Best USPSA instructor

[Chuck Anderson]

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

My standard answer is that if you've stopped learning you should get out of the game. Take guys like TGO. He's been around so long he's changed his technique several times. I know he doesn't shoot the same way he did in the 1930's when he started out. A lot of these top level professionals have the range time, ammo and ability to try a variety of techniques and tactics. Much more than even the average GM. It's been a couple years since I took a class, but the last one was after I finished 4th at Nationals. Still learned a lot from Dave Sevigny.

How much you learn will depend on what you know and who you take the class from. Some instructors are very good at teaching you the fundamentals of marksmanship. Some excellent at movement. Some aren't the best shooters in the world but can teach you how to break down as stage to maximize you performance. Make an honest assesment of your skills and make your pick based on your weakest attribute. If you shoot really fast and accurate, but still keep getting beat, figure out how to break a stage down. If you can't hit a 40 yard popper to save your life, go take a marksmanship class. If you've hit a plateau and need to do something to improve a class can really help motivate you to that next level.

I would say that the more you progress the less benefit you'll see out of most classes. If you're a B class shooter it's easy to go take a class and bump up to A. If you're already a GM you may only pick up one, two, maybe three things. But if it's three things you wouldn't have figured out on your own and you gain a percent or two, well that's worth it to me.

That said I've taken classes from several of the best in the business. Each has their strengths and weaknesses. I won't go into a lot of detail on most of them since several I haven't trained with in years.

Frank Garcia Universal Shooting Academy (best instructor for teaching you how to train on your own)

Travis Thomasie (taught me target transitions are more important than split times)

Eric Graufel (excellent movement and accuracy...note he uses a very different grip than any other shooter I've trained with)

Dave Sevigny (movement)

Mike Seeklander (best prepared instructor...taught me more about how to teach than shooting, but I took a very basic class from him)

Insights Training Academy Intensive Handgun Skills course (awesome course. Still need to get it on my schedule to go back.)

I'd like to take a training course from Michel, Horner, Bragg, Strader and TGO in no particular order.

[wurm]

There are no secrets.

This is exactly what somebody with a secret would say

I have been seriously thinking of getting some professional training as of late. After watching a couple of top level GMs shoot this past season I have come to realize I have a long way to go. You guys are giving me a lot of ideas.