this forum have stressed these points many times before. Very few of us are natural shooters, we need to learn and train if we expect to be both accurate and fast.

I also highly recommend using video of dry-fire practice (I use my still camera in video mode with a cheap tripod) to analyze your movements. It's also nice to have a good instructor to help critique your technique.