Steve Moneypenny Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 Yes that sounds like the beginning of a flame war, but i get more attention that way!!! Please here me out. I feel both sports are pretty equally difficult but in different ways. what i'm asking is which did you have the hardest part learning. In IDPA there are no walk throughs or air/shaddow/pretend shooting posture gunning. which in the spirit of IDPA is good. and i don't mind this. Where as USPSA you can do all of this, but the stages are WAY longer ... we're talking state level matches with 18 round COF's and in USPSA 32+... almost twice the rounds and targets falling steel swingers movers it's endless. we all can agree that she "shots" themselves are generally more difficult in USPSA but where i find things in IDPA messing with my mind is the positioning. knowing exactly wher this foot stops at etc. there are no clear boxes, etc. just getting you around the corner quicker. What if we shot a USPSA field course with.... NO 5 min. course walk through.... i bet we could do a lot of laughing as spectators and a lot of ... DOH... as shooters. Ok you caught me, this is more of a tip than a question, for the other day i was shooting the buckeye blast. when i got home i realized i after reading on the forum. that i did not "position' myself so that the first shot of the aray goign around a corner was natural. but in IDPA. i did this. all of the other things in my mind (target arrays reloads shooting order) led me to overlook this simple skill that i do in EVERY IDPA match because i never got to see what was aroudn the corner... from the corner anyway..... sorry for the length. how are other IDPA/USPSA cross shooters finding basic things being forgotten in a more complicated arena? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redmercury2 Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 USPSA is a lot more fun and competitive to me , but to me its all just a spor t/game. more rounds means more shooting and more shooting means more fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew_Mink Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 I'm in pretty much agreement with smoney. I think they are both difficult in there own little ways. USPSA is more difficult to shoot most of the time, with longer and tighter shots, tricky activators, etc... IDPA is more difficult in that you have to follow the COF to the letter. They leave nothing to the imagination, and you have to follow the script to the letter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeeper Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 Which do you think has a better level of competitors? I would think that USPSA has more extremely good people. It seems like very few IPSC GM's shoot IDPA. I can only think of a few(including that one guy but I forgot his name. i think he shoots a glock and has initials MM) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 I think the level of difficulty is more dependent on the specific course design than any differences between the two games. I think the walkthrough leniency in USPSA is offset by the fact that in IDPA (at least where I shoot), you don't get to make any choices. The stage description and rules almost always dictate where and when to shoot every shot in the stage. That's why I find it absurd when someone refers to IDPA as the "thinking man's shooting sport" because the only thinking is being able to follow the explicit directions. In USPSA, it is (usually) much more "freestyle," and even when you have time to plan for a couple of weeks ahead of time, it still isn't the same when you actually shoot. Plans often do not survive the first array of targets for someone like me, where a miss or something small can ruin your planned reloads, etc. After that, it's just make it up as you go along! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRD Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 I find USPSA more challenging. - Gabe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Moneypenny Posted June 24, 2004 Author Share Posted June 24, 2004 GM's that shoot IDPA MATT BURKETTE!!!! (sorry couldn't resist the sarcasm) and i'm sure he likes the plug. Rob Letham Dave Sevigny Todd Jarrett Ernie langdon got his start in USPSA before IDPA started not sure if he's GM though have to check limited. I know he isn't in prod. Scott Warren One of the big reasons is simply because some folks have plenty of USPSA to shoot, others have to cross train for trigger time. IDPA is the thinking mans sport, everyone is STILL trying to think of a better way to shoot the stage than designed without breaking rules :-) AS for raw skill i do think USPSA shooters tend to be more skilled than ONLY idpa shooters. I also think IDPA shooters have to be more "perfect" as little mistakes are harder to over come than in USPSA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFD Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 I shoot 2 classes higher in IDPA than I do in USPSA. I've yet to see any USPSA shooters not shoot 2 classes higher in IDPA. I don't think IDPA is close to USPSA as far as challenging shots/movement is concerned. I do find IDPA difficult in that I like to think for myself, but that's rarely allowed. I don't find the lack of a walk through to be any problem unless I'm the first shooter. All I do is grab a box of pasters and plan what I'm going to do (if there's any choice) while pasting. After all, an 18 round stage with the shooter not allowed to think for themselves doesn't require a heck of a lot of planning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 I have shot both and came away with this view: At the top of both stands an immense amount of talent. Neither game provides anyone with a shortcut to the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precision40 Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 I've seen really good USPSA shooters who are mediocre IDPA shooters and visa versa. IMHO, it seems to me like most IDPA shooters aren't into competition (at least the ones who are IDPA exclusive) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRD Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 The shooting in USPSA is waaaay more challenging than IDPA, and that's by design. When you get down to it, it's almost apples and oranges. IDPA rules prohibit alot of the challenging shooting problems that USPSA is free to present. This, IMO, limits the level of shooter you are going to create within IDPA. You won't get people who can do some of the things that big time USPSA shooters can do on demand, because the skills are just not needed for IDPA with any kind of regularity. And, again, this is by design. - Gabe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck D Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 I have a tough time with IDPA due to the fact it's so "structured" in technique and design and that the creativity in solving the COF that IPSC offers is lacking. Simply put...IDPA lacks the "freestyle" flow that IPSC has developed so well. I still shoot 'em both but shooting lots of IDPA for me is fun with a small "f". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 Smoney, What was the question again? Are there some skills that don't carry over? Or, are lost in translation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Moneypenny Posted June 25, 2004 Author Share Posted June 25, 2004 i think my question ended up being as much of a statement as a question. I was noticing that IDPA seemed to be more demanding on the tiny things than USPSA through the ranks. as IDPA fields are locked into one way of shooting a stage everyones time is much closer but what seperates the best from the rest is the tiny details. where in USPSA some of that detail is over looked because of looking at bigger things. the punch line. no matter how big the stage don't concentrate on the big picture still focus on the tiny things like "where i put my foot when i move to this position. and what is the shortest/quickest way from point A to point B. don't take these for granted look at those. I myself took cornering for granted at the buckeye blast it cost me time where those fleeter of foot (jake) out ran me but i could have been quicker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 Sooo...it sounds like to me...that, at the upper levels...yuo still have to do the tiny things. In both games. ? (I feel I have to, anyway.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSeevers Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 Ditto Try Open differences are really smaller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Moneypenny Posted June 25, 2004 Author Share Posted June 25, 2004 bill... open sounds fun.... and expensive!!! ;-) i have some parts just need a lot of cash to shoot it. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSeevers Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 Steve The force is strong in you come to the dark side Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geezer-lock Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 While much is being made of the differences in IPSC and IDPA, I think that the similarities in the two activities are what allow us to enjoy either. There is not a huge disparity in equipment and skills such as you would find when trying to compare say, hockey with football, but more like the comparison between arena football and NFL football. Let’s face it, pistol craft is pistol craft and placing shots on a target accurately and quickly is what counts in IPSC, IDPA, GSSF, ICORE, etc., etc. Just make adjustments for the rules and fling lead downrange. Beats working Be safe, have fun, geezer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 Well said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fullautodave Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 They are both challenging in different ways. It seems in IDPA the challenge is figuring out the rulebook and the proper procedure. In USPSA its trying to make it through a COF without getting a penalty or DQ'ed for something you may or not have done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRT Driver Posted June 29, 2004 Share Posted June 29, 2004 IDPA reloads are much more challenging. Especially, when you wear the wrong pants! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now