pistolman1974
Member
I shoot IDPA and some IPSC. Does anyone have any tips on how to shoot faster. What does it take to reach the top levels?
shooting fast and getting good hits
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While they are known by many names, I call them rhythm drills.
A rhythm drill is nothing more than firing a certain number of rounds at a target, in a rhythm or "cadence". As you get used to the rhythm you fire at, you speed it up.
You can start out with 3 rounds, and jack it up to how ever many you want.
1. BANG...... BANG...... BANG
2. BANG.... BANG.... BANG
3. BANG.. BANG.. BANG
4. BANGBANGBANG
Rhythm drills allow you to identify and adjust deficiencies in your fundamentals, and show you what an acceptable sight picture looks like at a given range, for a given sized target, at a given speed.
You can make adjustments to your stance, grip, aiming technique (either sight picture or sight alignment), and trigger manipulation or follow through and pretty much immediately "feel" or notice a difference. Once you find your "sweet spot" you can really start pushing yourself, OR move to another range or change the size of your target.
Analyze your shot group to determine if you need to speed up or slow down. Push yourself for speed, but find that fine line between speed AND accuracy. That is up to YOU to decide.
Aside from live fire, dry fire regularly. While you NEED to live fire to improve, dry fire will help you develop the right mind set / focus, and can help speed up those things that eat up time in a stage like mag changes / draws etc...
Look at your equipment as well. I shoot .45 CDP and single stack, but I KNOW that I can fire faster with a smaller cal weapon. If you want to be as fast as possible, you have to accept that it MAY be easier to shoot something that is easier to control. Check out your loads too. Reloading your own ammo may help your recoil management if you are currently using rounds that are way over power factor.
Bottom line: to be the best requires natural ability, dedication, training, and good equipment.
Assess what you have, and keep in mind that dedication and training can go a long way to make up for deficiencies in both natural ability and equipment.
A rhythm drill is nothing more than firing a certain number of rounds at a target, in a rhythm or "cadence". As you get used to the rhythm you fire at, you speed it up.
You can start out with 3 rounds, and jack it up to how ever many you want.
1. BANG...... BANG...... BANG
2. BANG.... BANG.... BANG
3. BANG.. BANG.. BANG
4. BANGBANGBANG
Rhythm drills allow you to identify and adjust deficiencies in your fundamentals, and show you what an acceptable sight picture looks like at a given range, for a given sized target, at a given speed.
You can make adjustments to your stance, grip, aiming technique (either sight picture or sight alignment), and trigger manipulation or follow through and pretty much immediately "feel" or notice a difference. Once you find your "sweet spot" you can really start pushing yourself, OR move to another range or change the size of your target.
Analyze your shot group to determine if you need to speed up or slow down. Push yourself for speed, but find that fine line between speed AND accuracy. That is up to YOU to decide.
Aside from live fire, dry fire regularly. While you NEED to live fire to improve, dry fire will help you develop the right mind set / focus, and can help speed up those things that eat up time in a stage like mag changes / draws etc...
Look at your equipment as well. I shoot .45 CDP and single stack, but I KNOW that I can fire faster with a smaller cal weapon. If you want to be as fast as possible, you have to accept that it MAY be easier to shoot something that is easier to control. Check out your loads too. Reloading your own ammo may help your recoil management if you are currently using rounds that are way over power factor.
Bottom line: to be the best requires natural ability, dedication, training, and good equipment.
Assess what you have, and keep in mind that dedication and training can go a long way to make up for deficiencies in both natural ability and equipment.
I don't subscribe to rythum shooting as this is an artificuail barrier to what speed your able to shoot. You should be a visual shooter or shoot as fast as you can see.
Here is the big secret, you don't need to see the same thing for each target.
For long or tight shots you have to see a traditional sight picture of course. When going for speed this is the only target you look for a traditional sight picture. Brian enos calls this sight picture 4. Your really looking for steady alignment, front sight in sharp focus, target is blurry, and when you press the trigger the front sight lifts clean, and you see the front sight lift.
For a mid range target or average difficulty targets you don't need to see as much. Your really going from target to front sight to target to front sight. Never really look at the rear to check alignment. Your picking up targets quickly and firing controled pairs. All you really see is the alpha zone, front target, press, watch lift.
For short range targets your using sight picture 2. It's a hard target focus. You see the target in sharp focus but the front sight is blurry in the foreground. You do see it lift and it's kind of like follow the bouncing ball. As fast as you can swivel your eyes/head to find the target your gun should be right there too.
Lastly there is sight picture 1. This is raw hyper speed. No seeing the sights your strait indexing the gun and point shooting. You actually use the whole gun as a front sight. Just swing it onto target and if you see target on the right and left side of the target just rip a double or hammer as fast as you can. You more concerned about moving your feet and transition from target to target. This is good for those wide open contact range or spitting range targets.
Now speed is no replacement for accuracy. You need to be able to shoot these different sight pictures and still shoot good points.
When I do my walk I not only program the location of the targets, but also how much I need to see.
Here is the big secret, you don't need to see the same thing for each target.
For long or tight shots you have to see a traditional sight picture of course. When going for speed this is the only target you look for a traditional sight picture. Brian enos calls this sight picture 4. Your really looking for steady alignment, front sight in sharp focus, target is blurry, and when you press the trigger the front sight lifts clean, and you see the front sight lift.
For a mid range target or average difficulty targets you don't need to see as much. Your really going from target to front sight to target to front sight. Never really look at the rear to check alignment. Your picking up targets quickly and firing controled pairs. All you really see is the alpha zone, front target, press, watch lift.
For short range targets your using sight picture 2. It's a hard target focus. You see the target in sharp focus but the front sight is blurry in the foreground. You do see it lift and it's kind of like follow the bouncing ball. As fast as you can swivel your eyes/head to find the target your gun should be right there too.
Lastly there is sight picture 1. This is raw hyper speed. No seeing the sights your strait indexing the gun and point shooting. You actually use the whole gun as a front sight. Just swing it onto target and if you see target on the right and left side of the target just rip a double or hammer as fast as you can. You more concerned about moving your feet and transition from target to target. This is good for those wide open contact range or spitting range targets.
Now speed is no replacement for accuracy. You need to be able to shoot these different sight pictures and still shoot good points.
When I do my walk I not only program the location of the targets, but also how much I need to see.
pepperbelly
Member
When I shoot a speed match, which lately for me has been falling plates, I still have to remember the basics, especially trigger control. I have seen many newer shooters, or just new to the course, try to shoot too quickly. They tend to slap the trigger and clench the grip. They also usually miss a lot. Even when I shoot quickly I still squeeze the trigger on each shot. I do squeeze quickly, but I do not slap the trigger. In our plate matches we shoot at 8" steel plates at 25 yards. Now I do use a reddot sight, but I still have to squeeze the trigger, and I usually average around 4 seconds from the timer going off with my muzzle down on the bench. When I am shooting well it seems as if I am actually going slow, taking my time. I get into a zone.
That speed came after many many thousands of rounds concentrating on getting hits. The speed will follow but concentrate on getting hits.
Yar has it right on the sight pictures. When I was a cop we qualified on what today is called IDPA. I never had a "correct" sight picture unless I was shooting over 15 yards. At under 7 yards I didn't look at the sights. I think they were somewhere in the bottom of my vision but I was seeing the target.
Squeeze the trigger. Squeeze quickly but still squeeze.
Jim
That speed came after many many thousands of rounds concentrating on getting hits. The speed will follow but concentrate on getting hits.
Yar has it right on the sight pictures. When I was a cop we qualified on what today is called IDPA. I never had a "correct" sight picture unless I was shooting over 15 yards. At under 7 yards I didn't look at the sights. I think they were somewhere in the bottom of my vision but I was seeing the target.
Squeeze the trigger. Squeeze quickly but still squeeze.
Jim
Fire a slow shot in a hurry? Really, everything you do for a slow precise shot has to be done for a fast shot, just quicker. You still have to have an acceptable sight picture as described by Yar, you still have to manipulate(not whack) the trigger. One shot, one sight picture. Shooting Bill drills or just dumping mags on a target will help you learn to track the sight in recoil and to push the gun back on target. There shouldn't be any leisurely target shooting style letting the gun recoil fully, choke that thing with the support hand of your grip and get it back on target.
The other problem is the concept of "making up time." I've been told by the best shooters that it is impossible yet so many shooters shoot faster when they get behind where they think they should be. So, do everything else like transitions, movement, reloading faster, take your sweet time(relatively) shooting.
The other problem is the concept of "making up time." I've been told by the best shooters that it is impossible yet so many shooters shoot faster when they get behind where they think they should be. So, do everything else like transitions, movement, reloading faster, take your sweet time(relatively) shooting.
Fly320s
Member
Shoot faster = shoot smoother.
Economy of motion = less wasted time.
Learn to do all of your movements smoothly and without extra movement. That will give you an extra .1 to 5 seconds depending on your course of fire.
If you're already there, you can practice pulling the trigger as fast as you can. With training, you can improve your split times.
If you really want to become a master class shooter, get professional training; it will save you money and time in the long run.
A few more ideas along the same line: http://forum.m1911.org/showthread.php?t=47928 Did you start that thread?
Economy of motion = less wasted time.
Learn to do all of your movements smoothly and without extra movement. That will give you an extra .1 to 5 seconds depending on your course of fire.
If you're already there, you can practice pulling the trigger as fast as you can. With training, you can improve your split times.
If you really want to become a master class shooter, get professional training; it will save you money and time in the long run.
A few more ideas along the same line: http://forum.m1911.org/showthread.php?t=47928 Did you start that thread?
pistolman1974
Member
Thanks
This has really been a big help
This has really been a big help
45Badger
Member
Some sayings to remember-
"You can't miss fast enought to win"
"Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast"
The first handgun shooting competition I participated in was Bullseye. Made me a good shooter (not great by a long shot, but very consistently good). Then I started shoting IDPA, Steel Challenge, etc.
In each discipline, it takes only a small fraction of a second to make a great shot. The difference is how quickly you can (or need to) aquire the next target and shoot again.
I had a very nice in Steel Challenge today (2.29 seconds
) with a Ruger MKII .22 caliber. Once I got on the first target, it felt like I was "flowing" through them, instead of stopping and shooting at each. It's great when it works!
"You can't miss fast enought to win"
"Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast"
The first handgun shooting competition I participated in was Bullseye. Made me a good shooter (not great by a long shot, but very consistently good). Then I started shoting IDPA, Steel Challenge, etc.
In each discipline, it takes only a small fraction of a second to make a great shot. The difference is how quickly you can (or need to) aquire the next target and shoot again.
I had a very nice in Steel Challenge today (2.29 seconds
) with a Ruger MKII .22 caliber. Once I got on the first target, it felt like I was "flowing" through them, instead of stopping and shooting at each. It's great when it works!
Feanaro
Member
Learn to shoot slow before you shoot fast. Many people learn to shoot fast in IDPA and IPSC. That's not so hard. Far fewer people learn to do it accurately. Accuracy first. Then speed things up.
Buy Brian Enos's book "Practical Shooting." Read it. Understand it. Use his forums.
Buy Brian Enos's book "Practical Shooting." Read it. Understand it. Use his forums.
pepperbelly
Member
Slow hits score higher than fast misses. If you work on the hits the speed will come eventually. You really can't rush it either. When you start trying to go fast you will start missing.
The only basic element in action/speed shooting that you don't really carry over from slow fire is breathing. It really doesn't matter- unless you forget to at all!
Jim
The only basic element in action/speed shooting that you don't really carry over from slow fire is breathing. It really doesn't matter- unless you forget to at all!
Jim
pepperbelly said it all. Concentrate on accuracy and the speed will come on its own. You can't help it. Most people will get faster up to a point after which it seems to become very difficult to go faster. You must learn to balance the two. Just work on smooth and look for and eliminate wasted movements. It helps a lot to have someone else watch to point out these little things. And stay relaxed and breathe. You can be nervous, but don't get tense. When you shoot a stage really fast with good hits it will seem to YOU that it was slow.
CrankyCrash
Member
Buy Steve Andersons Dry Fire practice book.
Buy a timer, I like the CED 7000.
Dry-fire as much as possible, mixed in with matches and live-fire practice.
I've been doing Steve's dry fire drills 3 - 5 times a week, 30 - 45 minutes per session, for the past 6 months. Plus I shoot 4 - 6 matches (IDPA, Action Pistol, and USPSA) every month.
My speed has improved dramatically since I've started dry firing. Of course, the caveat is to use your dry fire practice to actually improve. Take it seriously and don't just knock out the repetitions. If you didn't execute the drill correctly the repetition doesn't count.
Speed comes with proper practice. I shot matches for 3 years before I figured out I needed more than just shooting 4 or 5 matches a month, you have to practice too.
Enjoy and be safe
Buy a timer, I like the CED 7000.
Dry-fire as much as possible, mixed in with matches and live-fire practice.
I've been doing Steve's dry fire drills 3 - 5 times a week, 30 - 45 minutes per session, for the past 6 months. Plus I shoot 4 - 6 matches (IDPA, Action Pistol, and USPSA) every month.
My speed has improved dramatically since I've started dry firing. Of course, the caveat is to use your dry fire practice to actually improve. Take it seriously and don't just knock out the repetitions. If you didn't execute the drill correctly the repetition doesn't count.
Speed comes with proper practice. I shot matches for 3 years before I figured out I needed more than just shooting 4 or 5 matches a month, you have to practice too.
Enjoy and be safe
Darth Muffin
member
- Joined
- Nov 9, 2005
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- 184
Good tips so far. Brian Enos' book, as mentioned, is pretty good.
One thing to add is that you need to cut out time not spent shooting. This is a big thing for your average C or D level shooter. It's not how fast you get to the shooting area, it's how fast you get to the shooting area ready to shoot.
Don't waste any time. Gun should be coming up and you're acquiring the sights as you step into position, first shot should go the instant your feet are clear of whatever boundaries there are or as soon as you can see the target. It's not like separate actions of 1) run to the box 2) raise gun 3) acquire sights 4) shoot--it's more like one smooth coordinated action doing everything at once.
Rehearsing the stage to death either in your head or walking through and air-gunning it if allowed makes a major improvement. Even if you think "I got this, it's easy", still walk through the stage and get the muscle memory down as many times as you can. If you can't do that, at least rehearse in your head and visualize your own little home movie of you shooting it over and over.
One thing to add is that you need to cut out time not spent shooting. This is a big thing for your average C or D level shooter. It's not how fast you get to the shooting area, it's how fast you get to the shooting area ready to shoot.
Don't waste any time. Gun should be coming up and you're acquiring the sights as you step into position, first shot should go the instant your feet are clear of whatever boundaries there are or as soon as you can see the target. It's not like separate actions of 1) run to the box 2) raise gun 3) acquire sights 4) shoot--it's more like one smooth coordinated action doing everything at once.
Rehearsing the stage to death either in your head or walking through and air-gunning it if allowed makes a major improvement. Even if you think "I got this, it's easy", still walk through the stage and get the muscle memory down as many times as you can. If you can't do that, at least rehearse in your head and visualize your own little home movie of you shooting it over and over.
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