Super Ninja Match Report - CFPD 9/4/11

Relaxing works.  I learned a lot this match.  I did something no one else did.  What I've been practicing paid off.  Oh and it was really steamy humid.  That just about sums up the last event.

I got to meet Phyboy and Orlandodriver from shootersquest.net and floridaconcealedcarry.com.  Actually, I think I've met Orlandodriver but I didn't really talk to him in the last event.  Everyone is a hoot to be with.

I did very well my first 4 stages.  I slowed down as I'd told myself, and visualized a horizontal cardboard target inside the center of each target. The same cardboard I cut out of ammo boxes to practice at the range.  For the first 4 stages, most of my targets I had no points down.  Sweet!  This included shots fired at my first ever disappearing target, and swinging targets which I have no experience in.  On the swing targets, firing small number of well placed rounds worked better than a mag dump.  As long as I kept my eyes on the target area where I wanted the shots went, I hit.

The trouble came along when I hit the stage where all shots had to be fired while moving.  The targets were placed a bit further than I was used to as well.  I missed a whole target!  I really need to practice shooting while moving.  Fur this, I think having my own private range is the best, but short of that doing dry firing practice at home should help a lot.

Did I say it was really humid?  It was hot too, but there has been hotter days.  It really felt like being in a sauna.  I was sticky or dripping sweat all over.  I hate the feeling of being sweaty, unless I'm doing something very physical.  It was draining my concentration.  I started rushing things.  As I rushed things, my flinch/twitch came back and I started hitting low again.  Concentration is key!

I've learned some other things also.  I'm happy my anti-flinch bullseye shooting practice has been working out.  I will continue that until the bad habit is eliminated.  However, I need to stick to working on fundamentals; I think I can save a lot of time by properly visualizing the layout of the targets and sticking to a formulated gameplan.  I'll save time driving the gun and reloading.

Here is the video:

About the ninja stage: I felt a lot of people wasted time trying to find the right angle for this stage's last target.  After watching about 5 people do that, well, except for when I was watching Scouse because he hurt his knee and couldn't use low cover, I decided to stick to what I thought was the course designer's intent.  Since the cover in this case was a staircase, the only way to properly hide your profile was to go prone.  I could shoot the two targets from the wall, but I needed to scoot over for the last one.  The obvious way to do it was to crab-walk or duck-shuffle while squatting, overshooting a step, then moving into position to avoid a cover violation, and then firing.  My way of doing it was to hop down and to the right into a prone position as soon as I was done engaging the two targets.  Worked out better than I thought!

Things gone right:
-minimized flinch, increased accuracy
-NO PROCEDURALS! Wooooooo!  (I almost had one if not for scouse)
-Relaxed and slowed down

Things gone wrong:
-got tired, lost concentration (need heat training)
-moving and shooting
-wasting time from lack of visualizing the stage and sticking to the plan
-need to work on draw-to-fire times

Even though I'm unclassified, 2nd place feels good.  First time I actually placed well.