How to shoot a Classifier

[CrashDodson]

Shoot them no differently than you shoot any other stage.

^^^

This guy knows what hes talking about.

I have been stepping up to classifiers....nervous....and trying to shoot the stage faster than my ability. I am currently unclassified but if I was I would be D class right now per my current classifiers. But yet I shoot overall match scores higher than most local B and A shooters. I'm still working to do what Jake is saying. The mental part of this game is the tough part for me.

[diver60540]

Perfect

[cjdaniel78]

Do or do not, there is no try - Yoda

I wish Yoda had tried to improve that saying.

Before you can pull a lot of things off, you first must have tried. In some cases, you still might never do. Trying and not getting there is better than never trying.

I crossed a time/accuracy threshold on a certain drill a few weeks ago. Before I got there, I had to first try. My overall skill level is helped only a little by how I can do on this drill but at least I have experienced something I wouldn't have if I hadn't tried, and now I have more confidence that I'll be able to increase my skills in other ways -- through trying.

On a classifier, I don't want to try shooting at a new personal best skill level. I want to be within my skill level but definitely not messing around and not taking it easy. If I've never gone out and tried hard to stretch my skill level, and am not willing to execute classifiers at or very near the edge of my current ability, I have no hope of raising the bar in my classifier scores.

You TRY in practice, not in a Match.

[my00wrx1]

Do or do not, there is no try - Yoda

I wish Yoda had tried to improve that saying.

Before you can pull a lot of things off, you first must have tried. In some cases, you still might never do. Trying and not getting there is better than never trying.

I crossed a time/accuracy threshold on a certain drill a few weeks ago. Before I got there, I had to first try. My overall skill level is helped only a little by how I can do on this drill but at least I have experienced something I wouldn't have if I hadn't tried, and now I have more confidence that I'll be able to increase my skills in other ways -- through trying.

On a classifier, I don't want to try shooting at a new personal best skill level. I want to be within my skill level but definitely not messing around and not taking it easy. If I've never gone out and tried hard to stretch my skill level, and am not willing to execute classifiers at or very near the edge of my current ability, I have no hope of raising the bar in my classifier scores.

You TRY in practice, not in a Match.

^

Push beyond your current ability in practice, improving your level of ability.

Shoot to your level of ability at a match.

[Reshoot]

Do or do not, there is no try - Yoda

I wish Yoda had tried to improve that saying.

Before you can pull a lot of things off, you first must have tried. In some cases, you still might never do. Trying and not getting there is better than never trying.

I crossed a time/accuracy threshold on a certain drill a few weeks ago. Before I got there, I had to first try. My overall skill level is helped only a little by how I can do on this drill but at least I have experienced something I wouldn't have if I hadn't tried, and now I have more confidence that I'll be able to increase my skills in other ways -- through trying.

On a classifier, I don't want to try shooting at a new personal best skill level. I want to be within my skill level but definitely not messing around and not taking it easy. If I've never gone out and tried hard to stretch my skill level, and am not willing to execute classifiers at or very near the edge of my current ability, I have no hope of raising the bar in my classifier scores.

It cracks me up every time I see someone use that line! The statement is not valid in any way, shape or form. All it is . . . is a fictional line, spoken by a fictional character, in a fictional movie.

Nothing can be accomplished without first trying. We attempt (try) to improve on our past performance in every dry fire session, live fire session and especially during a match.

Thank gawd we don't see the statement as much as we used to!

Edited February 27, 2016 by Reshoot

[Hi-Power Jack]

There are only TWO (2) ways to shoot a Classifier:

1. to demonstrate how good I am - I shoot it like any other stage

2. I want to f**k up, so I shoot very fast or very slowly.

Pick your poison.

[cjdaniel78]

Do or do not, there is no try - Yoda

I wish Yoda had tried to improve that saying.

Before you can pull a lot of things off, you first must have tried. In some cases, you still might never do. Trying and not getting there is better than never trying.

I crossed a time/accuracy threshold on a certain drill a few weeks ago. Before I got there, I had to first try. My overall skill level is helped only a little by how I can do on this drill but at least I have experienced something I wouldn't have if I hadn't tried, and now I have more confidence that I'll be able to increase my skills in other ways -- through trying.

On a classifier, I don't want to try shooting at a new personal best skill level. I want to be within my skill level but definitely not messing around and not taking it easy. If I've never gone out and tried hard to stretch my skill level, and am not willing to execute classifiers at or very near the edge of my current ability, I have no hope of raising the bar in my classifier scores.

It cracks me up every time I see someone use that line! The statement is not valid in any way, shape or form. All it is . . . is a fictional line, spoken by a fictional character, in a fictional movie.

Nothing can be accomplished without first trying. We attempt (try) to improve on our past performance in every dry fire session, live fire session and especially during a match.

Thank gawd we don't see the statement as much as we used to!

You clearly didn't read my next post. You TRY in practice. Why would you try during a classifier? Shoot at your skill level. Don't try to be better than you are during the test by swinging for the fences.

This thread is about classifiers, not training or practice. I standby my statement.

[GunBugBit]

There are only TWO (2) ways to shoot a Classifier:

1. to demonstrate how good I am - I shoot it like any other stage

2. I want to f**k up, so I shoot very fast or very slowly.

Pick your poison.

I admire the clarity of this.

[Delta66]

Grip it and rip it! I really think dry firing builds the reflexes you need to shoot a good classifier.

[FTDMFR]

so what's the Secret to shooting classifiers do you take your time and try for A,s or shoot fast and hope for A and C I have a match with 5 stages and there all classifiers

Watch your sights and call your shots. You'll land where you land.

Edited April 27, 2016 by FTDMFR

[johnbu]

so what's the Secret to shooting classifiers do you take your time and try for A,s or shoot fast and hope for A and C I have a match with 5 stages and there all classifiers

Watch your sights and call your shots. You'll land where you land.

My son and I just started and shot a 6 classifier course as our first event. I shot like the gun was too hot to hold and was quick, but not accurate. He shot with deliberate accuracy, hitting 95% of the total points possible...slowly. We both classed as "C", with him a couple % higher than me.

Both of us need work! But on different areas. Not sure which skill is easier to learn...speed or accuracy, but I'm trying to learn.

Edited April 28, 2016 by johnbu

[BillGarlandJr]

I approach classifier stages like any other stage in a match. For me what's important is to finish well, and God willing, to win matches. If you're pushing on a classifier stage out of a desire to move up in classification and you tank it you risk tanking your match as well. It's just not worth it to me. Practice hard, shoot to your ability and eventually you'll string enough strong classifiers together to move up. That's actually how I ended up getting my GM card in Production. In 2009 I was planning on going to Nationals, so I was very focused, and practicing a bunch to get ready. Over a couple month period I strung enough 95+ classifiers together to earn the card. It wasn't something I was consciously pursuing, and it was a total surprise to me. I was proud of that though in that I just worked hard, shot to my ability at the time and managed to move up in classification without TRYING to do it.

[bradsteimel]

There seems to be a big discrepancy between shooting a classifier (which focuses on strong hand, weak hand, and reloads) versus your weekly uspsa match skills (which require more run and gun). BUT, the amazing thing is... most shooters are pretty close in both genre's. People complain that the do well in the weekly matches, but can't shoot the classifiers; from what i've seen a B shooter in a local match is a B shooter because he hasn't mastered the necessary skills to classifier higher.

Believe me, i'm preaching to myself here! I would love to think i'm a M shooter!

The thing about classifiers is, they only promote shooters to the next lever when they prove competent and can complete basic skills accurately and quickly. Hey, that's USPSA.

Darn, i wish i were faster and more accurate

[Gooldylocks]

There seems to be a big discrepancy between shooting a classifier (which focuses on strong hand, weak hand, and reloads) versus your weekly uspsa match skills (which require more run and gun). BUT, the amazing thing is... most shooters are pretty close in both genre's. People complain that the do well in the weekly matches, but can't shoot the classifiers; from what i've seen a B shooter in a local match is a B shooter because he hasn't mastered the necessary skills to classifier higher.

Believe me, i'm preaching to myself here! I would love to think i'm a M shooter!

The thing about classifiers is, they only promote shooters to the next lever when they prove competent and can complete basic skills accurately and quickly. Hey, that's USPSA.

Darn, i wish i were faster and more accurate

I kinda disagree. You could probably never do any live fire and never move at all during your training and make it to GM with only dryfire. They test very different skills.

I can shoot a stand and shoot classifier pretty well, but that doesn't mean I can shoot that well in a match. I agree that in general, people do shoot pretty close in both genres, but not everyone does because it is so dependant on what you personally train.

[motosapiens]

There seems to be a big discrepancy between shooting a classifier (which focuses on strong hand, weak hand, and reloads) versus your weekly uspsa match skills (which require more run and gun). BUT, the amazing thing is... most shooters are pretty close in both genre's. People complain that the do well in the weekly matches, but can't shoot the classifiers; from what i've seen a B shooter in a local match is a B shooter because he hasn't mastered the necessary skills to classifier higher.

Believe me, i'm preaching to myself here! I would love to think i'm a M shooter!

The thing about classifiers is, they only promote shooters to the next lever when they prove competent and can complete basic skills accurately and quickly. Hey, that's USPSA.

Darn, i wish i were faster and more accurate

I kinda disagree. You could probably never do any live fire and never move at all during your training and make it to GM with only dryfire. They test very different skills.

I can shoot a stand and shoot classifier pretty well, but that doesn't mean I can shoot that well in a match. I agree that in general, people do shoot pretty close in both genres, but not everyone does because it is so dependant on what you personally train.

I sorta disagree with you both.

First off, i'll sorta disagree with bradsteimel.... only minority of classifiers test strong hand weak hand, but so do a minority of match stages (like the standards stage at A1).

Second, I'll sorta disagree with you. While it's true you can conceivably make GM without being able to shoot field courses at a GM level, you would still be shooting field courses at a level far above the average uspsa shooter, because every uspsa stage tests your ability to shoot.

Second, it appears to me that your ability to shoot classifiers correlates extremely well to your match performance.... just like it does for most people. Congrats on a nice finish at Area 1, btw. You were right where I would expect based on your classifier scores.... behind most of the GM's, ahead of most M's and ahead of all except 2 outliers in A class that probably won't be in A class much longer.

[Gooldylocks]

There seems to be a big discrepancy between shooting a classifier (which focuses on strong hand, weak hand, and reloads) versus your weekly uspsa match skills (which require more run and gun). BUT, the amazing thing is... most shooters are pretty close in both genre's. People complain that the do well in the weekly matches, but can't shoot the classifiers; from what i've seen a B shooter in a local match is a B shooter because he hasn't mastered the necessary skills to classifier higher.

Believe me, i'm preaching to myself here! I would love to think i'm a M shooter!

The thing about classifiers is, they only promote shooters to the next lever when they prove competent and can complete basic skills accurately and quickly. Hey, that's USPSA.

Darn, i wish i were faster and more accurate

I kinda disagree. You could probably never do any live fire and never move at all during your training and make it to GM with only dryfire. They test very different skills.

I can shoot a stand and shoot classifier pretty well, but that doesn't mean I can shoot that well in a match. I agree that in general, people do shoot pretty close in both genres, but not everyone does because it is so dependant on what you personally train.

I sorta disagree with you both.

First off, i'll sorta disagree with bradsteimel.... only minority of classifiers test strong hand weak hand, but so do a minority of match stages (like the standards stage at A1).

Second, I'll sorta disagree with you. While it's true you can conceivably make GM without being able to shoot field courses at a GM level, you would still be shooting field courses at a level far above the average uspsa shooter, because every uspsa stage tests your ability to shoot.

Second, it appears to me that your ability to shoot classifiers correlates extremely well to your match performance.... just like it does for most people. Congrats on a nice finish at Area 1, btw. You were right where I would expect based on your classifier scores.... behind most of the GM's, ahead of most M's and ahead of all except 2 outliers in A class that probably won't be in A class much longer.

It was awesome to get to meet you there, I like getting to meet the people of the internet in the real world haha.

Yea I suppose that is true, since all stages require you to be able to shoot (not something I was capable of on day 2, but that is a different issue haha). It does seem of note though that I did very well on the standards (but Theo and Shane crushed it, they went crazy on that stage) compared to most of the larger field courses. So while I agree that if a person was able to make GM without ever shooting live fire, they will shoot better than most people. But they would also most likely shoot the stand and shoot/standards type stages better than they would on the field courses.

I hadn't looked at my total match percentage though, I was within .83% of my current classification. That is pretty incredible to me.