The X-prize

[mike cyrwus]

I see the classification system as dynamic; these classes are stages for me to judge my development. -Waypoints, if you will.

Instead of scorning them and their use, one might be better served by using them to set goals.

[Jim Norman]

I think that we all, or most of us at least shoot to win as well as to have fun. Truem there are some people that simply show up, shoot have a good time with friends and go home, I kow a few that don't even bother to read the scores. It just is not important to them.

I shoot to win. I know I will likely not win, but I will generally find my scores by reading fromthe top down faster than from the bottom up.

I look to see my class position after I look to see my overall position.

Classification can be fixed. There will still be problems, but the biggest problems are addressable and can be fixed. Then we don't need to worry about X class.

Keep in mind, please, that a great many people shoot for first round after the match. Their match is among their peers. They really can't care less about who is #1 GM, they are interested in who is #1 C

We had a group locally of about 5-6 C class Production shooters a year ago. They were totally wrapped up in who in thier group was where, that there were generally a GM and a M present as well as some A & B didn't enter into their match. This is why we need to keep the classification system and to clean it up. Remember, this sport is really about the D, C. and B shooters. They are the majority of us. They pay so we can play.

A braek down is as follows

GM 273

M 1164

A 2208

B, C, D 7553

Looks like people with B-D are twice the number plus a bit of the GM-A.

This of course does not take into account triple threats with 2 G's and an M, etc.

But it does give us an idea of who is playing our game.

I think that removing the class system at this point would be suicidal for USPSA. Think of NHRA if everyone only ever raced heads up.

Jim

[Kimberkid]

Eric, you rock. I am so glad you started this post. Great idea....

The flaw, as I see it, is this. Virtually no one would do it.

Raise your hand if you have heard this story:

"When I started doing this in 1872 with my trusty flintlock, we didnt have classes, we all shot straight up, and then the top 16 sat around all night drinking beer and reminding ourselves how great we are, while flogging the lower placing shooters with floaty pool noodles."

I would bet that 90% of those guys, would never do it. Maybe because they consistently win where they are at. Maybe because they fear who else might be shooting "X" or maybe because they just dont care enough to change.

I also dont mean to imply that all people that claim heads up is the way to go, are as arrogant and childish as those in the aforementioned story, but I have heard enough of it that I now have a tough time justifying the match fee for any match big enough to have a prize table. I could care less if I never walk to a prize table again. I much prefer a trophy match just to avoid the bitching and whining. It often seems that a lot of people no longer know how to win (or lose) with grace and class.

Maybe I am way off, but it will have to actually happen for me to be proved wrong.

[tptplayer]

However, on the other hand, I like the classification system because it has shaped my training to work towards more workable short-term goals. As I moved from B-A-M-GM, my skills progressed, as my classifiers became more consistently better. Classifiers represent gun handling skills, all of which apply to shooting well at major matches. It is however, harder to predict that you will shoot three percent better at the next nationals because of all the factors involved. Typically major matches show the appropriate distribution of the classes in the overall results, sometimes with a few exceptions.

I think if we simply take away awards for class finish, it would be a much simpler way of making the larger matches completely "heads up."

My $.02

+1 While in the year and half I have shot my classifier scores haven't progressed "B-A-M-GM"; it is a real motivator for me to see these go up as well as seeing my match placing improve. On the other hand, winning a trophy in class is often statistical quirk. Somewhat like winning the lottery. However I haven't thrown away any of the trophies either.

The classifier system and prize distribution are really two separate issues.

[Steve Moneypenny]

Lets not try to reward mediocracy in shooting it's already being done in all of our kids sports... everyone shoots heads up in this sport. Class systems is how the world works. I have never been in a competition of ANY type that does not have a class of some kind.

mom used to decorate cakes... they had a "professional" and "amature" class. win enough and you get bumped to pro. win those they others quit competing.

I fought in martial arts competitions for years.... years of experience, age, rank. all were classes...

all of these you could get moved up just by asking... so eric, write your area director and ask to moved to GM.???? that might be the answer. or get a new membership number and avoid classifiers.

[EricW]

Steve,

I don't want to be moved up to GM. I want the griping to stop.

If people are happy with classifications, then I'd like to request an end to all the non-stop bitching over sandbagging and grandbagging - because both are inevitable outcomes of the system.

The classificaton system is OK as an indicator of relative skill. I don't think it's a particularly *accurate* indicator of relative skill, and if you read back to the first post, I think you'll see my alternate proposal, which quite frankly would be a vast improvement over the current system.

Finally, nobody proposed taking away *anything* from *anybody*. All I proposed was a voluntary, "opt-out" system. If people feel threatened by that, I really can't help that. Nor can I even really empathize with the emotion, because I cannot understand how my non-participation would affect another's participation in any meaningful way.

And on that note, I shall have the final word, because this thread is CLOSED.