Planning And Doing

[ACP230]

It's been a while since I shot competition.
A couple of interesting things happened the last couple of times I did.

At an IDPA match we had to turn, draw, shoot two close targets, and then several that were farther out.
Before the stage I planned to draw, take a two-handed grip on the gun, and shoot the two close targets.
No problem, eh?

When the buzzer went I turned, drew, and shot the two close targets strong hand only.
I then took a two-handed grip on the gun and shot the targets that were farther out.
I've decided since that my subconscious knew better than my planning did.

At a three gun match a while later, the targets were sheets of typing paper on a B27 type cardboard target. As long as the shooter kept them on the paper
things were good. I planned to take a good sight picture and shoot my group that way. Instead I took one for the first shot and then just poured
all the rest in behind it. Group was about three inches at 10 feet, or so. Centered on the paper, more or less. Good enough for that match.

The way I shot that stage surprised me. I haven't done it since, but it worked fine that day. Both times the gun was an Argentinian BHP made under license. Ammo was Greek ball, I think. The stuff that used to be cheap. Down to the dregs now, wish I'd bought more back then.

[Sal Picante]

It's been a while since I shot competition.
A couple of interesting things happened the last couple of times I did.

At an IDPA match we had to turn, draw, shoot two close targets, and then several that were farther out.
Before the stage I planned to draw, take a two-handed grip on the gun, and shoot the two close targets.
No problem, eh?

When the buzzer went I turned, drew, and shot the two close targets strong hand only.
I then took a two-handed grip on the gun and shot the targets that were farther out.
I've decided since that my subconscious knew better than my planning did.

At a three gun match a while later, the targets were sheets of typing paper on a B27 type cardboard target. As long as the shooter kept them on the paper
things were good. I planned to take a good sight picture and shoot my group that way. Instead I took one for the first shot and then just poured
all the rest in behind it. Group was about three inches at 10 feet, or so. Centered on the paper, more or less. Good enough for that match.

The way I shot that stage surprised me. I haven't done it since, but it worked fine that day. Both times the gun was an Argentinian BHP made under license. Ammo was Greek ball, I think. The stuff that used to be cheap. Down to the dregs now, wish I'd bought more back then.

So... do you need more practice?

[gringop]

I've done unplanned things at matches before. Strong hand only shots, Reloads w/retention instead of Tacloads, dropped a light on the ground for a reload instead of palming it or underarm stow in a night match. I once shot 5 steel poppers on the move in a USPSA match even though It was forbidden and in between shooting boxes. I didn't plan on shooting it that way. Sometimes your brain tells you to do things differently than what you tell your brain to do. The hits were good and my brain knew it. The penalties sucked though.

I believe that this manifests itself most in situations that we haven't practiced much. At the night match, I had never practiced a reload on the clock with a light in my hand. For the strong hand only incident, I had never practiced shooting close targets at speed from a chair while preparing to stand up to move to another position.

Brian Enos talks about the conscious mind monitoring the shooting while the subconscious mind does the mechanical work. Sometimes, If your subconscious is not totally broke to the bridle, it may want to gallop off to the side. Time for the conscious to rein it in a bit. Or, let it run...galloping can be fun and educational.

Grinogp

[ACP230]

Even when I was more practiced, I needed more practice.

Both times what I did worked. In fact, I think I was faster one-handed in the IDPA match than I would have been
if I'd stuck to my plan.

The other thing surprised me but it worked too. I didn't need a refined sight picture more than once to hit that sheet of typing paper a
few times. It was close. I wished later I'd shot the match with my snub S&W M15 as the handgun. It would have worked very well
on that stage.

[Wendell]

I think a plan is just a list of things that don't happen.