Boy am I slow...

[Ohioguy]

Last night I checked my scores from my two matches.

First match I participated in didn't have many bright spots, other than I was safe. It was a difficult course, I wasn't prepared mentally, so my scores weren't surprising. Second match, I had higher expectations. I let myself down on two stages-screw up on initial load and make ready command on one, and the Star absolutely killed me on the second stage. However, I did recover, felt comfortable, and shot well on the final two stages, or so I thought.

Points were good on the stages. But on the best stage, I finished 11 seconds slower than number one. I look back and I can't see where I could have made up more than 3-4 seconds, let alone 11. The last stage was more of the same-put holes where they had to be, but was 9 seconds off the pace. Again, I can't see how to make up the time.

I am focusing on the positives, learning from the negatives. I also need to pay more atention to shooter ahead of me, and how they run the stage. I know my reloads and draws aren't up to par, so they need work as well.

I have the winter to work though.

[atbarr]

other than I was safe.

Nothing is more important, nothing.

Stay Safe,

A.T.

[Chris iliff]

Get the "speed up, slow down" mentality out of your vocabulary. Flex calls this a "speed focus" and it's a killer in the long run. See what you need to see and make the shots. It will get easier the more you do it and the more subconscious some of the skills become. Get Brian's book and Lanny Bashaams book for good winter reading. Dryfire, dryfire, dryfire also.

Good luck, feel free to pm me for any questions you have over the winter, I'll help if I can.

[Neomet]

First match I was at I finished dead ass last. Every single stage, overall, hell maybe the worst performance they ever saw at the range. I didn't care as I had the time of my life and was safe. Those two standards are the ones I still try to use every time I shoot. Everything else is expectations and ego.

Keep being safe, keep having fun, keep practicing, and let the improvements come.

edited to add yes, yes I absolutely still struggle with expectations and ego. :-)

Edited October 2, 2009 by Neomet

[G-ManBart]

First match I participated in didn't have many bright spots, other than I was safe.

Trust me, when we see a new shooter who is safe, but slow and getting good points we're all thinking "okay, that's a good way to get started"

[maineshootah]

I am focusing on the positives, learning from the negatives. I also need to pay more atention to shooter ahead of me, and how they run the stage.

RED FLAG~!~~~~~

Don't pay attention to the shooter ahead of you. That is the best way to screw up YOUR plan. If you see something that he did right before you are ready to go, you will be thinking of his run during yours...the best way to screw up and forget about targets.

If you want to learn from other shooters, put yourself down 3-5 from them in the squad.

Heck, tell folks this is your "second match ever" and would they mind if you shot last so you could see how others do it. 99% of us would not have an issue with it at all.

If you have 8 in your squad, watch the first 4 while you set your plan up.. then keep thinking about your plan for the next 3. Shoot your plan.

[Ohioguy]

AS with anything, its the details that kill you. In the winter months, I want to break those details (fundementals?) down, and practice, practice, practice. I know the speed will come.

I need to develop a differnet way to look at results too. I need to see the improvement in my scores, not the comparisons to others. That doesn't do anything for the ego.

I am going to be looking for some books to rear as well.

I can't tell you all how much fun I am having, and how much I appreciate all the input and help you have given me.

[Singlestack]

Points were good on the stages. But on the best stage, I finished 11 seconds slower than number one. I look back and I can't see where I could have made up more than 3-4 seconds, let alone 11. The last stage was more of the same-put holes where they had to be, but was 9 seconds off the pace. Again, I can't see how to make up the time.

The first 5 or 6 seconds you will find fairly quickly. The learning curve is steep and its a lot of fun. Enjoy this time. The last 5 is whats real hard.

[Matt Griffin]

OY! Pay attention to this! See the sights, know within three inches where your shot went. Everything else is trivia.

Seriously, I wasted two years worrying about speed, draws, reloads, etc. The only real skill is pullling the trigger while the sights are aligned to various points of refinement. Everything else is subject to practice, but during a match, there's nothing but the sights. If you aren't surprised by your Cs, you're doing it wrong.

H.

[G22]

something i found to be helpful is to have somebody record you while your shooting. afterwards, when you get home or wereever, watch them and see were you could improve. That helped me tremendously. Hope it does the same for you.

[Hi-Power Jack]

But on the best stage, I finished 11 seconds slower than number one. I look back and I can't see where I could have made up more than 3-4 seconds, let alone 11. The last stage was more of the same-put holes where they had to be, but was 9 seconds off the pace. Again, I can't see how to make up the time.

You didn't mention what type of equipment you're using -

when I first started out, I had exactly the same type of

experience you did.

I'm still slow but did get rid of some of the 11 seconds by

buying better equipment - faster holster, magwell, better

mags, better ambi safety, better trigger pull, etc.

A lot of my "slow" is still me, but I've improved some of it

with "faster" equip.

[spanky]

Get good, solid hits and be safe. Speed will come.

[CocoBolo]

Well your not alone that's for sure. I'm going to say as long as your equipment functions aka runs and your not putting your mags in your socks, Its the Indian and not the bow, that makes the arrow hit the target.

I read a couple of articles I think are spot on and worth a read just for the humor if nothing else.

http://grayguns.com/zen-and-the-art-of-hitting-stuff/

http://grayguns.com/competitive-mindset-an...tive-decisions/

I can say these words are exactly what happened to me recently at the Nationals:

Rather than shooting proactively through your subconscious, you become tentative, conscious and reactive. Your fear of missing drives your performance and your results are marred by procedural errors, poor trigger control and a sense of being rushed.

[Chris Christian]

I am probably going to step in it here... but here's my .02 cent. Once a shooter has an understanding of the basic handgun shooting fundimentals (grip, stance, sight alignment, sight picture, trigger press, recoil control, target transition... etc). And has those running in the sub-conscious... the impediment to "speed" is "confidence".

Shooters who have the fundimentals, but lack the confidence in their ability to execute them properly at speed will not. They slow a bit, trim up their sight picture, take a second look, and break the shot in order to make sure they made the shot. And, it takes time, because they are tentative and lack confidence in their ability. The shooter who has confidence and is running the front sight will say "Yup, it's there. Pop it now". Those same shooters are using a timer and watching both their splits and their hits. A shooter doesn't build confidence by shooting a lot of rounds at a lot of targets. They build confidence by hitting the targets they do shoot at.

Speed/confidence can be built through positive repetition. The shooter has to feel the confidence because they are the only one pressing the trigger. But, they have to have success that will imprint positive input into the sub-conscious. If a shooter leaves the firing line after a crappy run and says "I've had enough for today"... they are re-enforcing negative input. I have always taught that you do not leave the range with a negative run. Stay with it.... think about your form...take a break... drink some water... walk around and think... and then do the drill until you get it right. Then leave.

As for being slow in a COF while shooting fast/confident... that's a matter of gun handling. Reloads need to be worked on as well... plus target transitions after the reload... because the clock is counting those also.

My advice to any new shooter is to work on the fundimentals until the sub-conscious handles them for you.... develop confidence in your ability to hit what you shoot at... and then let speed develop through that confidence.

Chris Christian

[Ohioguy]

something i found to be helpful is to have somebody record you while your shooting. afterwards, when you get home or wereever, watch them and see were you could improve. That helped me tremendously. Hope it does the same for you.

The last thing I want on camera is my large body running around a COF

But you are probably right, it would help.

[atbarr]

The last thing I want on camera is my large body running around a COF

I can relate to that!

A.T.

[Ohioguy]

I have noticed the hits are coming easier, in just a few weeks of matches and practice, but it is not subconscious.

I do 'peek'-not on every target, but when I switch from one set of targets to another. When the gun comes up, I am still searching for the front sight. I have to 'see' them, as i am not to the point of knowing they are where they are supposed to be. No confidence. I have a lot of work to do.

I agree with you as well on not leaving the range on a bad note. In the two matches so far, I was lucky in that the last stage I did well on, and left feeling good, and looking forward to coming back. At Rayner's Range, I started at stage three, and ended up doing stage one last. Thank goodness, because had I ended on one of the other stages , I would have been discouraged from coming back. Nothing against Rayners though. I have found out since that it is a more difficult COF, and it seems that alot of people have had bad days there.

I am probably going to step in it here... but here's my .02 cent. Once a shooter has an understanding of the basic handgun shooting fundimentals (grip, stance, sight alignment, sight picture, trigger press, recoil control, target transition... etc). And has those running in the sub-conscious... the impediment to "speed" is "confidence".

Shooters who have the fundimentals, but lack the confidence in their ability to execute them properly at speed will not. They slow a bit, trim up their sight picture, take a second look, and break the shot in order to make sure they made the shot. And, it takes time, because they are tentative and lack confidence in their ability. The shooter who has confidence and is running the front sight will say "Yup, it's there. Pop it now". Those same shooters are using a timer and watching both their splits and their hits. A shooter doesn't build confidence by shooting a lot of rounds at a lot of targets. They build confidence by hitting the targets they do shoot at.

Speed/confidence can be built through positive repetition. The shooter has to feel the confidence because they are the only one pressing the trigger. But, they have to have success that will imprint positive input into the sub-conscious. If a shooter leaves the firing line after a crappy run and says "I've had enough for today"... they are re-enforcing negative input. I have always taught that you do not leave the range with a negative run. Stay with it.... think about your form...take a break... drink some water... walk around and think... and then do the drill until you get it right. Then leave.

As for being slow in a COF while shooting fast/confident... that's a matter of gun handling. Reloads need to be worked on as well... plus target transitions after the reload... because the clock is counting those also.

My advice to any new shooter is to work on the fundimentals until the sub-conscious handles them for you.... develop confidence in your ability to hit what you shoot at... and then let speed develop through that confidence.

Chris Christian

[hueycrew]

I am forever immortalized on youtube. Talk about a preshoot routine. I look pretty bad. You would think I shoot at the GM level with all of the prep. I was tired from being an RO for the match. Its just plain ugly...

Its fun anyway and I have a chance to see what I do when I'm moving, shooting, and sloggin' through a stage.

I have a stage prepared for the match this Sunday. My Favorites. Star with no shoots, no shoots with the mini poppers, the fast drop turner, angles, plenty of hard cover on the targets.

I'll RO again, look pretty bad, place ok. I love this sport!

[SkyScrapin]

Get Brian's book and Lanny Bashaams book for good winter reading. Dryfire, dryfire, dryfire also.

Besides safety, this is the best advice. Brian's book is a great read too.

Preston

[calishootr]

Safety is WORD ONE....no compromises there, be safe FIRST above anything else...that being said, I'll see if i can boil this down, all 'speed' is, is a direct result of economy of motion, what is the guy who won by 11 seconds??? doing that you are not??? could be any numbe or combination of things, namely experience, these last couple yrs I've seen a number of new people to our sport, which is great, butthey see some people flyin around the course and say...gee i wanna be able to do that, and with us being in the 21rst century, its all about instant gratification, just plug in that USB plug into your ear and download allthe skill and talent you need....WRONG!!!!!!!!!!! its a lot of blood sweat and tears thatthe truly good people have left behind to get to where they are....how many hrs on the range, how many hrs dry firing have they put into it??? as for me?? im a student ofthis silly game forthe past 20 yrs now, used to shoot 9 matches a month and dry-fire till my arms felt like they were gonna fall off, it paid dividends for me, got meto where i am now....

[G-ManBart]

As for being slow in a COF while shooting fast/confident... that's a matter of gun handling. Reloads need to be worked on as well... plus target transitions after the reload... because the clock is counting those also.

Being fast or slow on a COF is almost entirely about movement, not gun handling, draws, reloads or transitions. Watch video of the very best and they're not shooting too many blazing fast splits or transitions (granted, they're not slow), but they almost never stop moving and when they do it's for the shortest possible time. Shoot slow, do everything else fast

[35WLN]

What I try to do is pick something (reloads, transitions, movements) and focus on that one thing in the match, I don't get any live fire practice. When I tried to do it all I found I failed at most, so this works for me. Also, forget about the top shooter. Pick someone that is just a little better in placement than you are, and it doesn't matter if they are in a different division, and try to beat them. I think this helps with the frustrations of how did they do it 11 seconds faster or that seems impossible with the top shooter. When you consistantly beat that guy just move up the list. Smaller goals are easier to stay focused with than the grand ones.

[Graham Smith]

Be thankful you don't have the reverse problem. I fought myself from going too fast (e.g. firing before I was on target) when I got started, and it's still a problem sometimes.

What's the good of going fast if you leave a bunch of mikes and no-shoots in your wake? Think of it this way, if you can keep the shots on the target, you are meeting one of the major goals of the sport. Once you have that down pat, you can start to work on speed.

[JimmyZip]

It wasn't until I was able to get all points possible that I even worried about practicing movement at all. I even asked here on this forum when should one start to practice movement. I did notice that my speed and calling shots did improve with livefire practice with a platerack. You can condition yourself not to prarie dog, and just ride that front sight. You will get faster and better at shot calling doing this, at least I did. You can incorporate shooting on the move once you can easily clean the rack without a miss by walking forward, backwards, and sideways to the rack while shooting it.

I just started to put good movement drills into dryfire, and this is my second season. I'm excited to see how this will work out on the range in a match, but I can tell you that in practice it is showing itself to be a big asset. There is a whole world to that part of practice. Movement in and out of positions, target sequence, after you get your draw, reloads, and accuracy down, you are just scratching the surface. I almost feel like it is all new to me whenever I start on a new angle or part of the game to focus on.(Then there are memory stages, SHO/WHO, prone, reloding on the move L-R and R-L, oh the list!)

This is a great and complicated sport.

I am amazed that some shooters that place in the top at our matches don't seem as fast as other that they beat, but when you really watch them it is the total of all the things the do, accuracy, movement, etc that wins it for them or places them high up regularly. They are just smooth. I watched HoMie once when I was just starting out when he came out and shot our match. He was fast, but not the fastest, but he was way smooth!( I think he smoked the other production shooters.) It was like he had shot the stage 100 times at each stage because he had probaby visualized his run in his head to the point that it felt natural by the time he actually shot it. This is where the other part of confidence on a stage comes in. If you visualize your run and imprint it on your short term memory, you can execute smoothly because your mind thinks it has been there before. This is alot easier to do when your accuracy and shot calling is really strong. You can't be smooth and strong during a course of fire if you are not sure of your shots and are prarie dogging to see your hits. It just doesn't work that way.

[leam]

Life is too short to accpt Charlies. Besides, you got to spend more time shooting than the "top" shooter.

Leam