What Brian said about matches 20 years ago

[shred]

The trick is not turning 'lots of options' stages into 'memory' stages.  Then they are time sucks at local matches because the squad spends 15 minutes walking instead of 5...  X5 squads and the match runs an hour longer than it should.

 

[yekcoh]

On 7/15/2023 at 4:59 PM, konkapot said:

By far the best stages I've ever shot were 12-17 round stages. IPSC does this really well. 

 

When I was MD-ing/designing stages I included a little bit of strong hand/weak hand shooting and it was interesting at who the complainers were. With a just a little effort you can make 15 round stages challenging. And....if you really put your mind to it....they're easier and more efficient to set up. 

 

The martyr thing of a guy pounding stakes for 1000 linear feet of faultlines is totally unnecessary. 

 

I think, sometimes, people bring sh!t on themselves. 

this is exactly my point. 

[HesedTech]

On 7/16/2023 at 7:49 AM, Joe4d said:

I always like stages that had lots of options. Things that really made it fair to people with various abilities.. Made stage planning for each person different as they weighed the pros and cons of various stage plans.

This is the best post in this thread. 

 

As far as competition goes, it doesn't matter if the stage is "easy" or difficult. The best shooters and best competitors will always finish at the top of the list. The only thing a really "challenging" stage will do is discourage the new shooter find somewhere else to spend their free time.

[IHAVEGAS]

18 minutes ago, HesedTech said:

The only thing a really "challenging" stage will do is discourage the new shooter find somewhere else to spend their free time.

 

I would agree if you had said match instead of stage. I have never known people to be unhappy because a match had one stage that was very challenging, unless it was a memory stage. A lot of folks (I'm one) feel like the very challenging memory stages are more work than play. 

[RangerTrace]

On 7/16/2023 at 8:49 AM, Joe4d said:

I always like stages that had lots of options. Things that really made it fair to people with various abilities.. Made stage planning for each person different as they weighed the pros and cons of various stage plans.  IE a target visible at 20 yards, OR 2 yards,,, Slower more accurate shooter might take the long shot, faster moving the close.  Also things like height and barriers... Different routes or views..

 

I hate memory stages.  Probably the best thing about IDPA is they don't allow them.  I can handle a memory stage at a major when I have a chance to memorize it the day before.  In a 4-5 minute walkthrough with 15 other shooters, I have a hard time.

[HesedTech]

20 minutes ago, IHAVEGAS said:

I would agree if you had said match instead of stage.

The idea I'm trying to pass on is some designers can go overboard and it can spread to the whole match. 

 

Ultimately a match should be a place where people can come and shoot their guns enjoying the challenges presented to them. 

 

 

[twodownzero]

The original post and the sentiment of this thread is why I let my USPSA membership lapse after 15 years a member and nearly 20 years shooting matches.

 

The push to high cap divisions and away from power as a principle of marksmanship was a huge mistake.  In the process, they destroyed the Production division, which was supposed to be a way for a new shooter to be able to have a competitive division to shoot in with a stock gun.

 

I sincerely hope we find a way to put the horse back in the barn.  I miss USPSA.  But I will not participate if the only way (to have anyone to shoot against) is to shoot a gun with a capacity of 20 or more. 

Edited July 21, 2023 by twodownzero

[Joe4d]

16 minutes ago, RangerTrace said:

I hate memory stages.  Probably the best thing about IDPA is they don't allow them.  I can handle a memory stage at a major when I have a chance to memorize it the day before.  In a 4-5 minute walkthrough with 15 other shooters, I have a hard time.

wasnt refering to memory stages,,, just stages with options for different people.. Yeh I dont like memory or mind fart stages... Its a shooting match 

 

[IHAVEGAS]

46 minutes ago, RangerTrace said:

I hate memory stages.  Probably the best thing about IDPA is they don't allow them.  I can handle a memory stage at a major when I have a chance to memorize it the day before.  In a 4-5 minute walkthrough with 15 other shooters, I have a hard time.

 

+1 

 

Worst case I have seen was at a major. To get the match in (weather delays, sometimes the md doesn't have many options. ) walk throughs were reduced to 3 minutes, there is no fun in banging elbows with 12 people for three minutes & hoping that you will be able to remember your plan well.