I Lose 50 IQ Points When I Hear an IPSC Buzzer

[DyNo!]

It happened again tonight.

I had a plan.

After I took my first shot - I didn't.

My name is DyNo! and I have a problem with ballistic masturbation.

I read the course description - walked through the stage - emulated shooting the stage with an "airgun" - and went through it in my mind. Freakin' flawless!

When the buzzer went off - *BEEP* - NONE OF THAT **** HAPPENED.

One one stage, when instructed to shoot two targets 6 times and all others twice, I shot three targets six times, shot the wrong ones according to my plan, and had to improvise from there to finish the course which added even more time.

On another stage, I nearly FTE'd a target and had to accept Delta hits with some uncomfortable contortionist moves just because I was obsessed with shooting all the targets in my sight.

If I could stick to my plan - I would be able to get better hits, take better sight pictures, and avoid doing all of this John Woo **** to shoot in my class. ( B )

In Brian Enos' book, he says you should be like a "cat waiting to hit the ball" or something to that effect.

I am not the cat.

I am the yappy chihuahua with ADD chasing the lasers on the ground...

The only problem is that in a complex course - the laser is running through a maze with a lot of dead ends and it might be smarter not to chase it all the time.

When I've asked - good shooters have told me that my problem is poor stage breakdown.

I really have excellent stage breakdown skills - I just don't have the patience to use them when the timer goes off.

If a stage isn't a hoser or, if it requires any more thought than a person in a persistent vegetative state has - I have a difficult time at shooting my best.

How do I keep my common sense from ending up in the backstop with my lead once I pull the trigger on the "A" zone a few times?

Since I now shoot production, I can no longer compensate for my "problem" by throwing gratuitous amounts of lead downrange without caring about how I do it.

Edited June 3, 2009 by DyNo!

[h2osport]

It sounds to me like you are just trying to hard. Slow yourself down a bit. Breathe, and try to shoot the course slow and to your plan. I have done similar things when I was concentrating on going fast. Forget the going fast part. You will probably shoot smooth, and free up your mind to run your course plan.

Randy

[Flexmoney]

Think you might have a bit of focus on speed?

Think you might have expectation on results, and not execution?

[jkrispies]

I have a similar problem-- it seems that at every match on one of the five stages I'll get overly excited and forget a piece of my plan and screw things up, at least to my satisfaction. The good news is that while you can kiss high overall goodbye, one mistake generally doesn't take you out of contention at least for your division (as long as it's not Open or Limited!) if you do everything else well. Remember that everybody is human, so it's likely that most everybody else will make one mistake as well.

Now, if you're butchering every stage, then that's something else!

Anyway, my solution: don't get so down on the problem that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Look for a solution rather than obsess on the problem. I'm now going to walk the stage several times through before shooting it, until I'm satisfied that I have it down. Period. I tend to rush my walk-through portion more than I have to because I don't want to hold the RO up from his folding chair in the shade, even though I know that he doesn't care how many times I walk it.

[Graham Smith]

My name is Graham, and I have BADD - Buzzer Attention Dumping Disorder. The moment the buzzer goes off, my plan goes into the dumper.

I don't do it enough, but I have started doing dryfire exercises with a timer. Set the timer for a random delay and a par time and when it goes off, smooth draw and get a good aim on a target before the par time. It does help me get used to the buzzer so that it doesn't rattle me as much, if I would do it more. I've also set up a drill where I draw and get a good sight on several targets. I'm amazed at how long 5 seconds really is.

Edited June 3, 2009 by Graham Smith

[FranDoc]

See also http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=75957.

Going blank at the buzzer has been discussed on some other threads, with a number of suggested solutions. Run an advanced search using terms like "mind" AND "blank", or "blank" AND "buzzer". That will bring up pages of old threads, scan through to see what's helpful for you.

{I'm surprised Kyle didn't already chant his "do the search" mantra }

[Sam]

If you are worried about losing IQ points, you are thinking.

If you are thinking, you aren't shooting.

Stop thinking.

When you hear "beep" start shooting.

Problem solved.

[Jman]

If it's to much to chew, bite off smaller chunks.

Jim

[DyNo!]

If you are worried about losing IQ points, you are thinking.

If you are thinking, you aren't shooting.

Stop thinking.

When you hear "beep" start shooting.

Problem solved.

The guy who designs our courses makes you think. If you just shoot the course, you'll FTE.

Simplified example.

From position #1, you can see T1, T4, and T5.

From position #2, you can see T1, T2, and T5.

From position #3, you can see T3, T5, and T6.

I can put my mind in the dumper for most stages but not this guy's. (And he sets up almost all of the stages within reasonable driving distances)

Edited June 3, 2009 by DyNo!

[FranDoc]

OK, memory stages. They make everybody crazy but there is a way to master them.

First -- take your time in preparation. Don't try to rush through this part. You've already figured out that you need time to make a plan, so take that time.

Second (and trust me, this helps) -- map out the stage and your approach to it. See http://andersonshooting.com/analysistool.htm. Run off a few of these and take them to your next match. DRAW the stage -- you don't have to be daVinci, a rough sketch is fine. MARK the shooting positions and where you're going to engage each specific target.

If targets are available from several positions, see where they're easiest to hit or where they flow with your movement best (eg: right <-> left, through a port or around a barricade). You may not be able to eliminate every over-and-back movement, but good planning can keep that to a minimum.

Count the rounds in the stage and make sure that number is equal to what's in the WSB. That way, you know that you've seen everything and you know where it is.

Walk it as many times as your prep time permits, make sure it feels comfortable. Change the drawing if you see an easier or more efficient way to do something. Then ... go someplace quiet and run it in your head ... a lot. Help reset the stage until it's your turn 'on deck'. Then look at the drawing, run it in your head, physically walk/run the stage if possible while you're pasting/resetting targets. If you can do a virtual run with your eyes closed, you're about ready.

Deep breath and do it.

With Production, admit that the best plan may use all the mags on your belt because reload points won't happen at the 10-round mark. I've shot memory stages at Sectional matches where 6-reload-8-reload-4, etc, was the most efficient way to work around the ports and barricades.

Also don't feel like you need to use ALL the ports in a stage. If you can engage everything but still skip a port or two, that's OK. I've seen Sectional stages like that, too.

If your head believes that these stages have you beat, they will. Take your time, make a plan, rehearse it, run it as rehearsed (don't try to make clever modifications on the fly). If you see a better way to do something when somebody else runs it, see if that can fit in your plan and make sure you do adequate mental rehearsal before it's your turn. This is conquerable.

[High Lord Gomer]

No help here, but I sure enjoyed reading your post!!

Edited June 3, 2009 by High Lord Gomer

[paul788]

I belong to the "Once is not enough" crowd of stage plan prep. I walk it at least 4 times and as many more as I can. I try to visual each position and how many A's I will shoot at each position. Then the buzzer goes off. If I did my prep well I move from start to finish in a smooth flow with no searching for targets . But it doesn't happen like that often.

Nothing beats practice shooting stages. Get to as many matches as you can. Give up a practice session and go shoot another match.

Paul

[CHA-LEE]

DyNo!> Ok, why not practice what you have issues with? When you go practice on your own do you setup memory type stages that show the same targets from multiple shooting positions? If you don't then how do you expect to get any better at it?

Practice what you suck at to make it a non-suck item any more. Its as simple as that.

[little_kahuna]

go slower

[benos]

DyNo!,

Your thread's title cracked me up. The buzzer is the bane of the IPSC shooter.

Study and work on the pause principle.

be

[SoonerPast]

DyNo,

I RO'd you Tuesday night on both stages. On the speed stage I thought you had simply "over analyzed" it. The best strategy was to execute basic skills, get 8 A's on the first 4 targets, make a transition ( leaning around the curtain ) to the 5th target with your remaining 2 rounds, reload while you stepped beyond the curtain, finish the 5th target with 4 more and put 6 quick on the last target.

On the field course, I thought you had a plan that made sense and I adopted it when I ran the course. On the last array you leaned to get the last target and saved a significant amount of time by not having to move to another position for only one target. Because you hadn't really planned to do that, it took a moment to figure it out in "real time". Plus, the "no shoots" were everywhere, but a strong lean on the last target made "C" hits available.

Aside from all that, you are handling that Beretta nicely.

[little_kahuna]

Aside from all that, you are handling that Beretta nicely.

This explains a lot...

Just playin'

[joecichlid]

The story of my life: I had the perfect run going, moved smoothly, didn't drop a shot, didn't drop a point, didn't hit a single no shoot, man I was in the ZONE then the buzzer went off. ROFL

Joe W.

[mda]

He said ballistic Mas-tur-ba-tion. Huhu Huhuhu (In my best Bevis and Buthead imitation)

BADD - Buzzer Attention Dumping Disorder.

Couple of good one in this thread.

Like others have said: You are focusing on speed. In practice I have set up mini stages and found I preform best (faster time better hits) if I just try to execute my plan as smoothly as possible in stead of trying go fast. Seems slow but the timer does not lie.

mda

[DyNo!]

Aside from all that, you are handling that Beretta nicely.

This explains a lot...

Just playin'

Hey, if Ben Stoeger can pull it off, I can too!

[Bwana Six-Gun]

It happened again tonight.

I had a plan.

After I took my first shot - I didn't.

My name is DyNo! and I have a problem with ballistic masturbation.

I read the course description - walked through the stage - emulated shooting the stage with an "airgun" - and went through it in my mind. Freakin' flawless!

When the buzzer went off - *BEEP* - NONE OF THAT **** HAPPENED.

One one stage, when instructed to shoot two targets 6 times and all others twice, I shot three targets six times, shot the wrong ones according to my plan, and had to improvise from there to finish the course which added even more time.

On another stage, I nearly FTE'd a target and had to accept Delta hits with some uncomfortable contortionist moves just because I was obsessed with shooting all the targets in my sight.

If I could stick to my plan - I would be able to get better hits, take better sight pictures, and avoid doing all of this John Woo **** to shoot in my class. ( B )

In Brian Enos' book, he says you should be like a "cat waiting to hit the ball" or something to that effect.

I am not the cat.

I am the yappy chihuahua with ADD chasing the lasers on the ground...

The only problem is that in a complex course - the laser is running through a maze with a lot of dead ends and it might be smarter not to chase it all the time.

When I've asked - good shooters have told me that my problem is poor stage breakdown.

I really have excellent stage breakdown skills - I just don't have the patience to use them when the timer goes off.

If a stage isn't a hoser or, if it requires any more thought than a person in a persistent vegetative state has - I have a difficult time at shooting my best.

How do I keep my common sense from ending up in the backstop with my lead once I pull the trigger on the "A" zone a few times?

Since I now shoot production, I can no longer compensate for my "problem" by throwing gratuitous amounts of lead downrange without caring about how I do it.

Join the crowd

[A38337]

In addition to all the above (which was excellent), you need to consider stress management prior to shooting a stage.

"Fear makes men forget, and strength which cannot fight is useless". Brasidas of Sparta (5th Century BC)

When you're on deck, do some Tactical Breathing. Breathe in using a 4 count, hold it in for 4, breathe for 4, hold it for 4.

Do 4 cycles of this. It'll lower your heart rate, which helps you perform better.

I also like to take additional deep breaths during the LAMR process.

It's good to start a stage with your blood oxygenated as much as possible.

For more about how this works, read "On Combat" by Dave Grossman and/or "Sharpening the Warrior's Edge" by Bruce Siddle.

[Wasz]

Yeah I'm starting out and have this same problem. I walk it, I plan it, I double check the plan. Buzzer goes off and suddenly I'm somewhere on the course and just slamming away at the trigger. Doing all sorts of stuff that makes no sense. Its really disconcerting too. If I can't keep my head to do something I just planned that carries no weight in the real world... I don't wanna know if it really meant anything. You're not alone out there.

[Tinyvic77]

I had the same prob. Best way to solve, keep shooting. after a while it just went away. now i stick to my plans and dont feel like i have changed anything.

[Craigar45]

Old thread, I know, but I wanted to add something about "Running your program"...

When you walk through a stage, you are writing your program. We are basically writing a script in our brains on how we want to handle the stage. On the walk through, we are doing our best to embed this info into our subconscious. Upon hearing the buzzer, as mentioned above, you start thinking. That is your conscious mind stepping in and squashing the plan in your subconscious. Our subconscious mind is pretty smart- it can handle multiple tasks all at once, versus our conscious mind, which can really only do one thing at a time. Thus, you need to come up with something to keep the conscious mind from stepping in and yelling "NOW, jerk the trigger, jerk the trigger!!!" or "OOH look! Targets! Lets shoot 'em up!" all the time. For some, a good distraction is watching the front sight. For others, it is focusing on *feeling* the trigger. All depends on whether you are visual, kinesthetic, auditory, etc. For me, I do well if I am counting. I recently started shooting a revolver because I have found that counting to six is the perfect distraction for my conscious mind... I also discovered just how hard counting to six is!