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View Full Version : Well, here goes -- Trying USPSA and first match musings



dogcaller
03-14-2023, 01:02 AM
Background: I shot a couple of USPSA matches in my early 20s in SoCal (Norco), long before I moved to Northern Colorado. That was 25ish years ago. I shot my G19, not particularly well, and then my P226, because I had a few factory 20-rd mags that were probably created for GSG9. I wasn't very good, by the standard of the group, though I had received some LEO firearms training and had done well in those classes (I'm not LEO). I shot informally with buddies and shot IDPA at the Apple Valley Gun Club when I could. Life, career, young kids, etc. limited opportunities a bit. I liked the more practical gear and approach of IDPA at the time, though it certainly has its own faults. The pistol-hanger holsters and oversized open master-blasters just turned me completely off. I moved to NoCo in 2007 and have shot occasional IDPA and similar outlaw matches over the years, with the same life constraints. At these smallish matches (10-20 shooters) I have typically placed reasonably well, finishing first several times and almost always in the hunt. I've taken a few local classes and a pistol class at the now defunct FrontSight, earning the top shooter distinction in the shoot-off. Again, it was fun to beat my buddies at the time, but doesn't mean much in the scheme of things. In a more recent indoor weeknight league the competition was keener and I placed toward the bottom of the top third.

I've decided that I want to improve my skills and learn how to shoot an optic, and I think USPSA is the way to do it. I purchased the Stoeger/Park book and have just begun reading. I'm shooting an LTT92 RDO with an SRO. I have primarily been a Glock shooter but the TDA talk here on PF piqued my interest so i picked up the lightly-used LTT from a member here and the RDO slide from LTT. I have experience with TDA but definitely don't feel as confident with the DA shot so need to continue to work on that, and it is improving. Holster is JMCK OWB and standard (not competition) mag pouches.

Three big things I have identified that I need to work on before working on anything else:

1) Index: Finding the dot quickly from the draw. This is getting better, and will continue to improve. I don't typically find this to be a problem in match conditions, but in dry practice it sometimes is.

2) Target focus: I've always been a "hard focus on the front sight" shooter and I am definitely finding myself looking for and at the dot when shooting.

3) Grip: No one has ever taught me this, but I've recently viewed some videos that demonstrate how much real estate I'm not using to my advantage because I don't rotate and lock my support wrist forward. There's actually a lot more to grip (as I'm learning--I was always a Modern Technique push/pull shooter), but just getting this part adjusted seems to be a good place to start.

Match 1: I shot a match at Boulder Rifle Club last weekend. There were ~70 shooters registered with CO being the biggest division. Stage 1 was the classifier (CM22-05 Win Some Lose Some). It sucked! Two strings and two shooting positions. Not sure about the distances but I believe A was 25yds and B was 10yds. A: From surrender, draw and fire two rounds each on four targets, reload and engage each with one round SHO. Seven second par time. B: From surrender, draw and fire two rounds each on four targets, reload and engage each with one round WHO. Seven second par time. Only one shooter in our squad of 18 got a round off after the reload--and he just got one. The shooters smarter than me decided to forego the reload entirely and just focus on making good hits--seven seconds was plenty of time for that. Some shooters, including me, rushed and had both poor hits and the post-reload mikes.

The other stages were good fun. I didn't DQ and had no mikes (other than those on the impossible classifier). Lots of A/C patterns and one D. Would have liked more A/A.

I definitely focused on the dot during my first field course. In my second I was more deliberate about being target focused. It seemed like I was a bot slower, because I was trying to be more deliberate about what I was seeing and where i wanted the bullet to land, but it didn't seem to improve my accuracy. The third field course was a mixed bag, focus-wise. At no point did I adjust or even notice my grip. I was busy trying to remember my stage plan and not DQ by being stupid. It was great fun and a good bunch of guys. I'm going to need to read more and do a better job with dry practice for all three of those areas I identified. That being said, I am wide open to feedback and suggestions. Placed 26/65

I only recorded one of the stages. Description and video below. I can't believe how slow I look compared to how it felt. In this stage the first two targets were to the left at ~15 and 18 yds. My close up doubles were slower than I would have liked. I ended up with a flat-footed reload. I noticed that I reloaded from my second mag pouch instead of my front pouch--twice. I assume this is because that pouch was as 9 o'clock, which is where I usually carry my spares, but this time I had four pouches instead of two, so they were spread out.

102449
https://youtu.be/3NBD086nwuY

Here we go...

YVK
03-14-2023, 09:09 AM
I am wide open to feedback and suggestions.


Glad to see you back in the game.

As far as technical aspects, grip and such, I don't think this video can show it well. I don't think any video does unless the mistakes are glaring.
Visually what I noticed is seemingly a lack of sense of urgency in your movement. You're standing upright and kinda walking at your pace, best seen at the end of a stage.
Your feet and body positioning is suboptimal on your first array. You're squaring to the first two targets and then taking the third with an across the body / outside of your cone transition which is awkward and slow. I'd either start moving after first two or would've positioned myself differently for that transition.
I would consider signing up to Max Michel's Patreon thing for a few month. His video stuff is the best out there for things of that nature.

Your question in another thread, this is the only place I know of in SLC area that does weekday matches. This week's is full.

https://practiscore.com/armory-indoor-league-84/register

dogcaller
03-14-2023, 09:49 AM
Great feedback, thanks. My thinking was that those first two targets were tougher so I wanted to give myself the best positioning for those. I definitely could have started moving sooner, and need to move faster.

Clusterfrack
03-14-2023, 10:16 AM
That looked like a fun stage, and you shot really well for a first match in years. YVK's advice was good. Here are a few observations and suggestions:

You seem fairly relaxed. I don't see a lot of tension and over transitioning, which is really good.
Your grip and recoil control are good. That can always be improved, but from what I can see you shoot the gun well.

It's not helpful to try to work on a lot of things at once, so here are three to think about:

Low, mobile posture with legs bent and hips free. That will allow you to move more easily and have your index and arm/chest support triangle be more independent from your direction of motion.
Gun UP and ready to shoot before you arrive at a target array. Shoot earlier, not necessarily faster.
Eyes to the next target first, then move the gun.


Looking forward to seeing stages from your next match, or some practice vids!

dogcaller
04-09-2023, 10:17 PM
Shot my second match today. Another middling result. It didn't feel like a bad match, but I still can't get over how slow I am on video compared to how fast it feels. In my mind I'm quick, smooth, spry, and slim--notsomuch IRL.

I only remembered to ask for a video on two of the four stages. I was lucky enough (!) to be the 1st shooter on the first stage, 3rd on the second, and 2nd on the third. Whether that contributed to the brain farts or not, I'm not sure. One of the four stages at this club is always an indoor stage. Not a lot of room, but fun for sure. This is the one I shot first. Anyway, it felt reasonably good, shooting wise. I forgot to reload when I needed to so i ended up with a standing slide-lock reload, and started moving on before having to step back to add the second shot on a target. I also ended up with one round hitting the edge of a no-shoot covering 2/3 of one target. I was close enough that there's no excuse, and I didn't call that shot. Ended up with a NS and a miss on that one.

I'm noticing my ability to call shots better--particularly with the first shot, less so with the second. I'm also noticing that I'm often continuing to look at my dot instead of the target... Taking feedback from before, I made an effort to move more quickly between targets, but I'm not sure it shows in the video. I was also more cognizant to keep the gun up, ready to take the shot when it is first available

My best run was the classifier, which is good, I guess. The shooters clustered around me, score-wise, are mostly C-class. I'm not yet classified, but that seems about right--though I don't like it.

This is the classifier:


https://youtu.be/bFCOh5x51kc




https://youtu.be/bnmponNoFZ8

I noticed on this stage that some were saving the closer targets for last, to minimize transitions, but I have a hard time leaving close targets unengaged--still seeing them as "threats," IDPA style. I also kind of lost my stage plan once I got the the final shooting position.


They were scoring behind the shooter as s/he goes, so I didn't get the feedback from ~2/3 of the targets per stage.

Had a great time--met some more cool people--definitely want to keep doing it, but really want to improve. It's humbling.

ECK
04-10-2023, 10:33 AM
So the big question for me is, are you having fun and feeling motivated to practice? Welcome back to the sport.

I noticed you increased your foot speed between your March and April match. That’s good because given that hit factor scoring is points divided by time, you want to do things as quickly as you can. Some people have the mantra of “shoot at whatever speed you need in order to get your hits, but do everything else at warp speed”. I kind of subscribe to that. For example, on a wide open close target you can just squirt two shots at it as fast as you can work the trigger, but a 12-15 yd target with a NS partially covering it deserves some respect (and time) to be sure of your shot. Ditto with respecting steel poppers.

I would also agree that when you shoot on the move you should try to get your center of gravity lower. Shooting on the move is easier with a dot than with irons but watch how the M and GM shooters move and get into position with a wide stance.

There’s always a lot of things one can work on, so just pick one or two at a time and work on them. But IMO you’ve overcome the biggest hurdle by just showing up. If you feel like a class would benefit you, there’s a guy in Northern CO by the name of Charlie Perez (aka Cha-Lee) that I believe hosts USPSA shooting classes.

I have a LTT with a SRO red dot mounted on it. I sometimes shoot it at my local matches, but my first true love is a CZ. But the Beretta and I will sometime sneak away for an illicit interlude.

JCN
04-10-2023, 04:03 PM
dogcaller

Nothing to feel bad about there. Your runs looked solid. Glad you’re motivated!

If you’d like to consider trying the SWYNTS drills I can help out there.

Working with Moylan and JCS over the years they’ve benefited I think from some of the specific coaching and when they put in the work, good things have happened!

dogcaller
04-10-2023, 08:05 PM
So the big question for me is, are you having fun and feeling motivated to practice? Welcome back to the sport.

I noticed you increased your foot speed between your March and April match. That’s good because given that hit factor scoring is points divided by time, you want to do things as quickly as you can. Some people have the mantra of “shoot at whatever speed you need in order to get your hits, but do everything else at warp speed”. I kind of subscribe to that. For example, on a wide open close target you can just squirt two shots at it as fast as you can work the trigger, but a 12-15 yd target with a NS partially covering it deserves some respect (and time) to be sure of your shot. Ditto with respecting steel poppers.

I would also agree that when you shoot on the move you should try to get your center of gravity lower. Shooting on the move is easier with a dot than with irons but watch how the M and GM shooters move and get into position with a wide stance.

There’s always a lot of things one can work on, so just pick one or two at a time and work on them. But IMO you’ve overcome the biggest hurdle by just showing up. If you feel like a class would benefit you, there’s a guy in Northern CO by the name of Charlie Perez (aka Cha-Lee) that I believe hosts USPSA shooting classes.

I have a LTT with a SRO red dot mounted on it. I sometimes shoot it at my local matches, but my first true love is a CZ. But the Beretta and I will sometime sneak away for an illicit interlude.


Thanks for the feedback. I'm going to have to figure out the squat-run, lol! I did try to increase my speed between shooting positions. I do like my LTT. I've always kind of wanted a Beretta and the LTT scratched that itch. Then I bought the RDO slide for my first foray into MRDS. It shoots nice and flat, though it does feel just slightly large for my average-sized hands. I've had a CZ75 for years, and I do prefer the ergos of the CZ, but the trigger reach is LOOOONG. I tended to carry it condition 1 anyway, and have contemplated sending it in to have it converted to SAO. I'm know the CZs ya'll are running in USPSA are a different animal. That said, I am not interested in buying a pure (no offense intended to anyone) "gamer gun." The USPSA CZs seem purposely overbuilt, overlarge, over heavy.

ECK
04-10-2023, 08:50 PM
Thanks for the feedback. I'm going to have to figure out the squat-run, lol! I did try to increase my speed between shooting positions. I do like my LTT. I've always kind of wanted a Beretta and the LTT scratched that itch. Then I bought the RDO slide for my first foray into MRDS. It shoots nice and flat, though it does feel just slightly large for my average-sized hands. I've had a CZ75 for years, and I do prefer the ergos of the CZ, but the trigger reach is LOOOONG. I tended to carry it condition 1 anyway, and have contemplated sending it in to have it converted to SAO. I'm know the CZs ya'll are running in USPSA are a different animal. That said, I am not interested in buying a pure (no offense intended to anyone) "gamer gun." The USPSA CZs seem purposely overbuilt, overlarge, over heavy.

No argument, the Shadow 2 was built from the ground up as a competition gun and at 47 oz unloaded its a chunk. The original SP-01 Shadow and the B variants are considered “duty” guns by some European police departments and probably some militaries. I used to run one of those but the ergos of the Shadow 2 just fit my hand better.

The Beretta on the other hand is a 36 oz gun with that aluminum frame, which is only a few ounces less than the original SP-01 Shadow (39 oz). You can get a short disconnector which reduces the reach of the trigger in DA mode (aka reach reduction kit), but I find the DA trigger to be about the same reach as on my LTT. They are both cool guns, but while I might carry the LTT its doubtful I’d ever carry my Shadow 2 even though mine have been lightened to come in under 45 oz dating back a few years when the weight limit for Carry Optics division was 45 oz.

Speaking of Carry Optics division, it requires guns that are TDA or striker fired. So converting your CZ to SAO will not make it legal for CO division. However on May 1 USPSA is opening up a provisional division called Limited Optics, which does allow SAO guns.

dogcaller
04-10-2023, 09:24 PM
No argument, the Shadow 2 was built from the ground up as a competition gun and at 47 oz unloaded its a chunk. The original SP-01 Shadow and the B variants are considered “duty” guns by some European police departments and probably some militaries. I used to run one of those but the ergos of the Shadow 2 just fit my hand better.

The Beretta on the other hand is a 36 oz gun with that aluminum frame, which is only a few ounces less than the original SP-01 Shadow (39 oz). You can get a short disconnector which reduces the reach of the trigger in DA mode (aka reach reduction kit), but I find the DA trigger to be about the same reach as on my LTT. They are both cool guns, but while I might carry the LTT its doubtful I’d ever carry my Shadow 2 even though mine have been lightened to come in under 45 oz dating back a few years when the weight limit for Carry Optics division was 45 oz.

Speaking of Carry Optics division, it requires guns that are TDA or striker fired. So converting your CZ to SAO will not make it legal for CO division. However on May 1 USPSA is opening up a provisional division called Limited Optics, which does allow SAO guns.

Copy that. I've heard rumblings about that change in CO. That being said, my ranking relative to the divisions isn't much of a concern to me at this point. I'm wanting to improve with the gun I'm shooting, regardless of division, and I don't consider myself competitive in any division. I guess what I'm getting at is that I don't think my performance is hindered by my division, at this point. Also, I'm using USPSA as a way to build relevant skills with practical equipment in a competitive, dynamic, and challenging arena. At least for now, I'm not interested in buying USPSA-specific gear, so it wouldn't make much difference to me. I don't even know if classic CZ75s can be milled/drilled for MRDS--might need to look into that, eventually...

dogcaller
04-10-2023, 09:58 PM
dogcaller

Nothing to feel bad about there. Your runs looked solid. Glad you’re motivated!

If you’d like to consider trying the SWYNTS drills I can help out there.

Working with Moylan and JCS over the years they’ve benefited I think from some of the specific coaching and when they put in the work, good things have happened!

Thanks, JCN. I've always been impressed by your skill and generosity. I lurked on the SWYNTS thread for awhile, but the pace was such that I just didn't think I could keep up. That was awhile back. I'm more invested now. Did some dryfire after work today. Mostly just presentations (to an aimed shot) and reloads. My presentations to an adequately aimed shot on a reasonably small target averaged ~1.55 sec. My standing reloads were averaging ~1.33 picked up on the timer, with probably another .15 to get back on target. I'm not sure how people time their reloads. ~1.33 was from the buzzer to the seating of the second mag. I was surprised and pleased at how even 5 minutes of sustained practice brought my times down ~.20 and increased my consistency. During my presentations, in addition to a consistent, smooth presentation to my eyeline, I was trying to focus on improving my grip and shot calling. I watched a Seeklander WC video on grip (https://youtu.be/xTMGArQ5aiA)before I started. I was taught the push/pull of the Modern Technique, but never really focused on the actual grip itself, and I have a deep groove in my brain from many reps and I need to forge some new neural pathways. So, draw/grip, eyeline, target-focus and call my shot. Maybe too much to focus on at once, but it felt manageable to me. I could definitely notice the difference in the dot at the shot when I had my grip right--didn't dip.

Still need to order some dryfire targets. Well, actually, I'll need full size USPSA targets as well. Do USPSA shooters generally practice with official cardboard targets, or paper facsimiles?

JCN
04-10-2023, 10:07 PM
dogcaller you can start the phase 1 SWYNTS any time and I guarantee it’ll help your foundations and index accuracy.

I usually practice max speed reloads on a 4 aces drill because I know my draw close double from SWYNTS and can subtract out the time for reload on a par.

So for example if I do a 2.0 par for draw double, reload double.

And I know what my close draw double and splits are… for me that leaves about a 1.0 second reload.


https://youtu.be/WcOQ68nS-zc

You can break it down and scale it to your own skill level.

But start with the SWYNTS phase one.

I recommend using circles for targets for most of your training and then take that to USPSA targets later.

CZC and others can mill CZs for optics. I did a 75B and P01s.

CraigS
04-11-2023, 07:55 AM
I can't help much w/ the skills but have a few thoughts on your LTT92. Not being sure of it's age check to see if it has the LTT trigger bar. Older ones had the Wilson bar before LTT designed theirs. The LTT trigger bar gives you a very short reset.
https://langdontactical.com/products/parts-mags/92-96-m9-series/?page=2
If you need to upgrade go for the NP3 coating and it would be worth while to go for an NP3 trigger job in a bag.
https://langdontactical.com/products/trigger-job-in-a-bag/92-96-m9-series/
Order a 12# and an 11# hammer spring. For me the 12 has been 100% reliable w/ Federal and CCI Blazer ammo. The 11 needs to have the firing pin spring cleaned out periodically to stay reliable. These parts will get you a super smooth DA pull right around 5# w/ the 12 spring and a few ounces lighter w/ the 11. I am not real familiar w/ USPSA rules but if you are allowed to run a light do so. The extra weight out front helps.

dogcaller
04-12-2023, 11:30 AM
I can't help much w/ the skills but have a few thoughts on your LTT92. Not being sure of it's age check to see if it has the LTT trigger bar. Older ones had the Wilson bar before LTT designed theirs. The LTT trigger bar gives you a very short reset.
https://langdontactical.com/products/parts-mags/92-96-m9-series/?page=2
If you need to upgrade go for the NP3 coating and it would be worth while to go for an NP3 trigger job in a bag.
https://langdontactical.com/products/trigger-job-in-a-bag/92-96-m9-series/
Order a 12# and an 11# hammer spring. For me the 12 has been 100% reliable w/ Federal and CCI Blazer ammo. The 11 needs to have the firing pin spring cleaned out periodically to stay reliable. These parts will get you a super smooth DA pull right around 5# w/ the 12 spring and a few ounces lighter w/ the 11. I am not real familiar w/ USPSA rules but if you are allowed to run a light do so. The extra weight out front helps.

Thanks, Craig. I will check into the trigger bar. Other than the overall size of the grip (which is certainly manageable), any issues I have with the Beretta at this point are software problems, not hardware problems. It's also a carry gun, so I wouldn't want to do anything that could effect reliability.

JCN
04-12-2023, 04:11 PM
dogcaller I think this has come up a couple times but in general I don’t recommend competing with a carry gun if serious improvement is the goal.

IMO:
1. I don’t like high round counts on carry guns. Stuff will fail eventually.
2. Gamer ammo requires gamer springs to match the dynamics. It’s like matching shocks to the tires / grip for race cars.
3. Well, why not just run full power ammo for gaming? It’s an option but the strength of competition IMO is comparing apples to apples without excuses so you can tell when it’s skill and tell when it’s equipment limitation. That’s also why USPSA from concealment IMO is not great. You don’t want to add fudge factor for learning.
4. It’s easier to learn timing and coordination with soft guns and ammo. It’s like slow pitch softball. If you can’t hit that, training with fastballs isn’t going to help.

Again JMO.

CraigS
04-13-2023, 07:40 AM
This is my solution to the possiblity that I might need to change hammer springs at a match. It would also allow you to quickly change from a competition 11 or 12# spring back to a 13# for defensive use.
103526
See the small hole at the bottom of the grip panel. This lets me pop out the pin, remove the cap and spring and reinstall a different spring.

DaBigBR
04-26-2023, 08:18 PM
Impact Machine for CZ75 milling...

dogcaller
06-19-2023, 12:33 PM
Your feedback is always welcome and appreciated


A month or so ago I took a 2-day course with Charlie Perez (Big Panda Performance). It was really interesting, and I'm glad I took it. He started out by saying that we would not necessarily improve by taking the course, but that we would learn what to practice, and that the improved practice would lead to improvement, and I understand and agree. It was definitely a "how to be a better USPSA competitor" class as opposed to a shooting class. I think he determined early on that all of the participants had a baseline of skill that would make them able to benefit from the course, and after that, there was no real work on shooting skills. We did shoot drills to help us SWTNTS at speed and distance, and quite a bit of time on stage strategy, footwork, body mechanics, mindset, etc. All well-presented, demonstrated, and very helpful.

I am working to add these skills into my practice and matches. I really wish I had started this 15 years ago, but, alas...

I shot a match a couple of weeks ago and, while I'm not happy with my overall performance, I did benefit from some of what I learned in the class, particularly the stage planning and footwork.

As I evaluate my shooting and performance, listen to podcasts, etc., it really seems to me that I need to improve my grip and general accuracy at distance. I think my grip is contributing to too many close A/C's that should be A/A's. I'm working on the shooting sooner, rather than faster, and I see the utility of that, but that also results in me taking longer shots--and these lead to C's and D's.

I also still need to move faster between stages. It feels fast in my head, but the video doesn't lie. It's not fast.

I definitely need to do more dry practice, and I have ordered the Stoeger dryfire targets/book kit (https://benstoegerproshop.com/dryfire-book-combo-pack-dry-fire-training-reloaded-for-the-practical-pistol-shooter-paperback-book-and-scaled-targets/). I'm not sure how to dry practice for accuracy at distance, but I'll try to find that. I seem to be interpreting the messages I'm getting as: "You can shoot faster (at distance) than you realize, so do it!" and also, "Shoot slow enough to guarantee the hits." I realize that both of these things can be true, but I don't think I have the skill (yet) to fully understand or incorporate these seemingly contradictory messages. Also, I'm not sure what to do about my grip. There are many different practices, by successful and respected shooters. I think I need someone to watch me and show me.

Video links are below. Stage notes and scores are in the video description.

Stage 1a (https://youtu.be/8OE9JxZ3eG8) and 1b (https://youtu.be/WK9K8xQQz3k)

Stage 2 (https://youtu.be/IZ-0Lzexzzc)

Stage 3 (https://youtu.be/EGBuKWJ7pqc)

Stage 4 (https://youtu.be/2YvMCTLIaXM)


I should probably learn how to put all of these together in one video...

ECK
06-19-2023, 01:23 PM
OP, I watched your videos. Here’s a few observations, but I admit I still have things I am working on myself.

Stage 1a and 1b, I noticed that you turn and draw away from the gun. I think you’ll find that many shooters prefer to turn into the gun, in other words if the gun is on your right side we turn to the right. This does two things: 1) it allows you to draw sooner, 2) helps keep you from breaking the 180 or drawing while still facing uprange.

Stage 2: Watch that 180 on the reload when you go from the center to the left. The video angle is not definitive, but without some conscious thought at some point you may break the 180 since you’re moving against your natural side and many of us rotate our wrists to the left when we reload.

Later in the stage when you’re moving to the right you keep looking for the center target to find the right spot to engage it, then swung to the right to engage the target on the other side of the blue barrel stack. What I probably would have done was to aggressively charge that target by the blue barrel first and engage it as I was coming into position. That same position would have set you up to swing to the left and engage the downrange target in the center.

Stage 3: You soaked up the draw with movement to the left, that was good. But you came into position standing up right and your gun dipped down when you came to a stop. You might want to practice coming into position with the gun up and on target but flex your legs more to let them be shock absorbers. Take two big steps as you come off the start position and draw the gun. Then get down into a groucho marx crouch for your next step or two as you come into position while bringing the gun up on target. You want glide into a smooth stop with the gun indexed on target and not make it a herky-jerky stop. That saves time and reduces the shock of stopping abruptly which means you can engage the target sooner.

Later in the stage you had to back up to find a target when you went down the right side of the stage. That target probably should have been engaged prior to moving forward into that middle position. Its hard to see from the camera angle but anytime you’re hunting and pecking for a target you’re burning time.

Stage 4: No real comment about that stage. I will say that your splits seem fine provided your hits are decent (two A’s or at least close C’s).

Overall, I commend you for putting your videos up for our viewing. Your shooting cadence (speed) is fine, I wouldn’t try to speed that up right now bc invariably your hits are gonna suffer if you try to improve your splits. If your not happy with your hits then I agree your grip is probably not what it should be. I’m not into the math of trying to achieve a 30/70 or 40/60 split with grip strength between SH/WH, rather I just try to tell myself to grip the gun hard AF. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t do everything else at warp speed (movement, coming into position, be ready to fire as soon as you clear an obstacle, reloads) and nailing down a smooth stage plan where you’re not having to hunt and peck or be herky-jerky with your footwork.

Good shooting overall and it looks like you’re having fun.

dogcaller
06-19-2023, 02:42 PM
OP, I watched your videos. Here’s a few observations, but I admit I still have things I am working on myself.




Stage 2: Watch that 180 on the reload when you go from the center to the left. The video angle is not definitive, but without some conscious thought at some point you may break the 180 since you’re moving against your natural side and many of us rotate our wrists to the left when we reload.

Yup, agreed. Noted that in the comments, as the RO warned me about it after the stage as well.

Later in the stage when you’re moving to the right you keep looking for the center target to find the right spot to engage it, then swung to the right to engage the target on the other side of the blue barrel stack. What I probably would have done was to aggressively charge that target by the blue barrel first and engage it as I was coming into position. That same position would have set you up to swing to the left and engage the downrange target in the center.

Yup, mostly agree. It would have been a tough angle to get A's on the target behind the barrels while moving in, but I could have charged that target/foot location with gun up, taken that first, then swung around to the second target before moving to final shooting position. I kept looking down because I was trying to find my "mark," the position I had decided to shoot from, to avoid shifting feet once I landed there. I hope this doesn't read as defensive--far from it--I'm laughing at myself.

Stage 3: You soaked up the draw with movement to the left, that was good. But you came into position standing up right and your gun dipped down when you came to a stop. You might want to practice coming into position with the gun up and on target but flex your legs more to let them be shock absorbers. Take two big steps as you come off the start position and draw the gun. Then get down into a groucho marx crouch for your next step or two as you come into position while bringing the gun up on target. You want glide into a smooth stop with the gun indexed on target and not make it a herky-jerky stop. That saves time and reduces the shock of stopping abruptly which means you can engage the target sooner.

This one wasn't actually me shooting the stage. It was the one stage that I forgot to have recorded, and one of my more successful stages (figures). I uploaded the video to remind myself of the stage and so others could see and critique. My notes about this and all of the stages are in the notes section below the video itself. Sorry for the confusion. That being said, your advice is spot-on, exactly what Charlie Perez tried to teach me.

Later in the stage you had to back up to find a target when you went down the right side of the stage. That target probably should have been engaged prior to moving forward into that middle position. Its hard to see from the camera angle but anytime you’re hunting and pecking for a target you’re burning time.


This one wasn't actually me shooting the stage. It was the one stage that I forgot to have recorded, and one of my more successful stages (figures). I uploaded the video to remind myself of the stage and so others could see and critique. My notes about this and all of the stages are in the notes section below the video itself. Sorry for the confusion.

Stage 4: No real comment about that stage. I will say that your splits seem fine provided your hits are decent (two A’s or at least close C’s).

Overall, I commend you for putting your videos up for our viewing. Your shooting cadence (speed) is fine, I wouldn’t try to speed that up right now bc invariably your hits are gonna suffer if you try to improve your splits. If your not happy with your hits then I agree your grip is probably not what it should be. I’m not into the math of trying to achieve a 30/70 or 40/60 split with grip strength between SH/WH, rather I just try to tell myself to grip the gun hard AF. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t do everything else at warp speed (movement, coming into position, be ready to fire as soon as you clear an obstacle, reloads) and nailing down a smooth stage plan where you’re not having to hunt and peck or be herky-jerky with your footwork.

Good shooting overall and it looks like you’re having fun.

Thanks for taking the time and providing feedback--I appreciate it!

JCN
06-19-2023, 08:18 PM
Your feedback is always welcome and appreciated

As I evaluate my shooting and performance, listen to podcasts, etc., it really seems to me that I need to improve my grip and general accuracy at distance. I think my grip is contributing to too many close A/C's that should be A/A's. I'm working on the shooting sooner, rather than faster, and I see the utility of that, but that also results in me taking longer shots--and these lead to C's and D's.

I definitely need to do more dry practice, and I have ordered the Stoeger dryfire targets/book kit (https://benstoegerproshop.com/dryfire-book-combo-pack-dry-fire-training-reloaded-for-the-practical-pistol-shooter-paperback-book-and-scaled-targets/).

I'm not sure how to dry practice for accuracy at distance, but I'll try to find that. I seem to be interpreting the messages I'm getting as: "You can shoot faster (at distance) than you realize, so do it!" and also, "Shoot slow enough to guarantee the hits." I realize that both of these things can be true, but I don't think I have the skill (yet) to fully understand or incorporate these seemingly contradictory messages. Also, I'm not sure what to do about my grip. There are many different practices, by successful and respected shooters. I think I need someone to watch me and show me.

Some general thoughts from the bottom up:

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1. Looks like your support thumb isn't on the frame up high... maybe down by the trigger guard? You won't get good recoil control that way.

Typically the better shooters pinch and support the frame as high up on the frame by the rails as possible. Both hands.

2. In dry fire, you try and wobble the front sight as LITTLE as possible. That's how you practice mechanics THAT WILL HOLD UP as accuracy at distance.

3. If you're already shooting charlies and deltas, you probably DON'T need to shoot faster. Because you CAN'T go faster from a shooting standpoint. Later on when your mechanics improve you'll need to shoot faster to do well. But you can't do it if your mechanics don't support it. So work on your mechanics first.

4. I would separate your assessment and work into shooting mechanics (including draws, transitions, trigger control, recoil management and reloads) versus movement.

Clusterfrack made a comment previously that a certain subset of competitors move like predators... and a different subset of competitors move like prey....

There's a certain aggression, efficiency and purpose that is required for high level performance, but that's separate from the shooting ability and should be worked on and judged separately as such.

CraigS
06-20-2023, 10:35 AM
A couple of thoughts from a guy who may be about 1/4 step ahead of you. On recoil control I find I really like the gas pedal they made of the takedown lever on my 92X Defensive. See it here;
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I wasn't sure I would like it but when I dry fire my wife's 92 I find I really miss it. You need to check w/ uspsa if it would be legal to install on your gun. If so, it is easy to do.
https://www.beretta.com/en-us/gun-accessories/handguns/kits-parts/beretta-competition-self-locking-disassembly-lever-for-90-series-full-size-left-hand/
I have been trying real hard to do the; out of the holster up to my chest, join hands there, push out while aligning the sights, style draw. I have usually done somewhat of that but not the careful pushout part. The advantage I find is very apparent on the first DA shot because my trigger pull begins earlier but is not unsafe because my sights are very nearly on the target at about 50% arm extension. BTW the DA trigger pull should be at a steady speed through it's length. No attempt to do 3/4 pull, wait, then finish the pull. Langdon has a series of 3 videos called 'Fear not the DA Shot'. They may be 10yrs old now but still valuable.

Lowspeed_highdrag
08-30-2023, 03:59 PM
dogcaller

I am getting into USPSA in Northern Colorado as well. Hit me up if you end up shooting any matches this year and we can try to squad up.