I am taking this is as a huge learning experience. My son Joshua (11) and I went to our first ever USPSA match. I mulled the entire match over many times on the way home. There were 62 shooters for the match, and 25 for Production division. I was using my XD-9 that I have had for about 6 years, and my son was using my CZ-75B. Final scores put me in D class with a 34%.
About halfway though my very first stage I had my XD lock up so tight we almost had to get a mallet to get the live round out of the chamber. After I looked at the round I found that it was a reload, not mine, and I did not catch it when I loaded up the magazine. I figure someone tossed it in my box at some point thinking it was. It was not sized correctly. The rest of the match went very poorly for me shooting wise. I normally will drop 1 or 2 for an entire match (club level), but over half my shots were out of the A zone today. More on that in a minute.
Joshua did fairly well today and did not drop that many points on the stages.
Pro: We came away with no extra holes, and I did not get DQ'd. Joshua had a good time.
Con: I, and Joshua, were repeatedly told what we were doing incorrectly. This is not a bad thing, just that there was a LOT of it. Of course Joshua gets his from me because I am the one that taught him. So, I found myself trying very hard not to break the rules and to heck with the front sight and if they were lined up was a result, along with my poor grip coming back (more later). I was told several times that we could have been DQ'd but they let it go since we were new. I am guessing that at the club level that we have been shooting, which is more of a 'fun' type shoot, has allowed bad form to set it or never get noticed.
Learning to be done: When moving, do not lower the muzzle of the weapon, keep it horizontal. This was a big one for us. It is what I was taught to do, and is evidently a big no-no. I also tip the pistol over too far when I do reloads and they want it to be close to vertical. I should stop getting so flustered and remember to keep on the front sight. Watching the front sight is a must, and getting my better grip ingrained needs to be done.
I have nowhere to go but up. Heck, I can't get much lower. I do have a timer coming, but there are a lot of basics that I need to cover first before shooing and speed is not one of them. Good or bad, almost all these issues can be done without actual shooting. I have to readjust my practice planning. I had purchased the training book my Mike Seeklander, and have spent 2 months working on my grip and shooting of the XD. The XD is a very poor shooter in my hands, but if I grip it just right, and concentrate, I can do ok with it. I am determined to use it this year and I am shooting NONE of my other pistols while I work on it. I have over 2000 firing repetitions that I have done wrong just in the last 2 months, so now I have to get forming new correct habits.
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