Advantage or Disadvantage to being an S/O?

[beltjones]

Is it advantageous to being an S/O for a match? It seems like it could be kind of distracting, but at the same time you get more walk-throughs than everyone else, and you get to design stages from time to time. Has anyone noticed whether or not S/Oing impacts their scores?

[solaritx]

I personally like to SO our weekly and monthly matches. The reason is this: There are distractions at major matches. It is just part of the match. It might be as simple as a bad round or a slip of the foot, etc. SO a regular match has distractions built in. I then use this to sharpen my mental skills to "get ready" much quicker and more efficently. I can go from MD or SO to shooter quick and efficently. Overall, I believe that it has helped my game.

I also have SO'ed more regional and state matches than I want to remember, and believe that it has helped me at that level as well. I know the rules inside and out so I know what to expect and what is expected of me.

Garry

[Steve J]

Hard work, low pay, satisfaction for performing an important job and supporting the sport.

[Duke Nukem]

SOs give other SOs a larger benefit of the doubt. So your scores will go up once you take the SO class.

So Advantage for sure.

[jmorris]

Almost everyone in our club is an SO/RO at some point at the weekly matches, you just have to.

At sanctioned matches, it depends on if you are any help or not. If you just hold down a chair while everyone sets up the match you might be in better shape. If you help out you will have less energy than if you just showed up to shoot the next day. In any case your "more walk throughs" come the day after you shoot with all of the other RO/SO guys and gals.

[DWFAN]

SO related question, do most "Major" matches in IDPA offer for the SO's to shoot for free ?

This could be another advantage, although not a performance advantage.

Edited August 24, 2010 by DWFAN

[MichiganShootist]

In my experience being an SO on a day when you aren't shooting actually helps. (more so in USPSA than IDPA) You get to see how various shooters attack the stages and in general it helps.

Being an SO "While" you are shooting clearly hurts my performance. At many of our club matches we have 10 or even 12 stages. Just the volume of walking is increased by 10X with little if any chance to sit for even a quick break and by the end of the day I am beat. It also gives you far less time prepare for your own shooting.

A lot of this depends on how your matches are run. Does the SO stay at one stage??? or does he for example move with a squad???

[jmorris]

SOs give other SOs a larger benefit of the doubt. So your scores will go up once you take the SO class.

That sounds a little too shady for me. If it's a -1 it is a -1 for everyone, same goes for perfect doubles. If anything I will call cover harder for an SO (they know better) than I do for a first time shooter (but they do get instruction after holstering).

Once you make it to a sanctioned match it's (should be) even across the board.

[jmorris]

SO related question, do most "Major" matches in IDPA offer for the SO's to shoot for free ?

You generally don't have to pay cash but it is not "free" by a long shot. If you save $60 but bust your but for two days in the heat. You could make more money than that mowing yards. It is a nice way of saying, Thank you for your time and effort, though.

[DWFAN]

SO related question, do most "Major" matches in IDPA offer for the SO's to shoot for free ?

You generally don't have to pay cash but it is not "free" by a long shot. If you save $60 but bust your but for two days in the heat. You could make more money than that mowing yards. It is a nice way of saying, Thank you for your time and effort, though.

Agree'd.

[Shibby]

I don't think SOs have any advantage on a particular stage. I'm to busy watching the gun and counting rounds to label my time running the shooter as a walk through.

However, being an SO will make you a better competitor because you will better understand the rules and how they apply.

[Strick]

I personally like to SO our weekly and monthly matches. The reason is this: There are distractions at major matches. It is just part of the match. It might be as simple as a bad round or a slip of the foot, etc. SO a regular match has distractions built in. I then use this to sharpen my mental skills to "get ready" much quicker and more efficently. I can go from MD or SO to shooter quick and efficently. Overall, I believe that it has helped my game.

I also have SO'ed more regional and state matches than I want to remember, and believe that it has helped me at that level as well. I know the rules inside and out so I know what to expect and what is expected of me.

Garry

Yeah that sounds familiar......oh that's right, that is the line you used on me to rope me into SO'ing.

Being an SO at local stuff is not a distraction to me but being the MD can be. Setting everything up, getting all the SO's up to speed, and getting the shooters started is distracting for the first few stages. What I have found is that in the last year or so SO'ing I have used the understanding of the rules to my advantage when possible. Having the experience and knowledge of the rules to run people translates over to knowing what could be done on certain stages that others may not see.

Oh and SO's around here run other SO's tighter, so them getting a break on the rules doesn't hold water.

[wurm]

I SO for the monthly match at the club I'm a member of. The other weekends in the month I go to other clubs and just shoot. I find that I do a little better on the weekends I just shoot but I wouldn't give up being a safety officer. I get to meet a lot of great people, watch some really good shooters run the stage I'm working (assuming I'm scoring and can watch the run and not the guy watching the gun), and help out the sport and the shooters that make our match. Oftentimes I shoot the other stages during a lull or during the afternoon shoot when we have less shooters. Sometimes I barely have time for a walk through so yeah, my performance is sometimes a little less than it would otherwise be but like Solaritx mentioned, I use it to hone my menatal game and practice being the guy who goes first and doesn't get to time everything out well.

It has also helped me to know the rules inside and out thanks to all you whiny shooters

[freeidaho]

If it were an advantage the line would be long to SO matches. It isn't,

Ken Reed

[Merlin Orr]

No advantage in my thinking. Hot South Texas days and a lot of extra work hurts personal performance toward the end of the day..

With that being said I like to run shooters, especially new shooters and young shooters. Makes me feel good to try to help them understand whats going on and try to keep them chilled out and calm while they try to assimilate and process all the rules and info coming at them.

[Rob Tompkins]

Its not about advantage or disadvantage, its about giving back to the sport, being a full participant to get the full experience and not just consuming other's work.

I became an SO because I realized if I did not help carry the burden of running the matches, those that did might stop. What then? If no one was an SO we wouldn't have the sport.

I surrender my soap box and apologies to anyone I have offended.

[astephenson]

I enjoy being an SO most of the time, but it is no competitive advantage, that's for sure.

While most guys are back loading magazines and programming the stage you're working. Only one of the clubs I shoot with offers to let SO's shoot for free.

It's rewarding, but it's also a lot of work and can make your shooting suffer.

[Steve Koski]

Its not about advantage or disadvantage, its about giving back to the sport, being a full participant to get the full experience and not just consuming other's work.

I became an SO because I realized if I did not help carry the burden of running the matches, those that did might stop. What then? If no one was an SO we wouldn't have the sport.

I surrender my soap box and apologies to anyone I have offended.

My feelings precisely.

[Greg Bell]

+1

You need to give back to keep your club alive. I have been blessed with being nominated to a new position within the club, however I will still be SO' ing on a regular basis and helpng get our new MD up to speed.

[RePete]

It boils down to, are you a taker or giver?

A taker is the person that goes to the matches then shoots and skoots.

A giver is the person that may help with the erecting of the stages, SO's the match, etc.

If there are too many takers then the match isn't going to happen eventually becase the givers are burnt out.

[cslafrain]

Safety officers are the life blood of the sport. Your first impressions of the sport will probably come from the interaction that you have with the safety officer suring your initial runs. As am SO and MD, my purpose is to grow the sport and share my passion with others. To me I see the advantage in running master level shooters. You learn so much by the movement, transitions, and sequence. Being an SO, it is like you are running it with them as an active participant instead of just a spectator.

[SR_]

I think cslafrain hit it on the nose.

I will add that I do enjoy the company/friendship of the other SOs. Also, I don't shoot a major match as well if I'm working as an SO.

I do enjoy working a stage and seeing how various top competitors approach the stage.

[Steve J]

It boils down to, are you a taker or giver?

A taker is the person that goes to the matches then shoots and skoots.

A giver is the person that may help with the erecting of the stages, SO's the match, etc.

If there are too many takers then the match isn't going to happen eventually becase the givers are burnt out.

+1 Well said.

[beltjones]

It boils down to, are you a taker or giver?

A taker is the person that goes to the matches then shoots and skoots.

A giver is the person that may help with the erecting of the stages, SO's the match, etc.

If there are too many takers then the match isn't going to happen eventually becase the givers are burnt out.

+1 Well said.

I hope you guys aren't assuming this question was asked because I or anyone else wants to "game" IDPA by choosing to work as an SO or not. Very simply, I've noticed that a lot of SO's who shoot a major match the day before the "real" competition tend to place very well. I've also seen MD's absolutely crush everyone on stages they've designed. Finally, I've heard a lot of SO's say they didn't shoot well because they were worn out from SO-ing. I was simply looking for perspective. That's it.

[Loves2Shoot]

If you are new and young it is an advantage, because you can learn a lot from watching the shooters up close and personal. It is an advantage on a "circus" stage when the SO's won't let you check out the timing and angles of shots because they want to keep it a secret (which only last for the first few shooters anyway.)Time spent SO is a great learning lesson if you take advantage of it, but it is more demanding on you, so if you don't have the extra energy to give, then it can be a disadvantage.