Tips for first IDPA match

[Cornerpocket]

Hello All,

I expect to be shooting my first IDPA match this Saturday. Other than Youtube videos, I've never seen an IDPA match, much less been in one. I'll probably be shooting my Glock 19. I shoot a lot of cardboard but have no experience in draws, reloads, shooting on the move, etc. Accepting that I will not master any of those skills in the next 48 hours, I did go to the basement yesterday and start endlessly inserting and dropping mags at speed (for me) just to try to establish some level of muscle memory but I'm expecting that other than that, my skills are pretty much what they are between now and game day. My basic game plan is as follows: 1) Shoot safely; 2) Have fun 3) Be willing to sacrifice speed for accuracy; and 4) To a reasonable degree, not get too hung up on where I end up in the standings. That is obviously about as broad as someone can get in terms of goals. I guess I'm looking to relax, get through this and get a feel for things for next time. That having been said, has anybody got any quick tips or just things that I could keep in mind that may help out. They're also predicting 103 degree temperatures for what its worth.

Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions.

[bishop414]

When the buzzer goes off, much of what you had in your head will leave too.

I agree with your goals, Safety is #1, fun #2 and the rest will follow.

Take your time. When I started, and still do now, I focused on having a clean run, no errors or penalties and completing the stage.

Good luck and welcome to the fun.

[twodownzero]

Sacrifice as much speed as you can for accuracy. It will pay off big time in IDPA.

[Mitch Harrington]

Looks like you have a solid and realistic game plan. Have fun!!

[CHARLES D]

Your goals are right in line where you need/should be. Find a shooter who is experienced in shooting IDPA and pick his/her brain about the rules. Watch other shooters shoot the stages and keep an eye on the R.O s. Are they stickler on cover calls? How fast are they hitting the buzzer after the command 'stand by'. First match Have Fun and start drinking water now. 105 degree weather will wear you out.

[mike l m]

All I can tell you is enjoy the game. Shoot straight and be safe.

Do not go fast. Hook-up with an exp shooter who will answer your questions. There are alot of people that will help you get started.

Enjoy it.

Mike

[lumpygravy]

I don't shoot IDPA, but I'm guessing that like most USPSA matches, if you announce yourself as a new shooter, the match admin will assign a more experienced shooter to mentor you through your first match. Be sure to do this when you first sign up so the match admin has sometime to arrange the squad request.

Then follow your plan: Safety first. Then enjoy the experience.

[astephenson]

When I give new-shooter briefings I always finish up with "Don't try to run with the big dogs your first time out. Take your time, follow the stage procedure, and make your hits. You're not going to win your fist time out, and if you try to go faster than you're capable of going right now you're likely to end up doing something unsafe that you normally wouldn't do. We don't care how slow or inaccurate you are...as long as you're safe we'll gladly welcome you back for the next match. If you're not safe, though, I'm not making any promises."

Good luck at your first match! Be safe and have FUN!!

[daves_not_here]

Be prepared to learn a lot!

Learning and trying out shooting in ways you never though you could is a blast!

DNH

[HostileHabitat]

Be prepared to learn a lot!

Learning and trying out shooting in ways you never though you could is a blast!

DNH

Agreed! I watched all the vids and read lots of forums to not be totally lost when I got out to my first match. I learned more than I thought I would just shooting. and I am still learning.....

[Sheperd80]

Im new to competition as well but id say your goals are right on point. Shoot zeros nice and slow. Let the speed come with time. And if the match is outdoors you may want to bring an air can (computer duster) or atleast a rag. Any mags dropped in the dirt need a quick cleaning to avoid malfunctions.

Be safe and have fun!

[gator098]

I am new to competition shooting as well. I agree with the accuracy before speed tips. My first match was miserable. Hopefully you can learn from my mistake. I decided to shoot one of my .45 1911s. I am not bashing the gun. My thought process was - I like 1911s, am familiar with the platform, it will be easy to count my rounds, and had plenty of .45 on hand. Where I went wrong was I used a relatively new gun. I had shot it a few times before without issue but the round count was still pretty low. Well Mr Murphy decided to tag along that day and I had multiple failures to feed or eject on each stage. Moral of the story is bring a gun that you are comfortable with and know will run. There is nothing more demoralizing than hitting the center of almost every target but taking three times longer on each stage than the slowest guy (other than you) in your group.

[daves_not_here]

Cornerpocket,

How did it go this summer? Still trying to find time to attend matches or totally addicted?

It's always great to hear about learning moments and light bulbs coming on.

DNH

[scarecrow]

You have a good idea from your comments on what to expect. Try and pair up with an experienced shooter as they can usually help explain any of the quirky rules that may come up. Be safe and shoot straight (and accurate LOL!).