Good stuff.
I wonder if a lot of folks (yours truly for example) have a tendency to look at (focus on) the mover and not get a normal front sight focus? It seems like my level of stinky is at its peak on fast movers so I keep wondering if there are other keys beyond what was mentioned in the video.
Movers do tend to draw attention from the front sight and that is a problem. The other thing inexperienced people tend to do is double tap movers. One sight picture and two shots. If you cannot shoot fast enough to take two sighted shots on a drop turner then just shot one or leave it alone.
On most swingers there is enough time for two sight pictures if you ambush it at the pause point they refer to in the video. If you cannot do two shots in one pass it will take two passes and that means less time so get Alphas. Typically you want to shoot it twice on the first pause or pass.
Early in the year at ACC there was a swinger in an IDPA and I shot it at the pause point. Some gentleman in the squad, who I did not know, was intrigued. He came up afterward and said it looked like you planned to shoot it when it stopped. I told him I did plan it, and that is how to shoot swingers most of the time.
Experience with moving targets helps tremendously. But just relax and shoot them and don't be tense.
I hate swingers with a passion. I missed one in Ohio by two feet low into a no shoot. I was not looking there, but the gun was obviously pointed there.
Perhaps it was a flinch.
I plan to have a swinger at the training at MCFG on June 29, and talk about shooting them and then practice it with those that are there.
If you cannot shoot fast enough to take two sighted shots on a drop turner then just shot one or leave it alone.
The other thing inexperienced people tend to do is double tap movers. One sight picture and two shots. If you cannot shoot fast enough to take two sighted shots on a drop turner then just shot one or leave it alone.
While two aimed/called shots is absolutely ideal, I'd rather have one aimed shot and a "hope" shot than no second shot at all... even if a NPM, those are points you're just leaving on the table (a 7HF stage means .14s per point, so even if you only snag a D shooting minor, you've at least broke even). If it's a mover that doesn't disapear, you can't afford to just give away another 10 points...
Whether I ambush or track a swinger depends on the speed of the swinger... if slow enough, I won't wait for it to stop, I'll aim for the leading C.
-rvb
Had not thought of this before on drop turners. Only shooting once is a good plan on a fast moving drop turner, since there is no penelty. My second shot is usually a mike or a D anyway.
It reminds me of a stage at ACC once where one popper activated 2 movers. There was only one guy who got both hits on paper on the second DT. Most didn't waste the time engaging it at all.
I tried to man up, but missed both shots.
I think swingers are a lot of fun. For the most part I usually don't have problems making good hits. I am just not very fast and might have to let it swing by twice, depends on how it is set up. Drop turns usually are not too bad. It is the clam shells that get me.
Before issues of hit factor and scoring get into the mix ....
I was not talking about non-disappearing targets.
I was gearing my comments toward folks who have not gained a lot of experience.
I remember that class. Manny also was teaching tracking a swinger. Shooting alphas at the top of the arc. Using to passes to complete the shots. Which all in all seems to more accurate but eats up a lot of time.I took a class with Manny a couple years ago and we went over swingers quite a bit. Always hated them before that class. Love them now. He likes the ambush approach when possible, but you take your first shot as the target is slowing, not when its actually stopped. Then the second shot is taken at or about when the target is stopped or even when its going back up slightly. If you wait until it fully stops then try to rip 2 shots into it, be prepared to hear "Alpha-Mike" from the RO when scoring.
I remember that class. Manny also was teaching tracking a swinger. Shooting alphas at the top of the arc. Which all in all seems to more accurate but eats up a lot of time.