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Best USPSA instructor


rtr

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I am hoping to organize a class in my area sometime this year.

We have had a few instructors do classes over the last couple years, all of them very good.

The best instructor in my opinion was Manny Bragg.

So I'm especially interested in the opinions of people who have an instructor that they think is as good as or perhaps better than Manny. But all input is welcome.

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Matt Burkett, without a doubt. I've taken a one day group w/ Max, and he's good, as well. I recommend both of these guys to my students.

Manny is on my short list of guys to spend a day with, if I can ever work it out with our schedules, and in a way that's affordable... ;)

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I have had the pleasure of taking two of Matt Burkett's classes and learned alot. I am not sure he is still doing pistol classes. But I would suggest one if he does. There are so many good sources these days, it makes it kinda difficult to decide. But I have been looking at taking a class from USSA with Phil Strader and Mike Seeklander for some time.

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I have taken a class from Matt. I did go up one level in classification within a year of taken his class.

I consider Matt a friend and would recommend him.

Additionally, I have talked with the following GMs to gain training information and shooting tips:

Matt Burkett

Taran Butler

Max Michel

Travis Tomasie

Chris Tilley

Phil Strader

Mike Seeklander

Manny Bragg

Ted Puente

Mark Hanish

(Don Golembieski and TGO-generally unavailable)

All of these guys are great. They each have a different style. You can not go wrong with any one of these guys. I am sure there are other excellent trainers, I just have not interacted with them. I would not hesitate to recommend any of those GMs. They all are excellent communicators. This ability is the most important characteristic! I know many great shooters who can not tell you HOW to improve just WHAT needs improvement. Articulating the process, HOW to perform is the most critical success factor.

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I think Matt Burkett will provide everything you'd need for a broad spectrum of shooters. I've done group training with him and even a private weekend. I can honestly say that it's through him I shortened the learning curve in this sport.

I now go to Mike Voigt for a lot of my training. He and I are on the same page on a lot of things, consider him a friend and he answers the phone. I've tried calling Taran, but he's usually pretty busy and I get the voice mail or his brother.

I would like to try working with Max/Travis, Eric G., Manny and of course TGO.

Dave (XRe) is another gentleman HIGH on my list of folks I want to work with on a weekend.

Rich

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  • 2 years later...

I have seen few educational DVDs among those dvd I can tell that Saul Kirch is probably is the best but too bad He lives in Europe.

But this is what I always hear from folks I shoot with that Manny Bragg is for them is the best . those are guys who experience taking instruction from numerous super GM / I was told that He tend to take his class from level to level : (you have to take his first course before moving to the next) . I have limited time and money to spend for this kind of class ... so I made some research I decided it has to be a 1:1 training . someone who shoot the same gun as I do ... Glock .

I finally end up contacting Robert Vogel because of few reasons ... He is the best Production shooter , He is the best Glock shooter , and the bonus part is He is just within driving distance from where I am ... He lives in Ohio. I learned how he train . the reasons for his movements. He share to me what He do to gain advantage on every little things that most of us dont even see. He is certainly a very smart and a very nice person. my $600 training turned out to be a great investment. this young fellow pointed me to right direction. He is beyond my expectation.

I wish I can say that I wanted to take another class with him . But I truelly believe that I dont need anyomore training from anyone . He gave me all the foundations that I need . I just have to do now is to keep it building.

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I have taken a class from Eric Grauffel and his dad! excellent, strict and solid foundation in IPSC training. His method is different compared to Matt Burkett as I have seen and adopted all his videos when I started. Second on my list is Manny as he use to be a teacher from what I heard.

Edited by shooterbenedetto
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EIS training with Chris Keen and Micah Barcelo. Excellent training, great feedback and continuing support. Couldn't recommend it more! Very match oriented.

Did a two day group with Manny, EXCELLENT!!

Did a movement class with Matt Cheely. 4 summers ago. I don't know if Matt still does training, I learned a ton.

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Phil Strader is a excellent instructor. I won my first pistol major match "wood" during the class which included shooting the match as a squad, and moved up a class the next month. I'm still imporving by practicing the things that I learned in the class.

I have previously won Plaque's and Trophys in Carbine and 3 Gun matches, but not with my pistol shooting.

Edited by CocoBolo
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Mike Seeklander has refined his class format over the last couple of years, and I think he has a really great teaching system right now. I would highly recommend it. His published books that go along with the class will keep you organized and focused.

Randy

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I just finished a class with Manny and it was pretty amazing what he could do for me in 2 days. Having someone watch and be able to diagnose my problems, then give me a way to fix them was very valuable. I still have to do the work but I now have the tools.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've only trained with a few people, but the class with Manny was way above and beyond anything I expected. He changed the way I think about the sport, and gave me a ton of tools to use to help myself figure things out as questions arise down the road. I walked away a better shooter, but more importantly, a smarter and better prepared competitor. A final note - at no point during the class was it ever about his ego, it was just about making everyone a better shooter.

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Out of curiosity, at what level is a shooter past the point of really benifiting from personal instruction like this?

I think at a certain level you move beyond paying for instruction, and it's just a bunch of really good shooters getting together to share tips and tricks. But it's not like the top GMs ever just decide that they are at the level where they're better off living in a vacuum and never learning from another shooter ever again...

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That is what I meant, the paying for it part. I understand that shooting will always be a constant process of observation and learning. I just wonder at what level are you better off spending your money on ammo/matches vs a class or some one on one time with a high GM.

This is probably another "depends on the shooter" question.

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I took a class with Chris Tilley and loved every painful minute of it.

He made me shoot 1200 rds in 8 hours and I was begging to stop at the end.

I learned a lot from him, but the most important thing I learned was...

There are no secrets.

(I also learned that his driver's license should be torn up and set on fire, but that's a different story. That makes 2 funny Chris Tilley stories, right Flex?)

A lot of this class stuff will depend on the kind of learner you are, and that may help dictate whose class you should take.

I'm a curious learner...tell me to do something and I'll ask "why?" before you finish the sentence.

Some people can be told exactly what to do and don't question it.

Some shooters do very, very well with undefinable technique. (TGO comes to mind)

Other shooters are far more regimented and as such can be emulated. (Max comes to mind)

Others are just awesome at Duckwalking. (Back to Tilley)

In closing, if you decide to take a class, be prepared to practice your ass off with your new knowledge, as that is the real benefit.

There are no secrets.

Edited by Steve Anderson
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