Fast or Accurate

[1973]

This post makes an even hundred.

[PCC-1]

I only shoot as fast as I can shoot accurately. If I get beat, then thats the way it goes. I try to average no more than 2 points down per stage on any match. Local National or international. If im shooting more than 2 points down average over the first few stages I know I need to slow down. If i'm 0 down over the first 3 stages I know I need to speed things up a bit. That is what works best for me... Its all about the individual,(this is an individual driven sport). Its different, for different people and there is no "right" or "perfect" answer. Find what works best for you and what helps you to enjoy the GAME.

[Strick]

This is a most interesting thread. Lately I have been struggling with this very question since I am at the level with my shooting that I am in the top level of experts and maybe low level master. What I have found follows alot of what Duane is saying (even if I don't agree with the way he is saying it )

I have been trying to push my speed, trying to push how quickly I can see the sight settle back on target and how quickly I can get it to the next target. I had been progressing along pretty well then I started to focus more on how fast I was doing it and less about what I was actually doing. I had a Master level shooter work with me yesterday and he had me focus on basically what Duane is saying, focus on what you need to focus on to get the hits you need and the subconscious mind will take care of the rest.

We did some drills and ran some scenarios to prove the point. In "Days of Thunder" style I would run it my way then run it his way. In every case running it his way yielded much better results. Often the times were the same but the hits were going from 5,6,7 or 8 down on 12-15 shots to 3 down. It was not a matter of going "faster" it was a function of me just focusing on the sights so I actually saw them on the target faster but the important thing is they were ON TARGET.

I am a decent enough shooter to win local matches just on pure speed but the downside is when you are relying purely on speed eventually you run up against someone that is way more efficient in getting the hits on target and you get stomped.

Now if I can apply that this weekend at LA State.................

[Ahab]

It's important sometimes to practice for speed; I ran the IDPA classifier yesterday just to see how fast I could go using a 686SSR. My raw time was pretty fast, like 86 seconds, but I had a lot of points down and even dropped a head shot on the first string. After all the points down, I wound up around 114 seconds total time. It's not a wasted run though because it establishes a benchmark for how fast I can go. Next practice session I'll take a little speed off and try to focus on getting my accuracy in where it ought to be for the classifier and see how that goes. Then once I get a benchmark on how long it takes to shoot the entire thing with less than 10 points down, I'll try to combine the two and get that 90ish second mark with only 10 down.

[Desert]

...

Example: 3 targets at, say, five yards with six inches between targets (let's make this easy), you're going to draw and double tap them all. Just commit to getting that process, those six shots, over as fast as possible. Do that over and over again. If you don't connect with every shot - and I'm not saying you won't, you well might - the temptation will be to "slow down and get the hits." Don't. Keep turning out the reps at max speed.

...

Duane, quick question (with hopefully an easy answer): What would you consider a fast time for drawing from holster, and double tapping three plates from 5 yards? I'm a complete newbie here, so I'm just trying to get an order of magnitude feel for what times would be "fast." Right now I'm way off to the extreme side of accuracy over speed.

Thanks.

Desert

[Duane Thomas]

How big are the plates?

[Desert]

How big are the plates?

The plates are 8.5 inches.