No (Zero) Cost training

[JimConway]

There are at least two things that will improve your shooting and your chances if the S**T hits the fan.

Anyone that knows me knows that I am a BIG fan of Dry Practice. I have seen so many examples of it working that I have lost count. As long as you are using a center-fire gun, it will not harm the gun in any way. There is absolutely no cost and all that you need is a quiet place with no distractions. I suggest that you do it every day for only 15 to 20 minutes a day for 2 months. After that 2 or 3 times a week will be enough. Do not try to go fast, but make sure that what you do is letter perfect. Speed will show up soon after the motions are perfect and there are no extraneous motions.

The second aspect of free training is called visualization. Olympic athletes and all forms of pro athletes have been doing it for years.
You should understand that your brain can remember both actual events and the visualizations that you do. The important thing is that the brain can not tell the difference between the two.

One approach to visualization that has been suggested is to read the newspaper, or watch TV and select some event, say a hold up or a mugging. Now close you eyes, relax, and visualize yourself in the role of the good guy and solve the problem so that you are the winner. Make sure that your actions are normal actions and not those of some comic book hero. No Bat-Mobiles or capes. If you were to do this every day for a year, you would have almost 400 visualizations to draw on if they were needed.
Remember, in your visualization you must succeed

 

[Supermoto]

I have found both of your suggestions to be extremely helpfull. I try to dry fire everyday for about 30-60min depending on what I am working on. It really helps in getting your draw prefected so that you sights will be exactly where you are looking when you bring the gun up. I also use it for reloads, shooting on the move, tranisition, barricades, just about everything I do in live fire.

 

[JimConway]

Dry fire

I am glad that you have already seen the value of dry fire. As just a comment, I think that your sessions are too long and may even be hurting your performance. Remember that our goal is to burn only perfect repetions into muscle memory. (Yes, I know that there is no such thing as "muscle memory", but most people seem to understanf what we mean.)

Keep it up

 

[Supermoto]

my 30-60min isn't a focused 30-60, I take breaks, changes what I'm working on and sometimes tape and review my dry fire practice to see what is or is not working and why. I also keep a log to track my dry fire practice compared to my live fire. For example, in the El Prez, my live fire is running almost .5sec slower than my Live. but I recently knock off .5 sec from the dry so we'll have to see if it translates back to live fire.

I do perfect repetitions, but I also alot of push to failure. I can get a perfect grip, sight picture, reload all day long at 50-75%, but by pushing to 100% and finding out where I fail, this helps me get faster.

If I can pull a 5sec El Prez, great, but now I want to do a 4.5sec, then a 4sec. The only way to get there is to push hard, while still practicing the fundamentals

 

[GTOShootr]

I also you is form reloads,

I agree 110%

 

[Supermoto]

I also you is form reloads,

I agree 110%

Me fail English, unpossible

 

[PistolPete]

with my training "I also you is form reloads" as well. This is my favorite thing to practice. LOL

But seriously, when I trained before and was serious about my shooting I hardly ever did any dryfire practice. I took some time off of shooting and now I'm training again. However, now I'm dry firing every day for 1/2 or more and the improvement is incredible. I mix this with 2-3 days a week of live fire. I'm really trying to train my eyes to follow everything and to call my shots whenever I pull the trigger regardless if it's dry fire or live fire. We'll see how the progression goes.

 

[JimConway]

Except for the questionable grammar, I am proud of you guys.
One way to look at dry fire is that the vast majority of your shots are dry, and when you go to the range it is only to confirm what you did dry.
I see a bit of talk about dry fire but nothing about visualization. One way that I use visualization is when I am learning a new technique. Simply, sit down, relax and visualize your self performing the technique perfectly a number of times. When you go to practice it either dry or live, you already have a strong base to build from. All of this takes only a few minutes.

 

[MFP4073]

You guys are making me feel bad! I think I am going to need to practice more.

 

[Supermoto]

The only visualization that I use is when I am walking a stage, I try to picture my sight on the A zone or Steel. But I'll give it a try.
It'll give me something to do while zoning out at work.

I am now visualizing proper grammar. .... hey it works

 

[M.Nastek]

As Jim and I have realized, DRY Practice is the key to correcting and honing ones skills.

Do it often with commitment and focus.

You will see the affects and tuning when you hit the range.