I though it would be good to share ideas about stage planning and mental prep.
I'm very much aware that this is a muscle that can only be trained by shooting more stages. I found myself very behind on time in my last match due in part to some stage planning and prep errors and I want to learn more about this aspect of the game.
One thing I learned at my last match:
1) Once you have set your plan and mentally run through the stage thoroughly, it's best to stick with the plan, even if you see someone do something that is faster. I made this mistake on my first stage at the last match, and changed my stage plan right before I stepped up to the line. The result was two botched reloads and improper positioning at a critical part of the stage. I figure it cost me at least 4 seconds.
So if you have some tips and tricks about stage planning please share. Perhaps we can make this thread a resource for others!