I have been into IDPA for a few months now, and thoroughly enjoy it. Like most, I compete with a shooting vest open in the front, and drawing by simply sweeping the vest back out of the way with the strong hand. However it makes me wonder what kind of potentially harmful habits this is creating, considering I carry concealed on a daily basis with clothing that requires the support hand to grab and pull the clothing up out of the way. These are two very different drawing techniques, and obviously it would be less than desirable to attempt the IDPA competion method in a life or death situation while wearing regular clothing.

So what do others think? Do you sacrifice a quicker draw in competion and compete with clothing similar to what you wear everyday to avoid creating bad habits?

My guess is speed draws from a beep don't happen in the real world.

Not being sarcastic either. You will either see and anticipate the threat, be blindsided, or perhaps be an observer to someone else being blind sided. In all of those, your draw will not be sub one second.  You will see, assess, and act more likely than not.

Shoot IDPA to be competitive and train once in awhile with your carry clothes. With practice and competition, getting a proper grip on the gun will become natural no matter how you get the cloths out of the way. Drawing the gun is only one of a few steps needed to hit the target. Competition will reduce your time to complete the all the steps no matter how you choose to shoot it.

There is people that say competition makes bad habits. What they don't consider is most people that carry for self defense will hardly or never practice. This is why you read stories of people shooting in self defense and hardly hit or miss the bad guy threatening their life. You have already reduced the time to draw and fire in your carry clothes by competing in your vest.

Guess I am screwed as I shoot open in USPSA.

op I've something like this happen take a normal glock shooter that switches back to a 1911, usally first time out of the beep they go fubar till they recall the 1911 has a thumb saftey.

Nothing prevents you from shooting IDPA in your regular clothes occasionally.

I think you're overthinking it.

If you think you are forming bad habits and you don't like them, then wear a garmet that draws the same as the way you carry. Or, adjust the way you carry to be like how you draw when you compete.

Or .... train on both.

If you want to be good at IDPA competition and win matches, then you need to set up your gear the best way to win. If you use it as practice for the way you carry, then you need to adjust accordingly.

Honestly, once you get good enough it's not that hard to switch between them.

I'm the opposite. Thumb naturally goes to where the safety is. If it's a 1911 or similar, safety is swept off as part of the presentation. If it's a Glock or similar, the thumb goes to the same place. No problem.

But when I've been shooting 1911s much, switching back to a squishy Glock trigger always takes some transition time.

How much are you really gaining by using a fishing vest? I can draw with a t shirt or polo shirt in 1.5 seconds, best i can do without is 1 second. So for me i am adding a total of 2.5 or 3 seconds to my overall time assuming 5 to 6 stages.

1.5 from under a shirt t0 first shot on target, good job.

Who said anything about shots on target

 

IMHO the IDPA reload with retention is the worst habit

If I've got 2-3 rounds left in a 15 round M&P mag, who fucking cares if it hits the ground.

        I agree with that.  

        As for the OP's question I compete with a t-shirt which is what I typically wear as a cover garment in Florida anyway.  I don't think it slows me down much as I usually win my class or come in second.  Of course my class is not expert level but I can hope one day to get up there.

Why not just shoot to slide lock?

 

I'm an old IPSC shooter

It doesn't make sense to come around a wall or something, and start blasting 4 targets with 2-3 rounds left in your pistol

In IPSC, you can reload on the move, and drop half empty mags on the ground, without some Walter Sobchak RO having a fit  


two different games, I started in IPSC, and like it a lot better

Two way to look at this.

1) It is nothing but a game and you should do your best to win the game.
2) It is used for real life practice...in this case do it the way you would in real life.  

Remember...games don't always build good life skills.  You may very well be developing a bad habit or two.  

Only you can decide what is best for you in this case "grasshopper".

For me, I shoot IPSC.
In production I shoot a Glock, and in Standard I shoot a double stack 1911.
The only issues I have when I have swapped between them after a competitive season are : Presenting the pistol to Insert magazines (seem slightly off angle and awkward), and rushing (crunching the trigger) the second shot of a 'double tap' from the glock.
They have different holsters and configuration. I have never had any other issues, ie safety location, mag release, different point of aim, grabbing for gear that isn't there, running the gun dry. (different capacities)


I also own two cars one with a manual transmission, and one with an automatic transmission,One has ABS, one doesn't.
I have never confused the two. Even in emergency situations with either car I have reacted appropriately for the car.
For me the answer is :
*  Don't over think it, It induces doubt, and that doubt will be your undoing.
*  Practice (drive) both often. You will learn both, and then you will 'know' both.

I shot last weekend's IDPA match in my "regular clothes (baggy sweatshirt)" and didn't think twice about it.

Here's my .02

If you want to "play the game" of IDPA, then you're running for times.

If you want to "train for defensive carry", then dress how you do daily, shoot the same gun you carry daily, etc. and forget about the times.

If you really want to train vs game, you have to only use the times as a tool against yourself, NOT in comparison to others.

An example is this past weekend a local gun club had a classifier. Comparing my last classifier to the most recent: I shaved 3 seconds off my total time and improved my "down count" by 12. Meaning, not only did I shoot faster, but i also shot more accurately.

However, compared to another shooter whom I shot with this last weekend. He shot 23 seconds faster than I, however, his "down count" was 40 to my 29. In the "game" of IDPA, he 'won.' But here's the rub: I shoot IDPA with a XDS 3.3" .45 with FMJ Ball ammo, a 7 round magazine, from an IWB holster and open from button down shirt. Which is what I carry and how I dress every single day(except I carry Critical Defense ammo and I do not carry spare mags...but I can't afford 90 rounds of Critical Defense rounds and I have to have spare mags for the classifier) The other guy, he shot a gun that pushed all the limits IDPA puts out, including 'power factor' with his reloads. He's 'playing the game', and I use it as a training tool.

When I want to 'play the game,' I shoot USPSA in Open class running as close to 165 power factor as I can possibly get with my reloads.

2 totally different worlds, IMO