Grip It, Rip It, and Trip It.

Ever since the Southern Territorials in May, I haven't been able to hit crap.  Trying to get faster, something weird snuck into my draw and suddenly I was shooting all over the backstop and not hitting the plate.  Hitting the plate is what it's all about.  Nothing else really matters.  That post earlier this week, Natural Point of Aim, was more for me than for y'all, reminding me to get back to basics and shoot the revolver.

Earlier this week, I was surfing forums and stumbled across a Facebook Group where a member was asking if there was a training scenario to help him go faster.  One of the fastest guns in the game offered simple advice. "Rip it and Grip it."  The ore I thought about that, the more I realized he was right, especially if I keep in mind the lessons of Natural Point of Aim.  My body and natural arm motion will point the gun, it's up to me to align myself properly with the spot where my body wants to point the gun.

This afternoon, I went out to the backyard range and started working again on my stance and my draw.  I didn't even hook up the timers.  Time didn't matter today, only speed and stance. I wanted to go as fast as I could and see where the bullets were hitting the target, then adjust until they fell on the plate. Simple is better and I knew that if I could figure out what I was doing wrong, I could correct it.  The first ten shots went poorly.  my hots were all over the backstop.  The next ten went a little better, but not much.

I took a break.  Trying to figure out what I was doing wrong.  Rip it and Grip it.  That's just wrong.  You can't control the revolver if you're waiting until it's out of the holster to grasp the butt.  So, I changed my grip a little bit, getting two fingers touching the grip before I drew.

The last ten shots went really well.  Eight out of ten on the plate, with a miss slightly over the top at 11:30 and one miss way out at 3:00.

That ain't bad.  Three hits above the light, five hits below the light.  Centered for windage.  I have no idea how fast I was going, I was simply drawing and firing as fast as I could, without thinking about the target, simply drawing and firing as fast as possible.

My mantra now is Grip It, Rip It, and Trip It.  Tomorrow, we'll go to the club and put my draw on the timer, but for now, eight out of ten ain't bad.  That ain't bad at all.

Time for a drink.  It is Friday evening, after all.