Ben Stoeger

[Ben Stoeger]

Practice was rained out today... So I was stuck with only dryfire and pullups.

Ah well.

I have a tune up practice planned for tomorrow night, that should be good.

I am playing hookie from work on monday. I will do a few hundred rounds of scenario stuff, then go see Batman again. =)

[Ben Stoeger]

I just finished putting myself through a few days of testing. Video HERE.

I spent a few days shooting drills and stages and getting some video. The idea was a comparison to my shooting last year. (HERE is the 07 nats video)

Overall, it looks like a year of daily dryfire, working out, and perhaps 25000rds or shooting has netted about a 4% skill gain. The gain is in the areas that are the hardest to measure. For example, it is easy to know your draw on full target at 10 yards. (I haven't gained much). It is hard to know what your split time is while leaning around a barricade shooting a 13.5 yard 1/3 A zone partial target. I am happy with the results of my year of training.

It is time to start planning next year (in just a few weeks, nationals will be over).

If these numbers hold up next year, I should be up there with the big guys at the 09 nationals.

[Kevin Kline]

Ben,

When you finish 5th overall in Nats, and only 70 points from beating Dave and winning a National title, I'd say you're already up there with the big boys.

[Ben Stoeger]

The last 2 days has just been working out and dryfire.

I have a few more days of shooting scheduled this week.

Local match on sunday and area 3 the following friday.

I have also been doing the WOD on jakedivita.com Check that out if you are bored with your dryfire.

[Ben Stoeger]

Good practice with hooper yesterday.. he put something up in the "guest articles" section on my site.

I can't practice today, I have to drive to holmen and do setup.

[Ben Stoeger]

Well.. I have a very very painful ear infection. I can't even wear plugs.

UGGGGGGGG

Hopefully this clears up before area 3.

[JimmyZip]

Ben,

Just wanted to say thanks. You have inspired me to do more dryfire and crack open and use the books that I have. Seems you will not improve unless you OPEN them.

Anyway, thanks and keep it up. I look foreward to reading your posts. Useful and informative

JZ

Edited July 26, 2008 by JimmyZip

[Ben Stoeger]

Ok I have the footage from sundays match.

It was a six stage uspsa match at Holmen.

The stages included a good mix of close, medium, and far shots. LOTS of steel. The targets ranged from arms length wide open metrics to a 35 yard mini popper.

There were a few good places to shoot while moving, so I got to play around with that a little bit.

HERE is the footage.

I was very happy with this match (easily my best all year)

I dropped a total of 8 Cs and 1 D. I had one extra shot (on the texas star)

I also biffed up 2 reloads fairly badly.

Of course, over the course of six stages, that is not so bad.

[Ben Stoeger]

Light practice today... I leave for Area 3 in 36 hours.

I will practice again tomorrow, then get squared away.

I am looking forward to a tight match, and a good tune up before nats. Jake has predicted a 97% finish for me there, I think that is a good goal to aspire to. Lets see what happens.

Edited July 30, 2008 by Ben Stoeger

[Z32MadMan]

Ok I have the footage from sundays match.

It was a six stage uspsa match at Holmen.

The stages included a good mix of close, medium, and far shots. LOTS of steel. The targets ranged from arms length wide open metrics to a 35 yard mini popper.

There were a few good places to shoot while moving, so I got to play around with that a little bit.

HERE is the footage.

I was very happy with this match (easily my best all year)

I dropped a total of 8 Cs and 1 D. I had one extra shot (on the texas star)

I also biffed up 2 reloads fairly badly.

Of course, over the course of six stages, that is not so bad.

That was some serious shooting Ben. I would love to be at that level one day. Unfortunetly with a college budget and living on campus, practice and dryfiring will slow down a bit. I should be shooting more matches. Actually I am just getting into USPSA so I have no where to go but up. Quick question: what do you do to prepare for a match, morning of?

[Ben Stoeger]

Ok I have the footage from sundays match.

It was a six stage uspsa match at Holmen.

The stages included a good mix of close, medium, and far shots. LOTS of steel. The targets ranged from arms length wide open metrics to a 35 yard mini popper.

There were a few good places to shoot while moving, so I got to play around with that a little bit.

HERE is the footage.

I was very happy with this match (easily my best all year)

I dropped a total of 8 Cs and 1 D. I had one extra shot (on the texas star)

I also biffed up 2 reloads fairly badly.

Of course, over the course of six stages, that is not so bad.

That was some serious shooting Ben. I would love to be at that level one day. Unfortunetly with a college budget and living on campus, practice and dryfiring will slow down a bit. I should be shooting more matches. Actually I am just getting into USPSA so I have no where to go but up. Quick question: what do you do to prepare for a match, morning of?

I put the answer up on my website.. it was a good enough question it deserved its own blurb.

It is under "morning of" in the articles seciton.

Don't let the college budget hold you back. Dry fire can take you places.

[hf219]

Hey Ben, your shooting was very fluid, you show no signs of trying to shoot or move fast, you just do it. It might be the video, I couldnt tell, I really couldnt see that your gun was even cycling or having any kind of muzzle flip. At first I thought you werent shooting at all, until I saw the dirt puffs coming off the ground. The Nationals are right around the corner, I hope to see you shooting out there, Good Luck. H!

[Ben Stoeger]

I am back from area 3. I shot the match yesterday then drove the 8 hours back to WI right after. I got in about 130.

I did not shoot very well, but I did have a bit of fun. I ended up getting heat stroke pretty badly, and the ROs on the stage I was on saw the signs and kicked me off the stage. I ended up being forced to sit in the only room on the range with AC for the rest of the day. When it was my turn to shoot, they sent an ATV to pick me up. It was nice to have those guys looking out for me. Obviously, it didn't help my shooting any.

As far as I know, Dave S was not at the match. =(

[Jake Di Vita]

You gonna listen to me and start getting in shape now? (Before anyone pipes up and says it doesn't matter when it comes to heat stroke - it does.)

I'm sure you did better than you think. You always do.

[Rocket35]

And hydrate properly! Them sports drinks aren't as good as 'ol fashion water bro...

[JThompson]

I am back from area 3. I shot the match yesterday then drove the 8 hours back to WI right after. I got in about 130.

I did not shoot very well, but I did have a bit of fun. I ended up getting heat stroke pretty badly, and the ROs on the stage I was on saw the signs and kicked me off the stage. I ended up being forced to sit in the only room on the range with AC for the rest of the day. When it was my turn to shoot, they sent an ATV to pick me up. It was nice to have those guys looking out for me. Obviously, it didn't help my shooting any.

As far as I know, Dave S was not at the match. =(

That's above and beyond the call for those guys and your squad to pickup the slack. I know it was tough for you to post about it too Ben Kudos for admitting you are human... some of us thought you were a machine, perhaps from fluidic space... may be even species 8472?

Glad people were looking out for you... HS is no joke, you can die from dat-shit.

Best,

JT

Edited August 2, 2008 by JThompson

[Bryan W]

Hope you're feeling better soon Ben - I agree with Jake, I'm sure you probably did better than you said.

[Ben Stoeger]

Thanks for the kind words guys. I am stiff and sore today, but tomorrow I should be up and around ready to start practicing again. =)

[Sharyn]

I do not personally know you, Ben, and I'm very sorry that you suffered heat stroke during this match. That's no fun, for sure.

However, the heat really got to me as well as nearly every other competitor. Do you think it's fair that you enjoyed the comforts of AC and ATV rides while your competitors toughed it out and helped paste and reset stages?

Personal fitness, endurance and the ability to maintain hydration/nutrition for the duration of a match is part of our sport. At your level, I think you gained an unfair advantage over your competitors.

Again, I don't know you and I don't mean to attack you, I promise... just something that caught my attention and maybe you should think about.

[Jake Di Vita]

I think under the circumstances (HEAT STROKE), he was in no way, shape, or form capable of taking an advantage like that.

Pretty sure everyone else who didn't have heat stroke had an advantage over him.

[Sharyn]

Not really IMHO, Jake. We all shot in the same circumstances. We took measures to prevent heat stroke. If Ben couldn't complete the match without special treatment, then he shouldn't have.

At Nationals, if the Super Squad was offered personal Ostrich feather fanning and peeled grapes, would the other competitors think that was fair?

Just another perspective, but the heat kicked my @ss too. I would have really benefited from some shade and a chair. I did my darndest to keep drinking fluids and stay hydrated. As a Registered Nurse I know this is paramount in the prevention of heat stroke. I'm not in the best shape, but I did not suffer heat stroke.

You have to learn how to manage yourself during a match. That is part of the game.

Edited August 3, 2008 by Sharyn

[Ben Stoeger]

However, the heat really got to me as well as nearly every other competitor. Do you think it's fair that you enjoyed the comforts of AC and ATV rides while your competitors toughed it out and helped paste and reset stages?

No, I don't think it was fair. I feel bad about... seriously.

However, I would like to make it clear that I was given no choice in the matter. A doctor happened to be with the squad that I was shooting with, and she saw that I was in trouble. The range officer on the stage informed me that "my working day was over". If it had been up to me, I would have stayed on the stages and helped reset them.

I should also point out that I didn't get the 5 minute stage inspection time. I went up to the stage, and I shot them, then I came back. I had to rely on my prep from the day before.

In any event, if you don't think it was fair, I don't blame you. I don't think it was fair either. I think the key was that the match staff didn't want me to kick off. I can't really say that I enjoyed AC and ATV rides, because I knew I would take shit for it.

Looking back on how well I "managed myself", I really don't know what I did wrong. I drank a bottle of fluid per stage. I started feeling sick about lunch time, but I didn't say anything about it. By my 8th stage, people around me thought I was in trouble, and informed the range staff.

[Al Capizzo]

This seems almost in the same category as being taller, shorter, faster, whatever, being an advantage. From the sound of it there was nothing Ben could do about the situation, it just is what it is. Glad you're feeling better Ben.

[Sharyn]

Ben, I'm glad you're feeling better, too. It seems as though you already have a grasp on the concept I was pointing out.

At Georgia State '05, after shooting the day before, Dave Sevigny hung around and took the time to help me through the match. He encouraged me to rest and drink water. At one point he offered me an orange... I said "No, thank you." He said "I'm not asking you if you want it, I'm telling you to eat it."

[Jake Di Vita]

Looking back on how well I "managed myself", I really don't know what I did wrong. I drank a bottle of fluid per stage.

It was more than likely a combination of things in the days before the match that contributed to it.