Do you cycle your training/practice?

[MVS]

I used to be strictly interested in the martial side of firearms. A number of years ago I started competing and I wish I had started earlier. I recently received a match bump to Master in IDPA. For those who don't know IDPA Master covers a wide range, like from me to Bob Vogel wide. You can have anywhere from USPSA B class to GM in IDPA Master. My season is over but by spring I want to be more than a MINO (Master In Name Only).

During the winter I won't be shooting matches and my live fire will be at best once a week due to weather and available daylight. I will continue twice daily dry fire. I am trying to build a training regimen for the winter months and by necessity it has to look a little different. Do I focus more on accuracy with my live fire? Do I just do limited square range drills? Or do I try to keep it as close to my in season training as possible? What has worked for some of you?

[LukeNCMX]

What has been working for you so far?

Do you have Stoeger's practical shooting training book? Lots of great info there for structuring training based on your commitment level.

For me I spend 75% of my live practice on recoil control type drills (Doubles, alternating live/dry Bill Drills) and the remainder on whatever is the current topic of improvement for example:

Reducing tension: 4 Aces
Transitions: Designated Target

I have been experimenting with alternating live and dry on the same drill during a live session and I am getting a good amount out of it. It really helps reinforce realistic dry practice when I am off the range.

In dry practice when I am doing two-a-days I do skills practice (3-4 isolation type drills about 5 minutes each each with a singular conscious training cue in mind) one session and execution practice (Anderson match mode) on the other.

[MVS]

What has been working for you so far?

Do you have Stoeger's practical shooting training book? Lots of great info there for structuring training based on your commitment level.

For me I spend 75% of my live practice on recoil control type drills (Doubles, alternating live/dry Bill Drills) and the remainder on whatever is the current topic of improvement for example:

Reducing tension: 4 Aces
Transitions: Designated Target

I have been experimenting with alternating live and dry on the same drill during a live session and I am getting a good amount out of it. It really helps reinforce realistic dry practice when I am off the range.

In dry practice when I am doing two-a-days I do skills practice (3-4 isolation type drills about 5 minutes each each with a singular conscious training cue in mind) one session and execution practice (Anderson match mode) on the other.

I do have Ben's books and Steve's. I plan to take mental management over the winter. On my heavy dry fire days I do the big 12 from Steve and on the lighter days I use the JCN drill along with one or two other things that I rotate like 4 Aces and trigger control at speed. I think dry fire is going well, though advice is appreciated. Considering live fire has to be curtailed, I just wasn't sure what kind of changes I wanted to make there.

[JCN]

@MVS great thread!

I can tell you what I do.

Or I can try and figure out what I think you should do.

If helping you, probably best to take stock of what you perceive to be your strengths and weaknesses.

[Cory]

I cycle, but in a different way. I focus on shooting until I burn out, then fitness until I burn out, then empty hand, then tactics...

Everytime I try to keep a little bit more as a habit.

But thats a more defensive practioner thought process than a shooter mindset.

[MVS]

@MVS great thread!

I can tell you what I do.

Or I can try and figure out what I think you should do.

If helping you, probably best to take stock of what you perceive to be your strengths and weaknesses.

I am not sure the strength and weakness question is all that easy to answer. From strictly a shooting standpoint I think I need what everybody needs, to shoot faster AND more accurate. If you look at my last major match where I finished second in CO Expert, we can see that on the warm up and standards stages I was right in with the best shooters at the match. It was some of the other stages I had some problems on. I am not sure the issues tell us much as one was a PE where I miscounted and dropped a mag with a round in it, another was a barrel it I didn't call, another was a popper I got but must have been low because it didn't fall but I didn't notice it, and the last mistake was apparently on a stage that I otherwise shot clean, I had a Mike. So maybe better shot calling? Other than those things it went pretty well, just needed to do it all faster while maintaining or improving accuracy.

[JCN]

I am not sure the strength and weakness question is all that easy to answer. From strictly a shooting standpoint I think I need what everybody needs, to shoot faster AND more accurate. If you look at my last major match where I finished second in CO Expert, we can see that on the warm up and standards stages I was right in with the best shooters at the match. It was some of the other stages I had some problems on. I am not sure the issues tell us much as one was a PE where I miscounted and dropped a mag with a round in it, another was a barrel it I didn't call, another was a popper I got but must have been low because it didn't fall but I didn't notice it, and the last mistake was apparently on a stage that I otherwise shot clean, I had a Mike. So maybe better shot calling? Other than those things it went pretty well, just needed to do it all faster while maintaining or improving accuracy.

I suspect that that’s probably not the situation!

A lot of people need work on transition accuracy (which is separate than the actual shooting) but if you transition sloppy it’ll make the shooting look less accurate.

Same thing with footwork and movement.

Inaccuracy is compounded by wobble and slop in the non-shooting parts of the game.

If you did well in the shooting without transition and movement stages… that’s probably a suggestion that the non-shooting things are holding you back disproportionately (which is common for people who generally have practiced live square range only).

If you want to make a training journal thing and tag me, I can help you work through some drills and exercises to test where your weaknesses and strengths are.

[BN]

It was some of the other stages I had some problems on. I am not sure the issues tell us much as one was a PE where I miscounted and dropped a mag with a round in it, another was a barrel it I didn't call, another was a popper I got but must have been low because it didn't fall but I didn't notice it, and the last mistake was apparently on a stage that I otherwise shot clean, I had a Mike. So maybe better shot calling? Other than those things it went pretty well, just needed to do it all faster while maintaining or improving accuracy.

I suspect that that’s probably not the situation!


If you did well in the shooting without transition and movement stages… that’s probably a suggestion that the non-shooting things are holding you back disproportionately (which is common for people who generally have practiced live square range only).

I agree with @JCN. It looks like you made mistakes that didn't involve the actual shooting. Do the non-shooting things without mistakes. Don't try to shoot faster. Just do everything else smoother. Steve's Mental Management will help you plan your stages better.

[GJM]

While it is possible that some individual shooter is wired to be equally speed and accuracy oriented, I think most shooters tend to be one or the other. If you are accuracy oriented, working on speed can help a lot, and vice versa if you are wired for speed.

[YVK]

I am not sure the strength and weakness question is all that easy to answer.

That's the key though, isn't it? Analysis of one match performance is probably not enough.

From strictly a shooting standpoint I think I need what everybody needs, to shoot faster AND more accurate.

That has to be more granular. I can use only myself as an example but for me shooting faster will come, if it ever does, from better transitions, better footwork and body work, while shooting more accurate will come once Ive dealt with my fixation on predictive shooting. You've got to make these calls for yourself and I think your training plans will settle.