Learning from winning and from misses

I have been somewhat dishearten for the last 45 days because I have been shooting so poorly.  I have been trying to learn the "Shift" and my accuracy has suffered for it.  Saturday it all came together at Rio.

There were 30 shooter there, 4 of which were substantially quicker than I, 2 were as quick as I, and the rest were substantially slower.  I won every match in a 3x 3 out of 5 shoot.  My draw was the same from the first shot to the 77th shot.  I didn't  think about it, did not tinker with it or worry about it.  I got in the zone.  My bucket work seems to have paid off.

My training partner accused me of slowing down for the slow shooters.  I did not!  What I did do was not to use the Thirsty Shift for four shooters, two faster and two slower, than me.  When I use the Thirsty Shift I am 30-40 mls faster, but may be less accurate.  It make no sense to use it against someone who is 100 mls faster or 600 mls slower.

What the shift is is that you shift your balance from forward to back after the set command.  In effect you are starting your draw before the light comes on by the shift in balance.  The negative is a loss of accuracy.  If the light is quick, you may shoot low, if the light is long, you may shoot high.  But with practice on timing you should be able to hit 80% with quick lights hitting low on the target and long lights hitting high on the target. On facebook it was noted that Parttime was falling backwards on his .309 shot.  That is the "Shift."  (I only know what I see, have not been told this, but if you watch you will see it)

Now what the bucket does for you is help you with this timing function.  I shoot at cardboard at 5 feet with two lines, one at 40 inches and one at 45 inches (my target height is 42.5). I want my hits between those lines.  Right or left makes no difference since that is a pre-set command alignment issue.  By shooting on cardboard I can see exactly how high or low I am shooting and to get a feel for where my balance needs to be.  I get used to adjusting my balance to adjust my shot height.  Your 50 shot string should move into the hit zone as you practice.

Back to Saturday's shoot, for four shooters, one being a nine year girl, I intentionally abandoned the shift.  I tried to get my balance in the center of the target and then proceeded with my normal  draw.  If I don't need that extra 30-40 mls why abandon the accuracy.  When I was shooting against a shooter as quick as me and I needed every millisecond I found that generally my first shot was 12 o'clock high just over the target,  I had to tell myself at the set command to balance forward, but once the set command was given I was on auto-pilot, no thinking after the set command.

Anyway my thoughts for now! Got to go shoot on the mtn.