Stressors

Yesterday Shady and I had a pretty good training session. We did two Shady/Ruah speed runs (5/10/15). The first 10 matches between us were all within 2 milliseconds or less, all in the 3s. Pretty evenly matched gunslingers.  After the second speed run, because I have been neglecting my bucket work, I drew a 5 inches circle target areas on the targets and we shot16 rounds each. We both shot almost identical groups.


The interesting thing is that on average I was 10 milliseconds slower when there was a target area drawn on the target. I was speed training, drawing the same, trying to go as fast as I could, but that target area drawn on the target was an additional stressor on me which slowed me down by 10 mls.

We have always noted that as we move away from the target our times slow down far more than they should just based on the distance that we moved back.  From 5 feet to 10 feet the extra travel time for the bullet is only 1.5 milliseconds. Our times slow 10 to 15 times that amount.  This slowing is the result of the stress of worrying about hitting the target. 

To shoot your best you have to get over worrying about hitting the target. 

Another illustration of this occurred on Wednesday when we had a 15 shooter 3x shoot.  Shady and I drew each other twice in the main match. We shot a combined 90% against each other at pretty much our top quickness.  We both made the Magnificent 5 shoot off.  We shot a combined 10% in the shoot off.  Even with this dismal showing we were the top rated gunslingers at 1.2 and 1.3 for the day.  What caused this poor shooting?  It was the old "All I got to do is hit!" thought fluster.  When we were shooting against each other we knew we did not time to worry about hitting. We drew and fired as quick as we could, had to, and hence our natural accuracy took care of the hits.  When we were shooting against the eventual winner of the event the thought "all I got to do is hit" caused us to try to be accurate and hence we could not find the target, one hit out of ten shots combined.

The point of this post is don't worry about hitting the target. If you shoot your finalized draw your shot will go where you are aligned.  Trying to be accurate does not work.  Practicing accuracy does not work.  Practice speed only.  That does not mean that you don't pay attention. Practicing missing is just wasting wax.   If you see every hit as you shoot as quickly as you can, your mind and body will walk the hits to the light.  You do not need to worry about hitting!

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