How to practice/improve stage planning?

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egd

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I can't think of a practical way to do this without just shooting at a lot of shoots. But maybe I'm missing something or someone has a little trick that helps them.
I have read about coming up with a plan and visualizing it , etc., etc. But it's the coming up with that is my problem. With the short time and other shooters all buzzing around I often just don't get a good plan together as I'd like. If I'm able to walk the course ahead of time and figure things out I can do OK. I shoot pcc so you'd think it'd be easy not having to plan reloads, but I still could use some help. So, any ideas? Thanks
 
Experience is really the main thing but there are certain rules of thumb. You want to try to shoot the most targets from the fewest positions from as close as possible, and to keep moving and stop as few times as possible. I'm working on developing a stage planning class. Hoping to have something in the spring.
 
OK, thanks. Even though that sounds obvious it is still the type of thing that is so easy to forget to do and to overlook. I like the phrase "most targets from fewest positions".
 
Also try to eliminate transitions as much as possible. If you could somehow measure the distance your muzzle travels during a stage, all else being equal, the guy who has to swing his muzzle around less will be faster. This is especially important for PCC. I see people swinging their guns left right left like a windshield wiper when it would be much better to shoot a handful of targets on one side before switching back to the other side. Obviously this is all stage dependent and you can't always do what is ideal due to target placement or stay layout, whatever
 
I tape, strategically, count steps, click teeth to shots on target and otherwise make a plan and execute. All with alternative plans in mind “if” something should happen so “the wheels don’t fall off”.

Been more than a decade ago but there was a few members that came to a local match that should have been canceled because it was a mud bog but it wasn’t. I was in a “go first” state of mind and others didn’t have a problem with that, so I dug around in the trash and grabbed a few old targets and started dropping them down on the ground here and there.

One of the newer guys asked the RO what I was doing and he told him “He’s putting them there so his magazine doesn’t drop in the mud.” A conversation ensued amongst a few fellows there that were shocked by the notion of where one would be when their magazine hits the ground.

Heck, I can still remember stages from a sanctioned match in 2003. If you “program” them right, your on autopilot for the play back.
 
As others have said, some of it is acclimation... just doing it enough that you've seen stage concepts before, don't have a lot of anxiety mixed in with the analysis part, etc. A few observations/suggestions:
  • First, make sure you've identified all the targets - make sure the number you see matches up with the number listed in the stage briefing.
  • Second, figure out the places where the various targets are available. If there are places that you must go to see a target, build a stage route around those mandatory locations.
  • There is sometimes a difference between the absolute-fastest-possible stage plan and the safest/most-reliable stage plan. Sometimes this comes from a decision about whether to take a longer or more obstructed shot in order to skip a position, but sometimes it's about how much "memory" is required. If you're in doubt about whether to go with a simpler plan that is perhaps slightly more inefficient than another plan, maybe go with the simpler plan.
  • If you can find positions where it makes sense to "shoot everything you can see from here," that can help with simplification. Skipping targets (because you've already engaged them from another location or are saving them for some later point in the stage) is sometimes necessary, but that's generally where most of the gross stage planning/navigation problems come from. In the early stages of analyzing and planing for a stage, focusing on the "skipping" aspects is more important. As soon as possible, you need to be able to switch over to memorizing and visualizing the entire stage, but at first give the attention to skipping targets (if necessary).
  • Sometimes there's a tradeoff between "flow" and absolute shortest route. Fewest steps is not always the fastest, particularly if those steps are awkward, tight, backwards, make shooting on the move impossible, etc. If there's a way that feels "comfortable" versus a way that feels awkward, it may be better to go with the one that feels more natural, even if it requires more steps.
  • Ask some of the more experienced shooters what they're planning to do. Most competitors love talking stage plans.
  • There's an old golf saying that I think is somewhat applicable: "Conservative targets, aggressive swings." That means it's better to aim a little further away from the water, but then feel like you can freewheel through the ball. If you can come up with a plan that you feel like you can execute confidently and with your attention on the shooting, then you will probably get more consistent results.
 
Lots of good advice everyone. I think I'll make a cheat sheet of these tips to look at before and/or during a shoot just to keep them in my mind.
 
Lots of good advice everyone. I think I'll make a cheat sheet of these tips to look at before and/or during a shoot just to keep them in my mind.

In re-reading my post, I wonder whether my fourth bullet point was written in an understandable way. Maybe one example would make it clearer.

Let's imagine a 32-round stage with 4 locations that are effectively mandatory (each location allows access to a target that is not visible anywhere else in the stage). Let's say you're deciding between two possible plans:
  1. 4 targets from each position (8-8-8-8 shot plan), which requires skipping at least one target in each position; or
  2. 5 targets from 2 locations, 3 targets from the remaining locations, which allows the 5-shot positions to be shoot-all-you-can-see positions, but requires skipping 2 or more targets in the other 2 positions.
I'd suggest that plan #2 will be substantially easier to commit to memory in most cases, and easier to stick with during the run. All the "skipping" is concentrated in just 2 positions. It's no longer a "memory stage," it's just a couple of memory positions. You can remember two target array plans, right? That's not so bad.

There will be times where this approach comes at a really high cost of inefficiency, but most of the time it is a more reliable and lower stress approach.
 
How to practice/improve stage planning?
Ask some of the more experienced shooters what they're planning to do. Most competitors love talking stage plans.
Probably the most valuable advise offered so far.

And I suggest you not only talk to the fastest shooters at your local club but if you can, talk to the top regional shooters that travel up and down the state. Top regional shooters will leave your best local shooters in the dust and will approach shooting/stage planning very differently. You want to learn from those that are actually doing it, not just talking/thinking about it. And yes, as ATLDave posted, I found regional shooters very approachable and generous with a desire to share and teach others what they do that works.

While best local club shooters suggested I video tape my stage runs to review and learn from my mistakes, regional shooters told me in order to improve, I must address my mistakes to resolution. So instead of just reviewing video of my stage runs, they told me to set up mock up targets of stage I had difficulties with and practice until I absolutely addressed the mistakes to resolution so when I encounter such stage target setup, it would be old practice rerun that I have done many times instead of anxiety/frustration.

When I volunteered to help take down and later set up USPSA stages with the stage designer, I learned there are basic types of target layouts you should absolutely learn like the back of your hands and practice variations of those target layouts so as to how best to approach them. And like the saying, practice DOES make PERFECT. So, make yourself some target stands and set up practice stages at home garage/backyard and practice/test different approaches until you find the one that you can use fastest.

And network, communicate and ask questions. If you had difficulties with a particular part of the stage, ask/talk to shooters that managed to shoot them fast without issues. Chances are, they will happily share with you how they arrived at their shooting solutions.

BTW, here's Rob Leatham's suggestions on stage planning - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-help-me-speed-up.824618/page-5#post-10904877
  • As you walk through the stage to develop your stage/shooting plan, identify how best to engage the targets and when to do mag changes
  • Change your plan as often as necessary if better plan comes up (like other shooters shooting more efficiently)
  • Have Plan B in case Plan A doesn't work out
  • One tenth here and one tenth there will add up to saving seconds
  • Watch and learn from other shooters shoot difficult parts of stage
  • Watch other shooters shoot and openly share and problem solve with their difficulties and they will return the favor and watch/help you solve your difficulties
 
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