Engage ALL targets - Specially the Easy ones!

[WhiskeyFoy]

This was my 2nd match I have been too that had actual courses of fire and not the one stag classifiers. I got to the 3 stage fairly confident in myself as I have been running pretty good considering this was my 2nd actual match ever. Well my dad had told me about getting "Buzzer Brain" but had no idea what that meant until this stage. Started off ok then went around to the next side and stumbled a little bit and kept moving. I knew what I did once I did it but my brain was set to GO!! and I wasn't comfortable moving backwards (still got the newbie jitters on that stuff). Well enjoy my Buzzer Brain Fart...

[Biloxi23]

That's why some call the start button the "delete" button. Each time there is a perfect plan in place, and the RO pushes "the delete button," and the whole plan goes on to the trash can. At least for me.

[WhiskeyFoy]

Yeah it was a really bad case of buzzer brain dead.

[TGriff]

Even if you weren't penalized, FTEs are the rotten peanut of the sport. I had two on the last stage at Area 5. The sad thing is that I had already shot half the stage and did a re-shoot due to REF. The FTEs were on targets that I hit the first time around. Buzzer brain is a cruel mistress.

[WhiskeyFoy]

Ohh yeah they hit me with the penalties lol.. I went from taking 3rd for the day in my division to taking 12th.. Buuuut leason learned

[Graham Smith]

As a new stage designer, I learned that one of the things that is often required is to be able to set up stages where the same targets are visible from multiple positions, while a few are only visible from a single position. This allows the shooter the option of shooting the course anyway they wish - which is an important part of the "freestyle" nature of USPSA. It also eliminates the problem of forcing too many shots from a single position.

Now, I have to admit this, but there is a both a good and a bad side to this. For the more experienced shooter, these stages provide a challenge to figure out the most efficient way to shoot the course. But for a less experienced shooter, it often results in the brain dump problem when there are too many options. And, in either case, it can result in one target with 4 holes and one target with no holes because someone gets confused about what they have and have not shot.

When I first started shooting, I was very much opposed to the FTE penalty - I thought it was excessive as you already had a penalty for the misses. But as a stage designer, it means that I don't have to worry about some targets being ignored because it's faster to just take the misses - with an additional FTE per target penalty, people will go out of their way to shoot every target.

It's all part of the game.

[WhiskeyFoy]

Good points Graham! Yeah actually there was one paper that I shot 4 times (2 times from each port) on this run as well. But I guess after my buzzer fart my head and game plan just went out the window.

[spanky]

I hope this doesn't sound bad but I generally consider one of my stages to be a "good" stage if people get FTEs and double engagements on them.

[jarozzy]

I have not FTE yet but I too get the "buzzer Brain" and get glossed over. I figure it will happen sooner or later.

[blaster113]

During your walk through you should try to visualize shooting the stage with your eyes closed. Break it down by position; from the draw I have X targets/X shots, next position X targets/X shots, reload between these positions, etc. If the stage is tricky then that focus is even more important, gotta try and force yourself to slow down. "Buzzer Brain" is a funny name for it, I've done that myself a few times.