First IDPA Match 2009

I shot my first IDPA match at Big Darby Creek last weekend and I had a blast! I’d been training through the winter months, so I felt like I had significantly progressed. I was really anticipating doing well and the final match results gave me a big boost.

My adhoc winter training comprised of about 5 USPSA matches, dryfire about 3 times a week and a few trips to the New Albany range. I know my game overall has improved, but some of the biggest improvements are reloads and speed through a stage. I’m sure other areas of my game have also improved but they’re harder for me to see.

But the biggest improvement of all is my mental approach. I read With Winning In Mind, by Lanny Bassham and I have to say that it’s an amazing book. It really helped shaped my mental game and I have a new approach to shooting and what I think before, during and right after I perform.

The match was fairly easy with pretty close targets, 2 swingers and no steel. When shooting, I didn’t really think about speed, I was focusing on sight picture, but I felt like I was rocketing between positions. In fact, on my second run of one stage, I had the fastest time of the day. Last year I qualified as a marksman in CDP, but I beat an ESP master, several experts and others who were usually much quicker than me last year. But this is the new me, I’m faster, more confident and accurate than I have ever been.

I won CDP and overall finished 3rd behind two people shooting 9mm. I’m really happy with my first CDP win and overall result. I will continue this through this season.

After the match one of the other SOs let me try out his new Springfield loaded in 9mm and wow, it was sweet. I put controlled pairs in the A zone of an IDPA target so quickly that it even almost surprised me, but then I had to say to myself, “that’s just like me”.

So of course now I’m considering trading one of my guns to fund the purchase of a 9mm, or perhaps I’ll convert my para to 9mm, hmmm….