Shot my first USPSA match this past Saturday.
Not that I'm a great shooter but it was a very humbling experience to see some of the experienced guys play this game. I was amazed at how much planning and calculation those guys do prior to the timer going off. It's been a while since I've shot a match at all but very different than IDPA in all the walkthroughs/rehearsing that shooters did, individual planning vs. prescribed course of fire in IDPA, etc.
I put myself in a squad with the only Master and 3 out of 4 A-Class shooters there knowing that I would get absolutely smoked but the primary goal for the day was to learn as much as I possibly could. Check and Check. Finished 17 out of 26 per Practiscore at 50% of the winner's score, another 6 shooters didn't have data there so no idea on real overall. Placed between 12 and 14 on 4 of 6 stages but really lost the mental game on the other 2 by making 2 Procedurals (forgot about targets after walk through and didn't engage them after not seeing from the positions they should have been shot from), a hit on a no shoot, and some misses.
Last stage of the day and the only stage I was able to get a video of for later analysis. Shot 63.71% with 25A 5C; happy with the hits but found lots of things to work on even here.
Takeaways from the day: 1) Stage planning (planning the work and then working the plan) needs lots of work. Not sure how guys remember all of the targets just yet given the multiple positions and how much movement within a single position can be needed to actually see/engage them all. 2) Need to incorporate more footwork and movement into my shooting/training. Was wild to watch the Master-class shooter explode out of a position and haul ass to the next. I need to do a better job of getting low to stay mobile, taking shots that I can make on the move, and sprinting where possible/needed. 3) Transitions - I can use some work visually in transitioning between targets, especially those beyond 10 or so yards. Tight shots were a problem in transitions and beyond the visual processes I noticed in the video that I was too quick to dismount the gun while looking for the next array. Has to be costing me time and likely accuracy as well - probably applies more back on #2 and movement with the gun than the visual process. 4) ETA - @
Up1911Fan wagered in the SCD thread that likely less than 1% of Glock owners know about the gadget and I wouldn't bet against that. Got stopped in the middle of a standards-type stage with multiple strings of fire by the RO/RSO to tell me that my gun was broken/unsafe. I was shooting 1 of 2 Glocks that I saw that day (tons of CZs there) but 2 Glock armorers and everyone there had shot or owned Glocks at one point and all were confused by why my backplate was trying to fly off.
Be brutal and tell me where else I'm screwing up as I'm certain I don't have the eye and experience to catch everything wrong here. I really appreciate the feedback you gents can afford, we have a hell of a group of good shooters and overall stand up dudes here. I'm happy to learn all I can from you.