Thanks for the tips. I need to practice more to make better than Sharpshooter in SSP and CDP in IDPA. You just can not use the matches as your practice.
Czar
Dry fire should be part of any practice regimen. It was an important part of my training to make IDPA Master. I made a commitment to do dry fire daily for 1000 consecutive days, finished it, and have always been glad I did it.
Here is a basic practice session and some considerations for safe dry fire training.
This session will take 10-15 minutes. Avoid becoming fatigued and ingraining bad habits.
Basic Dry Fire Practice Drills
Basic Dry Fire Practice Session
Trigger Press Practice - Freestyle 5 reps
Presentation from Low Ready - Freestyle 5 reps
Draw from Open Holster - Freestyle 5 reps
Draw from Concealed Holster - Freestyle 5 reps
Trigger Press Practice - Strong Hand Only 5 reps
Draw from Open Holster - Strong Hand Only 5 reps
Trigger Press Practice - Weak Hand Only 5 reps
Presentation from Low Ready - Weak Hand Only 5 reps
Draw from Concealed Holster - Strong Hand Only 5 reps
Slide-lock Reload 5 reps
Trigger Press Practice - Freestyle 5 reps
Dry fire practice can be extremely dangerous if proper safety procedures are not followed.
Always observe the Four Rules of Safe Gunhandling
Four Rules of Safe Gunhandling
All guns are always loaded
Never point a gun at anything you are not prepared to destroy
Keep your finger out of the trigger guard until your sights are on the target
Know your target and what is beyond it
Dry Fire Safety Procedures
Dry fire ONLY when you are alert and focused
Unload your pistol in an area other than the practice area - do not take any ammunition with you to the practice area
Go to your practice area where there is NO LIVE AMMUNITION
Check your pistol again to ensure that there is no ammunition in the pistol or any magazines you will use for practice
Dry fire practice only on a specific dry fire target which is used only for dry fire practice
Place your dry fire target against a bullet resistant wall, e.g., brick or concrete block
If a bullet resistant wall is not available the target should be backed by a body armor panel capable of containing a bullet from your pistol
Do not allow yourself to be disturbed during dry fire practice
Wear eye protection when dry firing in case of a Negligent Discharge
If you use dummy ammunition during dry fire, use ONLY commercially manufactured, easily identifiable dummies. Homemade dummies are unsafe and can result in death or serious injury.
When you are finished practicing, put your target and pistol away immediately and do some other action that will remove dry fire from your thoughts. Do NOT immediately reload your pistol.
Failure to follow these procedures EXACTLY can result in legal liability, property damage, serious injury, or DEATH.
If they had this kind of stuff here in hawaii my dream would come true… I have been really working on my match shooting but there is no matches here to shoot… I have a pretty good rifle set up and I would like to put it to good use… only thing I really need is a Single stage match triger… The one that came on my Armalite is 90% better then other stock triggers but still I would like a single stage with less weight…
I just shot the Classifier a couple weeks ago for the first time in about five years. Scored an 80.85, total of ten points down. I also got to watch a dozen other shooters ranging from Novice to Expert run the stages. Some random thoughts:
[ul][li] Strategies that work for a Master-class shooter are different than those that work for a MM-class shooter. Failing to realize, understand, and accept this truism is what keeps many people stuck at the MM/SS level.[/li][li] Never miss a head shot. You shoot a total of nine head shots from a range of just 7 yd. The head on an IPDA target is [b]huge-mongous/b. If you can’t hit the head in 1-2 seconds per shot at that range, then you are not ready to be shooting IDPA. [/li][li] Be accurate but don’t go so slowly that you shoot zero down on every target every string. Especially at the longer distances, dropping a point or two here and there can be worth what you gain in speed.[/li][li] Know how to perform a proper reload. The number of people who consider themselves “serious” shooters who are absolutely in left field when it comes to reload technique is unbelievable. Reloads should be smooth and efficient. When they’re on the clock, you should try to do them quickly. Shooting fast and then performing your reloads at a casual pace is just dumb.[/li][li] Speaking of casual pace, there is exactly one string in the Classifier where you need to move quickly: Stage 3, String 2. When you move from the barricade to the barrel, RUN. Why in hell do some people just walk? The extra two or three seconds it takes you to move from Point A to Point B is reflected in your score.[/li][li] There are two strings in the Classifier where you do not need to move quickly: Stage 2, Strings 1 & 2 (shooting while advancing, shooting while retreating). This is a game, not a gunfight. Focus 100% on your shooting and let your feet move as slowly as necessary to maximize your ability to deliver fast, accurate hits. I probably don’t take three whole steps for either string, yet I’m still moving for every shot fired. Those are the rules, follow them.[/li][li] Always start a string with your eyes on the target you are going to shoot first; whenever possible, have your torso turned toward that target. But keep your feet pointed toward the center of the target array (except for the first three strings in which you only engage one target; then have your whole body pointed at that one target before the buzzer goes off).[/li][li] Don’t hammer at the targets. Firing two lightning-fast shots makes it much harder/slower for most people to perform a smooth & fast transition to the next target. Giving up a few hundredths on your splits will gain you a couple tenths on your transitions. It’s a good trade.[/li][li] Perform a Tactical Reload (not Reload with Retention) on Stage 3 String 2, and the moment your fresh magazine is seated start sprinting towards the barrel. Get the spare mag stowed as you run.[/li][li] Don’t wear concealment. The idea of the Classifier is to compare apples to apples. The standards are based on shooting without concealment. If you wear a vest or shirt over your gun, you’re really just sandbagging. [/li][li] A lot of people like to follow a well thought out plan regarding how many rounds are in each magazine so that each stage works out just right. My advice: don’t. Unless a string specifically requires you to start with a certain number of rounds in the gun, always start with the maximum allowed. Always have the maximum allowed in your spares. (a) This gives a little extra weight to the gun, reducing muzzle flip. (b) This will make your mags drop free faster and more reliably. (c) You will drastically reduce the odds of frakking up and having the wrong number of rounds in the gun. (d) You will have extra rounds in case you need to clear a stoppage.[/li][*] Remember that it is just a game. The Classifier is actually a very good test of lots of shooting fundamentals, but it’s controlled by a set of rules that reward and penalize certain things that have no relevancy to real life.[/ul]
[/li]
I really compliment you on your observations. Good advice and something worth saving for reference. (insert applause here)
Sidewinder – Thanks. I’m usually very shy with my thoughts and opinions. 
gotM4 – There’s no way you’d fail to make Master now, dude. All the little gamey things you already know. Beyond that, it’s just a matter of finding the right balance between speed & accuracy.
Thanks for posting this. It’ll be a big help to those that are just starting out.
that is a lot of good advice guys. last week i went to my gun club to watch the idpa in person and was highly impressed. i already did the research in the rules and watching matches on youtube and stuff like that. i am going to sign up for membership after i go to a clinic that they are holding at my local range. while it looks fun and it is competition, i saw it more as another avenue to apply my skills learned and would consider it training to some extent. another thing i liked was that you can use your duty rig (mil/ le). once again, lots of good info. thanks.
I think not.
But I am interested in understanding why you do.
Good thread. Learning a lot as an IDPA newbie.
You will have a blast ( OK OK bad joke). Kidding aside, your worse possible moment at an IDPA match beats pushing a keyboard in a windowless room any day. The advice in this thread is really good. You can download the book off the IDPA site and it only takes one trip to the john to get through it end to end. Our club has the full range of members and it is a nice way to spend a day at the range.
Good luck.
I just shot the IDPA classifier for the first time this past weekend. Good fun 
I really appreciate all the feedback and advice on this thread, it really came in handy. Unfortunately, because I have been really busy for several weeks prior to the classifier I didn’t get to practice or dry fire as much as I would have liked but still managed to pull out a “ok” performance. I had my GF out there as well and she was kicking butt! I don’t know where she ended up falling in the classification scheme but she did look terrific shooting it lol
I shot my Glock 34 in SSP and ESP
I made expert in both shooting a final score of 105 (way too many points down) in both divisions, atleast I’m consistent. I just “missed” (pun intended) my goal of making master in SSP but I’m sure I’ll be able to improve on my score. On a good day I’m sure I could squirt under the bar but I’m happy that on a bad day I didn’t shoot “too” shabby.
6 months till the next local classifier
GU
Good stuff !
Tagging on for more.
I like IDPA, is it end all be all? No but it is where you can shoot under pressure, work the basics and more.
Thanks for the tips, they were a big help.
Here is my take on the deal.
First if you shoot only as fast as your sights will let you ,you will be fine. The key to these games is to be able to shoot quickly from any position. You need to cut down on wasted movement and be ready to shoot entering and leaving positions. As far as the classifier I was able to shoot a total time of 83.56 down 13 points. I did not feel overly fast and shot withen my ability. I do not rec practicing the classifier because you may get real good at it and get your ass handed to you at a major match.
As far as these combat class comandos(which I have taken more than a few) that think competition will get you killed is obsured. They must think because we like the competitive nature of the game we have no common sense. Most combat type classes and range drills do not put any pressure or stress on the shooter. Thats why I preffer a competition setting to get my juices going.
I have never bragged about being a master level shooter. I don’t think I am better or cooler than anyone else , we all have our reasons for choosing the shooting sports. I for one love competition and I’m not going to lie I love to win as well.
One more thing before I end this semi rant. No other sport have I ever done has the type of great people we do. Always willing to help and share advise. If some people refuse to be classified or share in our sport OH WELL.
A lotta good stuff here – thanks everybody.:thank_you2:
I don’t agree though with the blanket NO on practicing the classifier. Although I do think that you should not practice only the classifier, doing so on some basis can provide a benefit.
(a) It is probably good to see where you stand with the classifier every now and then, especially if you haven’t shot it in awhile. You can easily do so at your own convenience rather than waiting for the next match to come around, which can take up to several months.
(b) Practice shooting through the entire course-of-fire with for-real scoring also better helps to identify weak points for follow-up practice on string-specific drills. I recently did this and found I needed a lot more help on some strings than others. I’ve spent most of the past month focusing on improving those, while also maintaining (hopefully) the strings I’ve had less trouble with.
I’ve got a time slot at a local classifier match this Saturday, so will see then whether my strategy pays off.
ETA - It appears to have worked: https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=60924
When I practice the IDPA classifier, I score and paste after each string, not stage. That way I can see what my weaknesses are and improve on them. I’ve kept records on my runs through the classifier for the last 10 years or so.
I also use the classifier to test gun, holster and ammo combinations to see what works best for me.
Bill
I think the IDPA classifier is one of the best sets of standards ever. For me it is all about the first two strings of stage 1 (the heads) and the first two strings of stage 3 (the barricade) I have kept spread sheets of my classifier times since the early days of IDPA it is always interesting to compare times from years ago
Mike
Why didn’t I read this earlier this afternoon!?!?!?
I was shooting unclassified in SSP because this was my third match…ever.
115.something was my time after adding in points down. I was six points down after stages one and two…things were going well. After stage three you might ask? Suddenly I found myself thirty four points down for the classifier. Should have remembered perfect sight picture/perfect trigger control come that stage.
Those sixteen seconds wouldn’t have gotten me to master…but they would have gotten me so damn close.
So instead of concentrating on things like target to target transitions, reloads, split times, and hauling ass, I get to spend my practice time shooting at bullseye targets from distance.
An hour or so before the classifier I had put ten or fifteen rounds on a six inch steel plate at thirty-some yards without a miss…but add in the clock and a sense of urgency that wasn’t really there and my bullets found the -3 and -1 more often than is acceptable.
ETA:I shot it truly virgin, but I wish I’d have at least run it once on my own time!
This quote reminded me of the Dunning-Kruger effect I learned about in college psychology.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning–Kruger_effect
Basically: Unskilled/Dumb people over estimate themselves. Skilled/Smart people underestimate themselves.
Here is a quote from the wiki thats pretty funny (because I know people like this)
Kruger and Dunning proposed that, for a given skill, incompetent people will:
tend to overestimate their own level of skill;
fail to recognize genuine skill in others;
fail to recognize the extremity of their inadequacy;
recognize and acknowledge their own previous lack of skill, if they can be trained to substantially improve.
Please heed these words. It is much faster
Also, shoot in this position
around the barrel, it keeps your body upright and in its same firing position. Doing a high kneeling and craning your back will throw your game off.