So, in this month before I go down to Kansas for the Aim Fast, Hit Fast class, I had planned on dryfiring almost every night, working my trigger control, draw, and slidelock reload.
Also, live fire once or twice a week, weather permitting. Some bullseye work (boring! but necessary for me, obviously), some FAST drills, some precision work off the drop, and definitely some SHO and WHO work.
And what happens? I get a shoulder injury teaching a CQT class last Saturday. [sigh] Couldn't shoot the Steel Challenge match the next day, because I couldn't raise my arm up to mid-height without wanting to scream.
As such, I haven't been able to get to the range at all, and haven't been able to do much in the way of dryfire practice. I did a little WHO work, just for trigger control practice, but pretty much ANY upper-body movement pulled my shoulder, and was just incredibly painful.
Grrrrrr....it is doing better now, after a week, so I'm going to (carefully!) try to get to the range tomorrow afternoon and shoot a little. Nothing too strenuous, nothing too fast. Might try a FAST drill, but only to shoot it relaxed just to see what happens.
Can't afford to have this shoulder screwed up---too much shooting to do!
One of the things I am doing in the meantime is working on some solid practice plans to get the most out of the range time I AM able to do. For me, it really all comes down to trigger control---my stance is okay, my transitions, draws, and reloads are okay (obviously each can be better, but they aren't nearly as high on the priority list)--but my trigger control affects everything else, and it is inconsistent. Highly so. So, trigger control in its various aspects is the main point.
With that focus, training trigger control on long distances, low% targets at close range, shots after transitions, splits, shots after draws---if I design it right, gets me good practice on the other things, too.
So---time to design good practice plans to maximize effectiveness for the next month.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
Dryfire Practice...
Lately I've been working on making sure that I dryfire consistently. I haven't been managing every night, but I have been doing at least 5 days every week.
Most of the time, I have worked on concealment draw to low percentage targets, and also slidelock reloads---practicing elements of the FAST drill, since the class is coming up next month. However, while part of that is due to wanting to achieve my goal of a FAST coin, the other part is that those particular skills are actually quite important.
Well, at least the concealment draw-to-low-percentage shot is important. (Slidelock reload, in my opinion, not as much, though it is a handy skill to have, and the new method I'm working for dropping the slide still needs practice, though my reload has speeded up nicely. That should help my USPSA scores, too, since every once in awhile I get stuck with a slidelock reload.)
The concealment draw-to-low-percentage shot combination really works getting eyes on the sights immediately, having a good grip, and working the trigger effectively---all things that I need to work on. My trigger control in particular has been very bad lately, plus I tend to "use the Force" on closer shots when it really wouldn't slow me down to use the sights IF I were to actually practice with them. So it is a good drill.
In the last classifier I shot (03-11 Strong and Weak El Pres) I also noticed that my SHO and WHO trigger control needed work. (This was not a surprise.) As such, lately I have also worked in some SHO and WHO practice on 2" and 3" dots from varying distances. The target I'm using (the P-T.com target) has a set of 6 dots on the lower half, so I'm working getting solid controlled clicks on each both SHO and WHO, then stepping back once, and doing it again, and so on. I'm starting around 3 yards, and working back to about 6 yards currently, which isn't that far---but since I'm going through each twice, it means I'm getting about 48-50 reps with each hand, and that seems good work to me right now. I'm not working on speed, but I'm not practicing bullseye shooting, either. (And I don't back up until I get 6 in a row without a called miss, after the first six. So, minimum of 12 reps per hand per distance, and perhaps more in sets of 6.)
Unsurprisingly, my WHO trigger control is better than my SHO---I still yank the trigger periodically, and it is annoying. So, this work should help my shooting overall, because that lack of trigger control is really hurting me everywhere.
In other good news, I think I know (and have fixed) what the problem was with the various stoppages in my last match. At least, I hope so, because this coming Sunday is a Steel Challenge match, and I certainly can't afford a 3 second pause during every string!
We'll see how it goes.
I'm hoping to get to the range on Friday or so to work the same drills live fire, along with benching my gun at 25 yards again, to see if my rear sight alignment has been fixed. Saturday I'm teaching a CQT class, and Sunday is the Steel Challenge match. So, lots of shooting stuff coming up.
And more dryfire every day, if I can.
Most of the time, I have worked on concealment draw to low percentage targets, and also slidelock reloads---practicing elements of the FAST drill, since the class is coming up next month. However, while part of that is due to wanting to achieve my goal of a FAST coin, the other part is that those particular skills are actually quite important.
Well, at least the concealment draw-to-low-percentage shot is important. (Slidelock reload, in my opinion, not as much, though it is a handy skill to have, and the new method I'm working for dropping the slide still needs practice, though my reload has speeded up nicely. That should help my USPSA scores, too, since every once in awhile I get stuck with a slidelock reload.)
The concealment draw-to-low-percentage shot combination really works getting eyes on the sights immediately, having a good grip, and working the trigger effectively---all things that I need to work on. My trigger control in particular has been very bad lately, plus I tend to "use the Force" on closer shots when it really wouldn't slow me down to use the sights IF I were to actually practice with them. So it is a good drill.
In the last classifier I shot (03-11 Strong and Weak El Pres) I also noticed that my SHO and WHO trigger control needed work. (This was not a surprise.) As such, lately I have also worked in some SHO and WHO practice on 2" and 3" dots from varying distances. The target I'm using (the P-T.com target) has a set of 6 dots on the lower half, so I'm working getting solid controlled clicks on each both SHO and WHO, then stepping back once, and doing it again, and so on. I'm starting around 3 yards, and working back to about 6 yards currently, which isn't that far---but since I'm going through each twice, it means I'm getting about 48-50 reps with each hand, and that seems good work to me right now. I'm not working on speed, but I'm not practicing bullseye shooting, either. (And I don't back up until I get 6 in a row without a called miss, after the first six. So, minimum of 12 reps per hand per distance, and perhaps more in sets of 6.)
Unsurprisingly, my WHO trigger control is better than my SHO---I still yank the trigger periodically, and it is annoying. So, this work should help my shooting overall, because that lack of trigger control is really hurting me everywhere.
In other good news, I think I know (and have fixed) what the problem was with the various stoppages in my last match. At least, I hope so, because this coming Sunday is a Steel Challenge match, and I certainly can't afford a 3 second pause during every string!
We'll see how it goes.
I'm hoping to get to the range on Friday or so to work the same drills live fire, along with benching my gun at 25 yards again, to see if my rear sight alignment has been fixed. Saturday I'm teaching a CQT class, and Sunday is the Steel Challenge match. So, lots of shooting stuff coming up.
And more dryfire every day, if I can.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
DotW 19: SHO and WHO
Before I discuss the DotW, one quick aside:
Someone posted about this: Iron Cross: Super Dave Harrington Style: http://www.eeul.com/mb/2010/07/iron-cross-eiserne-kreuz-super-dave-harrington-style/ ---looks like fun. May have to try that, just to see. I like the idea of forcing people to shoot from non-standard positions, with the feet locked into place. I'm not sure when I'll have a chance to get to this, since it is freezing outside and the DotW is 100 rounds, plus I need to work on my distance accuracy and three FAST drills...but I'm keeping it in mind for when the weather gets better. (Hmm, this just gave me an idea for a USPSA stage...)
The DotW is 25 strings (each) of single hand draw-and-two-shots-on-a-3x5-card. 25 strings of SHO, 25 strings of WHO. No time limit, but it isn't supposed to be draw, then set up for bullseye shooting. Not running fast, but working to get good hits in a reasonable time. I'm hoping I can get out today for this, though it is REALLY cold out. (I'll probably try to record my times, just for the sake of my curiosity.) A number of people shot the WHO part from the low ready, but I may try it from the draw---because I need practice on my WHO draw. (This is NOT the same as drawing with the strong hand and moving it to the weak hand---this is actually drawing with the weak hand only, which is significantly different.)
I adjusted the rear sight on my G17 last night, and part of today's work will be seeing if I did it right, so that'll take time, too.
I'm planning on starting the practice with 3 FAST drills, cold. I'll post results of that afterward.
[sigh] I really need work on my SHO and WHO, so this'll be good for me. Whether or not I'm going to like it is another story...
ETA: Went out and practiced. The 25 yards bench check was very bad (all off to the right, and like an idiot I didn't bring my sight tool), the FAST drills were plagued with light primer strikes, and the SHO and WHO stuff went all right, but I yanked several. NOT a good practice session. Hoping to get back out later to fix the sights.
Before I discuss the DotW, one quick aside:
Someone posted about this: Iron Cross: Super Dave Harrington Style: http://www.eeul.com/mb/2010/07/iron-cross-eiserne-kreuz-super-dave-harrington-style/ ---looks like fun. May have to try that, just to see. I like the idea of forcing people to shoot from non-standard positions, with the feet locked into place. I'm not sure when I'll have a chance to get to this, since it is freezing outside and the DotW is 100 rounds, plus I need to work on my distance accuracy and three FAST drills...but I'm keeping it in mind for when the weather gets better. (Hmm, this just gave me an idea for a USPSA stage...)
The DotW is 25 strings (each) of single hand draw-and-two-shots-on-a-3x5-card. 25 strings of SHO, 25 strings of WHO. No time limit, but it isn't supposed to be draw, then set up for bullseye shooting. Not running fast, but working to get good hits in a reasonable time. I'm hoping I can get out today for this, though it is REALLY cold out. (I'll probably try to record my times, just for the sake of my curiosity.) A number of people shot the WHO part from the low ready, but I may try it from the draw---because I need practice on my WHO draw. (This is NOT the same as drawing with the strong hand and moving it to the weak hand---this is actually drawing with the weak hand only, which is significantly different.)
I adjusted the rear sight on my G17 last night, and part of today's work will be seeing if I did it right, so that'll take time, too.
I'm planning on starting the practice with 3 FAST drills, cold. I'll post results of that afterward.
[sigh] I really need work on my SHO and WHO, so this'll be good for me. Whether or not I'm going to like it is another story...
ETA: Went out and practiced. The 25 yards bench check was very bad (all off to the right, and like an idiot I didn't bring my sight tool), the FAST drills were plagued with light primer strikes, and the SHO and WHO stuff went all right, but I yanked several. NOT a good practice session. Hoping to get back out later to fix the sights.
ENPS February Pistol Match....
[sigh] Good and bad.
Good: My draw, speed, and accuracy weren't too bad (other than one section of strong-hand-only shooting when I forgot that little detail of trigger control).
Bad: My freaking gun wouldn't run. This is a 6-month-old Gen 4 G17, and it kept having light primer strikes time and again. You'll see it in the video, and you'll understand why it is so frustrating.
I really had wanted this match to make up for the January debacle. (That one went badly ALSO due to gun problems, though those seemed to potentially be ammo-related.) The January match, in addition to firearms problems, also included some poor gun-handling skills on my part. So, I've been dry-firing significantly, plus getting to the range at least once a week (even in the cold) to work on accuracy, trigger control, and precision.
From a shooting standpoint, the extra practice has helped, as least for my freestyle shooting. In general, my accuracy, speed, and consistent trigger control there was significantly better than it has been previously. However, I haven't practiced much SHO (or WHO) and it showed. (This weeks Pistol-Forum.com Drill of the Week is all about SHO and WHO, and that should be a good motivator to do some work. And I really do need work there.)
Here's the video:
As you can see, several stages would have gone excellently well without the gun issues. I still won Production, but it wasn't anything like it should have been.
It just occurred to me to look at the points I got---and I guess I'm shouldn't be as happy about my accuracy as I thought....I only got 82.16% of the total points possible for the match, and never got more than 90% of the points on any individual stage. (Classifier was a whopping 69%.) So---apparently that wasn't great either. Hm. Well, it FELT better than that...just goes to show that "feelings" aren't reliable.
So---it was still better than my accuracy has been previously. (How scary is that?) That being said, more practice is still needed. Too many Cs!
Edited to Add: No, it WASN'T better. In my January match, I got 86% of the total available points, with a range of 79% to 97% of the points available from any particular stage. [sigh] Well, February had significantly more SHO and WHO sections, I suppose. It still felt better! Matter of fact, the classifier (of which half of the shots were either SHO or WHO) was by far the worst stage, accuracy-wise, and it did drag everything down significantly. Nonetheless----90% minimum is the goal.
Goal: never less than 90% of the total points in any given match, with a push for 95% of the available points at speed. (Getting the points while going glacially slow isn't the point.)
And a gun that runs.
Good: My draw, speed, and accuracy weren't too bad (other than one section of strong-hand-only shooting when I forgot that little detail of trigger control).
Bad: My freaking gun wouldn't run. This is a 6-month-old Gen 4 G17, and it kept having light primer strikes time and again. You'll see it in the video, and you'll understand why it is so frustrating.
I really had wanted this match to make up for the January debacle. (That one went badly ALSO due to gun problems, though those seemed to potentially be ammo-related.) The January match, in addition to firearms problems, also included some poor gun-handling skills on my part. So, I've been dry-firing significantly, plus getting to the range at least once a week (even in the cold) to work on accuracy, trigger control, and precision.
From a shooting standpoint, the extra practice has helped, as least for my freestyle shooting. In general, my accuracy, speed, and consistent trigger control there was significantly better than it has been previously. However, I haven't practiced much SHO (or WHO) and it showed. (This weeks Pistol-Forum.com Drill of the Week is all about SHO and WHO, and that should be a good motivator to do some work. And I really do need work there.)
Here's the video:
As you can see, several stages would have gone excellently well without the gun issues. I still won Production, but it wasn't anything like it should have been.
It just occurred to me to look at the points I got---and I guess I'm shouldn't be as happy about my accuracy as I thought....I only got 82.16% of the total points possible for the match, and never got more than 90% of the points on any individual stage. (Classifier was a whopping 69%.) So---apparently that wasn't great either. Hm. Well, it FELT better than that...just goes to show that "feelings" aren't reliable.
So---it was still better than my accuracy has been previously. (How scary is that?) That being said, more practice is still needed. Too many Cs!
Edited to Add: No, it WASN'T better. In my January match, I got 86% of the total available points, with a range of 79% to 97% of the points available from any particular stage. [sigh] Well, February had significantly more SHO and WHO sections, I suppose. It still felt better! Matter of fact, the classifier (of which half of the shots were either SHO or WHO) was by far the worst stage, accuracy-wise, and it did drag everything down significantly. Nonetheless----90% minimum is the goal.
Goal: never less than 90% of the total points in any given match, with a push for 95% of the available points at speed. (Getting the points while going glacially slow isn't the point.)
And a gun that runs.
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