What could/should USPSA do to attract the average CCW holder

[perlslacker]

Is there really a membership crisis in USPSA where we should be worried about trying to recruit a bunch of entry level shooters?

IDPA is tee ball, and that's fine. They limit the difficulty of shots and try to keep the cost of competition down. That's a great way to create a non-intimidating environment for the new guys. That's why I started with IDPA. That's their niche.

USPSA does have some problems. Fundamentally changing the character of the sport so that newbies will feel more comfortable shooting it won't solve any of them.

Basically this whole thread has been

"Hey how would we get more average gun owners to shoot USPSA?"

"Well we could do X I guess."

"X is a terrible idea."

"WELL I KNOW BUT IT WOULD MAKE MORE AVERAGE GUN PEOPLE JOIN."

I just disagree with the premise that USPSA needs to go out of its way to recruit more average gun people.

[YVK]

Hmmmmm, I think I would find it completely counter productive to be told how to shoot a stage. Anything more than, "here is the stage, shoot them as you see them," and I ain't your guy. I admit it. I am too much of a free thinker and problem solver to be told how to do it.

I see two things worthy of a discussion.
The first one is of marketing deficiencies alluded to above. If USPSA shooters are superior in skills to other groups, then the demonstration of this superiority would be the strongest marketing tool. USPSA shooters attending IDPA matches on different levels (Super Squad - Nationals, Ms and As - local and state) and crushing the competition would be the best endorsement. Surely those little superficial cover garments and slide lock reloads shouldn't present much problems.

Another observation is that a complete and proficient shooter should be able to shoot any task or stage, one that he selects how to address, and another that's dictated to him, equally well. Such is life, sometimes you have choices and sometimes you don't; shooting, especially in CCW aspects, is no different. Emphasis of one type over another is not very appealing to a thinking CCWer.

[cclaxton]

You may think this will be biased based on who it's coming from. But, here goes.

The more new shooters you encourage to shoot IDPA, the more IDPA shooters will join USPSA. I had no interest in USPSA until at least a year after shooting IDPA. It wasn't until then that I appreciated the value of USPSA. Now it's true that not all IDPA shooters will shoot USPSA, but a good percentage will end up doing both. In the clubs I shoot, everyone who is Sharpshooter or above and really working on advancing is shooting USPSA as well...to varying degrees. That is about 20-40% of the club, depending on the club. So, by encouraging new shooters to join IDPA, you get more USPSA shooters in the long term.

We also are seeing a recent trend where USPSA shooters are interested in shooting IDPA. They use IDPA as the opportunity to bring out their carry guns and shoot scenarios using cover and concealment. The last match where I was MD we had three out of 22 shooters who shot USPSA and were new to IDPA.

These are the facts, and I am just sayin.....the sports complement each other.
Cody

[fixer]

Here are my suggestions and comments as a fairly new entrant into USPSA.

#1. I can heartily echo the comments about easier identification of local matches.
I having been shooting at a local range for 4 years before I accidentally found out about the USPSA matches. It was disappointing to know that I've probably been at the range the same time as a match 4-5 dozen times.

#2. More shooting, less waiting.


Ego isn't a big deal. Open guns aren't a big deal. I come from a drag racing background. Perhaps it is easier for me to relate. I see it as you are there to compete against yourself. Just like racing your stock mustang against some full-tub, chuted, trailer queen...yeah you're gonna lose but you are really there to improve your skills.

[PPGMD]

You may think this will be biased based on who it's coming from. But, here goes.

[snip...snip]

These are the facts, and I am just sayin.....the sports complement each other.

Yes it is biased. You answer for everything is IDPA, have a cold... IDPA, gun malfunctioning.... IDPA.

Jesus Christo man we start a thread about how to market USPSA better and your only suggestions are basically IDPA.

Yes we know IDPA is really successful at recruiting new shooters. And we don't believe the USPSA rule book is the issue, as the IDPA rule book is practically as long. We also know that when IDPA shooters get serious they come to USPSA.

So we are asking how do we market USPSA better, so as to get a percentage of the new shooters to start in USPSA directly? As I think the issue is marketing not rules.

[orionz06]

You're missing what is being laid down. How does uspsa attract more shooters? Shoot IDPA more. Think about it.

[PPGMD]

You're missing what is being laid down. How does uspsa attract more shooters? Shoot IDPA more. Think about it.

Sorry I don't see it, unless you are being sarcastic. I don't see how pimping IDPA helps USPSA in any direct measure.

Now I agree that we can poach certain things from IDPA, like new shooter briefings, and encouraging new shooters to show up with whatever pistol they own. But changing the fundamental things about USPSA like the freestyle shooting, and hit factor scoring would kill the sport.

[orionz06]

It was sarcasm. A sudden influx of IDPA shooters will create a sudden influx of uspsa shooters soon after.

[JeffJ]

You're missing what is being laid down. How does uspsa attract more shooters? Shoot IDPA more. Think about it.

We really need a like button...

Seriously, USPSA is a demanding sport that requires a high degree of hand-eye coordination, critical thinking skills, the ability to process multiple things while running a gun a high level making demanding shots in what are often unconventional positions. It's not the every-man's game, it's hard and it attracts the shooters who want that kind of challenge.

As far as marketing goes, I don't think that IDPA is really that much of a competitor to USPSA, I do think that 3 gun is and that USPSA should be focusing on getting 3 gunners to prove their pistol bonafides by shooting USPSA

[cclaxton]

You're missing what is being laid down. How does uspsa attract more shooters? Shoot IDPA more. Think about it.

Just to clarify that is not what I said. What I said was to encourage new shooters to join IDPA if they don't feel ready for USPSA, knowing that a percentage of them will end up shooting USPSA as well. I didn't say, "Shoot IDPA more."

Also, we are seeing some IDPA people skip USPSA and go directly to 3Gun...just sayin those are facts.
Cody