Training Scar and Competition by Tore

[Matt Landfair]

• Tore HaugliA bit long this, but bear with me.
  
  I understand what training scars are - I have taught hundreds of soldiers during my career, and in the beginning of training I would have to correct sloppy techniques and bad habits. Particularly when shooting blanks, or doing drills without ammo (not using their sights, not putting the gun on fire, not looking at their target when shooting and so forth).
  
  I just do not buy the "shooting competition will lead to training scars" argument. Here are some of the more common arguments against competition shooting I see:
  
  "No focus on tactics, only running and gunning".
  This will supposedly affect a shooters decision making and mindset in a tactical setting. How so? If an individual does not manage to separate the two, and all of a sudden starts to apply competition principles to a tactical scenario, it is a TRAINING ISSUE. The individual in question is not at an adequate level of skill when it comes to tactics. It has nothing to do with training scars from competition shooting.
  
  If you are a well rounded shooter, and you attend classes/training that focuses on tactics or problem solving, you won't all of a sudden forget these principles just because you shoot a match every weekend. Yes there are safety rules in place, that won't necessarily apply in a tactical setting, but that is no big deal to adapt to.
  
  "No use of cover, engaging targets fully exposed"
  This sort of crosses over with my first point - it is a sport, and shooting the stage (solving the problem) in the best/fastest way is how it is scored. If that means setting up for a multiple target engagement in an exposed position, then that is the best solution for that stage.
  
  If someone forgets how to utilize cover in a tactical setting, it is again the same TRAINING ISSUE, not shooting a match every now and then.
  
  *Walking through the stage, making a plan for how to shoot it is not realistic*
  Well....in the military, we usually make a plan on how to execute a mission. Sometimes this includes detailed sand tables during the mission brief, and rehearsals in similar terrain if available, prior to executing. We do not "wing it", if we can help it.
  
  Sure, many real life scenarios happen in a time and place not of our choosing, but that is why you have TTP's in place that you practice, train and ingrain over and over, so that you can quickly apply these to the situation you find yourself in. React to contact, react to near ambush, hasty assault etc, these are all skills you need to work on. Shooting competition will not null and void this training what so ever.
  
  These are just some of the common arguments against "gun games".
  
  Then you have the weapons handling and manipulation issue, ref you example on reloads. Most of the top shooters here in Norway use the exact same techniques that the top tactical instructors in the US do. I don't think anyone will give bad advice on how to grip the gun, pull the trigger or use the sights. On the reload technique, it is of course situationally dependent, but I am of the train of thought that:
  
  "when you shoot, you shoot"
  "when you reload, you reload"
  "when you move, you move"
  
  Combining movement with the other two can be done, but I would rather reload from behind cover before moving, or move to cover before reloading - if I go winchester. With regards to shooting on the move, target distance and size will dictate.
  
  Some people also criticize the use of race guns, race holsters, custom reloads for lower power factor etc. If that is an issue, or you don't care for the "gamey" equipment, shoot what you carry for duty or CCW, and just see how you do with that gear. That is why they have different divisions, so that a stock Glock 17 won't have to compete against a tuned 2011 racer. However, regardless of the equipment, a shooter has to perform. A $2000 gun won't help you if you suck.
  
  At my last match, the Nordic Open Division Championships, I finished in 15th place in Standard Division (same as USPSA Limited), shooting 70% of the winner, using a mostly stock Glock 34 (in minor!) drawing from a Blade-Tech OWB holster. I beat out several guys shooting high end STI/SVI guns, shooting major power factor.
  
  The one thing I do agree on, is that solely shooting competition is not going to set you up for success in the tactical realm, as you will lack that aspect of training.
  
  To sum up, advising people against shooting competition, in order to avoid "training scars" is not something that holds water - from my perspective.

 

[jmatt511]

There is a huge difference between training and competition. That being said, there is also a lot of intersect. Most of the top trainers out there have been involved in competition to a high degree of success. And some of the "game boys" out there fit into the tactical world with a lot of information and competence. The military community realized this and brought in the top competition players to teach the Spec Ops community a different way to be high speed and low drag. Each world has it's good and bad points. We shooters out there need to take what we can use in each world and discard what is not relevant to our own situation. It's good to have a full tool box. We just need to be better about how we use the tools and not get locked into institutional dogma just because we never did it that way before.

 

[rob_s]

I'm still waiting for the documented case of a competition shooter having a less than desirable outcome in a gunfight due to competition habits.

 

[jmatt511]

I'm still waiting for the documented case of a competition shooter having a less than desirable outcome in a gunfight due to competition habits.

Rob, while I don't have a problem with competition, I find it hard to equate competition (dry runs through a stage, rehearsing shot series and magazine changes) with the unknown dynamics of an actual gun fight. I know of a few competitors who did well in actual gun fights (Jim Cirillo comes to mind), but only because they slowed down and made accurate shots rather than blazing away to meet split times. But that's just my perspective.

 

[rob_s]

I don't disagree with any of that.

But given the general wailing and gnashing of teeth of the "competition will get you killed on the streets" crowd one would expect at least ONE example of same. Yet, instead, what we have over and over again is examples of people with competition shooting experience that have prevailed in their gunfights.

 

[Matt Landfair]

I found the competition will get you killed idea a cop out - cops dont like getting out shot

 

[ptrlcop]

Competition teaches you things about the mental side of performance that I'm not sure you can get anywhere else.

When I went to basic SWAT I knew within 5 min on the range I was the best pistol shooter in the class, no question. When we were doing drills I was getting better hits than anyone before they were even out of the holster. Then we got to a head to head shoot off. I was against the class “that guy” and I smiled to myself at how bad I was going to embarrass him…..until I started missing…and then missing faster… and then lost

It wasn't until later that I figured out why I was sucking in competition settings. I had an outcome based mentality vs a performance based focus. I was thinking about winning and losing not sights and trigger.

Sometimes I wonder how many people have lost gun fights thinking about shit that didn't matter(never seeing your family again or shit like that) vs thinking about the task at hand.

 

[PM07]

I shoot at least one Match a month If not more, IDPA and USPSA. I use my duty gun and gear. I have absolutely 100% confidence in the fact that shooting competition will/does make me a better shooter but does not make me less tactically proficient. I started shooting these types of events long before I started travelling down the MIL/LEO road .

 

[ScottPM09]

When PM07 and I go to the matches (whenever I get a chance to join him), we are pretty much on the same page on the execution of the individual courses of fire for IDPA. Winning a competition would be awesome, but we generally decide to use it more as a training seminar, constantly critiquing each other's runs as we go through. Sure, by using "tactics" rather than "gaming it", we lose some time and may possibly get some points added at the end, but I think we walk off the range being a little bit better than we did when we came on.

For me, I know for a fact that these competitions help. With having a spotter critiquing me on the tactical side, I avoid, for the most part, any "gaming" type activities that the competition draws you into. Problem solved.

As for walk-throughs, this is based on the individual performing it. For me, my "walk-through" consists of finding out which way I need to go in order to engage all the targets and not get lost on the range. Note: this does not mean counting the targets or finding out how many I need to engage at *this* spot. I pie the corners while on the clock to handle that aspect.
I'm not saying to ignore the rules of the match, but LEO/Mil tactics can be easily added in when doing IDPA and other competitions. You are simply not likely to walk away with any competition trophies though...which is fine by me.

 

[Turkishroy]

It's nice to see guys show up to IDPA in their duty gear to shoot. Unfortunately, they don't always do that well, and over half don't return. Another half that do, ditch their duty gear for much faster rigs.

It disappoints me to see that happen. Performing poorly is often a huge turn off and not every one takes it as an incentive to improve, especially when there's a dozen or more regular Joe's with a few years of trigger time in the sport making them look bad.

As someone with zero formal training, I saw a real improvement in my shooting just by not giving up to the anxiety of performing poorly in front of a crowd and coming back to each match ready to try again. Trigger time alone will help you feel and see so much when you shoot. I easily went from quickly mashing the trigger in the general direction of a target to really seeing my slide rise and fall on target transitions and feeling
the sear wall right before I break a shot. I never thought I'd actually find the performance limitation of a gun until the first time I felt the excessive pre travel of my m&p trigger while shooting doubles. It's not something you can just read about, you have to experience it and the trigger time will get you there if you stick with it.

The competition guys are some of the nicest and most helpful people you can shoot with. I've never had anyone of higher skill talk down to me. Every single shooter wants a better competition. I've stood shoulder to shoulder with the best in my local matches and discussed how to negotiate a stage, where the most efficient reload will be, where the toughest shots would be without the slightest thought to giving up an advantage.

Bravado aside, you do yourself a disservice without seeking out and trying some competitive venue. Not to tout IDPA as the end all be all of pistol games, but the emphasis on cover use and accuracy over raw speed makes it at least somewhat more tactically sound than ipsc or uspsa. It's not my line of work to use my weapon, but I've handily out shot plenty of people who's job it is and at times that bothers me.

Also before anyone chimes in about the fact that I openly admit to a lack of training, I'm working on finding a class I can budget and attend because I do recognize that my basic or even moderately advanced skill doesn't mean someone of been there done that caliber can't teach me something that all the competitive shooting in the world cannot.