Target groups and transition

[QuickMick]

After improving a lot in IPSC also with the help of you folks - here is another topic I'm interested to read your thoughts. I did my first outdoor competition with several long courses, rather tricky stage design. At post-match analysis I found that my stage planning was ok (*), means: according my skill level, low risk, thus slow, but 90% As. Where I lost a lot of time was getting into the box, and bringing the sight onto the next target. So my question is: how to transit between targets? How can I train to become faster to move from one target to another? Is there a recommended sequence to shoot targets at different distances? Group them? Is there a special technique?


(*) thanks to this (http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?14797-Anything-I-can-do-to-not-suck-at-stage-planning/page2) :p

[Talionis]

Very brief primer that may at least get you started in the right direction:

Call your shots; as soon as sight lifts in recoil from your last called good shot on target A, snap your eyes to the center of target B; rotate to target B using your legs (knees primarily); let the gun settle in the center of the target; fire.

You won't get good at transitions without lots of practice. So set them up every chance you get in both dry and live fire. A very good drill to get you started is the Blake drill. Start with close targets, establish a baseline time; move the targets increasingly wider while shooting the drill in the same time.

[Mr_White]

Very brief primer that may at least get you started in the right direction:

Call your shots; as soon as sight lifts in recoil from your last called good shot on target A, snap your eyes to the center of target B; rotate to target B using your legs (knees primarily); let the gun settle in the center of the target; fire.

You won't get good at transitions without lots of practice. So set them up every chance you get in both dry and live fire. A very good drill to get you started is the Blake drill. Start with close targets, establish a baseline time; move the targets increasingly wider while shooting the drill in the same time.

Well said and I totally agree. Great post.

[Slavex]

Not just your knees either think of transitioning the same way as a boxer throws a punch, you're driving from the ground right through to the gun when you transition, your knees and your hips too. Try doing really wide arcs but up close to targets to push your muscles, almost 180 degree transitions, start with 2 targets, then throw a 3rd in the middle, work on stopping on it for a few runs, then skip it and come back to it. Once you feel you've got that rhythm down throw in another target and work that. Then increase your distance on another practice and so on. Just remember it's not just turning at the hips it's pushing through the hips and driving to the target.

[Failure2Stop]

I see a lot of new shooters transition from target to target by dropping the gun and swinging it up into the line of sight.
This takes time.
Lock your eyes where you want the sights to be and drive the gun straight there.

[QuickMick]

Tried your advices yesterday during my training session, got some light-bulb moments (e.g. bending my knees a little bit more) - but still find it hard when pushing. For wide arcs - do you pull your gun a little bit towards your body when you start moving? Annoying - the groups on the far left target (8m distance, 3m right from my position) are Ds only........:confused:

[Slavex]

It really depends on how far of a transition you are doing and what works best for you. But yes, on wide arcs I'll pull in and press out as my body comes around to the target.

[Failure2Stop]

It really depends on how far of a transition you are doing and what works best for you. But yes, on wide arcs I'll pull in and press out as my body comes around to the target.

Yup.

If you're shooting Ds and wide Cs, you really need to work on stopping the gun and getting the sight picture you need for As.

[GJM]

Yup.

If you're shooting Ds and wide Cs, you really need to work on stopping the gun and getting the sight picture you need for As.

Part one is the technique of transitioning - eyes, arms, legs.

Part two, after part one is squared away, is the technique of actually shooting the targets. That invokes, stopping, aiming, and working the trigger. Depending upon the size, distance and spacing of the targets, you may have to invest different amounts of time in how long you stop the gun, how much you aim, and how carefully you work the trigger.

In my experience, consistency in hitting targets on any given array comes from consistency in the amount of time I spend on stopping the gun, aiming and working the trigger. If I want to shoot them faster, I need to do less stopping, aiming and working the trigger. Often this results in a lower hit rate. The trick is figuring out how long to stop, to aim and to work the trigger for a given target array and desired level of hits.

[Slavex]

Rob Leatham gives great advice on this when shooting steel, everyone thinks he just goes from one side to another pulling the trigger as the gun comes on target, but he stops, on each and every one. Only for as long as he needs to, but he stops.
As for the pulling the gun in and putting it back on on those wide arcs, also think of it the same way you would on a setup while moving. You don't wait until you arrive in position to mount the gun, you do it in that last 1/2 second as you come to a stop, same goes for transitions if you dismount the gun. you should be mounting and confirming your sights as you come to a stop, press the trigger and then move again. As mentioned above, eyes first and the rest follows.

[QuickMick]

Made some progress, though a long way to go to improve constantly. One of the crucial things seems to not bend your upper body sideways and try to keep a stable, upright triangle between shoulders and gun, turn as a whole the upper body. Also knee and feet position are of importance, IMHO. So on wide arcs (> 45 degrees) I have to move my feet, too, so I don't have to turn my shoulders outside my stance. True? I also recognised that my sight picture is now focussed on the target, not on the front sight anymore.