Ben, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. I appreciate getting your take on the subject.
I have thought about this a lot. I think at the highest tier of this sport, the current classifier system works OK and really, at the highest tiers in our sport, the whole conversation is irrelevant.
Having said that and in consideration of the lower tiers of USPSA shooters, my thoughts regarding the USPSA classifier system revolve around the following thoughts:
1.) I have never shot a classifier that involves the kind of movement we routinely see on field courses and the majority of match stages. It seems to me that the classifiers measure one thing and that is just shooting skill, and certainly not the ability to adeptly navigate a field course. This is where the system fails, imho. The majority of classifiers simply don't reflect the stages we routinely shoot at matches on a local or national level.
2.) I have personally witnessed and know a few people that can shoot at an A or B class level on field courses but can't or won't shoot a classifier to that level, they don't even come close. It could be "classifier jitters" but in the end, the results are just too far apart. Conversely, I am a B class Open shooter according to current classifier system but there is no way I can compete to that level on field course because I am too old and I suck.
3.) Paper GMs that can't or won't perform to the same level as their ranking on field courses or at major matches.
These are the reasons I think the current USPSA Classifier ranking system is an inaccurate way to properly rank a low to mid-level competitor. It is also the reason I think overall match level performance should be averaged out with classifier performance to derive a true classifier ranking that eliminates or minimizes sand-bagging or grand-bagging.
How hard could it be for USPSA to look at what percentage someone shot the whole match at and compare it to the actual classifier results that the same person shot at the very same match and then make a ranking determination?
Again, thanks for your comments and thoughts.
Edited for clarity of thought
