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Do you watch other shooters in your squad?


Aldrin

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I think that being able to watch other shooters and still stick with your plan or make small adjustments to your plan is part of having a strong mental game. I have had a plan that seemed sound but then i see someone else shoot it the way i was going to shoot it and change my plan right before i shoot. Most of the time it works out well for me. I have had it backfire when i watch someone that is shooting way over my class because i get to thinking "i can do it that fast" and i end up messing myself up. However watching other's is how you learn. oh, and most people don't mind helping you understand why they did something the way they did. If you have doubts just ask the person why they shot the stage the way they did. It may make more sense than the way you were about to shoot it.

Edited by Obiareus
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I will watch most shooters go through the COF. Being as I am involved in the building of the COF and many times handle a chunk of the Clock and Scorer duties I am somewhat involved in how everyone shoots the stage.

I have watched most people shoot it one way and then thrown them a curve by shooting it differently and quicker, or sometimes slower :roflol: . Hey it looked good when I came up with the plan. :lol: I have also made a plan and then watched someone else find a spot I did not notice that makes part of the COF easier. One thing I have noticed watching others shoot a COF is that there is always some way to shoot it I never even considered and sometimes it is better than my plan. Do I try and adapt it or is it to close to my turn so I had better stick to what I have imprinted into my skull. It all depends on how big of a change it is to my original plan.

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I always watch other shooters especially the more experienced ones, you get to learn there techniques and it gives you a chance to apply it to your shooting. So by all means watch and apply it to yourself

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Today's email is oddly fitting :D

"Observe things as they are and don't pay attention to other people.

-Huang Po"

There are some local guys I try to watch, but I'm not usually squadded with them. Most of them film their runs and are active on Youtube so I can always watch that way.

I do watch the other guys in my squad but do not compare their performance with mine. I've been shooting with them for a while so I can tell when they're having good/bad runs.

Edited by DonovanM
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I tried to get my game plan figured out during the walk through, then will often refine it a little based upon the other guys runs. Unless the shooter is a total newb, I look at everyone's runs, from the D shooter up to M. I try to get whatever small advantage I can possibly get. Important thing is to try and shoot YOUR own game; dont push too hard with the speed, dont try long shots you'll have trouble making, etc. Some guys can really haul ass, some can really nail swingers/drop turners, etc. If you follow them to closely you'll crash and burn as others have written. I'm a victim of that. Tried to push a little too fast on a running hoser stage this weekend and dropped a miss on a 3 yd partial target which pretty much cost me the match. <_<

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I like to watch the other shooters in my squad. I find that on some shooters I will concentrate on their foot movement etc. Other times I will just watch the shooting and let my mind sees what it wants to see.

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Like others have said, since I am usually one of the RO's and part of the set-up crew I get to see the stages more than some. That said, I usually watch all the shooters in the squad, especially the other wheel-gunners. Revolver guys tend to share their plan and some have different ones based on how they feel the stage will play to their strengths. I have found myself changing things at the last minute, because I saw how a plan that sounded good in the walk-through became a "Hindenburg" in execution. It just proves what Clint Eastwood said in the movie, "Improvise, Adapt, Overcome."

My .02.

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I shot a match with BADCHAD recently, I am pretty sure we watched the other shooters in the squad--TGO, Voigt, Golembieski, Reese, Hobdell just to name a few on the squad. :roflol:

I pretty much always try to watch the other shooters on my squad. I try to pick out what they did right and what did not work.

When something did not work, I do not tell myself not to do something, I rephrase to a positive statement, like when I "get to this spot, shoot the left steel, paper, activator, paper, swinger" rather than "do not shoot the big steel and wait for it to drop before shooting the activator."

Rarely will I let this (watching) interfere with my stage strategy, unless I have plenty of time to reprogram the strategy.

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I think that being able to watch other shooters and still stick with your plan or make small adjustments to your plan is part of having a strong mental game. I have had a plan that seemed sound but then i see someone else shoot it the way i was going to shoot it and change my plan right before i shoot. Most of the time it works out well for me. I have had it backfire when i watch someone that is shooting way over my class because i get to thinking "i can do it that fast" and i end up messing myself up. However watching other's is how you learn. oh, and most people don't mind helping you understand why they did something the way they did. If you have doubts just ask the person why they shot the stage the way they did. It may make more sense than the way you were about to shoot it.

I will watch everyone shoot, and if I see someone do something that I have been debating about doing, or something that I didn't catch, and I think its faster, I will do it that way. I have changed my plan while I was on deck! But the key is to do it better than he did. He may have did it a certain way, now you need to think, how can I do it like he did, but better!

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This is a social sport, so I do watch other peoples runs. The story would be different if i was competing at nationals and making a run to win or place high in my class and division then i think i would just concentrate on my own shooting. But at the local matches i think that watching other people and talking to them about things, asking questions or giving pointers or just talking about the stage is what i like about this sport.

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I have a friend who refuses to watch other's golf swings because it throws off his personal rhythm. Do you think this applies to shooting?

Two of my friends that I usually squad up with are GM's in my division(Production). I would be an idiot not to watch them shoot and game stages! I am a largely a visual learner by nature and just by watching someone do something I can improve on that task most of the time. I have only been shooting USPSA for a couple of years, I learn something new at every match or practice I go to. Happy shooting!

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I was supremely lucky in able to squad with a well known GM at this past Area 1; he was kind enough to share his stage strategy (Production, and me L10) so that helped me shoot most of the stages more smoothly (not including my stupid mikes and some shitty hits on close easy targets and fumbled reloads :rolleyes: ). If you're fortunate enough to have a GM or M on your squad, definitely pay attention to EVERYTHING that they do on a stage and during the walkthrough cause there's a reason they're at that high level

Edited by blaster113
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I try to watch everyone, especially the better shooters. I'll put my plan together during walk-through and keep it that way until I'm up. I have, however, changed my plan after watching someone (usually in my division) shoot a stage slightly different that what I was planning. If it seems to make sense and I know that I'm capable of shooting it that way then I'll change up. If it's too difficult and I know I don't have that shot, then I don't even consider it. Just gotta know what you're capable of and then watching is no big deal as far as messing with your game plan.

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I watch and take videos especially the more experienced shooters in my squad. I try to do/copy what works well for the COF.

At the end of the match, I review the videos and compare how I did vs the better shooters engaging the same stage. Free lesson!

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It is interesting to watch the others shoot the stage to see if they picked up something you missed. For me I have found that I do better if I settle on a final strategy a couple of shooters before me. That gives me enough time to visualize the run and then lock it in. I may not settle on the best plan but if I have it set in my head I'll do better than trying to modify the plan when I'm up next. When you are a couple shooters away from your run I like to take a few steps away from the squad and see it the way you will shoot it.

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It depends on my mental status at the time, sometims watching everyone else just adds pressure which negatively impacts my mental status. sometimes i will turn around and close my eyes. others i will watch... worst thing i hate watching is someone really mess up a stage. I don't even want the possibility of that entering my mind.

but some stages where timing of events is critical and changing, such as swingers drop turners etc. i have to watch. but may not watch the rest of the shooters run. If i'm haivng a nice relaxed day, i'll watch everyone shoot.

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I'll watch to see if there are any plans with something I didn't see, but I rarely pay much attention as I'm usually pantomining my own plan.

If you really want to watch a shooter, try being an R.O.. I've found since I'm so focused on the shooter I pick up on their methods better.

Most of the time I think it's more of an I look, but don't see what others are doing, cause I'm focused on my own plans.

The one thing you don't want to do is to get focused on the top shooters rhythyms. If you do, you may not focus on using your sights as your personal govenor.

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