Going into class "cold"

[SHIVAN]

BTW, if you pay your money, like everyone else, you can certainly go in to a class jocked up, and burning down every evolution with fastest splits and times. If that's what you are there to do, learn, improve -- more power to you.

Generally, I'm focused on what I am trying to learn, and not that the other guy beat my time in a certain drill.

One recent exception on a speed drill. 5 shots in the A-zone from low ready. I was shooting pretty fast, 1.0x's and 1.1x's, but one particular shooter was sub-1 second, (.99, .98, .97) and it made me notice.

[Gutshot John]

Generally, I'm focused on what I am trying to learn, and not that the other guy beat my time in a certain drill

I agree with this completely. I can't tell you how many times I've been to a class where the guy is paying more attention to what I'm doing than to what he's doing and giving me pointers along the way or otherwise telling me what I'm doing wrong, when I'm looking at him drop shots and do other stupid shit.

If the point of warming up in class is to look cool and be the top shooter, you're doing yourself a disservice. If you're that good perhaps you need to be going to a higher level class.

That said, like any other class you might go to (college, grad school or whatever), you come to class prepared for the lesson because coming to class unprepared is a recipe for failure. You learn more by having taken some time to prepare. Do your homework! Duh.

Being unprepared for its own sake because you somehow think you'l learn more is goofball. That doesn't mean you have to spend many hours days or days on the range in preparation or take a pre-class class but you'd do well to go shooting with a competent buddy for an afternoon, make sure your gear is squared away and reacquaint yourself with techniques and positions you haven't practiced in a while.

I've never regretted prepping for a class.

I've far more frequently regretted being unprepared. I won't go there again.

[sboza]

no offense taken. perhaps I do ramble some, and perhaps it is all in fact just in my head (as I stated).

To distill the topic then maybe it should read "Do you prepare for class? why ?" and further "Does anyone else like to go into a class cold? why?"

I do prepare for classes. By that I mean that I have all the kit necessary for the class sorted out and broken in. I make sure that I have all of the little extras such as water, sun screen, ifak, etc...

I think it is important to get some range time before a class if you've added to or changed your kit at all. For example, if I have a new plate carrier, I want to run it at the range and through my house before I run it through a shoothouse class. This is to ensure that my gear is not snagging, catching, etc... I would rather make adjustments prior to the class. The same thing applies for new holsters, flashlights, boots, newly positioned pouches, etc...

If my gear is already sorted, I don't see a need to go to the range to prepare for a class. It can't hurt but if you maintain your skills regularly, you are gonna be warmed up in a couple dozen rounds of shooting during the class anyway.

At home, I do believe in shooting cold to gauge my everyday preparedness. At the range I usually set up a couple of drills to run cold to see where I stand. I also get cold an warm par times for those drills so I can keep track of my progress.

I do agree with you about people who come to class and "know everything." Can't stand them, they are obviously not there to learn, just to stroke their own fragile egos. And those guys are usually "that guy."

[RogerinTPA]

I always attend a class cold. I never practice prior and I could care less if someone is better than me. I go to learn, compete against myself and completely ignore the "tools" in the course.

[C4IGrant]

Man, no offense, but that's a rambling mess. To your point, at least what I think your point is, I've gone into training cold and warmed-up and I dont't know if that makes much of a difference honestly. You're gonna warm-up in the first 50 rounds or so anyway.

And the whole don't be that guy has more to do with uprepaired or unsafe guys. I think your issues may be more personality based.

I'm not trying to be mean but I think a lot of your perceptions may be in your head. Again, I am not trying to be mean. Maybe I'm just too dumb to understand what you are saying so it seems like a rambling rant to me. Set me straight if I'm just being dense.

Right.

I personally love to see new shooters at class (assuming that they are safe, pay attention and come prepared).



C4

[rob_s]

I don't get the whole "have a class next weekend, need to go to the range and prepare" either, and in general I've always taken it to be more about not embarrassing oneself too. But to each their own. As long as they don't hold up the class and don't shoot me, I really don't care what anyone else at the class is doing.

As to being competitive at class, for some of us competing with friends or against someone you've identified as a top shooter is a good driver. I shoot best at classes when I have someone chasing me.

[Titleist]

As to being competitive at class, for some of us competing with friends or against someone you've identified as a top shooter is a good driver. I shoot best at classes when I have someone chasing me.

Exactly.

I just recently took a class with jakjakman, who's a member here, at a magpul dynamics carbine 1 class I hosted. I wasn't taking the whole class, but 60 percent hosting, 40 percent getting practice in.

Advanced classes are just the fundamentals executed perfectly. So I see tremendous value shooting even a Carbine 1 class if it reinforces my fundamentals.

Back to the point of jakjak. He's a great shooter, in great physical shape, and took top shooter during a recent EAG class. This meant that keeping up with him was a great motivator. I identified that he was the benchmark I had to meet or exceed, and that was a stressor or how I shot.

Before classes I like to get out to the range and practice my fundamentals. As I said the biggest difference between a level 1 class or a level 2, is that fundamentals at that point are EXPECTED. So I see no issue going to the range to work on those so that you're absorbing the material rather than playing catch up.

[Shawn.L]

I understand exactly what you guys are saying about competing in class, and agree. Ive had great times in courses with friends (old or newly made) pushing each other.

My post wasnt too clear, I get that, and some of the content was superflous, but it seems a few guys understand what Im talking about.

Its not a gripe, or a big deal, or a put down or pat on the back for anyone. Just really want to talk about the whole "prepare for class" thing and see what others do, and if anyone sees it like I do. Seems a few do.

And to a further point its not about preparing gear, I do that to. Confirm zero before a carbine class, check any class specific gear, ect. More of what I meant was the notion that "I know Instructor X likes to run el' pres (or "the test" or FAST, whatever) so I better drill that before I go to class."

And more so going in cold helps ME deal better with going in with a ready to learn state. Ive learned that about myself after taking several courses, and I always absorb more when I go in with an "empty cup".

Shawnstillrambling.L

[YVK]

I absolutely prep for my classes. I don't jack up my round counts 10 -fold. I do make sure I get to the range a few times before the class and that I do practice my manipulations. None of this is going to make me any more competitive in the class. What it allows me to do is to a) make sure my guns and gear are working b) get my rust off. I go to classes to learn new stuff. I don't want to be there ruminating why I didn't clean up my trigger press or reload or whatever else beforehand. I want to be there with positive learning attitude; confidence in own current skill set helps one to be positive (not to be confused with to be an over-confident dick...)

[Shawn.L]

I agree with this completely. I can't tell you how many times I've been to a class where the guy is paying more attention to what I'm doing than to what he's doing and giving me pointers along the way or otherwise telling me what I'm doing wrong, when I'm looking at him drop shots and do other stupid shit.

If the point of warming up in class is to look cool and be the top shooter, you're doing yourself a disservice. If you're that good perhaps you need to be going to a higher level class.

That said, like any other class you might go to (college, grad school or whatever), you come to class prepared for the lesson because coming to class unprepared is a recipe for failure. You learn more by having taken some time to prepare. Do your homework! Duh.

Being unprepared for its own sake because you somehow think you'l learn more is goofball. That doesn't mean you have to spend many hours days or days on the range in preparation or take a pre-class class but you'd do well to go shooting with a competent buddy for an afternoon, make sure your gear is squared away and reacquaint yourself with techniques and positions you haven't practiced in a while.

I've never regretted prepping for a class.

I've far more frequently regretted being unprepared. I won't go there again.

agree, but shouldnt the "homework" be your consistant meaningful practice and not "cramming" before th class date? I mean if you have "done your homework" in that larger sense then taking the week off before class shouldnt make you fall to pieces.

I mean I practice plenty, normally 200/week pistol. So its not like I suddenly become unprepared by not shooting a week before class.

I went to a Defoor Advanced Handgun course earlier this year. I had shot IIRC 50 rounds the week before the class.
Day one, drill one, no warmups he runs us through a brutal "cold skills drill" with a 25 yard dash and 25 yard pistol shots on a bullseye for score, followed by some timed draws and Kyle standing over your shoulder with a clipboard recording each shooter individually. I went home with a set of Defoor sights on that one not because I did or didnt practice before class, but because I practiced regularly in all the time between classes. And yes, the best part was I beat a good friend of mine who is outright a better shooter than I am.