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Old January 19, 2018, 01:55 PM   #1
rjinga
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Join Date: July 3, 2012
Location: N. E. Georgia
Posts: 512
“Be quick, but don’t hurry”

As I was practicing at home with my Shield and a SureStrike laser training cartridge I noticed something:

Whenever I was aiming at something small (example - antique glass bottles, approximately 2” across or smaller, on the fireplace mantle about 14’ away), I’d put the front dot on the target, and center it in between the two rear dots, but then I’d take another 2-4 seconds just to make sure that I was really on target (practicing with both eyes open) before pressing the trigger. Sometimes during those 2-4 seconds, the front post would start moving (yes, I know I’m the reason it’s moving) and I’d miss the target when I finally pressed the trigger.

So, I began practicing while following the advice of Coach John Wooden: “Be quick, but don’t hurry.” Now, once the front dot is on the target and centered between the two rear dots, I press the trigger. No more hesitation “just to make sure” I’m really on target. I believe my accuracy has improved; I know my overall speed (target acquisition to shots fired) has.

One of my favorite targets is a Maxwell House coffee can. I turn the can sideways so that the approximately 5” diameter opaque lid is facing me. The laser beam goes through the lid, and then strikes the bare metal interior, lighting it up. I aim for the center, of course, but if it glows, then I’m inside of 5”, and I’ll take that all day long with a SD sub-compact (?) firearm. That includes shooting from all the way across the family room and kitchen while standing in the hallway, which is 30’ (10 yds) away.

It does remains to be seen how this will translates when shooting real ammunition…
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Old January 19, 2018, 02:06 PM   #2
JohnKSa
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Join Date: February 12, 2001
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Good observation.

This is all about functioning within your realistic abilities without going slower (not being quick) than you need to and without going faster (hurrying) than you are really able.

In competition, I call this: "Shooting my own game." I know what I can do and what I can't. As long as I operate within the bounds of my competence (not going slower than necessary, not going faster than my ability can support) I do quite well. When I try to hurry, my performance degrades.

If you watch competitions, you can see this play out both ways. People who are not tremendously skilled but who operate very consistently can win by "shooting their own game" over people who are more talented and skilled but who are "trying to outshoot the other guy" and end up performing amazingly well some of the time and crashing and burning the rest of the time.

It takes a good deal of practice to learn one's limitations and even more practice to change them.
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