The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - IDPA Match Approach

Shotgun Slim · August 25, 2014, 07:07 PM

I have been down the road you are on and have learned a few things. First,always strive to improve your accuracy because to do that you will have to ingrain good technique. Speed will come. You need control first.If you get a chance to practice outside of a tournament,shoot a smaller target,in other words make the practice harder than the event accuracy-wise. Do not be satisfied with down one shots -intend to hit the center of down zero. That's a pretty big piece of cardboard but you want to hit a small spot on it. I was a real also ran at IDPA until I really got serious about accuracy. My scores got better and better until I plateaued just a bit worse than some really good shooters. At that time I noticed that I was getting beat by shooters with a ton of points down and lightning fast raw times. So I decided to pick up my speed and lo and behold I could be intentionally faster with good control. I find my scores now as good as shooters that I consider very good,which pleases me no end because after all I'm just an old clay target guy who wants to be decent with his EDC.
About the steel challenge thing I found that shooting those big old targets at high speed built in some terrible habits. I get really sloppy because I can use some of my wingshooting talents to go fast which means I forget the front sight focus and the proper trigger control. It's fun to beat the younger guys at that but then I have to burn a ton of ammo at little teeny targets to get back right for anything normal. If you use the steel for practice then only be satisfied with dead center hits which means you will not be the fast guy out there.
I hope you don't have the vision issues that I have but they seem pretty common for us "seasoned"shooters.I have to tilt my head back to find the sweet spot in my bifocals for front sight focus and it's not fun but it's all I can do and I have gotten pretty good at it.It would be nice to be able to lean into the gun,but oh well. I can tell you that they make glasses with the reading prescription on top so that a person could lean forward but for my own reasons I haven't gone that route.
I started IDPA late like you and I'm having a blast.Hope you do too. Safe shooting.

August 25, 2014, 07:07 PM	#7
Shotgun Slim Senior Member Join Date: March 9, 2014 Location: Va Posts: 291	I have been down the road you are on and have learned a few things. First,always strive to improve your accuracy because to do that you will have to ingrain good technique. Speed will come. You need control first.If you get a chance to practice outside of a tournament,shoot a smaller target,in other words make the practice harder than the event accuracy-wise. Do not be satisfied with down one shots -intend to hit the center of down zero. That's a pretty big piece of cardboard but you want to hit a small spot on it. I was a real also ran at IDPA until I really got serious about accuracy. My scores got better and better until I plateaued just a bit worse than some really good shooters. At that time I noticed that I was getting beat by shooters with a ton of points down and lightning fast raw times. So I decided to pick up my speed and lo and behold I could be intentionally faster with good control. I find my scores now as good as shooters that I consider very good,which pleases me no end because after all I'm just an old clay target guy who wants to be decent with his EDC. About the steel challenge thing I found that shooting those big old targets at high speed built in some terrible habits. I get really sloppy because I can use some of my wingshooting talents to go fast which means I forget the front sight focus and the proper trigger control. It's fun to beat the younger guys at that but then I have to burn a ton of ammo at little teeny targets to get back right for anything normal. If you use the steel for practice then only be satisfied with dead center hits which means you will not be the fast guy out there. I hope you don't have the vision issues that I have but they seem pretty common for us "seasoned"shooters.I have to tilt my head back to find the sweet spot in my bifocals for front sight focus and it's not fun but it's all I can do and I have gotten pretty good at it.It would be nice to be able to lean into the gun,but oh well. I can tell you that they make glasses with the reading prescription on top so that a person could lean forward but for my own reasons I haven't gone that route. I started IDPA late like you and I'm having a blast.Hope you do too. Safe shooting.