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Just completed my first match
- Thread starter JoeBannon
- Start date
Lazarus777
New member
What do you feel the advantages of strong/weak hand training are? I've been told to try it by a friend but wonder if I might be better using my time working with my primary shooting hand.
Laz.
Laz.
joseywales
New member
first match
Joe - Thanks for coming out. I'm glad you enjoyed the match! This sport can get quite addicting.
Yesterday was a bit unusual with having the two stages which required strong hand/weak hand shooting.
In my experience, a match may have 1 stage where SHO or WHO shooting is required, and ususally not very often (I get to shoot about 30 matches a year, and I've seen it about 2-3 times during the course of a year).
Dryfire practice is of tremedous help in gaining smoothness during a SHO draw as well as the handoff of the gun between hands. Of coures, only livefire practice will teach you how the gun reacts to your grip/stance/sight picture. Need a bit of both to ensure you're comfortable with it.
Lazarus777 - You're right in that most of your time should be spent practicing two-hand shooting, but occassionaly you may only be able to engage a target with a single hand, so it's worthwhile to put some practice in to develop one-hand shooting as well. (Most of us neglect altogether our SHO & WHO shooting, and end up paying for it in a match sometime - i.e., it consumes more time and results in poor shot placement on the target).
Joe - Thanks for coming out. I'm glad you enjoyed the match! This sport can get quite addicting.
Yesterday was a bit unusual with having the two stages which required strong hand/weak hand shooting.
In my experience, a match may have 1 stage where SHO or WHO shooting is required, and ususally not very often (I get to shoot about 30 matches a year, and I've seen it about 2-3 times during the course of a year).
Dryfire practice is of tremedous help in gaining smoothness during a SHO draw as well as the handoff of the gun between hands. Of coures, only livefire practice will teach you how the gun reacts to your grip/stance/sight picture. Need a bit of both to ensure you're comfortable with it.
Lazarus777 - You're right in that most of your time should be spent practicing two-hand shooting, but occassionaly you may only be able to engage a target with a single hand, so it's worthwhile to put some practice in to develop one-hand shooting as well. (Most of us neglect altogether our SHO & WHO shooting, and end up paying for it in a match sometime - i.e., it consumes more time and results in poor shot placement on the target).
Glad to read that you actually showed up and shot. Aren't you glad you took your gun/gear and shot?
Watching it just doesnt get it, you actually have to do it. So many talk about trying it, saying they want to practice and get better first, then never end up shooting because they never feel like they are good enough.
Again, congrats on making the plung.
Watching it just doesnt get it, you actually have to do it. So many talk about trying it, saying they want to practice and get better first, then never end up shooting because they never feel like they are good enough.
Again, congrats on making the plung.
I came in 34/37. Looking at the results, speed plays a HUGE factor. Anyone want to explain how score/points are calculated?
http://www.dallaspistol.com/daps/UploadedScores/USPSA - 093006/Pistol Finals All divisions.htm
Steve, are these matches sent to USPSA?
http://www.dallaspistol.com/daps/UploadedScores/USPSA - 093006/Pistol Finals All divisions.htm
Steve, are these matches sent to USPSA?
Hit factor is used to score USPSA matches. It is simply points over time. For example:
We have a simple stage with 10 paper targets, 20 shots. 100 points possible for the stage.
You shoot 100 points in 10 seconds, 100\10=10.0 hit factor.
I shoot the same 100 points you do in 15 seconds, 100\15=6.667 hit factor.
Lets say you win the stage for the match, I score 66.67% of what you did to win the stage. If the stage is worth 100 match points you get 100 points for the stage and I get 66.67 points for the stage.
Speed does play a huge factor, but without points speed is useless. The guys that are winning are scoring 90% or more of the available stage points.
Do the math again, you shoot 60 points, all over the paper but without a miss, in 8 seconds. 60\8=7.5 hit factor. I shoot the stage with 95 points but in 12 seconds, 95\12=7.92 hit factor. Even though I was 4 full seconds behind your pace I win the stage this time.
Balance is what you need. To do your best with your current level of ability, no matter what that level is, you need to shoot 90% or more of the points as fast as you can. You shouldn't let the points slip to gain speed, especially early in your shooting. Whatever speed will allow you to score 90% or more of the stage points is YOUR speed, and is as fast as you should go.
At the top level 90% won't get it done, the top shooters are shooting 95% or more of the stage points.
We have a simple stage with 10 paper targets, 20 shots. 100 points possible for the stage.
You shoot 100 points in 10 seconds, 100\10=10.0 hit factor.
I shoot the same 100 points you do in 15 seconds, 100\15=6.667 hit factor.
Lets say you win the stage for the match, I score 66.67% of what you did to win the stage. If the stage is worth 100 match points you get 100 points for the stage and I get 66.67 points for the stage.
Speed does play a huge factor, but without points speed is useless. The guys that are winning are scoring 90% or more of the available stage points.
Do the math again, you shoot 60 points, all over the paper but without a miss, in 8 seconds. 60\8=7.5 hit factor. I shoot the stage with 95 points but in 12 seconds, 95\12=7.92 hit factor. Even though I was 4 full seconds behind your pace I win the stage this time.
Balance is what you need. To do your best with your current level of ability, no matter what that level is, you need to shoot 90% or more of the points as fast as you can. You shouldn't let the points slip to gain speed, especially early in your shooting. Whatever speed will allow you to score 90% or more of the stage points is YOUR speed, and is as fast as you should go.
At the top level 90% won't get it done, the top shooters are shooting 95% or more of the stage points.
joseywales
New member
Joe,
For the local club-level match, only the scores of the classification course of fire (our stage 5) are sent in to USPSA. One of the really nice benefits of being a USPSA member is that you get to participate in the classification system, which will allows you to compare yourself against the best shooters in the US on specific courses of fire (classifiers).
The USPSA web site has a nice explanation of the classification system, and shows all of the classification stage diagrams.
To gauge how your 'stage 5' performance compared against the top shooters in the country (usually a humbling feeling for ALL of us), you can go to this site http://www.ohiouspsa.com/calculator_scripts/percentage.php. Select the classifier we shot that day (03-11 El Pres Strong & Weak) under Limited Division (the division you shot in that day), and type in your hit factor for that stage.
For the local club-level match, only the scores of the classification course of fire (our stage 5) are sent in to USPSA. One of the really nice benefits of being a USPSA member is that you get to participate in the classification system, which will allows you to compare yourself against the best shooters in the US on specific courses of fire (classifiers).
The USPSA web site has a nice explanation of the classification system, and shows all of the classification stage diagrams.
- http://www.uspsa.org/, What is Practical Shooting? button on the left.
- http://www.uspsa.org/, Additional Content button, look at links under Classification Info.
To gauge how your 'stage 5' performance compared against the top shooters in the country (usually a humbling feeling for ALL of us), you can go to this site http://www.ohiouspsa.com/calculator_scripts/percentage.php. Select the classifier we shot that day (03-11 El Pres Strong & Weak) under Limited Division (the division you shot in that day), and type in your hit factor for that stage.