The Secret to Winning USPSA/SCSA/IDPA Matches

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Doublehelix

Doublehelix

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<Cue TV announcer's voice...>

Have you ever wanted to improve your scores while shooting USPSA/SCSA/IDPA matches?

Have you ever desired to actually win a match at your local range? How about a State trophy or a Sectional trophy, or dare I say it... a NATIONAL TROPHY????

Well if you answered "yes" to any of the above, then I have a deal for you!!!

After many years of shooting, I have finally discovered the SECRET to winning!!! I call it the "Helix Method", and because I love all of you here at THR, I have decided to share with you with winning secret FREE OF CHARGE!!! :)

Are you ready???

The SECRET is:

"Shoot faster and more accurately!!!"

That is it! If you can do this, I guarantee it will improve your results!!! :rofl:

<End TV announcer's voice>

Haha! I post this because I was shooting with someone recently who did not do very well in a local USPSA match, and his excuse was that he needed to learn to "shoot faster and more accurately".

I stood there stunned for a moment that he actually said this in a serious way, and then I lost it and had a total fit of laughter for about an hour!

OF COURSE if you could shoot faster and more accurately you would do better!!! DUH!!! That is the WHOLE point!!! Haha... I had such a great laugh over that comment and thought I would share it with you all! He was so danged serious which is what made it so freaking funny!

Ya know, sometimes we just need to laugh to get through the day!:D

So my friends, be sure to do this next time you have a match!!! Don't forget now!!! :neener:
 
Reminds me of the football player who, when asked what they could do next game to improve their results, replied, "score more points."
 
Yeah, I've heard this many times, but moving efficiently and avoiding unforced errors helps a bunch, too. Among all these, I'd put actual "fast shooting" (i.e. fast splits) last.
 
waktasz said:
No.
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ny32182 said:
Well... he's not wrong
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It was typed somewhat in fun given how controversial that phrase has become.

That said it help me out the first time someone said it to me. I was trying to go way too fast for my skill level at the time and making lots of errors as a result. Slow is slow but fast in only fast if you don't crash and burn.
 
In martial arts we teach people to relax and to do the movements as perfectly as possible. We then work up to going as fast as possible. As we get faster we lose form. So the best instructors mix slow and fast so we don’t get into the habit of using bad form when we go fast.

So yes, while it’s simple to say go fast and shoot accurate, it takes time and lots of “perfect practice” as preached by Cal Ripken Sr (the father of Orioles Hall of Farmer Ca Ripken Jr and former major league second baseman Billy Ripken)
 
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Slow is smooth, but it is still slow.

Shoot slow, do everything else fast. Slow as in 15-18 splits all day long in the A.
 
A lot of perfect practice whether dry or live fire.

If you don't do it right in practice it will show in a match.
 
I found it best to shoot with good people and remember mental management is very important.

It can be intimidating shooting against folks like Jerry Miculek, until you beat them on a stage.

The most important thing learned from winning is that you can.
 
The SECRET is:

"Shoot faster and more accurately!!!"

That is it! If you can do this, I guarantee it will improve your results!!!
Click to expand...
Reminds me of a memo that went out to everyone who works at my division awhile back. The memo cited the profits for the previous year which were low and indicated that employees should work to increase revenue and to decrease cost to improve profits for the coming year. The recipe for improving profits was quite a revelation. :confused:
I was trying to go way too fast for my skill level at the time and making lots of errors as a result.
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Slowing down a little bit can certainly improve performance when accuracy is suffering due to excessive speed.

The advice I generally give is to "Shoot your own game.", meaning that a person should shoot the way they prepared and planned rather than trying to push really hard in a match. I've seen a lot of good shooters perform very poorly when they try to shoot as fast as the guy who shot before or when they otherwise try to shoot beyond their realistic capabilities. One way to really make this kind of problem show up is in head-to-head type shootouts. I can't count the times I've seen a person who should have won based on skill alone lose because they felt rushed and ended up missing really fast while the other person who isn't as skilled shoots only up to their performance level and clears the targets.
 
Slowing down a little bit can certainly improve performance when accuracy is suffering due to excessive speed.

The advice I generally give is to "Shoot your own game.", meaning that a person should shoot the way they prepared and planned rather than trying to push really hard in a match.
Click to expand...

You need to know where that is and that’s the practice part. Practice and club level matches are a great place for this. Practice very fast so you can learn where the accuracy falls off then back if off at the matches, to the point it seems slow, rather intensional, at accuracy.

Don’t focus only on accuracy though. Low points down for the match is rarely the winner.
 
jmorris said:
The most important thing learned from winning is that you can.
Click to expand...
+100. At the end of the day, a lot of your results reflects your self-image as a shooter. IMO, a lot of shooters who are frustrated because they're stuck in "Expert Perdition" and/or never won a match or even their division are there because they subconsciously believe that's where they belong. Until they address and change this belief, all their hard work is undermined by it. A good read on this is Bassham's With Winning in Mind.
 
mcb said:
I win my division and come in DFL almost every club match now a days, shooting revolver. :)
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Our local revolver hotshot just finished 30something out of 137 shooters at our monthly USPSA match this weekend.

Step up your game!
 
waktasz said:
Our local revolver hotshot just finished 30something out of 137 shooters at our monthly USPSA match this weekend.

Step up your game!
Click to expand...

I manage 20th of 59 this weekend as the only Revolver shooter at the local club with six Master level shooters in the top 10 finishers, 63% of the High Overall (Carry-Optic shooter) despite a 33 and 36 round stage. I am stepping up my game I just wish I was stepping it up with other revolver shooters. :D Life's hard I will get over it, :p or change division...
 
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