46 replies to this topic

[sargenv]

As a 6-gun shooter, I try to come up with creative ways to keep myself 6 round neutral.. it doesn't always work out, but I've saved a few reloads by marching to my own drum as it were.. sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but I try not to get caught up in the "conga-line" that I see most everyone else get caught up in.

[cas]

Do you have a stage layout that we can see? Always keen to try the interesting stages! Cheers

Don't know how I didn't see this back in Feb. but noticed it up top so I figured it reply.

This is one squad of "weekend duffers" who mostly shot it the same way. It's not great, just big with lots of options (and RO'ing by remote control)

[Kim Lorm]

I agree with sroe3, shoot to your strenghs. Taking slightly longer to get an "alfa" makes more since than getting a "mike" because you took a shot you were not comfortable with. In a good field course there is always more than one way to shoot it!!

[PrinC]

I realise there are alot of shooters in this forum who shoot IDPA and USPSA. I am still trying to get the hang of these. In my neck of the woods its all IPSC so maybe my last response can be taken in that context. Still learning and there seems a long road ahead, but I am willing to learn as much as I can.

[Trooper]

Great thread!

Like sargenv I shoot a revolver.. In Standard Revolver Division. I routinely shoot stages slightly differently to my Open/Production/Classic clubmates.. (and here in Oz they all have 10 round mags of course)

At our Nationals over Easter (Terrific match BTW) I shot a particular stage on Day 2.. and the RO commented that I was the first shooter to shoot it "that way" (leaned around one end of a wall to take an open target that was more easily engaged from the other end.. but doing what I did made the stage more "revolver friendly".. giving me a moving reload to boot)

[sroe3]

I shot an IDPA stage 2 months ago that everyone was shooting the same. Shoot left, move left then advance, shoot remaining targets as they become visible. I shot right, moved right and advanced downrange. SO commented I was the only one to do that. I won the stage by getting closer before engaging. It pays to look around both sides of the barriers. Just because you see fewer targets doesn't mean it's the wrong way to go.

[Olivers_AR]

It is interesting to see L-10 and production guys trying to follow Limited/Open plans, usually get to see standing reloads. If seen more people FTE when they have a plan and change it at the last moment because they saw something in front of them.

[joecichlid]

As others have said, just because everyone else is doing it that way doesn't mean you have to. Shoot to your stengths and weaknesses. If given the option to shoot the same target from a few locations, shoot it from the one that gives you the best chance at the better points more quickly. It can also come into play when managing your ammo, shoot so that you can reload more effectively.

Joe W.

[raz-0]

I see this all the time, especially with our squads of better shooters. Someone will point out something gamey, and they will all follow them donw tht road thinking they have the stage figured out. Sometimes that tactic leads you down a sub-optimal path. It's funny to watch Ms and GMs follow each other off a cliff because they thought they found a neat trick. There's definitely a tendency to let someone else do the mental heavy lifting. Myself, I like to use other people to sanity check myself or if I've been a busy worker bee, like cliffs notes to break down the stage.

[BBoyle]

I always try and find the trick!

[kjolly]

Play follow the leader but shooting limited 10 often means you have to make your own plan.

[Bshooter]

I shoot Single Stack and that makes you think in 8s. On Thursday nights I usually set up four stages and try to make them Single Stack friendly. Then some hotshot comes in and breaks my stages and I find out a better way to shoot it, and I set it up. I don't care how long anyone shoots, you can always learn something.

[Graham Smith]

As the MD, and chief stage designer, I wander around from stage to stage seeing how things are going and watching how people are shooting stages. I pickup on what's working well, what's not, what's too easy, what's too hard, what might be causing bottlenecks. Basically I learn.

This past weekend, I included a stage in our match that had a number of options. The flow was pretty much intended to go clockwise and no one tried to do it the other way around, even though they could. There was really only one set of two targets that pretty much had to be shot from a single position (through a port), everything else could be shot from different angles, closer or further, and with three exceptions, in pretty much any order.

What I noticed is that each squad seemed to have a slightly different strategy. Some people did something different but by and large everyone did it the same. In particular, there was one target array that could be shot from a port or around a wall. A couple squads shot around the wall but most shot through the port. The "last" array could actually be shot first or last but only one squad shot it last.

Nothing earth shaking, but it is interesting. And it gives me an idea for a stage...

[jualdeaux]

The best thing I've seen posted so far is to shoot to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses. You'll do better onthe stage. If your not a GM don't try to shoot like one if that person is shooting wmeveryhing moving and that isn't your strength. If your fleet of foot use that to your advantage.

Just because it's what everybody else is doing doesn't make it right for you. Pay attention though there might be something you can incorporate into your plan though.

I totally agree with this.

I very much enjoy watching how GMs break down and shoot a stage, but being only C class I'm not likely going to be able to do that successfully. There are times when I see someone shoot a stage the exact same way I did, or am planning on doing, but usually I'm all by myself.

I have seen others shoot a stage before me and modify my plan a little if they come up with a much better way to shoot part of it.

[pjb45]

I was shooting WSSSC with Squad 1. For the most part everyone would shoot the stages somewhat similarly. The exception being those shooting minor could sometimes alleviate an extra reload. As many people know, WSSSC, is probably the best Single Stack Match in the country with stages that allow for multiple solutions.

The excellent part was TGO (as well as other GMs) would offer shooting solutions. However, Rob would say stuff like, 'here is how I am going to shoot this, however, a more conservative way would be .....' I have seen Robbie offer three different solutions based on the shooter's ability.

With squads like this, there is a tendency to integrate the shooter's ability with the most efficient solutions. In local matches, usually one or two shooters determine the best solution. If they share, most will follow it. It is interesting to note that some shooters choose a different solution and are not nearly as efficient.

[sti38super]

Come up with the plan you are comfortable with and stick to it.

[GorillaTactical]

This is an interesting thread/phenomenon that I think can be linked to Solomon Asch's sociological study on group conformity. Very intersting

[Yagi]

Somehow when i was shooting at the Nationals back to back, i felt i was the only one with a different plan...In all the stages (except standards) i could easily come up with 3 or more ways of shooting it. But i always make it a point that i manage the risk...

[kevin c]

I learned the hard lesson again at the Nationals: "Oh, yeah, for sure I can take the activator, static, clamshell and the swinger all on the first pass, just like my Master class buddies shooting Open!" (I'm a middlin' A shooting a 10 round Production Glock).

The stages I did best on were ones where I stayed with my own game, apply the fundamentals and get the hits w/o penalties. I'll try to remember that this upcoming year.

[GorillaTactical]

Aftrer having read this thread and done some analysis from different match video etc etc. I did a little write-up on the subject. I strongly believe that sociology drastically impacts the way in which people shoot stages. My write-up on the subject is here if this is an interesting subject/line of thinking for you.

[colt]

It has been a year since I started this thread and I never dreamed it would still be going. I worked the same match ( Indiana S|S,Pro, Rev. Match) but one year later and the stage I had this year you could go right or left at the start and the same thing happened again. One squad would go one way and the next squad would go the other. With a few exception.


Now I think I will check out Gorilla Tactical article.

Brent

[jualdeaux]

Repost

Edited by jualdeaux, 11 November 2012 - 01:07 PM.