Analyzing Max Michel's Footwork

[Sal Picante]

BTW - Bill Drummond in the Carolina's does A TON of footwork training ... Really good info.

Hoping to jump down there and take a class before too long.

[rsa-otc]

That's very intriguing coming from him. I haven't seen those videos - got a link?

I've heard that statement before, and quite honestly it sounds like something a less good shooter would say to conjure an equivalency with a better shooter. So I'm intrigued if MM said it, because he certainly seems to be one of the very best shooters.

From what I've seen, and that is surely less than MM has seen, I think the difference from A to GM is being better across the board. The GM shoots more accurately and faster, more consistently, integrates shooting efficiently with movement, physical barriers, and pressure, and plans and executes stages better than an A. It's being better at all the things measured in USPSA.

Since Classifiers contain little movement and virtually no stage planning, it would probably be pretty easy to go look at the classifier records of a bunch of A, M, and GM shooters and see if there was little difference in their scores and levels of consistency. If there were more than a little difference in their classifier records, then I think that would argue against the difference between those shooters being mostly in stage planning and movement. It's probably also fair to say that people do vary as individuals and I bet different people do well in USPSA through different combinations of what it takes to do well - some from their strong shooting, some from their strong movement and athleticism, etc.

In this video he doesn't put a lower limit (say A class) but references everyone inclusive. He states that you may be shooting as fast but it is transitions and movement, with movement being the number one reason GM's are so much faster than the rest. I know I've seen others where he stated Upper A class, just haven't come across them yet. Max puts a great deal of time working on his foot work. There's another video out there showing him running through the equivalent of footballs drill of running through a series of tires then picking up the gun to fire.

[Mr_White]

Thanks, I'll check it out!

[SLG]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mdc7Q-IC5GQ

In this video he doesn't put a lower limit (say A class) but references everyone inclusive. He states that you may be shooting as fast but it is transitions and movement, with movement being the number one reason GM's are so much faster than the rest. I know I've seen others where he stated Upper A class, just haven't come across them yet. Max puts a great deal of time working on his foot work. There's another video out there showing him running through the equivalent of footballs drill of running through a series of tires then picking up the gun to fire.

He has told me that in person as well.

[Clay1]

The above video was a great teaser with not very many real pieces of meat for me. He said to use his legs to drive the gun, but doesn't specifically tell you how to use your legs to drive the gun. He talks about an easy soft exit and I get the keep shooting as you lean out before you leave the box. I need more than a 30 second youtube video to help me. Anyone know of a good DVD just on movement skills?

[rsa-otc]

The above video was a great teaser with not very many real pieces of meat for me. He said to use his legs to drive the gun, but doesn't specifically tell you how to use your legs to drive the gun. He talks about an easy soft exit and I get the keep shooting as you lean out before you leave the box. I need more than a 30 second youtube video to help me. Anyone know of a good DVD just on movement skills?

That's the problem with many of these YouTube videos, they only give you a taste. While YouTube and DVDs can point you in a direction, if you can afford the time and money actual in person training is where it's at.

That said, Travis Haley has a YouTube video that describes rotating from the hips in a "little" more detail. While I haven't watched it recently I liked Frank Proctor's performance pistol DVD quite a bit. I believe he has a section on movement.

[PPGMD]

In this video he doesn't put a lower limit (say A class) but references everyone inclusive. He states that you may be shooting as fast but it is transitions and movement, with movement being the number one reason GM's are so much faster than the rest. I know I've seen others where he stated Upper A class, just haven't come across them yet. Max puts a great deal of time working on his foot work. There's another video out there showing him running through the equivalent of footballs drill of running through a series of tires then picking up the gun to fire.

Honestly I saw it in person. Ben Stoeger's shooting ability is quite high, but he isn't shooting nearly as fast as you would think a multiyear consecutive national champion would shoot. Instead he moves so quickly and seamlessly in/out of shooting positions that it is clearly that is one of the reasons he is winning.