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Read the Stage Description. Thoroughly.


Rez805

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So, there's this little thing called Reading the stage description. It can be pretty important.

 

You should also listen to the written stage brief given by the RO. It can give you small, but significant, details regarding the stage.

 

Also, if you happen to arrive before the squad ahead of you has finished: do more than just think about where you are going. You don't have to mimic their plans, but at least pay attention to anything that looks different from the norm.

 

 

6 mikes because I didn't pay attention to the details. Ouch.

 

The worst part? I didn't even understand the comments from my squadmates and the RO's

Squadmate: "That would've been great if it were 2 shots per paper"

Me: :huh:

RO: "2 alpha, Mike. 2 Alpha, Mike"

Me: :huh:

RO: "You're not gonna like this . . . you only took 3 shots on 2 targets the rest were just 2"

Me: :huh:

Squadmate: "Uhhh did you mean to take makeup shots on two of those targets?"

Me: "Yeah, a couple of those shots felt 'off' so I took a makeup shot"

Squadmate: "Did you forget that it's 3 per paper?"

Me: :huh: . . . :surprise: . . . :angry: . . . :(

 

As for a "What if" scenario: let's suppose I had paid attention and put a 3rd shot on paper. Assuming 6 alphas and an additional 0.5 second per shot . . .

152 points

25.8 seconds

5.89 HF

10th

 

Back to reality (which is the only thing that matters)

122 points

-60 penalties

22.8 seconds

2.7193 HF

95th

 

Somehow, I walked away with the C-Class win.

Edited by Rez805
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I have a serious hearing problem, and when there is no written stage description

(happens quite a bit at local shoots), I am frequently at a loss.

 

That's one reason I HATE to go first (unless it's an easily understood COF).

 

I learn a LOT by watching the first few shooters.

 

Get into more trouble if there is any deviation from standard (3-shots/target, etc).

 

HATE it when there's NO written description - LOVE it when there is.    :) 

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Just now, Hi-Power Jack said:

...

 

That's one reason I HATE to go first (unless it's an easily understood COF).

 

....

That's a good point. I was the first on my squad to go. I highly doubt I would have made that mistake if someone else had gone first. Between the active listening that I did for my squadmates' runs and the three holes for each paper that I would have had to patch . . . I would have noticed.

 

8 minutes ago, rowdyb said:

Good lesson to learn. C class guy on my squad did that...

Curse of the C Class attention span!

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3 hours ago, Hi-Power Jack said:

Over-socialization ( is that a word?) can also contribute here.

 

Spending too much time talking to others and not to the course description

is a no/no.  

 

Got to learn what to do - then, talk to others :) 

 

That is one thing I am learning. I have made a rule not to socialize prior to shooting and instead keep going over and over my stage plan in my mind. Plenty of time to socialize after I shoot. I have started getting better results since I started doing this. 

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man, i read these match screwup posts and unfortunately have done at least "a few" of them:angry:.  definitely need to read AND understand and probably most important, REMEMBER any nuances.  the 3 shots instead of 2 gets me every once in a while.  at one match i remembered at the last array and could have easily outran the RO back and gotten a reshoot but played nice and took my penalties (lots of them).

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Ha, I recognize that stage, Area 1.....Utah.

 

I think we all may have had a stage that went like that. I got 6 procedurals in stage 4. Shooting outside the shooting area. I was too focused on targets and how I was going to engage them. Like you I didn't look at the written stage description. I didn't notice the shooting area was a U shape until the RO walked up and put his hand on my shoulder and pointed out the two fault lines.

 

It would have been clear as a bell if i'd had taken the two seconds to actually look at the paper.

 

Lessons learned...and remembered.....I hope.

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In my (very) limited uspsa experience, I'm shocked at the number of people who straggle up to the line after the stage brief has been read, then either pester squadmates as to what the cof is, ask questions of the RO that was covered by the brief when they get up to shoot, or not worry about it and just shoot and blow the stage.  Personally I get there early and listen hard since I'm so new I don't know enough to assume.

 

Not criticizing the OP, just scratching my head at what I've seen personally

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