USPSA Class Advancement

[Ontarget]

OK, I'm a D Production shooter. It would be nice to move up from D Class to C Class in something. So in which USPSA Division would be easiest to make C Class? Thank you.

[boz1911]

It's all relative. If you're shooting production now, stick with it and keep practicing. Classifier skills are easily improved with a good dryfire program.

[G-ManBart]

It's all relative. If you're shooting production now, stick with it and keep practicing. Classifier skills are easily improved with a good dryfire program.

+1

With Steve Anderson's first book and a couple of hours a week working with it should be all it takes to quickly go up one class. R,

[Chills1994]

pardon another plug for a Steve Andersen book, but IIRC, his 2nd dry fire book has about 80 to 90 pages of shooting/competition wisdom that I wish I had around to read like 10 years ago.

There have been several things that I had learned via the School of Hard Knocks at matches that...well... I wish I hadn't learned at matches.

PM sent.

[uscbigdawg]

I won't say a couple of hours a week wouldn't help, but frankly is a bit unrealistic for most folks.

The biggest change I think you'll find is from a committed amount of practice per day. Like Steve Anderson says in his book, even if it's 10-15 minutes per day, every day, just like practicing an instrument, you'll find that 15 minutes turns in to 20, to 30 and so on.

Committed practice and compound that with a critical and honest evaluation of your performance will lead to huge and rapid gains.

Rich

[G-ManBart]

I won't say a couple of hours a week wouldn't help, but frankly is a bit unrealistic for most folks.

The biggest change I think you'll find is from a committed amount of practice per day. Like Steve Anderson says in his book, even if it's 10-15 minutes per day, every day, just like practicing an instrument, you'll find that 15 minutes turns in to 20, to 30 and so on.

Committed practice and compound that with a critical and honest evaluation of your performance will lead to huge and rapid gains.

Rich

That's what I meant when I said a couple of hours per week of dry fire. I think most folks can find 20-30min four or five times a week if they really want to. In fact, that's better than trying to do a couple of hours straight on any given day. One bite at a time seems to work better for almost everybody. R,

[shootingchef]

with practice and range time, your classifications will improve.

But be mindful of what percentages you need for the desired classification. I screwed up, shot one or two classifiers way above average and now I am going to Master class without ever having won a 1st place at a major match as a A class shooter. Which was a goal of mine. I shoot a consistent 82% at major matches, but do better on stand and deliver classifiers. I am not a Master class shooter, Yet.

[EatMeerkats]

with practice and range time, your classifications will improve.

But be mindful of what percentages you need for the desired classification. I screwed up, shot one or two classifiers way above average and now I am going to Master class without ever having won a 1st place at a major match as a A class shooter. Which was a goal of mine. I shoot a consistent 82% at major matches, but do better on stand and deliver classifiers. I am not a Master class shooter, Yet.

Agreed. I moved up to B class earlier this year without ever having finished at the top of C class at a major match. So far, I've missed out on 3 plaques at major matches as a result, and I'm getting the tar beat out of me in B. It's not even that I'm a bad B shooter, more that half of A class is in B. Don't be in such a hurry to move up until you know you're ready.

[Ontarget]

Thanks, everyone, for your replies. Is "Refinement and Repetition" the book you are recommending? Do I also need his other book, "Principles of Performance"? Thank you. I plan to try one or both of them.

[boz1911]

Thanks, everyone, for your replies. Is "Refinement and Repetition" the book you are recommending? Do I also need his other book, "Principles of Performance"? Thank you. I plan to try one or both of them.

Both are good, Refinement and Repetition, is the one for dryfire.

http://www.brianenos.com/store/books.html

[Singlestack]

If you shoot all the points in every classifier you shoot you can't help but move up. See your sights on every shot. Never push the speed of the shot. Do every thing else fast as you can but make sure every shot lands in the "A" zone and you will be "B" before you know it.

[wide45]

Forget about the classification. Work on improving you score, and you can't help but move up.

Winning your Class at a major match is a questionable goal. If you can beat all the other "B's", you should be an "A". There is no honor in holding a classification that is beneath your ability.

[G-ManBart]

Forget about the classification. Work on improving you score, and you can't help but move up.

While I don't think a shooter's classification should be their primary focus, it's not a bad goal to get better and move up. If someone starts to fixate on moving up it can be bad, but kept in the proper perspective I can't see it hurting anything.

For me, I want to move up, but I really evaluate my performance based on my big match results. R,

[shootingchef]

I got a taste of the contingency money from STI, now I stand a slim chance of seeing any of that for a while. It's a old argument about classifications, I know that I am a good A class, but now I have to play in Master class because I can shoot standing still. Just don't ask me to run or go for a low port, might as well hand me my ass and save the embarrassment.

[uscbigdawg]

Oh...and another thing. To hell with classifications. I think they're stupid to begin with. Become a better shooter PERIOD and your classifications will go up accordingly. Remember...the guy that wins his class, didn't win the match. I'd rather win the match.

Rich