UpYoursPal Posted May 25, 2018 Share Posted May 25, 2018 I'm in Area 8 and there's a few big matches coming up. The thing is that I've only shot like 8 matches total, and I'm currently a dinky D shooter. Does it make sense to pony up the cash and drive 3+ hours for one of the big sectionals or state matches? I really like shooting but I'm not sure what I'd get out of a big match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHA-LEE Posted May 25, 2018 Share Posted May 25, 2018 Regardless of your skill level or match performance attending major matches will add to your overall experience. The more experience you have in attending matches the more you understand what this game is all about so you can train properly. Go to your major match and learn from the experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfinney Posted May 25, 2018 Share Posted May 25, 2018 Have fun. Observe the better shooters in action. Do not try to duplicate - shoot your own pace. Listen to the R.O.s. Have fun. Soak in the environment, atmosphere. Visit the vendors. Have fun. I wasn’t really hooked til my first major. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewColonial Posted May 25, 2018 Share Posted May 25, 2018 The USPSA Area 8 match was my first major, and I think my third match ever. As the match director told me, "You're not going to win, so have fun and don't fret over it." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MemphisMechanic Posted May 25, 2018 Share Posted May 25, 2018 Will it be enough fun to be worth the cost? Absolutely! Some guys make their desire to improve so fundamental that they forget how much they simply loved shooting at the very beginning. Don’t try to win. Try to have fun and learn the basics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjones6686 Posted May 25, 2018 Share Posted May 25, 2018 Go for it. You'll learn a lot from the more experienced shooters. I went to my first major match after just a few months of shooting local matches. I went and shot Battle In The Bluegrass. I went for the experience and don't regret it at all. I learned a lot from this match. I got their on Friday and watched Alex Gutt shoot and was like I don't stand a chance in this match. I'll be lucky to be at 25% of his score. Then shot on Saturday on a squad with Ben Stoeger. I didn't even know who Alex or Ben was. But after shooting with Ben I realized I really needed to step up my game and practice more and learn all the fundamentals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted May 25, 2018 Share Posted May 25, 2018 The only BAD thing about attending an Area match for a beginner (besides the cost and travel time) is that you WILL be DQ'd if you do ANYTHING wrong. You might have some bad habits that are ignored at the local level, or your equipment might not be quite up to standards. These will NOT be ignored at Area 8. If you have all the correct equipment, and good/safe shooting habits, no problem. What you will get, positively, is an incredible shooting experience. LOTS of fun and excitement. Get to see some excellent shooters in action, and meet some really nice people. AND, you will NEVER be nervous at a local match, ever again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Phil Posted May 25, 2018 Share Posted May 25, 2018 This rings a bell! 4 years ago a friend and I decided to give steel challenge a try. So we made a set of targets and found space on my range to train. Started the end of May. Then we registered for the Pa State Championship in October! Yikes. Had a great time!! I think I came in 10th in Open Auto! Go for it bro! But don't get DQ'd... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskan454 Posted May 26, 2018 Share Posted May 26, 2018 Unless your home club regularly hosts majors you will experience a whole new level of stage design. The first time I shot even a L2 match I was blown away. I think you would definitely have fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UpYoursPal Posted May 30, 2018 Author Share Posted May 30, 2018 Well guys, you sold me on the idea. I went ahead and registered for the Immortal Arms Delmarva Section USPSA Championship in September. It’s only a level 2 match but they have 40 squads over three days! Definitely looking forward to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Phil Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 Awesome! Try not to get hooked... HaHaHaHaHa Good on you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MemphisMechanic Posted June 11, 2018 Share Posted June 11, 2018 On 5/29/2018 at 9:23 PM, UpYoursPal said: Well guys, you sold me on the idea. I went ahead and registered for the Immortal Arms Delmarva Section USPSA Championship in September. It’s only a level 2 match but they have 40 squads over three days! Definitely looking forward to it. Always choose the most conservative stage plan that is easy to remember, even if it’s a couple of seconds longer. Down in C and D class at big matches you can mop up simply by not getting lost in a “showoff” stage plan the others will inevitably screw up trying. And just go have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanks Posted June 11, 2018 Share Posted June 11, 2018 29 minutes ago, MemphisMechanic said: Always choose the most conservative stage plan that is easy to remember, even if it’s a couple of seconds longer. Down in C and D class at big matches you can mop up simply by not getting lost in a “showoff” stage plan the others will inevitably screw up trying. And just go have fun! This above. As a "C" shooter I beat a lot of A and B shooters at Nationals last year by shooting a fairly clean match (15D, 2M total) at 95+% of available raw points. It helped me a lot by showing me what to further work on. Not to mention the experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glock26Toter Posted June 14, 2018 Share Posted June 14, 2018 One of my first majors was Nationals. What a blast! It was super easy to find my name in the results too. I was 2 notches up from the DQ's! No regrets! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve RA Posted June 14, 2018 Share Posted June 14, 2018 Join the crowd, first match I ever shot was the 86 Nationals in Dallas and I came in fourth from the bottom in the finishers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UpYoursPal Posted June 15, 2018 Author Share Posted June 15, 2018 Damn. What a first match to shoot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synchronicity Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 After shooting a handful of Local IDPA Matches, I entered the NM State Match last year. Won Novice Revolver! (Only Entrant) Plaque looks nice on the wall... Going back in MM Revolver this year. After one Regional Match, I shot the FCSA Worlds. I finished, and Not Last! Go. Shoot. Have Fun. GO Really Slow. Make Being Safe Number One. Have Fun. Complete the Course of Fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkamps Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 ABSOLUTELY. You will be a better shooter at the end of the match then when you began. The increased complexity of stages will highlight aspects of your shooting that need working on. Stages you thought were complex will now seem easier, increasing your ability to plan and execute. If it is a multiday event, watch the videos of yourself from day 1 and the end of day 2 or 3... you will see an appreciable gain. If you go in with no other expectations then to be safe and have a blast... you will highly enjoy the experience. Have fun, be safe, shoot smooth, enjoy the experience, you can only go up from here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dpolk Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 Major matches are a lot of fun. I started at a tiny match and thought it was really big and exciting and now that match is just a practice session, but in all for me the whole thing is about having fun and becoming s better shooter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisTSO Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 The bigger matches are more fun i think. You see a lot more in the stage designs than you do at most small local matches. I had only been to two local matches before i went to a big match and really once you get there you realize that its really no different than a local match. At the end of the day trigger time is trigger time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTJer Posted July 8, 2018 Share Posted July 8, 2018 Just shot my first major a few weeks ago, Area 7. I had a blast. Got to watch and chat with the Super Squad guys for a stage after I finished up, as well as many other great shooters. Really gave me a drive to get better and have even more fun. So, yeah, go for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowardM Posted July 14, 2018 Share Posted July 14, 2018 I find the better the people are I shoot with the more it pushes me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally247 Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 On 7/14/2018 at 2:08 PM, HowardM said: I find the better the people are I shoot with the more it pushes me Same here, shoot with better shooters whenever you can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuey Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 Shoot it, the experience of shooting it and watch others do it will only make you better. That is how I started out and I learn something new every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTJer Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 On 5/29/2018 at 10:23 PM, UpYoursPal said: Well guys, you sold me on the idea. I went ahead and registered for the Immortal Arms Delmarva Section USPSA Championship in September. It’s only a level 2 match but they have 40 squads over three days! Definitely looking forward to it. What day/squad? My match performance this weekend will dictate if I sign up for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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