1st large match (area 4)

[SV650Squid]

So I'm headed to my first not level 1 match in about a month, the Area 4 championship.  I'll be shooting Limited, and I'm a low A class shooter.

 

I'm looking for suggestions on what to bring that I might not bring to a typical club match, and tips to make the experience smother/easier.

 

Thanks

[Sarge]

Area matches are generally level 3 matches. Club matches are level 1.

If you are an A class shooter you have things figured out so just shoot your game.

 Take plenty of ammo in case of stage problems causing reshoot. I generally take twice the published round count. I shot a 32 round stage 4 times at my last major and other guys were saying they would not have been able to do that!

  A back up gun and rig even if it's a friggin carry gun. That will at least let you keep shooting.

  Lots of snacks and drinks since you could be shooting until dark.

[Hi-Power Jack]

Weather related items - rain, heat, sun.

 

Bandaids and first aid kit

 

Spare parts for your gun (or, better, a spare gun).

 

Foods and beverages.

 

Something to sit on.   Umbrella.

 

Tylenol - lots of it.

 

Spare clothes, socks, boots.

 

Cell phone.

 

 

[SV650Squid]

Thanks guys. I already bring about double the typical round count to locals for reshoots, I figured I'd do the same for an area 3 also.

 

I don't have a second 2011, but I'll bring my production setup too (cz shadow).

 

I have some extra small parts, and I plan to replace all my springs a couple weeks before (so I know if new springs cause any issues in practice beforehand).

 

Thanks for all the other suggestions!

[RangerTrace]

There are a couple things way more important than extra equipment in my opinion.  The stages at a major match will be far more complicated than club matches, so be sure to get there the day before the match to walk/memorize the stages.  Don't leave until you can shoot every stage with your eyes closed.  Get plenty of sleep, food and hydration the night before.  The day of the match, get up earlier than you think to take care of all of your bathroom business and get to the range in time to walk all of the stages one more time.

 

If you do that, you should be able to reduce your mental stress level by quite a bit and shoot a good match.  

 

Good luck!!

[StuckinMS]

Getting there a day early is great advice.  It also allows you to reassess those items you brought and gives you time to hit the store in case you left something behind like eye glass cleaner, etc... Good luck with the match and remember to have fun!

[SV650Squid]

I do really want to walk stages a day prior. I plan to get there a day early.

 

My goal for the match is to call all of my shots, and assess my skill level against a larger playing field.

[Hi-Power Jack]

43 minutes ago, SV650Squid said:

My goal  is to call  my shots, and assess my skill level against a larger playing field.

 

You might be able to get the course descriptions in advance of the match - see

 

if you have to practice weak hand only shots, etc

 

After watching a M shooter DQ on Stage 1 (my squad), My Goal was to NOT DQ    

[SV650Squid]

that would be a bad day

[davsco]

17 hours ago, Hi-Power Jack said:

Something to sit on.   Umbrella.

 

 

 

hey, to each their own i guess...

 

don't psych yourself out.  same basic thing as your home match.  just more stages, more and perhaps overall better shooters, and prob more challenging stages.  more fluids and snacks due to more shooting (and resetting etc).

[rowdyb]

more/better clothes than you expect to take care of any weather issues. for sure extra ammo. way more.

 

stay at the range the day before enough to be comfortable, but not so much you get burned and all spun out with worry.

[perttime]

15 hours ago, Hi-Power Jack said:

 

You might be able to get the course descriptions in advance of the match - see

 

if you have to practice weak hand only shots, etc

 

After watching a M shooter DQ on Stage 1 (my squad), My Goal was to NOT DQ    

 

Going to a match in a week, after a long while not competing. Main goal is not to DQ....

I got course descriptions but only the simplest stages are clear enough to really plan.... and they are so simple that there is not much planning. For the more elaborate ones, the drawings don't really tell me what you can see, from where, and how hard the few "around the corner" shots are. Might or might not need to shoot one-handed.

[MikeBurgess]

On 8/5/2017 at 4:28 AM, RangerTrace said:

There are a couple things way more important than extra equipment in my opinion.  The stages at a major match will be far more complicated than club matches, so be sure to get there the day before the match to walk/memorize the stages.  Don't leave until you can shoot every stage with your eyes closed.  Get plenty of sleep, food and hydration the night before.  The day of the match, get up earlier than you think to take care of all of your bathroom business and get to the range in time to walk all of the stages one more time.

 

If you do that, you should be able to reduce your mental stress level by quite a bit and shoot a good match.  

 

Good luck!!

I have to disagree with this, 

Yes go the day before, look at all the stages see if there is something weird you need to think about. take a better look at the stages you will shoot day 1 make sure you know where all the targets are etc. then go get some rest. On match day just show up and shoot like normal.

 

A shooter local to me when to their first Area match this year and their head exploded trying to keep all the stages and plans for 3 days of shooting in their head, what was funny was talking with shooters that had been in the game a while we all concluded that the stages were simpler than what we normally put on for local matches, but this shooter thought they were Way more complicated. 

 

 

PS if a major match has far more complicated stages than your club match, your club matches are not that good. Major matches make lots of stage design concessions to limit the possibility of re-shoots and to keep the match flowing. 

 

 

 

[RangerTrace]

55 minutes ago, MikeBurgess said:

I have to disagree with this, 

Yes go the day before, look at all the stages see if there is something weird you need to think about. take a better look at the stages you will shoot day 1 make sure you know where all the targets are etc. then go get some rest. On match day just show up and shoot like normal.

 

A shooter local to me when to their first Area match this year and their head exploded trying to keep all the stages and plans for 3 days of shooting in their head, what was funny was talking with shooters that had been in the game a while we all concluded that the stages were simpler than what we normally put on for local matches, but this shooter thought they were Way more complicated. 

 

 

PS if a major match has far more complicated stages than your club match, your club matches are not that good. Major matches make lots of stage design concessions to limit the possibility of re-shoots and to keep the match flowing. 

 

 

 

Disagree all you want, I'm giving advice from my 9 years of USPSA experience.  Club matches are set up the day of the match and are highly restricted by that time constraint.  Generally, major matches are set up over a few weeks time and the stages are usually more complicated, have more exotic props, memory stages, movers, etc.  All of those require more than a 5 minute walk through for a newer shooter to shoot well.

[Hi-Power Jack]

The Most Complex matches I've Ever shot (in past 29 years) are

in Frostproof, FL.

 

There was one COF that I spent a half hour looking at the day before

the shoot, and I NEVER figured out how to shoot it   

 

But, the only Nationals I ever shot (about ten years ago) were ALL

pretty easy to figure out, for me     

[sfinney]

Sometimes local matches have great, complex stages, that have been well thought out..... example: Doubletap Ranch. 

Sometimes they have whatever the volunteer stage help can put together in an hour or two using the overly vague and optimistic stage designer's plans written on a napkin with crayon.

 

Whether a Major match has complicated involved stages or ones that just challenge your basic shooting skills....  roll of the dice. What I enjoy about Majors is the excitement level, or self applied pressure.... it just means more. Stage design to simple? Fine, execute. Weird props? Learn. Overly complicated stage design by "genius" level stage designer? Grumble under your breath then clear your expectations, take a few different walkthroughs counting targets and positions.... groove in your mag change spots...  while waiting rehearse mentally this run as you want to see it unfold (several times)- deep breath, then shoot.

 

I think sometimes at all levels, stage designers like to display their unrecognized artistic genius and creativity by making stages that takes hours to set up and are real mental memory challenges and/or 180 traps. Or just have no "flow" as it looked great on paper but after set just looks awkward. Or their idea of challenging is to staple white no shoots everywhere so you can barely see any tan cardboard ("that'll slow 'em down!"). But its a lot of hard thankless work designing and setting stages, so I generally appreciate whatever is set.

 

As long as there are shooting challenges, I don't really care how decorated/complicated/ or themed a stage is.... kind neat, but not required.  You do see more elaborate themes usually at Majors. 

And yes sometimes a shooting challenge is 6 rounds on 3 targets as fast as you can shoot them (or a wide open 32 round run downrange field course with no partial targets.....   its amazing how many D's and Mikes people get on wide open targets when shooting "easy" stages). Learning how to go full out on the move and still get A's is a skill to practice as well. 

 

Thanks for designing and setting stages, I'll shoot 'em all.  (but fwiw in all honestly I do dislike memory stages .... ugh.)

 

Most important tips for a Major: HAVE FUN. Secondary, watch the best shooters when able, and learn. 

[Blueridge]

On 8/5/2017 at 7:28 AM, RangerTrace said:

There are a couple things way more important than extra equipment in my opinion.  The stages at a major match will be far more complicated than club matches, so be sure to get there the day before the match to walk/memorize the stages.  Don't leave until you can shoot every stage with your eyes closed.  Get plenty of sleep, food and hydration the night before.  The day of the match, get up earlier than you think to take care of all of your bathroom business and get to the range in time to walk all of the stages one more time.

 

If you do that, you should be able to reduce your mental stress level by quite a bit and shoot a good match.  

 

Good luck!!

 

16 hours ago, MikeBurgess said:

I have to disagree with this, 

Yes go the day before, look at all the stages see if there is something weird you need to think about. take a better look at the stages you will shoot day 1 make sure you know where all the targets are etc. then go get some rest. On match day just show up and shoot like normal.

 

A shooter local to me when to their first Area match this year and their head exploded trying to keep all the stages and plans for 3 days of shooting in their head, what was funny was talking with shooters that had been in the game a while we all concluded that the stages were simpler than what we normally put on for local matches, but this shooter thought they were Way more complicated. 

 

 

PS if a major match has far more complicated stages than your club match, your club matches are not that good. Major matches make lots of stage design concessions to limit the possibility of re-shoots and to keep the match flowing. 

 

 

 

 

15 hours ago, RangerTrace said:

Disagree all you want, I'm giving advice from my 9 years of USPSA experience.  Club matches are set up the day of the match and are highly restricted by that time constraint.  Generally, major matches are set up over a few weeks time and the stages are usually more complicated, have more exotic props, memory stages, movers, etc.  All of those require more than a 5 minute walk through for a newer shooter to shoot well.

I will have to agree with MikeBurgess on the majority of this, no offense to your experience RangerTrace.

 

Looking at the stages to see how they compare to the match book is useful, and then getting an idea of how you would like to shoot the stages. The idea of not leaving until you can shoot every stage with your eyes closed? Then you might never leave the range until after the next day(s) when you shoot the match.

 

The rest of what you suggest, RangerTrace, I agree with. The idea is to shoot the match as well as you can and have fun doing it. Stressing over all the minutiae does not seem to me to go along with enjoyment of any match (example: Don't leave until you can shoot every stage with your eyes closed).

 

My best advice is to enjoy the match and the company of your fellow squad mates & shooters. All the while shooting the match as best you can.

[Prov1x]

Stages are going to be lit! 

 

Edited August 8, 2017 by Prov1x

[RangerTrace]

16 hours ago, Blueridge said:

 

 

I will have to agree with MikeBurgess on the majority of this, no offense to your experience RangerTrace.

 

Looking at the stages to see how they compare to the match book is useful, and then getting an idea of how you would like to shoot the stages. The idea of not leaving until you can shoot every stage with your eyes closed? Then you might never leave the range until after the next day(s) when you shoot the match.

 

The rest of what you suggest, RangerTrace, I agree with. The idea is to shoot the match as well as you can and have fun doing it. Stressing over all the minutiae does not seem to me to go along with enjoyment of any match (example: Don't leave until you can shoot every stage with your eyes closed).

 

My best advice is to enjoy the match and the company of your fellow squad mates & shooters. All the while shooting the match as best you can.

I'm just telling him what it takes for "me" to enjoy a major match.  Maybe it's because I suck at gaming stages, but I've just found that for me, if I take the time to memorize my stage plans the day before, then I can have fun the day of the match.  I think it's part of the reason I've come to like IDPA.....there is no need for this.

[3gunDQ]

Don't drag IDPA into this trace...

 

The best advice you'll get is shoot and have fun. Grip the pistol hard, aim hard, shoot As and try to minimize penalties. Having fun is number one! If you do well, great! If you do terrible, fine. If you DQ.... a really good GM told me you can't be a top tier shoot until you have been DQed from a major match.Just shoot and have fun! Some will be stressed out, some will be worried about stage plans, some will fall apart.... not you, you are going to shoot and have fun and just power through.

 

I like to go early and look at stages just so I know what they look like.... I don't need to memorize very many. I like to look at the first 3-4 that I'm going to shoot really well.

 

SHOOT AND HAVE FUN! 

[Blueridge]

2 hours ago, RangerTrace said:

I'm just telling him what it takes for "me" to enjoy a major match.  Maybe it's because I suck at gaming stages, but I've just found that for me, if I take the time to memorize my stage plans the day before, then I can have fun the day of the match.  I think it's part of the reason I've come to like IDPA.....there is no need for this.

 

Ah, I see. You plan seemed a bit to "intense" for me, but now that you explained that it helps you enjoy major matches I understand better. I like both USPSA and IDPA for different reasons, but ultimately I just want to enjoy the trigger time.

[RangerTrace]

1 hour ago, 3gunDQ said:

Don't drag IDPA into this trace...

 

The best advice you'll get is shoot and have fun. Grip the pistol hard, aim hard, shoot As and try to minimize penalties. Having fun is number one! If you do well, great! If you do terrible, fine. If you DQ.... a really good GM told me you can't be a top tier shoot until you have been DQed from a major match.Just shoot and have fun! Some will be stressed out, some will be worried about stage plans, some will fall apart.... not you, you are going to shoot and have fun and just power through.

 

I like to go early and look at stages just so I know what they look like.... I don't need to memorize very many. I like to look at the first 3-4 that I'm going to shoot really well.

 

SHOOT AND HAVE FUN! 

Ah, don't be a hater......

[RangerTrace]

22 hours ago, sfinney said:

Sometimes local matches have great, complex stages, that have been well thought out..... example: Doubletap Ranch. 

Sometimes they have whatever the volunteer stage help can put together in an hour or two using the overly vague and optimistic stage designer's plans written on a napkin with crayon.

 

Whether a Major match has complicated involved stages or ones that just challenge your basic shooting skills....  roll of the dice. What I enjoy about Majors is the excitement level, or self applied pressure.... it just means more. Stage design to simple? Fine, execute. Weird props? Learn. Overly complicated stage design by "genius" level stage designer? Grumble under your breath then clear your expectations, take a few different walkthroughs counting targets and positions.... groove in your mag change spots...  while waiting rehearse mentally this run as you want to see it unfold (several times)- deep breath, then shoot.

 

I think sometimes at all levels, stage designers like to display their unrecognized artistic genius and creativity by making stages that takes hours to set up and are real mental memory challenges and/or 180 traps. Or just have no "flow" as it looked great on paper but after set just looks awkward. Or their idea of challenging is to staple white no shoots everywhere so you can barely see any tan cardboard ("that'll slow 'em down!"). But its a lot of hard thankless work designing and setting stages, so I generally appreciate whatever is set.

 

As long as there are shooting challenges, I don't really care how decorated/complicated/ or themed a stage is.... kind neat, but not required.  You do see more elaborate themes usually at Majors. 

And yes sometimes a shooting challenge is 6 rounds on 3 targets as fast as you can shoot them (or a wide open 32 round run downrange field course with no partial targets.....   its amazing how many D's and Mikes people get on wide open targets when shooting "easy" stages). Learning how to go full out on the move and still get A's is a skill to practice as well. 

 

Thanks for designing and setting stages, I'll shoot 'em all.  (but fwiw in all honestly I do dislike memory stages .... ugh.)

 

Most important tips for a Major: HAVE FUN. Secondary, watch the best shooters when able, and learn. 

No doubt Robert has good stages.  But, he owns the range and is able to put up and work on stages prior to the day of the match.  His club matches following a major are really fun because he usually leaves the major's stages up for a while to enjoy.

[sfinney]

True. Been a few years since I shot there but have fond memories.