Stages for Local USPSA matches??

[rvb]

I was curious to understand what you meant by learning curve.

I'm still learning, and I've been involved in stage design for, hmm... 8 yrs-ish. I'm still a newb compared to some. I still learn things to look out for or do better in the future. This is why I try not to throw stones, because I live in that glass house!

There are many aspects of stage design that take some experience, not just "it meets the rules." Making stage interesting/fun for all divisions, and for all level of shooters, completely debugging/bulletproofing a complex stage, building in good options, watching out for safety issues and RO traps and shoot-throughs, etc etc. Then there's stage construction and how to keep a stage consistent for all shooters (got bit by that at our last match; now have new nugget of wisdom to store away), etc.

I remember one of my first stages got lots of grumbles. It was w/in the rules, but I learned a good way to PO a good portion of the shooters. Part of the learning curve. I did a similar stage a while ago but set up in a much better way that didn't result in any complaints.

And if you do anything other than a long course, making an interesting stage that fits w/in the allowed number of positions, number of rounds, etc can be be a challenge, also. There's a whole set of design rules a lot of folks never even look at regarding standards and short courses. I did a fixed time short course last month at our club. Lots of folks complemented on it (heard some grumblings, too, that I wasn't sure whether to take seriously or jokingly. I now know fuzz has stop-beep issues). I had several design iterations trying to get it w/in the rules...

Maybe I'm just showing how dense I am, and other stage designers have it all down right from the start...

-rvb

 

[Josey1972]

I'm still learning, and I've been involved in stage design for, hmm... 8 yrs-ish. I'm still a newb compared to some. I still learn things to look out for or do better in the future. This is why I try not to throw stones, because I live in that glass house!

There are many aspects of stage design that take some experience, not just "it meets the rules." Making stage interesting/fun for all divisions, and for all level of shooters, completely debugging/bulletproofing a complex stage, building in good options, watching out for safety issues and RO traps and shoot-throughs, etc etc. Then there's stage construction and how to keep a stage consistent for all shooters (got bit by that at our last match; now have new nugget of wisdom to store away), etc.

I remember one of my first stages got lots of grumbles. It was w/in the rules, but I learned a good way to PO a good portion of the shooters. Part of the learning curve. I did a similar stage a while ago but set up in a much better way that didn't result in any complaints.

And if you do anything other than a long course, making an interesting stage that fits w/in the allowed number of positions, number of rounds, etc can be be a challenge, also. There's a whole set of design rules a lot of folks never even look at regarding standards and short courses. I did a fixed time short course last month at our club. Lots of folks complemented on it (heard some grumblings, too, that I wasn't sure whether to take seriously or jokingly. I now know fuzz has stop-beep issues). I had several design iterations trying to get it w/in the rules...

Maybe I'm just showing how dense I am, and other stage designers have it all down right from the start...

-rvb

Got it. Thank you for the insight. Next month we'll see if I improve. My stage was the the one on the backside where you had to go around the wall to get to the second box. It was my stage and it made me think.

 

[mongo404]

In some ways we as stage designers have to keep uping the bar at club mathes. We are all here to improve our skills. Wether it be better accuracy or moving in and out of positions or all the skill sets needed to be a good practical shooter. So in my opinion you have to gradually make the stages more challenging . If not how are you going to prep for the bigger matches. I know I know not everybody wants to shoot a level 3 match. But there are alot of us that do.

By the way it would do alot of us some good to do alot more running. Not that I like it, just saying!!!

(Its not easy pleasing everybody but the older I get its real easy to **** everybody off.)

 

[riverman67]

I don't think anyone is pissed off...
I think as I said up thread Indiana shooters have it pretty damn good.
There is at least one quality match to shoot every weekend March thru November
We now have some indoor stuff going on in the winter months.
I appreciate the options. I have to work every other weekend.
I don't like running either but I don't ***** about it .......much.

And dammit you asked the question

 

[Fuzz]

I don't think anyone is pissed off...
I think as I said up thread Indiana shooters have it pretty damn good.
There is at least one quality match to shoot every weekend March thru November
We now have some indoor stuff going on in the winter months.
I appreciate the options. I have to work every other weekend.
I don't like running either but I don't ***** about it .......much.

And dammit you asked the question

Heck I shot 2 great matches 1 in January 1 in Feb down on the south side of the state this year. I hope for another winter like this last one.