First Post. Flinching/Blinking/Anticipation

[azrocks]

So first off... hello! I've lurked these forums for literally years now but finally decided to register. Seems like a great community. Hope my n00b questions aren't excessively frustrating.

Speaking of n00b questions...

My wife and I have just started getting involved in competition (handgun), and in practice I seem to be having a really hard time preventing myself from anticipating the shot slightly (slight drop in POA) and blinking (which keeps me from accurately calling my shot and opens up my groups). If I go slow and concentrate on watching the shot break I do OK (though I still blink somewhere in there), but anytime I try to up the pace I anticipate a little bit more each time.

If I go home and dry fire for a week then return to the range, I'll do EXCELLENT for the first 50 rounds or so, then I'll slowly degrade back into anticipating my shots. It's like it takes an hour of dry-fire practice to counter every minute of live-fire (lol), and after so many rounds of live-fire, any progress I made dry-firing is negated.

Am I just an innate sissy, or should I be doing something I'm not? Do competition shooters actually keep their eyes open all the way through the firing process including follow-through (without blinking)? If so, how can I (without making it a lifestyle)? Is there any way I can make the improvements I get from dry-fire practice stick?

 

[Sam1911]

First off, welcome!

Second, there is absolutely a huge element in the skill set of shooting which has to be developed over time, through lengthy practice. As you said, you're just starting out. What you're experiencing is normal, and your dry fire sessions are a huge help.

The short version answer is "ok, so go chalk up your first 10,000 or 20,000 rounds and let's see how you're doing!"

The better answer is that if you have anyone around you who's a good coach, they may be able to pick up on aspects you're practicing WRONG and that's a very big deal. Much better to solve problems in the beginning than to unlearn stuff later after the habits are developed.

I will say that you absolutely will lose that anticipation and blink reaction over time. As your brain starts to accept the noise and commotion of the pistol firing over and over as mere "background chatter" you will stop even noticing it. You'll easily be able to empty a mag without blinking and probably reload and empty the next one too!

 

[ATLDave]

The good news is that you have already figured out the key to defeating a flinch/low-left-pre-ignition-push: keeping your eyes open.

Sam1911 is correct that this is largely a matter of building up the trust in the subconscious part of your brain that the blast/flash/recoil isn't going to damage your eyes, so they can stay open. Volume shooting is part of the cure (kind of like Ben Hogan's saying that the secret to golf is buried in the turf). One can sometimes speed up the process with a couple of approaches:

1. Take a pistol, preferably a .22 (you'll progress faster with a .22, but you can eventually get there with a centerfire service caliber). Go to your range, but do not hang a target. Just shoot into the backstop. Try to see as much as you can. Try to see the muzzle blast. Try to see the brass ejecting from the slide. Try to watch the slide or bolt operating. Try to see the front sight jump upwards during recoil. Don't worry about aiming (other than keeping the muzzle pointed safely at the backstop), just try to see as much as you can. There's no performance anxiety, no "good" or "bad" results, only awareness. Do this for many, many, many rounds. It may take more than you think is reasonable. Part of what you're doing is building trust in the reflexive part of your brain that the bang won't hurt you.

2. Once you can do that with a .22lr, then try to carry it over to a 9mm or .45 or .38 special or whatever centerfire pistol you want to shoot.

3. If you are having persistent trouble carrying over the ability to keep your eyes opern from, say .22lr to 9mm, sometimes it is helpful to fire a handful of rounds from a significantly more powerful handgun (a magnum revolver, for instance) in order to "recalibrate" your brain's perception of what constitutes "too much" recoil/blast/flash. You'll blink like crazy with the big gun, and on the first shot back on the 9mm (or whatever)... but then your brain may be able to realize, at a deep enough level to deal with reflexive behavior, that blast/flash/recoil from a 9mm is not anything to get worked up about.

Good luck. It's worth working through what you're describing. Some people aren't blinkers by nature, but I sure was. It's definitely an overcome-able issue.

 

[ny32182]

If you are dryfiring regularly you are already ahead of most noobs.

I would say just keep at it, and you will get better over time as long as you are consistently practicing the right way.

If you know you want to keep at it and you want to be as competitive as possible, spending some time with a good competitive handgun instructor could really help confirm you are on the right track with your mechanics and practice regimen. Anyone from your local competitive hotshot to getting into class with one of the traveling national champion level GMs could be well worth your time.

Yes, you need to not blink as you break the shot. Your visual goal should be to see the sight return (i.e. "follow through") and if you spent a little time in slow fire really stressing the visual follow through, I bet that would help clear up any blinking you are doing.

The ultimate goal is to be able to perform the fundamentals correctly at higher and higher speed.

Also, when shooting at speed, everybody compensates for recoil with a subconsciously anticipating pushing-down of the muzzle. The trick is to train your body to do it a microsecond after the shot breaks, and not before.

You can take a dummy round, stuff it in any national champion's magazine without their knowledge, and sure enough you will see that muzzle drop... I don't care who you are. Getting it timed correctly takes experience shooting at speed. And it should only occur at speed. If you are doing it before the shot breaks and dropping the POI, you need to keep up the dryfire-->slow live fire---> increase live fire speed cycle until you can get faster and still maintain the sight picture through the trigger break.

 

[azrocks]

Huge thanks for the great advice, all! I'm happily surprised by the response and very much appreciate your input!

Sam: It really helps to know that it is something that requires substantial time to master. I'm ok with that. As long as its achievable I'm down for putting in the work.

Dave, I dig that idea and am definitely going to give it a try my next trip to the range! Just got a new 22/45 so that gives me an excuse to break it in (more).

ny, What I've just started doing during dry fire is opening my eyes real wide just as the trigger breaks. Little early to tell but I think it's really helping. Next time out I'll be slowing down alot as you suggest to really focus on keeping my eyes open & focused.

 

[Sam1911]

I don't know if this helps at all, but one way to visualize what we're talking about in regard to rapid fire strings is to consider a machine gunner firing a long burst at a distant target.

He's not blinking at every shot. He doesn't even consider them individual shots. The gun is doing its thing and he's in control of it, riding along with his focus on his aiming and his targets.



You'll find that as you get more experience with shooting in dynamic sports like USPSA or IDPA you will eventually stop really thinking about the trigger or the shot itself, except in a few specific challenging shots that maybe you have to slow down and focus on. For most of any given course of fire your attention will be on the targets and reacting to their various presentations. The action of pressing the trigger, and the gun's recoil and loading function and return to point of aim all just happen at an even rhythmic cadence almost outside of your conscious perception.

 

[Taurus 617 CCW]

What ATLDave said is good advice. Sam1911 also has a great point about visualization. If you visualize a great shot string over and over it will eventually come to pass. You have to be relaxed in order for it to happen. Many world class athletes use visualization as a tool to become better. Shooting is no different.

 

[Drail]

Agreed. Relax and "let" the gun fire and watch the front sight. Maintain a crisp focus on the front sight all of the time. If you are relaxed and not "muscling" the gun the front sight will climb straight up and come straight down right back where it was when you fired.

 

[azrocks]

Mucho appreciated folks!

Yes, Sam, that does make perfect sense.

Yep, I'm familiar w/ visualization. Used to do that a lot for a bit of racing I did. Very useful!

 

[Scooter22]

Make sure you have good ear protection. If your ears are getting blasted you'll strt to concentrate on that. I've seen better ear protection cure flinching. Just one possible cause. Good luck.

 

[jmorris]

What game are you shooting, with what gun and load?

I use different ear protection with a 9mm minor pistol than I use for a compensated 9mm major pistol.

 

[azrocks]

Just got some electronic muffs to supplement (or replace) my foamies, so maybe that will help in the hearing protection department.

Just getting started doing stationary competitions (comparing scores against other players) and I've done a couple rounds of IDPA. The goal is to get involved with IDPA & USPSA. I just want to make sure I have the proper foundation laid down before I start adding speed into the equation so I dont' end up just reinforcing bad habits.

 

[ATLDave]

Couple of additional thoughts in response to your most recent post, which again shows that you're on the right track - response to noise and blast is a big part of the blink/flinch reflex:

1. Consider doubling up on hearing protection. Muffs over plugs is what I do when I'm shooting indoors, or if I'm RO'ing particularly loud guns (like the open-division guns you'll encounter in USPSA).

2. A lot of people really don't know how to properly insert foam earplugs, which greatly diminishes their effectiveness. You don't just stick them in your earholes! Not only do you have to roll and compress them, you have to get them fairly deep in the ear canal... which is only possible for most people by pulling upward on the ear to straighten that canal. This video shows how to do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsu7WitBPYw

3. You're right to want to have a decent foundation of basic marksmanship and gun handling laid down before venturing into USPSA (I don't fool with IDPA, but I see no reason why it would be any different), but don't assume that you need to have those things anywhere close to perfect. I put off doing USPSA for a period of a couple of years while I tried to get myself squared away. It wasn't really a good decision. All I accomplished was to delay my development and miss out on a couple of years worth of fun! You'll learn a lot faster once you get the competitive exposure. Make sure you can handle a gun safely and be able to make the kind of not-that-hard shot that USPSA typically requires, and then get out there!!

 

[azrocks]

Couple of additional thoughts in response to your most recent post, which again shows that you're on the right track - response to noise and blast is a big part of the blink/flinch reflex:

1. Consider doubling up on hearing protection. Muffs over plugs is what I do when I'm shooting indoors, or if I'm RO'ing particularly loud guns (like the open-division guns you'll encounter in USPSA).

I'm on it!

2. A lot of people really don't know how to properly insert foam earplugs, which greatly diminishes their effectiveness. You don't just stick them in your earholes! Not only do you have to roll and compress them, you have to get them fairly deep in the ear canal... which is only possible for most people by pulling upward on the ear to straighten that canal. This video shows how to do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsu7WitBPYw

I knew about rolling/compressing them, but did not know that. Cool beans.

3. You're right to want to have a decent foundation of basic marksmanship and gun handling laid down before venturing into USPSA (I don't fool with IDPA, but I see no reason why it would be any different), but don't assume that you need to have those things anywhere close to perfect. I put off doing USPSA for a period of a couple of years while I tried to get myself squared away. It wasn't really a good decision. All I accomplished was to delay my development and miss out on a couple of years worth of fun! You'll learn a lot faster once you get the competitive exposure. Make sure you can handle a gun safely and be able to make the kind of not-that-hard shot that USPSA typically requires, and then get out there!!

I'm really glad you mentioned #3, Dave, because I've been kind of debating myself over the issue. I know from previous experience in other endeavors that competition generally ups the learning curve, but for some reason I've felt compelled to get my mechanics down 100% before doing the same in shooting sports. I think you just helped me make up my mind on the subject.

Anyway, off to the range tonight to implement y'alls suggestions. Many thanks!

 

[azrocks]

So last night's range trip went great. I did my best to implement all of y'alls suggestions and while it's certainly a work in progress, I already saw some improvement.

Dave - not hanging a target and just watching the firearm was a HUGE help. I alternated between doing this and then aimed shooting up close. Each cycle saw improvement in my ability to track the weapon throughout recoil. By the end of my shooting session I doing better than I ever have! I started out with a .22, then started alternating with 9mm as well.

Another thing I learned through doing this is that a lot of time I'm not blinking... I'm losing the gun because I'm immediately evaluating my shot (dropping the sights, seeing if I hit). A subconscious bad habit I now know to break.

Anyway, major thanks all!

 

[LiveLife]

If I go home and dry fire for a week then return to the range, I'll do EXCELLENT for the first 50 rounds or so, then I'll slowly degrade back into anticipating my shots. It's like it takes an hour of dry-fire practice to counter every minute of live-fire (lol), and after so many rounds of live-fire, any progress I made dry-firing is negated.

If you want to improve match shooting, your practice must be deliberate.

Try this when you are dry firing. Focus your attention on the front sight and watch what happens as hammer/striker falls. If your front sight jumps or moves, practice dry firing until it remains steady. If your front sight keeps moving, you may need to do a trigger job/polish. When I buy a new pistol, I dry fire and select the one with least amount of front sight movement (preferably none) so it is more accurate out of the box and requires less break-in for accuracy.

When I started shooting USPSA matches, best advice I got was to video record my stages. I saw so many mistakes I made and simply correcting the obvious mistakes vastly improved my stage times and match score.

As you improve, you may consider doing some point shooting drills for even faster stage times. For closer targets set at 7-15 yards, I often point shoot double taps instead of waiting for front sight flash. Here's step by step outline of point shooting drill I use - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=9859706#post9859706

So with sufficient practice, you can do things like these - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=9866378#post9866378

[YOUTUBE]WOPOu8EL1mE[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Tobinator]

Just got some electronic muffs to supplement (or replace) my foamies, so maybe that will help in the hearing protection department.

YMMV, but I found e-muffs on their own to be startlingly inadequate for an indoor range (if that's where you shoot). But once I put earplugs under them, I couldn't hear people's voices. I wound up ordering a pair of 34 NRR Walkers muffs (non-electronic) for $15 on Amazon and those are working better for me. I'm sure noise is a factor in my blinking/flinching. Last time I shot, the guy in the next lane was shooting something extremely loud and I blinked every time he fired a round. (That sucked.)


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[243winxb]

http://www.bullseyepistol.com/index.htm Some good reading.. Focuse on the front sight when using irons. The rest will follow.

 

[azrocks]

Bds, Tob, & 243... Thanks!