ok, comments re big USPSA matches (competition, class, etc)

[omen]

Hi all,

Just got back from the second Area match in 3 weeks for me (this was 8, previous was 7). These represented my first attempts to compete in the U.S., and I was really looking forward to getting my ass seriously kicked...

Well, my comments are this: the really top guys of USPSA, like Dave Sevegny, are, well, like Tiger Woods - professionals, best in the world. So it comes as no surprise that we get our butts kicked, overall (i.e. relative to them). BUT, not all of their Ms or GMs are earned relative to the likes of Dave. I mean, Sunday, I had an OK, not great match, and I beat two of their Ms and was less 1% behind one of their GMs... I don't think this means anything other than their classification system has just as wide a diversity of skills within a single class as ours does.

Still, I'll accept the outcome of A7 and A8 as much more indicative of my 'world-level' class than any ICS stuff, so I'd say that at the moment, on the world level, I guess I'm a high B/low A... Cool!! 75% of the best in the world isn't half bad, for a hobby shooter, haha!! (Man, coming in 2nd on a speed shoot stage with a swinger, with all those "real" GMs and Ms shooting was sweet, even if it was only 1 stage out of 11 ).

I'm looking forward to shooting more in the U.S., against the stiff (well, "impossible" is a better term ) competition...

 

[maurice]

what I noticed is that Dave Sevigny is not human. What I actually noticed is that he shoots very clean, .....and he has rocket shoes.

 

[black]

Hi all,

Just got back from the second Area match in 3 weeks for me (this was 8, previous was 7). These represented my first attempts to compete in the U.S., and I was really looking forward to getting my ass seriously kicked...

Well, my comments are this: the really top guys of USPSA, like Dave Sevegny, are, well, like Tiger Woods - professionals, best in the world. So it comes as no surprise that we get our butts kicked, overall (i.e. relative to them). BUT, not all of their Ms or GMs are earned relative to the likes of Dave. I mean, Sunday, I had an OK, not great match, and I beat two of their Ms and was less 1% behind one of their GMs... I don't think this means anything other than their classification system has just as wide a diversity of skills within a single class as ours does.

Their classification system is a little better than ICS but it still can be abused. What you have to remember is that there are 2 levels of shooters in USPSA. The "Gods", and the rest of us. A GM in the US is for the most part a true GM and with any luck you will finish more or less where you think you should against them (providing they don't make any mistakes) but should a David S, Todd J, or (please no) Robbie L show up, you can expect to be 15 to 30% lower (and the tougher the match the further behind you'll be)

There has been some talk of creating a "Professional" shooter SGM (Super) class to move the "Gods" into their own class for a couple of years now.

I like shooting against the "Gods" because just when I think I'm getting good and start thinking I'm getting the hang of this sport I shoot an match with one of them in it and I'm put back in my place

By the way I don't know where next years Area 8 will be but I hear the Area 5 is going to Michigan

 

[omen]

Ohh, a couple of other comments I remembered after some sleep

A number of ROs asked me about the gun I was shooting - apparently CZs are not all that visible there... Also one RO was worried by the fact that I didn't seem to have the safety on - we had a short explanation about the whole DA thing... I guess they don't have as many Production shooters with non-glocks? A couple have also commented, in a friendly way, that manual decocking makes them nervous...

Re the quality of matches - area 7 was very pretty and fun, stage design wise, very similar to what you'd see in Quebec provincials... area 8 was more traditional, without any eye candy, just lots of long stages....

Funny, something I realized comparing the two: I think I like well designed 25-27 round stages more than 'bloated' 32 rounders...

Still, this was a great experience, I'd encourage people to try shooting the bigger US matches, if possible... Also, the variety of US regional accents you run into is great!!

 

[Madness]

Area 5 will be in Door michigan next year.

 

[sargenv]

We just had a State section match the week before I went up for the Can Nats. We had 5 gm's listed and the match winner was an M class shooter. We didn't have Anyone like Taran Butler or any of the other really top guys, but we did have JoJo Vidanes, and it turned out that our local M class shooter just had a better match. It doesn't happen often, but sometimes they also have bad days.

Like any classification system, it can be gamed and the person, even though they have that GM classification, may only actually be what we term a "paper" gm. Someone who shot very high classifier scores and made it based on that, but they may only in actuality be a mediocre A shooter or even a barely made it M class shooter.

Personally I'm a B shooter aspiring to make it to A Class Revo by the end of the year..