9mmepiphany said:
Unfortunately, many folks calling themselves teachers are only instructors
Very good point. I actually prefer "mentors/coaches" over teachers/instructors as mentors/coaches not only share their knowledge/wisdom but work with your areas of deficiencies so you can master all aspects of shooting. In contrast, some teachers and most instructors just want you to imitate/copy them.
Corpral_Agarn, when I started shooting USPSA matches over 20 years ago, my bullseye match shooting mentor tried to teach me intricate aspects of match shooting and reloading match loads. While I soaked up most of what he taught me, I was an impatient student who did not appreciate the finer details and thought activities such as shaving the bottoms of FMJ bullets so they would weigh exactly same and performing careful trigger jobs weren't as important because I did not shoot bullseye matches.
Decades later, I realized what he was trying to do (help me to "master" and not simply become mediocre) and can only imagine what I could have done had I did that 20 years ago. So take the criticism and difference of opinions (even though they seem illogical, foreign and strange to you now) with an open mind and tell yourself that they are trying to help you. Take into consideration that a simple stance/grip/trigger control change could shave years off reaching your speed/accuracy goals.
My contribution after watching your video is this:
- When using 10 round magazines or for mag changes, walk through the stage in your head (visualize) and identify points where you would need to change your magazine. To shave stage time, I always performed mag change while moving between targets. If you watch the videos of top shooters vs amateurs, you'll see amateur shooters spend a lot of time not having anticipated mag changes and adding critical seconds to their stage time.
- Do not move your head away from targets. Seems simple but watch top shooters engage stages and you'll notice their head stay absolutely "locked" onto them while their bodies simply follow. Several top regional shooters told me that they have the entire stage course of fire in their head and when the start timer goes off, they simply follow what they visualized in their head
- Practice mag changes until it becomes second nature. Each day while watching TV or during free time, practice mag changes until you can do it fast and without looking. Top shooters change mags so fast and smooth that you hardly notice it and their head tracks right along to the next target.
- If you only talk to mediocre shooters, you will learn their bad habits (In the land of the blind, one eye is king
). If you want to master match shooting, talk to shooters that are at the top of the local club/regional matches. If you are sincere about learning from them, they may take you on as their student.
Good luck!