Shooting on the move

[Paul Sharp]

Ditto small steps, heel to toe type movement.

This works for me in force on force type things as well as shooting targets that aren't shooting back.  As always, see what you need to see to make the hits and don't get to hung up on which foot is where when you shoot.  Most of the time you don't really have much of a choice so as Brian says, float the gun and let it do all the work.

The main difference is not in my movement but in the amount of tension I feel based on the environment.  This affects the gun/sight movement more than any other thing.

Also, I focus more on reloading while moving as that is actually harder for me than shooting while moving.  In force on force reloading becomes a much needed skill.

(Edited by Paul Sharp at 11:17 pm on Mar. 31, 2002)

[benos]

Ditto on Flex's post.

be

[BigDave]

Shooting on the move is something I haven't worked on, but am about to start.  In reading this, an idea occured to me from my old Marching Band days.

Basically, what you need to do to play and march is smooth as many of your body movements out as possible while still maintaining your embechure (the relation of your lips to the moutpiece of the instrument).  Also, at high speed, to make your movement smooth enough so that that the impact of your feet doesn't translate to the instrument.  The most common step we used was called the "roll".  Its simple, heel-ball-toe.  It is important to note that you want to lessen, as much as possible, the heel strike, which means to start the roll the instant your heel touches the deck, if not slightly before.  It takes a bit of fexibilty in your ankles, especially in your shins.  Believe it or not, you can move really, really fast, and still remain as poised as you are standing still, with practice of course.

One other method that comes to mind is how the the percussion lines move.  If you've ever watched Drum Corps (DCI), you'll know what I'm talking about.  The snare line, almost always, moves as one unit of 6-10 people.  And, they almost always move as a line parallel with the sidelines.  When move side-to-side or at medium to shallow angles, they use a step called a "crossover".  They have to do this in order to keep their shoulders and hips square with the sidelines.  This way too, you can cover alot of ground very smoothly, very quickly.

One last thing, before there are any derogatory comments like "...this one time...at band camp...", these folks who do marching band, are athletes of the first order.  They actually have put heart rate monitor and lung function monitors on these folks and they expend more energy and exchange more 02/C02 than a 5000 meter runner, in their 12-15 programs.  If it matters...

Remeber, I don't much...

[Duane Thomas]

Well, I have to add my own incredibly simplistic observations. I don't think there's much to be gained in worrying about technique. Just do it. What is important - and I got this from Travis T. - is an absolute front sight focus. It works. Get the gun out in front of your face, align the sights on the target, watch the front sight - and then just let your body do whatever it is has to do to keep the sights there while you move.

Having said not to worry about technique, I will now seemingly reverse myself by adding another observation - on technique. Personally I find while moving it works really well to pull the gun in a bit closer to your body than you even do while firing from a standing position. As I've been working on my shooting lately, I've actually begun bending my arms, elbows point downwards versus the straight-but-unlocked technique I used for years. Accentuating that flexion even a bit more really cuts down on gun movement while moving versus having the gun out there at the end of straight arms.

I would be impossible to overemphasize the importance of dry fire to working on this skill. I've got an "El Presidente array" of three small IPSC targets set up in my apartment. Part of my regular dry fire work-out is "double tapping" all three targets, transitioning between targets, keeping my sights right on a small black dot marked in what would be the center of the A-zone, while drawing and moving both forward and back. Do this regularly and in short order both your speed and smoothness WILL improve.

[bird]

Band Camp, Marching Bands?

The next thing you know, you will be reading Brians book to play better softball...hehe.

Big Dave,

I spent many years playing 1st chair sax. and was in marching band for the same length of time.

(I went over to Europe for 2 weeks in High School in the "Jazz - Sousa" Marching Band and had the time of my life).

I am going to have to re-visit the way I marched all those hours and apply it to my shooting..

Thanks.

That is one thing that I never thought about.

All the marching I did while playing the sax without cutting the $h1t out of my mouth.

Go ahead everyone and make your jokes about Band Boys.

Musicians always get the girls...hehe

BD do you shoot your Tactical in IPSC???

Have you crossed over to the Dark Side???

Shooter Ready???

Stand By..............

[BigDave]

yeah, I crossed.  I shoot an SV limited now.  I like my USP and like it alot.  I shot it well, had mag changes down pretty well, and that thing ate everything I fed it.  However, it doesn't hold a candle to my SV.  Sorry (not really) to say.

[Nolan]

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Quote: I spent many years playing 1st chair sax. and was in marching band for the same length of time.

All the marching I did while playing the sax without cutting the $h1t out of my mouth.

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What a coincidence.  I played Sax, Alto for a couple of years and Tenor for one year.   Unfortunately I sucked!

I was great at the marching and drill stuff, I think I played better marching than I did sitting.  Probably because I thought more about the marching, less about the playing.

Funny thing, I sometimes have better hits on targets I engage on the move than I do from stationary positions. Hmmm!

[kellyn]

This one time at band camp ........

[Shooter Grrl]

Correlation?  Band geeks grow up to play with guns :-)

[TMC]

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Quote: from kellyn on 12:12 am on April 6, 2002

This one time at band camp ........

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I was wonders when that comments was going to come up becasue of where this thread started going.

[Duane Thomas]

"This one time at band camp I stuck a .38 Super up my...."

(Edited by Duane Thomas at 7:08 pm on April 9, 2002)

[Nik Habicht]

"Tuba and ....."

[j1b]

When I first started shooting IPSC I took a class from TGO and he simply stated be as fluid as you can and watch what the gun is telling you. If you read the sights then it doesn't matter what your feet are doing.

I like Matt's idea of the glass of water deal - I feel like it has application - but also limitations. Shooting on the move is subject to change (as all shooting is) If a target is 15 yards out I spend a bit more time being as smooth as I can vs a target that is 10 feet away - where I simply blow through it. I've also probably spent some time trying ot determine if the target is worth shooting on the move. For many of us there is a "break even" point where the extra time it takes to shoot while on the move is equal to the time it would take to shoot the target static and then haul ass to the next station.

I would think the best way to learn how to shoot on the move would be to both learn how to do it - and learn when not to do it. I don't know that the top guys do it as often, or on as many targets, as what we would think.

ON the foot planting thing - I guess I don't pay too much attention to it. Once in a shoot off we started in a box and had to move into the shooting box to start on the poppers. My dad was taping me - so I had the luxury of seeing what I was doing after that fact. My first shot almost always broke when my first foot was in the box and me second foot had just left the ground. Second shot was when my second foot was carrying over. My third shot almost always while I was planting my second foot. I was pretty tuned in that day - and ended up shooting pretty well - so my belief has to be that my shooting was not dictated by what my feet were doing - it was dictated only by what I was seeing.

JB

[Deaf Smith]

Outstanding guys! I must have 10 comments, from not only this thread, but the two others mentioned. Plus some drills.

The vidio camera sounds good (our camera is obsolete, bought it 10 years ago, now this Sony would not even get 10 bucks in a pawn shop!)

Also the water glass trick and air-soft guns (but I have my AACK .22 unit, so that will sufice.)

Might try this. I have a rubber gun (from karate disarming practice) I mounted a laser pen on (by drilling a whole in the trigger guard and using a staple to keep it aligned. Added Glock plastic sights to the top.

I used it indoors, aiming at light swithes, but one cannot run fast in the house! And outdoors, unless it is dark, one cannot see the red laser light. So, it has limited uses.

Thanks, I have cut and pasted your suggestions and will try them out on the range.

Deaf