Look

[38supPat]

We know we need to see the sights when shooting to drive the gun, but what about the rest of the time? Look at what you are doing and where you are going.

Yesterday we were doing some table draws including loading the gun. Initially we were doing a turn and load similar to a stage coming up at the provincials. My shooing partner was running 3.5 second runs and I was in the 2.00's. Now he's a good shooter but just back into the sport and aside from being rusty, he has not had to deal with some of the stuff we are doing now, like lots of loading the gun after the beep. So we had to figure where he was losing time. We changed to a straight on pick up and load. I watched a couple of his runs and the first obvious thing is where he was looking. Just before the beep he's be looking at the target. At the beep he would look at the gun, but before getting his hand to it or the mag he'd look back to the target, pick up the gun and mag, eyes back to the gun, back to the target, load the gun and shoot.

There was too much eye and head movement and the eyes were always in the wrong place at the wrong time. Do one thing at a tme and look at what you are doing. Look to the gun until you have it in hand, look at the magwell until the mag is in, look at the back of the slide or the cocking handle until you have racked it, then look to the target to shoot an A.

After sorting this out, his times dropped to 2.30's and the whole process was much smoother.

[burninator]

How about what you look at when you are coming into a box and ready to shoot?

I would imagine that with a memorized course of fire the most efficient thing to do would be to have your gun already on target and shooting the instant you stop moving so you would be focused on the front sight. Have you found this a practical thing to do? Or is there a better way of finishing your movement from one area to another to get shooting again?

[38supPat]

Funny you should mention that, we also worked on that a bit at the end of the session. My shooting partner broke his leg badly (twice) racing bikes so he doesn't have the same strength or mobility. He actually started IPSC on crutches, now after years of IPSC and golf he is much better. So it's a whole new game for him now that he can move.

Definitely you want the gun mounted on target when you stop, I posted somewhere else a good drill to show this. With your timer, start with a loaded gun pointed on target (in the A box), on the beep fire an A. Next start with the gun at the ready but not sighted on target, on the beep bring the gun up and fire an A....this is the difference you'll see if you enter with the gun up vs. gun down.

Now BEFORE you get stopped you want to look where you are going. Look to the place where you want your feet to fall as you approach the box. Particularily look at where your last couple of steps will fall. I won't get into too many specifics as to how to enter the box as there are many variations and they all work pretty good, you have to find what works for you. What you do want to do is look at where you second last step is. If you are shooting a freestyle field course and need to be in a specific spot to see and shoot a target, find a mark that you need to see to get your position right. Chances ar unless you are the first shooter there will be some upturned dirt from previous shooters, some brass, a clump of grass or something else you want to place your foot near in order to set up in the right place. As soon as you se your foot hit the mark, start looking to the target and get the gun up and ready to shoot as soon as you stop. Although he doesn't talk about it, watch this video and look where Todds eye and head are pointed as he gets to each position:

http://www.myoutdoortv.com/video/video.php...nLZiwrVFWNvMFwM

[xsniper]

Is this the same concept used for performing reloads??? I was told that during the reload process to make sure you are looking and thinking about the last target to be shot, then look and think about the reload, then look and think about the next target to be shot. It was explained that if you are still thinking about how "messed up" your reload was while trying to aquire your next target that you will end up "messing up" those shots as well.

[38supPat]

Is this the same concept used for performing reloads??? I was told that during the reload process to make sure you are looking and thinking about the last target to be shot, then look and think about the reload, then look and think about the next target to be shot. It was explained that if you are still thinking about how "messed up" your reload was while trying to aquire your next target that you will end up "messing up" those shots as well.

You're close, but you need to remove the word "think." You need to look the shot on target, look the reload in then look the next shot on target. There is no room for thinking, good or bad, in this whole process. If the conscious mind becomes involved you will not execute well at all.

[benos]

Is this the same concept used for performing reloads??? I was told that during the reload process to make sure you are looking and thinking about the last target to be shot, then look and think about the reload, then look and think about the next target to be shot. It was explained that if you are still thinking about how "messed up" your reload was while trying to aquire your next target that you will end up "messing up" those shots as well.

You're close, but you need to remove the word "think." You need to look the shot on target, look the reload in then look the next shot on target. There is no room for thinking, good or bad, in this whole process. If the conscious mind becomes involved you will not execute well at all.

You beat me to it.

A complete visual plan will exclude thinking. Plan and do everything visually.

be

[38supPat]

Is this the same concept used for performing reloads??? I was told that during the reload process to make sure you are looking and thinking about the last target to be shot, then look and think about the reload, then look and think about the next target to be shot. It was explained that if you are still thinking about how "messed up" your reload was while trying to aquire your next target that you will end up "messing up" those shots as well.

You're close, but you need to remove the word "think." You need to look the shot on target, look the reload in then look the next shot on target. There is no room for thinking, good or bad, in this whole process. If the conscious mind becomes involved you will not execute well at all.

You beat me to it.

A complete visual plan will exclude thinking. Plan and do everything visually.

be

Fixed it a bit....

[xsniper]

I certainly understand what your saying...now I have to learn the process. Thanks for the comments..I'm gonna learn it. I do know you can "over think" long range rifle shots. I have often proved to myself that if I take my mind out of the process and let it happen more naturally that there is greater success.