Those were some fun stage designs!

Oh, and that badass door kick.....

So Operator! ;)

Not sure how I'd remember what shit to shoot and how many times.

lol. just usually twice per paper target. Stage planning is one of the fun aspects of the sport. Trying to figure out the best way to shoot the stage really keeps the noodles exercised.

Walk us through the planning that lead to the stage 2 ninja run outside the lines? Do you plan "back to front", decide ending position and work back through the stage from there? How many plans do you reject before settling, or do you just "recognize" the best plan on first view?
Do you ever change your plan based on what you see other shooters do?
Inquiring minds want to know.

Retreating stages are hard to walk through just because you always get in the way of other shooters. That said, always start the first run through from start to finish, looking for all the available targets, making sure you count them all. You don't want to miss any :)

Next run would be to be to check what the start position is (if it's difficult) and get used to it. Then imagine shooting targets in sequence. This is when you'll find out if there are other better ways to shoot the targets. Most of the decision making here depends on how comfortable you are with the "flow". Sometimes targets present themselves earlier or is easier to be shot from a certain location. Use the next 3-5 walk throughs to decide on the sequence and your reload points.

Once you've settled on a plan, DON'T EVER CHANGE IT. Not unless you find a grievous error in planning (maybe missing a target) or if a buddy tells you there's a better way. If you think the change yields a SIGNIFICANT advantage, then go back to step one and do it all again. Don't shortcut the process.

With this plan in place, walk through it 10-15 times more (if possible physically) but typically at this point, your 5 mins walkthrough allocation is up. Run through your plan in your mind again and again. Try closing your eyes and replay it in your head. Think about target presentation, how your sight looks on the target, where you're standing, how you're reloading, everything. The more you imagine the more accurate your programming is. Sometimes I'll dedicate one or two of the walkthroughs running at the speed I mean to shoot it, to feel how it's like to actually do it.

Once you've done around 20 walkthroughs in your head. you can rest and focus on helping tape, reset the stage etc. You can always continue to run through your plan while walking back and forth helping to reset the stage. When you're in the hole (3rd down), stop taping, stop talking to people and run through your plan again, at least once, then once again when you're on deck, then once again during Make Ready.

once the RO says Standby, you should be in the zone, standing in the start position waiting anxiously for the beep. This is how you program your subconscious correctly because only your subconscious mind can perform all these tasks at the speed that is required.

Here's another big one, reshoots. sometimes when reshoot is called, most shooters will just load up again and get ready to start the stage again, and end up screwing up. This is called the "curse of the reshoot". Most people fail because they never give a reshoot the same importance as the first run. If you find yourself in a reshoot, ask to be bumped down 2 positions back to being in the hole, then restart your stage planning like I outlined above. run through it and give it the attention you'd give to your first attempt.

Rinse and Repeat for every stage :)

hope that helps.

Big helps! Thanks. I once had three reshoots at state (prop malfs), none went as well as planned...

Loke is a Vampire Slayer.... And an MJ dancer. All those skills!

Nice job Loke!!

Thanks guys! it was a fun match. I was very careful, next match i'll be hosing :)