How not to suck at USPSA/IDPA

[allen-1]

This is a really good point that many miss. The idea is to do everything sooner. Faster means nothing if it doesn't result in sooner

Tim Herron pointed out to me in a class that I was rushing frantically, but wasting lots of time with extra movement. I paid to take his class; I paid him for his critical appraisal - I listened.

 

[kalash]

I'm taking his class soon, can't wait. His explanations that I've seen online really click with me, more so than, say, Stoeger's.

 

[allen-1]

I'm taking his class soon, can't wait. His explanations that I've seen online really click with me, more so than, say, Stoeger's.

 

[M1911]

I shot at a local “club match” this week here in Florida. IDPA-style match but not a sanctioned-match. There were 2 stages, you shoot both stages 3 times. The Club approach is be safe, have fun and try to improve. ROs were great, things were well-organized and safe, and all the shooters were great. Range was real nice, and a beautiful day. So, I have absolutely zero complaints with any of that.

The thing is I could hardly believe how poorly I shot. I’d shot a few USPSA matches many years ago and usually finished in the bottom third in Production so I have no illusions that I’m a great shooter. However, not this bad. My times were decent but accuracy was shit.

Now that I have a little more time on my hands, I’d like to do this more and maybe get back into regular sanctioned matches but I clearly need plenty of practice and do not even know where to begin because I don’t know what I’m doing correctly or incorrectly (grip, sight picture, stance, whatever). I’m sure it’s not the gun or the ammo, it’s me.

So, my question to the brain-trust here is: Do you have any advice, suggestions for training drills, practice techniques, recommended videos to watch, or other wisdom so that I won’t be “that guy”?

Thank you in advance,

Best regards, mannydog

Get some of Ben Stoeger's books. He is a world champion.

 

[M1911]

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

Slow is simply slow. The keys are eliminating wasted movement and doing things sooner, not in being "smooth". Watch Ben Stoeger run in some of his videos. He doesn't look smooth. In fact, he looks a little spastic. But he's a world champion. He got that way because he is fast, not smooth.

 

[bostonelli]

Your not spending enough money on your gear

 

[allen-1]

I got another lesson on how not to suck at USPSA yesterday.

PAY ATTENTION TO THE STAGE YOU'RE SHOOTING.

It was a local match, "outlaw style", four stages only.

I absolutely tanked one stage. I picked up three misses and an FTSA on a fairly easy stage. It was a limited stage, (16 shots), with 8 targets and 4 shooting positions. Shoot two targets from each of the four positions, any order.

Too busy thinking about how hot it is, how my glasses are fogging up, how I'm going to shoot the next stage. Stepped into the first box, made ready, and wasn't really ready - wasn't "in the moment". I drew and as I was drawing, I was still deciding which target I was going to shoot from that position. Dumb. I yanked the first shot missing the target entirely, was going to do a makeup shot, realized I couldn't, and then just lost track of what I was doing. Total lack of focus. Three mikes and an FTSA. Yay team. Came in 28/34 on that stage.

My ranking was high enough on the other three stages that the day wasn't a complete disaster, (3/34, 3/34 and 4/34); which put me at 7/34 for the match. Overall, I had 47 alphas, 10 charlies, 3 mikes and one procedural.

My friends were laughing at me. My wife did too when I told her.

 

[M1911]

Focus is really important. While waiting for your turn, spend the time rehearsing the stage in your mind. Shoot the stage in your mind over and over again.

 

[Rockrivr1]

Focus is really important. While waiting for your turn, spend the time rehearsing the stage in your mind. Shoot the stage in your mind over and over again.

At a steel match in Harvard I made the mistake of signing up in the first slot of my squad. I’ll never do that again. I was the first one through every stage and I entered the stage confused as to what I was doing. I totally messed up. Eventually was DQed as I made a move to a new spot when I shouldn’t have. Never ever go first and don’t say you’re ready unless you really are

 

[Supermoto]

At a steel match in Harvard I made the mistake of signing up in the first slot of my squad. I’ll never do that again. I was the first one through every stage and I entered the stage confused as to what I was doing. I totally messed up. Eventually was DQed as I made a move to a new spot when I shouldn’t have. Never ever go first and don’t say you’re ready unless you really are

You should be rotating the squad so the same person doesn't need to go first everytime

 

[Rockrivr1]

You should be rotating the squad so the same person doesn't need to go first everytime

They didn’t. I was first through three stages until I DQed

 

[M1911]

At a steel match in Harvard I made the mistake of signing up in the first slot of my squad. I’ll never do that again. I was the first one through every stage and I entered the stage confused as to what I was doing. I totally messed up. Eventually was DQed as I made a move to a new spot when I shouldn’t have. Never ever go first and don’t say you’re ready unless you really are

That's weird. The range officers are supposed to rotate who is first up on the stage. You ran into some really crappy ROs.

 

[bostonelli]

They didn’t. I was first through three stages until I DQed

I may have been in your squad…

 

[bostonelli]

They didn’t. I was first through three stages until I DQed

Moose?

 

[Rob Boudrie]

You should be rotating the squad so the same person doesn't need to go first everytime

Yup.

The best way is to move the starting point down N people, where N=int(shooters/squads), with a move of N+1 applied if the same person comes up to shoot a stage first for the second time. It is important to move down the list, not up, to maximize the time between a shooter's run and when they are called to shoot the next stage.

I am not aware of any "supposed to" in the rulebook, however, it is both common sense and common practice.

 

[chris_1001]

Another blast from the past post.

Go fast, don’t suck

My last two steel challenges my gun hiccuped way too much 22/45. So it sucked big time.

I’ll be at Harvard this Sat, probably bring a totally different gun.