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Thread: My First Competition as a newbie.

  1. #11
    Chasing the Horizon RJ's Avatar
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    Jan 2014
    I have a newbie question that I hope the OP doesn’t mind my asking.

    Context is USPSA.

    How do you guys suggest a newbie approach stage planing? As in, making sure all the things that need holes get holes?

    The other night I had at least one target with 4 holes, and another target with 0 (which killed me on the stage; not only did I get two Mikes I got a FTE for -30).

    I’m in P, so I start with 10+1. I try and count 1...2...3...10 then mag change. But I find my ‘planning’ goes out the window when that beep goes off.

    Any mental processes you guys use? Or is it just a question of getting better at mentally accounting for the targets as I get more matches in?

  2. #12
    When possible, you don’t want to do a standing reload. Think of target arrays, which should be eight shots or less, movement areas, and more target arrays. Reload between target arrays.
    Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.

  3. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Rich_Jenkins View Post
    How do you guys suggest a newbie approach stage planing? As in, making sure all the things that need holes get holes?
    Steve Anderson used to have a stage plan that you printed off to use to plan each stage.

    I usually go down range beyond all the vision barriers during the walk through so I can locate all the hidden targets. We used to say that if you moved your feet, you should be reloading.

  4. #14
    Chasing the Horizon RJ's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Quote Originally Posted by GJM View Post
    When possible, you don’t want to do a standing reload. Think of target arrays, which should be eight shots or less, movement areas, and more target arrays. Reload between target arrays.
    I like this a lot.

  5. #15
    Member
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    Oct 2015
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    N. Texas
    Quote Originally Posted by Clusterfrack View Post
    Skiing: if you don’t risk falling, you’re not pushing your limits and you won’t improve much.

    Competitive Shooting: if you don’t risk some penalties... same as above.
    Great analogy. Love skiing and you're right. That makes perfect sense, I became a good skier just going for it. I need to remember this my next match.

    I did another competition today, very high level shooters, Gabby Franco was in my squad so I was going against some master shooters. (I think a gun magazine was filming her today) Lots of STI's and CZ race guns and me with my simple 19x . I had one of the RO ask me what the heck was that back plate popping out every time I shot the gun. Told him it was my striker control unit or otherwise known as the "gadget". He kind of starred blankly at me. lol

    6 stages of tons of running and gunning with mix of steal and paper. Today I did pretty will, however, went slower and my penalties were at a minimum. That said, I think as a few others have said, my times still were slow so it's clear I need to get used to going fast. My fundamentals were much better today, saw the sights well, and accuracy for me wasn't bad. I just have to learn to go faster.

    Most stages ran minimum 2 mags with 15-20 rounds so lots of shooting. Most my misses were on the b zone, so wasn't off by much. Still waiting on them to post all the results tonight. Given the level competition I expect to be at the very back of the pack but that's ok, I have a lot I can improve on and it was loads of fun.

    Side note, I am signed up for Paul Sharp/William April in May, which a part of it is to help develop speed and skill shooting, it can't get hear soon enough.

  6. #16
    Deadeye Dick Clusterfrack's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Wokelandia
    George already gave some good advice. Here are a few thoughts:

    -Shadow M or GM shooters in your division. On this Saturday's match an unclassified guy asked if he could follow me on the walk-throughs and ask questions about my stage plans. If it had been a major match I would have said no (too distracting), but I was totally happy to at a local match. The only caution I have about this is that some plans are better suited to certain strengths: e.g. do you shoot a 20yd partial or take it from a closer position?

    Here's a quick menu:

    -Read the stage description.
    -Figure out where all the targets are and make sure your round count matches the stage description.
    -Figure out where you need to be to shoot the targets.
    -Note any DQ danger zones (close 180's, R-L reloads, etc.) and figure out how you will navigate them.
    -Memorize the order in which you will shoot all the targets, including reloads.
    -Visualize shooting the entire stage from the first person. Do this at least 10 times until your brain hurts, right up to the time when you're on deck.
    -Visualize the stage one more time before you shoot.
    -Do not change your plan in the last minutes before you shoot.

    This will let you concentrate on shooting, not trying to remember your plan.

    Cut yourself some slack on making mistakes. This game is really hard, and even the top shooters FU stage execution.

    PS. I think counting shots during shooting is a bad idea. Numbers are hard and require too much brainpower. I would totally lose focus if I tried to do that. Figure out which target arrays require reloads between them.



    Quote Originally Posted by Rich_Jenkins View Post
    I have a newbie question that I hope the OP doesn’t mind my asking.

    Context is USPSA.

    How do you guys suggest a newbie approach stage planing? As in, making sure all the things that need holes get holes?

    The other night I had at least one target with 4 holes, and another target with 0 (which killed me on the stage; not only did I get two Mikes I got a FTE for -30).

    I’m in P, so I start with 10+1. I try and count 1...2...3...10 then mag change. But I find my ‘planning’ goes out the window when that beep goes off.

    Any mental processes you guys use? Or is it just a question of getting better at mentally accounting for the targets as I get more matches in?
    Last edited by Clusterfrack; 03-25-2018 at 05:37 PM.
    "You can never have too many knives." --Joe Ambercrombie
    Shabbat shalom, motherf***ers! --Mordechai Jefferson Carver

  7. #17
    Site Supporter Norville's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    WI
    Great advice ^^^

    My two cents would be “count the targets” since, as you learned, an FTE and two mikes really hurts. I have been shooting USPSA for two years, and the last match of the season I got a bit cocky and ended up skipping a target, putting me about 50 percent on the stage. After slapping myself in the forehead I was top 5 overall on the remaining stages but ended up 10th or so overall. This is because I didn’t count th targets as listed in the stage brief.

    OP, congratulations on getting out there and shooting your first match. It’s addicting, a lot of fun and a great way to spend time and money. You can’t buy skill, so practice both dry and live. Work on movement and stage planning, as well as planning reloads as required. And don’t forget it is supposed to be fun.

  8. #18
    Chasing the Horizon RJ's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Quote Originally Posted by Clusterfrack View Post

    -Do not change your plan in the last minutes before you shoot.
    I did this very thing at least twice Friday. Geez. :|

    Thanks for the advice.

    This stuff is really a lot of fun. Shooting 120 rounds Friday was like 10 times more enjoyable than going to the square range. Cost was a wash, too; just $15 for my local club.

  9. #19
    Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    N. Texas
    Quote Originally Posted by Rich_Jenkins View Post

    This stuff is really a lot of fun. Shooting 120 rounds Friday was like 10 times more enjoyable than going to the square range. Cost was a wash, too; just $15 for my local club.
    I’m with on this, while I might not shoot as many rounds as I do in a typical range session, But I certainly come away with very specific areas that I need to focus on, get more out of it, and have much more fun in the process.

  10. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Clusterfrack View Post
    ...
    PS. I think counting shots during shooting is a bad idea. Numbers are hard and require too much brainpower. I would totally lose focus if I tried to do that. Figure out which target arrays require reloads between them.
    Wow that is a great idea. I know it's completely different but this made me think back to sports car racing on a track. When I started I was always looking at the tach to decide when to shirt. There were a few occasions where there was too much going on to look at the tach and I discussed it / a friend afterwords. He recommended that during the first practice session, I figure out where I should shift, and pick out markers of some type on the track. From then on I shifted by location, not by tach reading. This would be the same - reload by location. Brilliant idea Clusterfrack.

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