The Difference

[Singlestack]

Why is it so hard to do the thing I know how to do?

I'm talking about the Front Sight, of course. I know what I need to see to make any shot. Take the timer out out the picture, I'm pretty damn good at it. Get the timer out and my visual patience flies right out the window. Even worse, I know all this and it still happens. I'm well known for a dead center Alpha, Mike. OMG I hate that! Usually on the last target before movement or a mag change. I know what causes it but I still do it.

Pushing

Trying

Rushing

Wanting

Desire

The speed required to shoot USPSA is fast. TM262 and I were talking about it today. The difference between A class speed and GM speed is small. Its mostly points. It is a very urgent speed that easily slips into panic speed. Panic speed don't work. I have a very hard time managing urgent speed and visual patience. I know what the pace is. I know what I need to see. So hard to put the two together. Such a delicate balance. I don't have a delicate nature. My dad told me I could tear up an anvil when I was a kid

[Flexmoney]

You...like most (and me too, lately) have a desire to do something else...besides shoot all Alphas.

You get exactly what you ask for.

How can you make shooting Alphas your one and only priority? (even if it means placing lower in a few matches in the short term)

[boz1911]

Read Flex's signature line.......Perhaps a TSCR "Alpha Match" or two after the Nationals??

[ParaGunner]

Why is it so hard to do the thing I know how to do?

I'm talking about the Front Sight, of course. I know what I need to see to make any shot. Take the timer out out the picture, I'm pretty damn good at it. Get the timer out and my visual patience flies right out the window. Even worse, I know all this and it still happens. I'm well known for a dead center Alpha, Mike. OMG I hate that! Usually on the last target before movement or a mag change. I know what causes it but I still do it.

Pushing

Trying

Rushing

Wanting

Desire

The speed required to shoot USPSA is fast. TM262 and I were talking about it today. The difference between A class speed and GM speed is small. Its mostly points. It is a very urgent speed that easily slips into panic speed. Panic speed don't work. I have a very hard time managing urgent speed and visual patience. I know what the pace is. I know what I need to see. So hard to put the two together. Such a delicate balance. I don't have a delicate nature. My dad told me I could tear up an anvil when I was a kid

Wow! I'm having the exact same problem right now too. In practice I can get 99% alphas,but in a match I keep coming up with some misses. I tell myself to call the shot but then the buzzer goes off and I'm off to the races.

[Singlestack]

You...like most (and me too, lately) have a desire to do something else...besides shoot all Alphas.

You get exactly what you ask for.

How can you make shooting Alphas your one and only priority? (even if it means placing lower in a few matches in the short term)

Or... how can I keep shooting Alphas my only priority. I start out with that goal. I loose it somewhere. Usually my first stage is my best. From there on I'm up and down. Lack of consistency kills my match.

[Flexmoney]

Cut a new groove. Make it a habit. (this will take some reps...some days...and a strong mental image, repeated).

Build up a pre-stage routine that includes hammering home the Alpha mindset. When you are on deck or in the hole...be all there.

[flattop]

SS, I'll remind you to shoot all "A"s and you remind me to haul booty.......in my case I may have to make two trips.

[benos]

John,

Your post reminded me of off one of my favorite Shunryu Suzuki quotes: "It's easier to think about things than it is to do them."

That floored me the first time I read it. Deep doesn't even touch it.

Experiment with some a new game. Although the same factors are involved... The same pistol, ammo, stages, and matches - you don't care about how you finish any more. Although this is difficult due to peer pressure / self image factors, you can do it. Try it for one stage. For some time before you shoot, pay close attention to what you are thinking about. And let go of everything you notice you are thinking about that has anything to do with performance or results. You don't care anymore.

You still do all things you normally do - plan and visualize the stage, get all your gear right and so on.

Just before you shoot your mind must be totally free of any desires whatsoever. Your only goal is to be aware of what you see. And you don't even care if you remember that. See what happens.

If you truly don't care how you finish you may shoot better than you ever have.

be

[cold]

If you truly don't care how you finish you may shoot better than you ever have.

Im going to give this a try and see how it plays out for me. Nice tidbit!

[xsniper]

If you truly don't care how you finish you may shoot better than you ever have.

Im going to give this a try and see how it plays out for me. Nice tidbit!

I am committing that as my total goal for the match this Sunday. The funny (not really funny ) thing is that I doubt my ability to do it . Is that wild, to have doubts of your ability to "just let it happen".

[Singlestack]

If you truly don't care how you finish you may shoot better than you ever have.

Im going to give this a try and see how it plays out for me. Nice tidbit!

I am committing that as my total goal for the match this Sunday. The funny (not really funny ) thing is that I doubt my ability to do it . Is that wild, to have doubts of your ability to "just let it happen".

Not at all. I have no idea how to "not care".

[Graham Smith]

Why is it so hard to do the thing I know how to do?

Reminds me of when I was very young. I knew about women and what to do and how to do it - I read Playboy after all. But when it actually came to doing it, I was all thumbs and then it was all over and I didn't even remember doing it.

Now, I am older, and those things are much easier; but damned if I'm not a kid all over again when I get out on COF and that damn buzzer goes off. And worse, everyone is watching and critiquing me and I do so want to turn in a good score...

Slowly, I'm learning to just relax and enjoy it when shooting a match. The more I smooth things out, the better I do. I think it's why I can turn in a good score on a stage then screw up the classifier on the next stage - I try too much.

Edited September 3, 2009 by Graham Smith

[Bill Nesbitt]

If you truly don't care how you finish you may shoot better than you ever have.

be

This has worked for me.

I don't know if I have ever told this story on BE.com or not.

In the summer of 1999 I was having heart palpatations. I had visions of open heart surgery etc. After many tests the DRs found that I had a potassium deficiency and it could be corrected by drinking a glass of orange juice each day.

I could go to the IDPA Nationals that year instead of the hospital.

I was just happy to be at the match. I was joking around and having a good time with my friends. I wasn't the least bit worried about how I would finish. Just having fun shooting.

I was shooting SSP Expert.

I finished 8th overall in the match. I didn't care how I finished and I did better than I ever had before. It works.

Bill

[Enthusiast]

I don't know it this helps, and it's certainly not as zen as many of the others have voiced. I was taking a management class recently and the discussion was on how to change behaviors. Since it was a business class, it was largely focused on incentives. Since it sounds like you've got the ability to shoot nothing but Alphas, perhaps a change in incentives could keep your mind focused solely on the the one objective? What if for your first non-A, you donate $5 to a charity. For your second, you double it. Your 3rd non-A will cost you $20 (total $35). It quickly gets very painful and if you weren't before, I'm sure you start watching that front sight very carefully. The application in class was for smokers and the case study seemed to have positive results. Just a thought anyway.

[bkeeler]

I had this same issue this past weekend (for sure) at the IL. Sectional. There was a lot of high hit factor stages which I was struggling with going way to fast with sloppy points. Then stage 2 came up 2nd to last stage of the match looked at the stage decided what I was going to do what I needed to see on each target no matter how long I took and wow my best stage of the day! Finished 4th on that stage and then the last stage of the day ended the same way the rest of the day went. I just can't seem to be consistent with not rushing,trying,trusting that I will be fast enough if I just let it happen and not try too make it happen................. I will be working hard on this aspect of the game.

BK

Edited September 3, 2009 by bkeeler

[bikerburgess]

I to suffer from the go to fast blues mostly on my same target splits my transitions suck but that is a different story. I recently started shooting SS minor and Production I started uspsa shooting last spring limited major and learned to accept alpha charli or two charli because it was quick and only cost one or two points now in minor my scoring is so low that I am not placeing where I would normaly. I think I got to the type 2 focus that Houngan talked ablout and had it reinforced by the major scoring. shooting minor I will definaltly need to learn to watch the sights better.

Mike

[benos]

Not at all. I have no idea how to "not care".

When you notice a "worry" or "care" thought - and at that same instant realize that thought string is not only of no benefit because you can't DO anything about it, but worse, is also detrimental psychologically - and let go of it (cease thinking about that topic) immediately - in that moment, you no longer care.

Set a firm resolve to keep doing that and see what happens.

I just can't seem to be consistent with not rushing,trying,trusting that I will be fast enough if I just let it happen and not try too make it happen................. I be working hard on this aspect of the game.

BK

I understand that totally.

For many IPSC shooters the natural tendency to always rush is a deeply buried powerful force that never goes away. That's why you have to do your best to make - "I am going to see what I need to see on each target no matter how long I takes" your shooting Way of Life. For every stage you shoot. Forever.

be

[CHA-LEE]

I think a key thing to shooting as fast as you can see is to build a mental “Yes or No” picture of acceptable and unacceptable sight pictures for given shot conditions in your head. When I shoot it seems like the answer of “YES” or “NO” is happening in my head as the shot breaks and my mind is processing the sight picture for calling the shot. YES = Good shot move onto next shot, NO = Bad shot make up the shot before moving on. After shooting I have tried to think about the “NO” instances to define if the shot was High, Low, Left or Right but I really can’t define it with 100% certainty. All I know for sure is that my brain said “NO” to the sight picture as the shot broke and that a makeup shot is needed. To me, you need that instantaneous subconscious evaluation and reaction process when calling the shots. At least to be able to shoot quickly and accurately.

I think that this is where Brian Enos talks about “Looking the shot off” in his book. Where basically, your visual input for a given sight picture is instantly translated into the action of pulling the trigger and breaking the shot. I first noticed I was doing this when I FORCED myself to shoot groups at a very slow speed of 1 second per shot. I literally had to force myself to not pull the trigger once I seen an acceptable sight picture on the target. But even this is broken down into two separate things. The first is the acquisition of the target and automated pull of the trigger once you are on target. The second is the calling of the shot as it breaks and your brain processing the sight picture giving you the “YES or NO” validation.

To shoot fast and call your shots, your brain has to function in this instantaneous sight picture YES/NO subconscious state. You can’t think about every shot and verify it manually or it will all happen too slow. That and you really can’t think about and concentrate on more than one thing at a time. So you get wrapped around the axel of the current “Thing” you are thinking about.

[CHA-LEE]

Singlestack> If you have a congenital issue of a poor second hit on the last target in a string, then it is easy to pin point the issue. You are either moving your head or your eyes to the next target, string, position, or whatever before the last shot breaks and this is causing you to move the gun off target before the shot breaks. Even if your eyes are still on the sights and you start moving your head it will induce movement into your arms and reposition the gun on the target. I use to be really bad about this until I made a hard rule to NOT move my head until after the shot is broke and called. For whatever reason I can start moving my feet and body towards the next shooting position and still get my shots just as long as my head stays on target. But if I move my head my shots get pulled in the opposite direction I am moving my head towards.

Test it out in live fire practice. A local GM pointed this head movement thing out to me and now that I know it and understand it, I can see MANY other shooters doing it and being rewarded with poor hits due to doing it.

[xsniper]

If you truly don't care how you finish you may shoot better than you ever have.

Im going to give this a try and see how it plays out for me. Nice tidbit!

I am committing that as my total goal for the match this Sunday. The funny (not really funny ) thing is that I doubt my ability to do it . Is that wild, to have doubts of your ability to "just let it happen".

Well, I shot the match with the committment to just let it happen, let it flow. It seemed to go pretty well . I grabbed quite a few more points, my times were a little slower, I allowed my two errors to just be okay, and I enjoyed the match. So I thought over all it was good. HOWEVER........if I was really "just letting it happen", and not caring so much about the results.......why was I so anxious to pour over the stats . I think I am headed in the right direction, but have plenty more "metal work" to do (or not do.....awwwgh, it is so confusing ).

[TWHaz]

Usually on the last target before movement or a mag change.

I have a Bad Habit

Not following through on my last shot before movement or mag changes I pull a D or mike.

Visualization of a good follow through on these targets are part of my process to eliminate this Bad Habit.

[TWHaz]

If you truly don't care how you finish you may shoot better than you ever have.

be

Been there done that.

I just need to repeat it more often.

I did place higher than normal when just shooting, not trying to shoot.

Thanks BE for reminding me of that.

[Singlestack]

You...like most (and me too, lately) have a desire to do something else...besides shoot all Alphas.

You get exactly what you ask for.

How can you make shooting Alphas your one and only priority? (even if it means placing lower in a few matches in the short term)

Or... how can I keep shooting Alphas my only priority. I start out with that goal. I loose it somewhere. Usually my first stage is my best. From there on I'm up and down. Lack of consistency kills my match.

Cut a new groove. Make it a habit. (this will take some reps...some days...and a strong mental image, repeated).

Build up a pre-stage routine that includes hammering home the Alpha mindset. When you are on deck or in the hole...be all there.

I tried a new groove today. My goal was to remove the high and lows. Shoot as many points as I can and zero penalties. It went well. I got pretty much what I asked for.

I discovered that if I shoot with a Alpha only mindset, I collect baggage along the way and that slows things down. I start thinking. Shooting at a predetermined spot on the target is much better for me.

Not at all. I have no idea how to "not care".

When you notice a "worry" or "care" thought - and at that same instant realize that thought string is not only of no benefit because you can't DO anything about it, but worse, is also detrimental psychologically - and let go of it (cease thinking about that topic) immediately - in that moment, you no longer care.

Set a firm resolve to keep doing that and see what happens.

I'm working on this. The hardest part so far is realizing that I am caring.

[TM262]

I don’t think that it is a matter of not caring. I believe it is about not having expectations and being in the moment as a constant progression of time.

When the RO says ‘make ready’ I am focused mentally, but not on anything in particular. I go to a quiet place and wait for the buzzer. I do not think about going fast or getting A’s. It is like I am in a heightened state of nothingness.

To me this is similar to running big drops when paddling whitewater (another past time for me and Singlestack). Before running a major drop (waterfall or rapid) we would stop above the drop, walk down to the bottom and look at the potential routes, traps and possible carnage.

Once we were committed to running the rapid and had determined a route. It was programmed in our minds. We then had to go back to the top of the drop, get in our boats, and push every possible notion of fear or failure out of our minds (find the quiet place). As it becomes your turn to make your run, you have to mentally focus on success and make your moves without hesitation or doubt or you would fail. Failing in class V whitewater means that you could be stranded in the middle of nowhere, you will probably get hurt, or at the very worst, you might die.

It’s a long way to get there, but the point being mentally, I think the mindset is the same.

The mind had to be clear to succeed; no doubt only action. Push too hard and you miss you line, if you don’t push hard enough you get trashed and possibly put your buddies at risk trying to get your ass out of trouble. It was necessary to be aware and quick, but not rushed or in at state of panic. A human being cannot fight water that is moving 1200+ feet per second. You have to be one with it, execute to your ability and use its power to your advantage to succeed.

Look at the stage

Have a plan

Prepare for your turn

Find your quiet place

Beep

Execute in the moment

Unload and show clear

Give yourself a high-five if no one else will because you just kicked their ass

Edited September 13, 2009 by TM262

[benos]

It is like I am in a heightened state of nothingness.

Nice!

be