Seeing hits on target

Bob Sanders · Mar 18, 2013

A question for some of you experienced folks. Do you see the holes in the targets while going through a stage? I don't. All I see is the front sight, line up, squeeze, settle, squeeze. Then I'm off to the next target. I pretty much know when I've blown a shot, but don't have the depth of thought to follow up with another. Plus, I already planned my rounds, and misses really mess with my plans. I know that is something I need to overcome.

Disclaimer: only 4 USPSA matches under my belt, there is sooooo much to work on. For instance, I dry fired all winter, developed what I thought was a pretty decent grip and trigger squeeze, just to see it all go to hell after the first reload. From then on I had to think about my grip that I hoped would be in muscle memory.

Any thoughts?
B

Airic · Mar 19, 2013

Keep doing what you are doing. What you described is a good basis for learning how to "call your shots". Don't worry about seeing hits on targets, when you learn to call your shots well you can pretty much score your run when your done with the stage.

Read through this:http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=144782&hl= call shot&st=0

drmitchgibson · Mar 19, 2013

Looking for your hits to confirm them will only slow you down.

jtischauser · Mar 19, 2013

What Eric said. Shitty grips after reloads are common. They reduce in number with time and you will get used to shooting through them. Work on reloads during dry fire a lot.

Obiareus · Apr 7, 2013

4 USPSA matches and you are already Calling your shots? Holy Craptastic batman we have a competitor on our hands!

It took me 21 years of shooting to learn to Call my Shots.....

Make sure you work your basics in dryfire(grip, Reloads, and some movement) if you can get your basic's down AND call your shots you will be a force to be reckoned with.

Keep up the good work.

Jason Taucher · Apr 8, 2013

This is something I'm trying to develop as well as part of my core fundamentals. I shot my 3rd match last night and (while I'm still a crappy shot) I'm just now starting to see my holes. I had a miss on one target that I managed to catch and put another round thru the target to make up for it. I'm guessing this is just a time and practice thing, but it would be really nice to get some more tips in addition to that link Eric posted, if possible.

Dustin Cantrell · Apr 8, 2013

Sasquatauch said:
This is something I'm trying to develop as well as part of my core fundamentals. I shot my 3rd match last night and (while I'm still a crappy shot) I'm just now starting to see my holes. I had a miss on one target that I managed to catch and put another round thru the target to make up for it. I'm guessing this is just a time and practice thing, but it would be really nice to get some more tips in addition to that link Eric posted, if possible.

You don't want to see the holes in the targets. You want to call your shots. When you shoot, you want to be able to call the shots based off the sight picture when the trigger broke. If you're looking for holes in the targets, you'll never be able to go fast.

jtischauser · Apr 8, 2013

Dustin Cantrell said:
You don't want to see the holes in the targets. You want to call your shots. When you shoot, you want to be able to call the shots based off the sight picture when the trigger broke. If you're looking for holes in the targets, you'll never be able to go fast.

This

Jason Taucher · Apr 8, 2013

This was probably the most helpful thing I found on that other link:

"If you don't have enough lead down the barrel so that your subconscious ignores the noise and recoil, you blink. If you blink, you can't call the shot."

I never have any idea where my shots went (which is why I'm looking for holes right now I suppose) so at least I know one thing I need to work on. This is still the most elusive skill to me ATM so when I see people that can do it... mind blown.

jtischauser · Apr 8, 2013

You need to go take TDSA's Advanced Combat Pistol 1 class. It will move you 12 months ahead on your learning curve if you take it before you start engraining bad habits.

Sasquatauch said:
This was probably the most helpful thing I found on that other link:

"If you don't have enough lead down the barrel so that your subconscious ignores the noise and recoil, you blink. If you blink, you can't call the shot."

I never have any idea where my shots went (which is why I'm looking for holes right now I suppose) so at least I know one thing I need to work on. This is still the most elusive skill to me ATM so when I see people that can do it... mind blown.

45recoil · Apr 8, 2013

+1 on the above advise.

You can read about and watch it but until youre taught and do it, it just isnt the same.

The TDSA boys are fantastic teachers...not just fantastic shooters. Thats what seperates them fro the rest.

Jason Taucher · Apr 8, 2013

Awesome, contacted Marshall about April's class. Thanks for the advice!

foghorn918 · Apr 8, 2013

Last night at the Heartland match I made up a shot Will told me I didn't need too, and I said I didn't see it, and by that I mean I did not have a proper sight picture when the shot broke to know for sure where it was on the target (or not) which is not good!. Even at close range targets where I could probably point shoot, I still need to see the sights or I'll get really bad habits.

Sometimes my bad eyes pickup the sights and sometimes I have what seems an enternity before the 1st shot, because I literally can not find my sight picture (I hate that) but I am responsible for every round leaving my gun whether at a match or any other circumstance.

Like others have said don't look for holes, trust your sight picture (or slow down to get it), and move on. Heck my eyes aren't good enough to see holes in targets anyway.

I'm still learning and everyone's rate of improvement will be different. I have improved from when I started, but my progress comes at a snail's pace compared to others.

Jason Taucher · Apr 8, 2013

Steve McGinley said:
Last night at the Heartland match I made up a shot Will told me I didn't need too, and I said I didn't see it, and by that I mean I did not have a proper sight picture when the shot broke to know for sure where it was on the target (or not) which is not good!. Even at close range targets where I could probably point shoot, I still need to see the sights or I'll get really bad habits.

Sometimes my bad eyes pickup the sights and sometimes I have what seems an enternity before the 1st shot, because I literally can not find my sight picture (I hate that) but I am responsible for every round leaving my gun whether at a match or any other circumstance.

Like others have said don't look for holes, trust your sight picture (or slow down to get it), and move on. Heck my eyes aren't good enough to see holes in targets anyway.

I'm still learning and everyone's rate of improvement will be different. I have improved from when I started, but my progress comes at a snail's pace compared to others.

Thinking more about how I shot last night's match, the issues that came up and what you just said, I have no doubt I'm developing some bad habits. That TDSA class can't come soon enough!

Bob Sanders · Apr 8, 2013

SethMA40356 said:
4 USPSA matches and you are already Calling your shots? Holy Craptastic batman we have a competitor on our hands!

It took me 21 years of shooting to learn to Call my Shots.....

Make sure you work your basics in dryfire(grip, Reloads, and some movement) if you can get your basic's down AND call your shots you will be a force to be reckoned with.

Keep up the good work.

LOL! I don't know if I would go so far as to say I'm calling my shots or just too stubborn to admit I may have missed! But at the last match I did accumulate a lot of points, and that just highlighted my need to pick up the pace. If I needed 40 seconds, the stage winner needed 20, and so on. However, I'm now HUGE believer in dry fire practice! And something else that was huge, was having confidence my gun hits where I point it. Next up for me is to practice draws, if my belt and holster ever arrive, and moving reloads. This is all fun for me, and the only ones I have to beat are my two teen boys that think "ain't nobody got time to practice". Gotta love when they make it easy!