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IDPA technique

alex valex v Member Posts: 45 ✭✭
Which is the better strategy for a beginner, when slicing the pie:
1.Place a shot, look to see where it went, place the second shot adjusting from knowledge of the placement of the first shot, do a make-up shot if the first one wasn't A-zone.
2. Perform the double-tap and move along, saving time over accuracy.
Alex

Comments

  • shootlowshootlow Member Posts: 5,425
    edited November -1
    in IPSIC/USPSA
    on paper i shoot and sort it out later a fast A/C will out score 2 slow A's i was taught if you shoot all A zone shots you are shooting to slow
    dont know about IDPA
  • PearywPearyw Member Posts: 3,699
    edited November -1
    You will usually get a better score if you take your shots and move on. If you find that you are missing the target all together, slow down a little as you will get a bigger penalty for failure to neutralize.
  • Hawk CarseHawk Carse Member Posts: 4,381 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The answer to Option 1 is Never.
    Do not look for bullet holes on the fly, it will only slow you down. It can also cause you to raise your head and miss completely. And what do you do if the targes are dressed?
    Learn to call your shots by where the sights are when the shot breaks. Make a really bad call up, but do it fast and move on.

    Depending on the range, you should often be shooting controlled pairs, with a real sight picture for each shot, however quick and crude. Double taps - the Cooper "Hammer" are for close shots only.
  • alex valex v Member Posts: 45 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Controlled pairs and move, got it, thanks guys !
    Alex
  • ContacFrontContacFront Member Posts: 1,113 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    [:D]

    This is why I don't shoot IDPA.

    You shouldn't be worried about score man. Should be worried about technique of cutting the pie.

    Screw the time and score. Make your hits!

    *Rant off* sorry hehe
  • 1911a1-fan1911a1-fan Member Posts: 51,193 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Which is the better strategy for a beginner, when slicing the pie:


    quote:1.Place a shot, look to see where it went, place the second shot adjusting from knowledge of the placement of the first shot, do a make-up shot if the first one wasn't A-zone.

    don't start looking for your shots, then it will be that much harder of a habit to break

    lets say you hit two -1's, the time it takes you to think about it, then pull the shots, you have already wasted the same amount of time down, and if your make up shots are both in the zero you have broken even, but most of the time your make up shots will not be any better, sometimes they are but not as often, the ideal is to make your first shots count, and break the habit of make up shots, and wasting the time

    there are no A zones in i.d.p.a.



    quote:2. Perform the double-tap and move along, saving time over accuracy.
    Alex


    there are no such thing as a double tap, while you may get away with "pulling the trigger twice real fast" at 7 yards or closer, this is another bad habit that even up to expert level needs to be broken, ask any master or pro they will tell you the double tap is a bad bad illusion, while some {masters}will make it appear to be a double tap it is not, each shot is made deliberately, if you would believe this and start it now it may take as much as one year to realize "there is no such thing as a double tap"

    i have seen really good shooters never make it out of expert, only because they shoot "saving time over accuracy", look at master score times, at matches, and look at everyone else's time, and compare points down to both, you will see masters raw time may be beaten, but the one with most points down is typically the winner
  • alex valex v Member Posts: 45 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Lots of good advice here, this is what I'm taking away so far :

    1. Controlled pairs, each shot with a sight picture,
    2. on target for sure neutralization,
    3. Let the time be what it may.

    I'm cool with that, I'm not anywhere near competitive anyway. Thanks,
    Alex
  • 1911a1-fan1911a1-fan Member Posts: 51,193 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by alex v
    Lots of good advice here, this is what I'm taking away so far :

    1. Controlled pairs, each shot with a sight picture,
    2. on target for sure neutralization,
    3. Let the time be what it may.

    I'm cool with that, I'm not anywhere near competitive anyway. Thanks,
    Alex


    you got it, with practice, and patience it will pay off in the long run, to many guys are in a big hurry to win NOW, watch some of the top shooters in your area, you will see a guy move so fast, and shoot extremely fast, then you will see a guy move very smooth with fast but controlled shots win every time, when you get a bit of experience, you will notice the time a bit different then you see it now, hearing fast shots does not always mean a fast time, the what i like to call "baby steps" {draw, reload} are just as important, and need to be just as smooth


    remember your eye is the slowest part of this game, learn how to control it with drills, such as bill drills, then work on your splits, and transitions during live practice, draws, and reloads during dry practice, then combine the two

    here is one i made up

    place three targets on the wall, practice dry firing one shot at each while keeping up with the metronome, this one only goes to 208, i am at 220 during live fire {yes i have one with an ear bud}, start out at 120, {then when your eyes get back to focus}, kick it up gradually, if you can get it up to 180 during dry practice you will improve your transitions during live fire, one of the keys is to quit waiting for the recoil to stop before moving your gun to the next target
    http://www.metronomeonline.com/


    here is a good dry fire practice for draws, and reloads, set the par timer to you comfortable draw time, then work your way down, work on your reaction time more than how fast your hands move,the ideal is to have your gun on target before the beep stops, you can move the par timer up for reloads{again i use targets on the wall}

    http://mattburkett.com/files/flashfiles/dryfiredraw.html
  • alex valex v Member Posts: 45 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Patience and discipline will be the toughest. You know how when one horse in the herd takes off running then all the other horses start running as well? They don't know why, they just do. The match is like that: you hear all the fast shootin' and want to run with them. I know: patience grasshopper 8<)
    Alex
  • sandwarriorsandwarrior Member Posts: 5,453 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    1911a1fan,

    Excellent post!

    Alex v,

    I don't shoot competitively in pistol but I will say that leaving accuracy to chance is not a good thing.

    Where I see the difference here is a strategy for winning a competition or a strategy for a long term increase in accuracy. Which will eventually lead to more competitions won. What I suggest here is to evaluate your every move while in practice that is making you miss the first shot. Every shot should be a controlled shot! The speed at which you pull them off should only increase when your accuracy increases or holds true. Set up some drills to evaluate where you are missing. If you can have a friend look and see what you do that throws you off.

    As I said my experience in pistol shooting is not from competition but rather experience in the Army in a course we called SOT back then. Meaning it was us who went in and cleared buildings. Therefore my suggestion only pertains to your practice and not a strategy for winning a competition. -good luck[:D]
  • alex valex v Member Posts: 45 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Whats cool about both IDPA and this message board : beginners are welcome and the old timers are helpful. As a counter example, I once thought I'd take up flying recreationally. There is a clear pecking order in that world: the guy with the most hours in the air has the most status. The conversations don't start out with "where are you from?" or "Howis the wife and kids" but rather "how much flight time do you have" and " whats AVgas cost today?". No, this is way better for me.
    Alex
  • 1911a1-fan1911a1-fan Member Posts: 51,193 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    thanks for the complement {i think} {old timers are helpful} LOL

    i myself am somewhat of a reclusive person, and the first time i went to a i.d.p.a. match, i went to watch, i met a very nice group of people, people i have never met willing to give me the gun off their side to give it a go, and if it where not for that i probably would have never returned, i have witnessed this toward others several times since then as well, there are more people than not willing to help out with advice, even if it means they will have a potential to beat you with the knowledge you provided

    the best site for i.d.p.a., and uspsa is brian enos, every major shooter you have ever heard of is a member there, and there is some great advice in all subcategories of his forum, and i might add buy his book, it is the absolute bible when it comes to competitive shooting


    http://www.brianenos.com/forums/
  • sandwarriorsandwarrior Member Posts: 5,453 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    1911a1fan,

    That was definately a compliment. A lot of good information there.

    alex v

    Flying is a lot of fun but it requires a lot of dedication. I work at an airline as a mechanic and deal with a lot pilots on a day to day basis. So I'm not intimidated by them anymore. So heres a little humor for you.
    How do you know your conversation with a pilot is exactly halfway over? He says, "Enough about me, lets talk about airplanes."

    Have fun with your shooting.
  • alex valex v Member Posts: 45 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Oooh my, there IS a lot of info there.
    Oh, another thing I like about the practical shooting: nobody makes fun of my shiny Colt 1911 chambered in 38 super. When I took classes at a local facility I got ribbed by the instructor for carrying a "pimp gun shooting obsolete ghetto rounds". The guys at IDPA/IPSC say: "thats a nice firearm" and "good shootin'", even when I don't shoot so good. Needless to say, I don't take classes from that other guy anymore.
    Alex
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