IDPA Classifier - First Time advice?

[Suches]

The classifier is supposed to reflect your overall skills. If you practice it, you may become good at the classifier, but won't necessarily shoot at your classifed level in competition. So it's better to practice your skills, but not the classifier, and let the classifier serve to measure your progress. Whatever it turns out to be when you shoot it, is what it is. That sort of takes the pressure off, too. Another way to look at it is, you don't want make sharpshooter, and go to a match and get waxed by marksmen.

[Mayonaise]

The classifier is supposed to reflect your overall skills. If you practice it, you may become good at the classifier, but won't necessarily shoot at your classifed level in competition. So it's better to practice your skills, but not the classifier, and let the classifier serve to measure your progress. Whatever it turns out to be when you shoot it, is what it is. That sort of takes the pressure off, too. Another way to look at it is, you don't want make sharpshooter, and go to a match and get waxed by marksmen.

I like how you think!

There are a lot of people that shoot the classifier really well but have problems when shooting a match over 10 stages. That's what separates the classes.

[tank69]

The classifier is supposed to reflect your overall skills.  If you practice it, you may become good at the classifier, but won't necessarily shoot at your classifed level in competition.  So it's better to practice your skills, but not the classifier, and let the classifier serve to measure your progress.  Whatever it turns out to be when you shoot it, is what it is.  That sort of takes the pressure off, too.  Another way to look at it is, you don't want make sharpshooter, and go to a match and get waxed by marksmen.

That is excellent advice. I think the reason I shoot it is to get familiar with IDPA as a whole. When we shoot, we run it just like a "real" session. If anything, i'm becoming more familiar with the rules, commands and most importantly, safety. I'm a safety nut and the last thing I want is to break a rule or compromise other's safety.

About 3 weeks ago, at our local Tues. night steel match, a guy swept everyone behind him. Even though he was cleared, he dropped a mag, went to pick it up and somehow managed to spin around with his muzzle sweeping about 25+ people. Needless to say, he was booted from the match and I about crapped my pants.

[scandog]

The classifier is supposed to reflect your overall skills.  If you practice it, you may become good at the classifier, but won't necessarily shoot at your classifed level in competition.  So it's better to practice your skills, but not the classifier, and let the classifier serve to measure your progress.  Whatever it turns out to be when you shoot it, is what it is.  That sort of takes the pressure off, too.  Another way to look at it is, you don't want make sharpshooter, and go to a match and get waxed by marksmen.

You are 100% correct. If you practice the classifier, you hurt yourself in competition. I still say you should not practice the classifier. You should just shoot it. There are plenty of other drills to practice to help your shooting. Dry firing is a good way to start. Look around on this forum. you will see plenty of other ways to practice.

[j1b]

Wait Wait Wait,

If you practice the classifier, you would be practicing . . . which means you will be getting better. On top of the fact that the classifier emphasises a lot of skills you'd utilize in a match. It's a winning deal to practice and become proficient at it.

Match shooting is just that. You'll never be prepared for every challenge - the key is to be proficient at the basics and let them take over when you encounter a tough situation.

Does the classifier demonstrate your actual skill level? Probably not - neither good nor bad. That's what a match is for. This is the same in IPSC with classifier stages. Either way though - getting better at any component of the game will increase your ability to perform at the buzzer.

JB

[richardschennberg]

I generally agree with NOT practicing the classifier. However, I do think it could be helpful to practice shooting while advancing or retreating if you have not done that before. Walk slow on the balls of your feet, and shoot fast!

Richard

Schennberg.com

[scandog]

I generally agree with NOT practicing the classifier. However, I do think it could be helpful to practice shooting while advancing or retreating if you have not done that before. Walk slow on the balls of your feet, and shoot fast!

Richard

Schennberg.com

I agree. You can practice many of the skills in the classifier that are also part of you regular matches. I have seen far too many shooters that practice the classifier just to over classify. Then they go to a local matches and get beat by the shooters in their calss as well as teh shooters in the class below them. They start to get frustrated and some have actually quit shooting because the feel they can't compete.

I would not shoot the classifier more than once a month or even every couple months and that would just be for my own evaluation of my practice. For classification, not more than once a year unless you have really improved in your shooting. The idea of the classifier is to put you with a group of shooters that are about the same skill level as yourself. You defeate the effectiveness of this by practicing just for the classifier.

Rather than worry about where you classify, just shoot it and see how you do at the matches. That would be a good place to start.

[tightloop]

NOT practicing the classifier is shortchanging yourself...it has skills needed to shoot the matches and by practicing it, you gain those skills and learn what is needed on the classifier...

I will go further to say that IMO it is foolish Not to practice it...but I realize that sounds so GAMEY.....

[LAkid]

Hey Tank69

I wish you luck on the classifier...this weekend will be my first shoot with IDPA down in Sylmar, CA. (Saturday 26) Sunday is IPSC at the Panorama Sportmans Club (GOPHER FLATS)

The only thing I know about it is what I have read at the IDPA website for the (classifier) distance and the targets. SHOULD I NOT READ THE COURSE DESCRIPTION OR shoulf I???

These guys have given us newbies alot of information, but I'm still kinda nervous.

Does someone guide you thru this event if you have never shot IPDA before...I have shot (CAS)

But anyways Tank69....... GOODLUCK!!!

LAkid

[scandog]

NOT practicing the classifier is shortchanging yourself...it has skills needed to shoot the matches and by practicing it, you gain those skills and learn what is needed on the classifier...

I will go further to say that IMO it is foolish Not to practice it...but I realize that sounds so GAMEY.....

I still dissagree. When you study for a test, you don't get the test ahead of time and just work on that. If you do, you will most likely do better than your actual ability. The same is true for the classifier. If you practice the classifier, you will most likely shoot it better than your match ability. You can practice the skills the classifier covers without actually using the stages.

I say this from experience. We have at least 5 shooters that are over classified. We shot it every Wednesday and you could watch peoples scores go down. Then they get to a match and not only get smoked in their classification, but in the one below theirs. This doesn't help the shooter, it hurts them. Practice shooting while moving, kneeling, from barricades. Work on your reloads with an empty gun at home while you are doing your dry fire drills. Then maybe 3 or 4 times a year use the classifier to guage how you are doing.

Just shooting the classifier over and over is practice, but practice for what? The matches or the classifier?

Daryl

[waktasz]

Practice at 25 yards and it makes the 20 yard shots that much easier.

[hopalong]

Tank69, LAKid,

Yes there will be some good help there to guide you through it if the Club you are going to shoot at is worth a grain of salt.

Yes do read through the Course of Fire, Understand what you are going to be doing (this takes out some of the anxiety).

Practice the Skills it takes to shoot the classifier until you are comfortable with them but don't practice the "CLASSIFIER" only

Take your time and make your shots count, esp the head shots and the longer shots.

This is supposed to be FUN the classifier is only a guage you can use it to your benefit or abuse it. "IE" Practice the skills (guage) Practice the classifier (Abuse).

We all see shooters in our clubs that classify higher than their abilities due to them practicing the classifier and not honeing their skills, I have told several in my club to quit because they could run the classifier 2 levels higher than they could shoot a match.

EXAMPLE....

Gentelman with decent ability practiced the Classifier and made Expert... big smile all happy with the EX on his card.

State match comes up... Last in Class and All but 2 Sharpshooters wind up ahead of him and several Marksmen. Big smile GONE.

His true ability is somewhere in Sharpshooter and he now admits it and tells all our New shooters to NOT practice the Classifier.

Personally I don't practice any classifier be it IDPA or USPSA and I don't normally ever reshoot a USPSA classifier unless I had a malfunction of some sort.

Good luck with your matches, but most of all.....

HAVE FUN !!!

Hopalong

Also waktasz is spot on....

Practice at stuff that is harder, get good at that and the classifier is a walk in the park.

AND let us know how you did !!!!

[Sniper1Moore]

There's two parts of the classifier that I think would improve your match scores and that is strong hand only and weak hand only shooting,I drop more points in matches due to not practicing these.It is human nature to only practice what you are good at especially if friends are around(you don't want them to see the chinks in your armor).I would recommend any newbie to the sport practice these 2 things as much as any other drill or exercise.Just my opinion.Shoot Safe Shoot Often,Ken

[JD45]

Amen on the one-hand practice. I always get burned at monthly matches when I stop practicing weak and strong-hand. If I would work hard one hand shooting two-weeks before a state match, I would bet that it would help my score more than months of draw and reload practice.

[tightloop]

To each his own..I shot it a bunch, then won 5 State CDP Master titles, but what do I know....

[Poppa Bear]

This is my first year as an IDPA member. We shot the classifier last weekend to prep for our upcoming regional match. Things I have been practicing over the last several days are:

Dry shooting on the move. Start at 25 yards and move up to 5 yards trying to keep the sights as steady as possible. Will help me shoot the classifier better next time, but more importantly it will help me shoot the CoF's better.

Dry firing at 25 yards on full size IDPA target. Start at low ready and bring the sights into alignment. Reset the weapon and repeat. Will help me improve target aquisition at a long range, then 15 yards, 10 yards, 5 yards become a lot easier. I am placing more emphasis on good sight picture than speed. -1 hurts a little, -3 or -5 hurts a lot. taking that extra bit to make sure the weapon is properly aligned still puts me time ahead. I can't shoot fast enough to make up for a miss.

I did not have a problem with the head shots. I lost most of my points shooting on the move in stage 2 and long range in stage 3. I shot too quick and did wait for a proper sight picture.

[rwmagnus]

Lots of good advise here. For me here are the issues.

1. Always shoot the best you can qualifier or match.

2. Stay smooth and focus on the sights.

3. Enjoy yourself.

I prefer moving up in calss with match wins vs qualifiers. The qualifiers IMO do not prepair you well for matches. One reason I say this is the qualifiers don't have that much reloading or movement involved and in a match that is a big part of it. BTW I shoot a revolver.

Having just shot a qualifier I will say points are imoprtant but so is speed. If I had to choose I'd pick points but in matches and the qualifier it's a combination of both. For me speed is almost always the issue.

Now that the new rule book is out I don't understand why they thidn't require a qualifier to be shot every year. Yea I know gus will tank the qualifier to sandbag but there will always be sandbaggers in every game. Like many suggested here where is the satisfaction of winning Marksman when you know you should be shooting a higher class?

[rwmagnus]

Lots of good advise here. For me here are the issues.

1. Always shoot the best you can qualifier or match.

2. Stay smooth and focus on the sights.

3. Enjoy yourself.

I prefer moving up in calss with match wins vs qualifiers. The qualifiers IMO do not prepair you well for matches. One reason I say this is the qualifiers don't have that much reloading or movement involved and in a match that is a big part of it. BTW I shoot a revolver.

Having just shot a qualifier I will say points are imoprtant but so is speed. If I had to choose I'd pick points but in matches and the qualifier it's a combination of both. For me speed is almost always the issue.

Now that the new rule book is out I don't understand why they thidn't require a qualifier to be shot every year. Yea I know guys will tank the qualifier to sandbag but there will always be sandbaggers in every game. Like many suggested here where is the satisfaction of winning Marksman when you know you should be shooting a higher class?