Ladies, have you ever noticed on some stages you can hang right in there with your fellow male competitors while on others you find that you are down in the standings? It may be that these stages pose an easier challenge for the men. Generally, we have less body mass and upper body strength. Courses of fire that require props or hard leans can have a significant affect on how we are able to control recoil.

We’ve all shot stages where we have had to carry or drag something to cover. These props can be a reasonable weight for every competitor – juniors, women, seniors, etc. Sometimes however, they are not. I remember the first time I had to drag a dummy in a stage. I had never done it before and simply adopted a technique I saw from another shooter. I finished the stage and never shot with a dummy again until the next match that had one. Did I truly know the best technique for me? Not at all. Practicing how to drag a prop like a dummy can help you perform your best on stages that call for it.

Skill: Dragging/carrying a dummy
How to train: This is skill you can do at home dry firing. Borrow the dummy from your local IDPA club or try to simulate with pillows at home. Practice how to move both safely and efficiently. Work on moving the dummy to a specific location to simulate cover in a stage. Pay special attention to your muzzle direction. Just like in driving, when you turn your head and shoulders to look at something to the right or left, you can inadvertently turn the wheel in that direction. Dragging an object while shooting can affect where your muzzle points in much the same way. Be sure to focus on keeping your muzzle in a safe direction at all times. Practicing this skill will help you face this specific challenge next time.

Photo courtesy of Yamil Sued.

Although this photo was taken from another action shooting sport, this image shows the benefits of extending the trail foot for balance and not crowding the wall to better control recoil.

What about those stages where you have had to shoot while holding a dummy or carrying a weighted briefcase? Any little bit of weight or bulk can prevent you from getting into a good shooting stance. Where you would normally be able to control recoil without an issue, dealing with props like these while shooting can affect you more than you would think. Being just a little off balance has a significant affect on how fast you can recover your sights, especially if you are smaller and lighter.

Skill: Holding/carrying an object while shooting
How to train: Practice shooting while holding bulky items and weighted cases. Unlike shooting with just the strong or support hand, these props may require you to compensate for their weight and size. You may find that you are able to shoot faster and more accurately by adjusting your stance. Start by shooting in your normal shooting stance. Then modify your foot and arm position. Take note of how you lean into the gun as well. Pay close attention to how fast you can recover your sights as you vary your stance to find what works best for you.

A significant number of stages in IDPA require you to shoot around cover. This means that a majority of your shooting will happen while leaning left or right around a prop. In some cases a lean may be slight and other times it can be severe. Remember that the harder the lean the less direct body mass you have behind the gun. For women this can mean that the gun seems to kick a lot more.

Skill: Shooting around props
How to train: Use a wall or barricade to shoot around. You can also use a target on a target stand to simulate a barricade. Set up targets so that you have different degrees of lean. Experiment with how close you position yourself to the barricade or wall. Crowding a wall can put you in a very awkward shooting stance for some target positions. It can also prevent you from extending your arms out while forcing you to lean back instead of into the gun. Also experiment with varying how far apart your feet are for different levels of lean. I find if the position allows it, the harder the lean the further out I place my trailing foot for balance.

Finally one way to improve all of these skills is to increase you grip, upper body and core strengths. Stronger hands allow you to grip the gun harder without straining. Working on your grip strength can also help you with those stages where you do have to drag or carry props. Like grip strength, the stronger your upper body is, the better you are able to control recoil and manage difficult props. Building up your core by strengthening your back and abdominal muscles will help you maintain position when you have to lean and engage targets.