Duane Thomas Posted May 5, 2003 Share Posted May 5, 2003 I'm practicing the IDPA classifier, and I'm losing an immense amout of time on my transitions on the head shots and the demi-El Prezes. I understand the whole bit about snapping the eyes to the next target in advance of the gun, snapping the gun over and then braking to let the gun float into place. My question is: when do you start the braking? How soon before the gun reaches the target? Just as it crosses into brown? How hard should you "snap" and decelerate? Any tips or tricks to transition fast but still have the gun stop right in the center of the target would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Di Vita Posted May 5, 2003 Share Posted May 5, 2003 I would be amiss if I didn't say this...transitions are one of the least important things to worry about in the classifier. However, to answer your questions: There's no set place I start braking. The best answer I can give is for you to start slowing down at the last possible instant which still allows you to arrive smoothly on target. The trick to having your gun stop dead center in the target is to just snap your eyes to the location you want your gun to go. After you find the place with your eyes, everything else just seems to work itself out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Anderson Posted May 5, 2003 Share Posted May 5, 2003 For me, it is an issue resolved in dry fire. (big surprise ) I have no idea what the IDPA classifier looks like, but if I wanted to ace it I'd set it up in the basement and establish a par time for every portion and/or the whole thing. I need to be a second faster in dry fire than I need on the line to be comfortable. I get there by decreasing the par time a smidge when it gets easy. This relates to your question as follows: If I do a drill enough times, I become a third party observer and can very easily spot wasted time. After getting close to my time goal the draw/reload has become automatic, my body is humming along at max, and the eyes are just watching. (it must be like Sting's 8 hour... ahem..."sessions") It's an incredible confidence builder for me. If you set it up and run it dry every night for a week (10 times or so) you'll find out what it takes and when/where/how to slow that gun down. SA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted May 5, 2003 Share Posted May 5, 2003 Jake: Wow, I can't believe you said, "...transitions are one of the least important things to worry about in the classifier." Kind of suprised me there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Di Vita Posted May 5, 2003 Share Posted May 5, 2003 Ron, The reason I said that is because a few months ago I always used to rush my transitions because I thought I was losing too much time there. Each time I usually broke a C or a D just because I rushed the shot. Obviously gaining a tenth on each transition is not worth shooting a C every shot (it took me a long time to realize this). With experience, transitions work themselves out. Also like Steve said, dry firing helps a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted May 5, 2003 Share Posted May 5, 2003 Duane, There is some great stuff here already. What Jake has said is worth a second look. Going by your post, it sounds as if you are trying to go fast. Which, of course, is not possible. Work it out in dry-fire (mostly) and live-fire. LET IT HAPPEN. There is no way you can shoot your best unless you are relaxed...not trying. A couple of things to watch for... - Square up to the targets in such a way that you aren't swinging to far from your center. - Ensure that you completely call the last shot...before you whip the eyes to the next target. - Since you aren't shooting Open, make absolutely sure that...after you snap the eyes and the gun is coming on target...make absolutely sure that you pull your focus back to the front sight. TRUST you speed to be what it is. ENSURE that you shoot a perfectly accurate shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted May 5, 2003 Share Posted May 5, 2003 Guys, we are talking the IDPA classifier here. To me success on this classifier is largely dependent on the first shot (lots of presentations) and transitions to the "down zero zone". Duane: On the "failure drill" I ride the recoil to the upper zone and manipulate the trigger just as soon as I am sure of the relationship of the sights to the scoring surface. Having said that, it seems like the last portion of the classifier is where most guys blow it. Get those hits at long yardage and don't waste any time shooting around that freaking barrel, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vluc Posted May 5, 2003 Share Posted May 5, 2003 Don't know if you have this, but it will help you focus on what to practice on: Classifier tips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted May 5, 2003 Share Posted May 5, 2003 I'm pretty good at transitions and I am not conscious of any braking or slowing of the gun. I just whip it to the next target's A zone. I got very aggressive in dry firing, then applied that aggression to live fire practice. Visualize the gun on the next target, not moving to it. Call that shot and move the gun as you look for the next A zone. In slo-mo video, I'm moving it while it is still cycling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted May 6, 2003 Share Posted May 6, 2003 What Jake said at the beginning pretty much wrapped it up. It's one of those things that works itself out with practice, as long as your intent is to "get the gun stopped on the next target as quickly as possible." be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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