Cross Training

On Shady Mtn yesterday we had a chance to do a little cross training. We were working a little on stance alignment and Dirty Dan and Hi Strung shot cross target with a little skepticism.  Dirty Dan hit four of his first five shots for 80%.  I think he was a little shocked at the results.  In addition to the percentage, he had walked the hits to the light.  I think he was a little surprised at his ability to hit cross target.  In discussing it with him, he said he was so focus on the other target that he never thought about his stance or his draw.  Hi-Strung hit 3 on the left side of the target.  He started out on the left side of target for 4 shots, then moved to the right side for the next 6 shots. When I asked him about it, he said he had adjusted his stance to the right.

Cross target shooting is good training to learn how to adjust your stance.  Since you will miss, you learn to adjust the stance right or left to bring the hits onto the target.  You are chunking data.  A most useful store of information for those matches where you have to bring the hits to the plate.  But a more important lesson to learn is to learn to shoot from the subconscious part of the brain.  As Dan said it was so new to him, so novel, he was only focused on the target. Never thought of his stance, never thought of his grip, never thought of his draw.  I didn't see it, but I bet he was close to shooting his dry fire draw which is the draw he has finalized.

ON THE LINE:   When you come to the line your attitude needs to be "I ain't missing, bring me the next shooter!"  It is a statement of confidence.  Only thing that matters is you and the target. Next shooter is irrelevant, does not matter who it is, you are putting three on the plate. "Bring me the next shooter."

When you come to the line on that first shot you are guessing as to your alignment and balance.  After that first shot you got something to work with. You evaluate that first shot.  You first adjust your alignment, shooting right, slight movement of shooting toe to left, next you adjust your balance for elevation,  now you are ready for your waggle, which is a meaningless movement to tell yourself you are ready to go. No thinking after that.  You are a coiled spring waiting for the light.  Notice there is no thought of the draw, no thought of the thumb, no thought of the speed of the draw, nothing, that is all automatic, like taking your next breath.  Second shot on the plate, light high, 6 inches to the right, slight adjustment to shooting toe, balance perfect, waggle, coiled spring.  Third shot in the light. Bring me the next shooter!

Cross target training is good for chunking data.  We need to learn how to walk the hits onto the plate.

But if it is novel enough, you will learn how good you really are.  We are all better than we know.  We need to just find some training technique that will let us get out of own way, and shoot from the subconscious.  Way to go Dirty Dan and Hi Strung! You were better than Shady and I at it yesterday, but we have done it before so we think too much.