I am providing a forum for voicing your opinions.  I claim 
no responsibility for any opinions expressed here.

GETTING THE MOST FROM IDPA


There are two groups of people who shoot IDPA and I have no problem with either. One 
group is the "Gamers" who are constantly trying new guns, gear and techniques to make 
them faster and more likely to win. They are in it purely to win, and they do win, so
they are accomplishing their goal. The other group is the "Martial Artists" who are 
there purely to prepare for violent confrontations. They have no need "win" the match.
They feel no sense of failure after they lose because they knew they were going to lose
before they got to the range. This article is aimed (no pun intended) at the beginning 
Martial Artists or the new guys who don't know which group they are in, let alone know 
the difference. If you are trying to "walk the path" I will give you a few tips.

First off, shoot the match tactically. You can still move relatively fast but do it in a 
manner that is tactically sound. You will never win by doing this, because you must move
slower, but we are not here for trophies. We are here to be better prepared to use Lethal
Force in a confrontation. Use cover as it should be used. Don't stick your whole body out 
in the open. Use cover even if it is not required but available. 

Most people shoot two shots per target and blaze away at the next one. Mix it up a little 
by shooting three shots on every target at a match, four at the next, and all headshots at 
another. On the last target empty your magazine into it. Strive for 100% accuracy going at
your personal fastest speed. 

Shoot from concealment. Yes the same concealment you actually carry your gun. Yes even if 
it is hot. The funniest thing I see at matches is a guy with a full size pistol doing really
well at the match and take it off and put a .32 Kel-Tec in his pocket because his 1911 (or 
other full size pistol) is too hard to conceal. This is the same guy who is making fun of my
Glock 9mm that I actually carry all of the time. Compete with the gun you carry, and carry a
gun you can fight with in a manner that makes it easy to access. 

After you shoot the last target the timer is stopped. There is no need to "speed reholster".
That is a terrible thing to teach yourself. After that last round is fired pause and scan 
your targets. Make up any hits outside the "A" zone.

I hope these tips have shed some light on how to get the most out of an IDPA match. Who knows 
you might even win one sometime. If you get bored buy a weakhand holster and really freak the
gamers out! Good luck!

            

                1* James Yeager
      Chief Instructor OPS Southeast
http://www.OptionsForPersonalSecurity.com
   Cutting Edge Training Across the U.S.A.


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Added comment by Robbie Robinson:  There are more than two groups of shooters in IDPA.  
                                   Some I have noticed are as follows, and please note,
                                   this is no way takes away from what is posted above,
                                   as Yeager is absolutely correct in his context:


 1.  Gamers:
     "Fast is always better, no matter what the scenario.  I want my name to be as near
      the top of the list as possible.  After all, trophies are everything."

 2.  Tacticians:
     "Do everything tactically, even if it is not the fastest way to shoot the stage.  
      Don't worry about other people, what they do, or their score." 

 3.  Gamer-tacticians
     "Kill everything as fast as possible.  Fast is always better, no matter what."

 4.  Quasi-tacticians: 
     "Do everything EXTREMELY slow and call it tactical.  Forget that sometimes, slow is
      nothing more than lack of speed.  Complain about the gamers and how they make a
      travesty of the sport.  Complain about every penalty I recieved.  Argue that the way
      I did it is the only correct way and that I should not get a penalty, even though what 
      I did directly contradicted the course of fire description or IDPA rules.  Bitch about 
      this all day, to everyone, but also insist that the scores don't matter to me."

 5.  IDPA Purists (can also fit in as a subcategory of many of the other categories):
     "I'm so glad I chose IDPA over IPSC.  Everyone knows that IDPA is true gunfighting
      and IPSC is nothing but a game.  If any of those IPSC idiots ever get in a real
      gunfight, they will just get killed.  Man, those speed reloads.  I do tactical 
      reloads, so it's obvious that I REALLY know what I'm doing."

 6.  Warrior gods: 
     "Everything I do is the only way to do it because I'm a bad-ass warrior."

 7.  Quasi-warrior gods: 
     "Argue about everything, because I want to let everyone know I know more than they do.
      Shoot every stage differently that the way described and then argue how the original
      stage descriptions didn't make any sense, since I know everything.  The only reason
      I bother to shoot in IDPA is this is the only organization that shoots in my area." 
      This person usually adds, "I've had training."

 8.  Got-everything-figured-out gods:
     "I'm the only one who realizes this isn't 'real' because I realize the targets aren't
      shooting back.  I'm the only one here that could survive a real gun fight."  This is
      usually a cop, military person, or someone who has survived a gunfight, and he looks 
      upon recreational shooters with disdain as "wannabes" who really don't have any clue 
      about anything and that should stay home since they aren't as enlightened as he is.  
      After all, he's had training (or been in a gunfight) so how could it be possible that 
      anyone else could know anything more than he does?  Forget that just simply being a 
      cop, or having been in a gunfight doesn't automatically make you an expert.  This guy
      usually scores way down near the bottom, but has a litany of excuses as to why he did.

 9.  People who just like to shoot:
     "I like to shoot, and this is a good place to do it.  I shoot IPSC, steel matches, and
      anything else, because I like the trigger time and the comraderie of the other folks."

10.  Hope-to-learn-something folks:
     "Try to figure out a good combination of all the above, learn as much as I can, have a
      good time, and meet new friends."