Physical Requirements - IDPA vs IPSC

[DancesWithSquirrels]

I've only got some limited experience with IDPA at our local club. The stages are limited due to the size and capacity of our indoor range. We have a good bunch of shooters and I always enjoy the matches. But this year I want to get out and particpate more in my area in other clubs' matches including maybe some IPSC. But I have one thing I have to be concerned about. I don't have the physical mobility I used to due to age and other factors. Getting down behind low cover and getting back up again is my biggest problem. I had heard that the IPSC courses of fire tend to be more physically demanding than IDPA. So far locally I haven't encountered anything I can't handle other than slightly slowing me down.

What does anyone with experience in both areas feel about this? Which of the disciplines makes more physical demands on the shooter?

DWS

[dirtypool40]

I see more kneeling and odd positions at our local IDPA than at our local USPSA matches.

Come out, have fun, you'll love it!!! The shots are tougher, the courses are longer and freestyle. Only drawback is you don't get the "bedtime story" with each stage and in most cases you have to figure them out for yourself. More of a test of your shooting and less of a "training scenario" environment.

[Steve J]

I've only got some limited experience with IDPA at our local club. The stages are limited due to the size and capacity of our indoor range. We have a good bunch of shooters and I always enjoy the matches. But this year I want to get out and particpate more in my area in other clubs' matches including maybe some IPSC. But I have one thing I have to be concerned about. I don't have the physical mobility I used to due to age and other factors. Getting down behind low cover and getting back up again is my biggest problem. I had heard that the IPSC courses of fire tend to be more physically demanding than IDPA. So far locally I haven't encountered anything I can't handle other than slightly slowing me down.

What does anyone with experience in both areas feel about this? Which of the disciplines makes more physical demands on the shooter?

DWS

If you go at your own pace you shouldn't have a problem. Depending on the club USPSA matches may tend to be longer with a higher round count per stages with more movement on each stage, but how fast you go is up to you. In USPSA you tend to have to squat more to shoot through lower ports, but in IDPA you're required to go to your knees. Some of us find one less physically demanding than the other. I think you'll like both if you enjoy shooting and don't mind going at your own pace... not trying to run with the young guns.

[p99shooter]

The current IPDA rulebook has the following in the section regarding course design rules:

CoF 5. Avoid designing courses of fire that will substantially

disadvantage senior and mobility-challenged shooters.

Stages also have limits on distance between shooting positions and total movement during the course of fire.

Yeah, we do tend to have more shooting from kneeling or even prone positions, but any decent stage designer will make sure that a kneeling or prone position is the LAST position for the stage. That way, time taken getting up doesn't count againt you.

[Flexmoney]

In either sport, it will be about the stage design. That will be dependent on the particular club and who is designing the stages that month. Each match (regardless of sport) will tend to have some of it's own flavor.

[Ron Ankeny]

Each match (regardless of sport) will tend to have some of it's own flavor.

Absolutely. Our club has a bunch of folks on Team Geritol. When we have to go down, we do it at the end where we don't have to get up right away. That doesn't sound quite right does it?

[Steve J]

In either sport, it will be about the stage design. That will be dependent on the particular club and who is designing the stages that month. Each match (regardless of sport) will tend to have some of it's own flavor.

Absolutely true. I've shot a club level IDPA match where you had to take a knee and shoot, get up and shoot some more, take a knee again, shoot then go prone and shoot. That's not easy on anyone of any age who's ever injured a knee, but it happens. Just this Sunday I shot a club level USPSA match that had a prone port at the start position followed by a field course. Almost eveyone complained about having to get down and get back up.

[Jay870]

This is one of the things I like about the "blue book" as it makes a provision for reduced penalization when you have a shooter who unable to assume certain positions.

We have quite a few older guys who shoot at our club who can drill out an A-zone with the best of them, but some of the odd-ball positions are really tough on them.