shooting stances for competition

[Sam1911]

One of the things I like about IDPA is the variety of "stances" that can come up. Standing solidly in one spot and taking careful aim at a bullseye target, and slowly squeezing off a shot at a known distance doesn't come up too often. You might be shooting walking forward, backward, or across the range while firing, down on one knee or prone, leaning out from cover on the left or right, shooting strong hand only or weak hand only, drawing from a holster, box, or drawer, or shooting at targets moving towards you, away from you, across the range, waving from side to side, or popping up for a second and then disappearing. Variety is fun.

That's absolutely true, but you'll find as you watch the guys who are really good in IDPA (or USPSA) they'll all be using an upper body posture that is the modern isosalese "stance." It really isn't a stance, as we might think of it in terms of position rifle shooting or bullseye. It is a way of arranging the arms, head, and upper torso which gives the most stability, mobility, and control AS you move, bend, walk, squat, twist, pie cover, etc. What's going on below the waist becomes irrelevant. Some have made the comparison of making a "turret" out of your upper body that stays stable and in the same position no matter what amount of lean, or movement, or kneeling, or whatever is induced upon it.

The instances where you really need to break the support side elbow and go to more of a Weaver stance are pretty few and far between. Pretty much just some instance where you're forced to crowd cover or go very low, etc. The rest of the time good shooters will be holding the same UPPER body "stance" no matter what their lower body is doing.

 

[jmorris]

5 gun master in IDPA here, shoot from one foot all the time. Though it is a bad position to shoot from, it is fast, sometimes.

Thing is, there is no one stance that is best from every shooting position.