October 25, 2009 Clays Match Report

40, guns Entered

 

     9 Open Guns - Class won by Jay Schoonmaker - 49

 

     5 Limited Guns - Class won by Dan Moore - 40

 

     It was a grey, overcast, chilly day today, with the temperature hovering at 48degrees at gametime.  Well, we brought out all the heaters, lit them up and the temperature in the range building actually rose 2 degrees.  Chuck Treat, our Arrays Impressario, presented arrays series "D' today.  There were a few, very few, standard-sized green clay targets, but many, many orange micros.

As usual, they all led to the black micro in the middle.

     Array Series "D" is particularly diabolical.  Contrary to most target arrays, there is not a well defined path through most of the 5 series of targets.  One can either get right on a standard sized clay, then have to come to a screeching halt to engage an orange micro, or take care to properly engage an orange micro only to then be able to blaze through a green standard target.  Of course, then one must jam on the brakes again before engaging the black micro in the middle. 

      By round #4, all the standard sized clays are gone, so shooters can finally work on timing as they wade through the micros.

I don't know if Chuck Treat put a few standard sized clays in the mix to help or hinder the shooters, but the results are obvious.

Everyone except our winners suffered mightily today, and are going to have to practice and visualize their tasks considerably during the week if they are going to improve next week.

     Speaking of winners, in the Limited Class, with a score of 40, Dan Moore led the field of 5 Limited Class shooters.  Well done, Dan.

     Hotshot, GHSCs mascot Unicorn, almost got to take Jay Schoonmaker on a victory lap today.  Jay had a score of 49.

Oh, so close, and yet so far.  In a whispered confession after the match, Jay confided to this reporter that at one point he started thinking of a perfect 50 score, and that that was his undoing. 

     What we learn from this is not to look too far ahead, but just to the next pull of the trigger, the next target.  Whether we're dreaming of a perfect 50, a personal best score, or just a score we would like to achieve, follow the handgun competition Pros advice.  One of the top professional USPSA shooters of all time, Brian Enos, suggests that when starting a stage to "think of nothing". Just let it happen.  Most handgun competitors have been accused of "thinking of nothing"  for a long time, so we've had a lot of practice.  Still, contrary to many appearances, it's not as easy as one would think.  When one has a firm grasp of the fundamentals, and can "shoot from the subconscious", it becomes much esier.

     So, Dan Moore and Jay Schoonmaker led the way today. Come on back out next Sunday @ 4:00pm and see if they can do it again.  Remember also, that Next Sunday, November 1, 2009, we return to Pacific Standard Time, and we get an extra hour of sleep before the match.  Spring Forward, Fall Back.  Don't forget to reset your clocks, or you will arrive for the clays match in PLENTY of time. 

 

     In the meantime, always remember:  "Handgun competition isn't just about winning or losing.  What's important in handgun competition is how bad the winner beats the shooter in second place."    See ya next week:)

 

Hal