Speedy emailed me this today:

The only thing I can add is "PERFECT PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT" . One can do something wrong for a lifetime and it still won't make it right. The other tip, I like to pass on is put the blame where it lies ( mostly the shooter ) and not on equipment and everything else under the sun the moon and the stars. Doubting ones ability or equipment is death on a stick. Bad thoughts have a habit of becoming bad reality, so we must change the way we look at things, call a spade a spade correct it and go on.

Keep'em Small,
Speedy Gonzalez
602 Douglas Dr.
Roanoke, Texas 76262
www.sgyrifles.com
817-430-0597
817-430-7209 fax
----- Original Message -----
From: Scott Smallwood
To: Scott Smallwood
Sent: Monday, October 23, 2006 6:08 PM
Subject: Maybe there's hope...


All,

Well, it�s that time of year again for most of us � the matches are over for awhile and it�s a good time to reflect on what did and didn�t go well this season and plan for next year. Of course, some of our friends in the south are still shooting and getting ready for matches but so I hope they forgive me for assuming they�re raking leaves and licking their wounds like the rest of us. I came across an excellent article that sure applies to benchrest as well as sports, music, and business which is its main focus. Before getting to that, allow me to ramble on a bit:

After shooting on my own for a couple of years, I started wondering why some people had so much success at this while I and others just seemed to be maintaining the same mediocre level. I bugged the crap out of several HOF shooters (and those on their way) wondering just what they knew that I didn�t. Guys like Gary Ocock, Pat Byrne, Dwight Scott, Charles Huckeba, Larry Baggett, Allen Arnette, Mike Ratigan, Lowell Frei, Bart Sauter, Speedy, Don Gentner, Ron Hoehn, Jack Neary and "few" others. I spent a day with Tony Boyer. I watched these people at big matches. I emailed and called them until they hid from me. Surprisingly, I didn�t receive any cease and desist orders from lawyers, nor did I find any flaming bags of cow manure on my front porch. Thank God these people were good natured and helped in whatever way they could. One of the pluses of this sport is that you can actually talk to the best shooters in the world and get a response.

I did notice several patterns with these folks. First, they try things - a lot of things. This isn�t just a way to fix a problem, it�s a lifestyle. It�s a �pursuit of excellence� attitude that permeates everything they do. It�s an open mind that allows for new ideas, as long as they work. At the same time, it�s balanced with a healthy dose of skepticism that prevents them from jumping on any bandwagon that comes along just for the sake of change. These people seem to accept the fact that magic elixirs are for the newbies of the sport and not the seasoned veterans.

Secondly, they mentally focus during matches. They don�t whine about the weather, they quickly shift to plan B when plan A goes awry, and above all, they finish matches by competing all the way to the last shot of their last target. They get pissed off, they screw up, they have a bad day, but they always get up off the ground and press on. Have you noticed the past several seasons Charles Huckeba has had and then this one? Notice Mike Ratigan needing help to get to his bench at the Cactus after he messed up his back? Man, that's determination.

The third thing that ties this together is they work hard and practice often. Their practice sessions have a plan. They evaluate components, they evaluate conditions, and they evaluate their strategies. They layout their bench top and flags as they would in practice. They don�t come to BS, they come to prepare for the next match, even if it�s months away.

Of course, we are an equipment-driven sport much like the racing folks. If we show up with an out of tune car or BR rig, we won't go far. If our bbls or scopes just aren�t cutting it and it�s too late in the year or our budget to find replacements, we�ll struggle. However, just because we do have our gear ready to go, we need our head and habits polished to be able to take advantage of it. Wayne Campbell�s gear was obviously up to the task this year. But it didn't shoot itself. Wayne�s attitude and experience had a lot to do with it. Joe Krupa is another story this year. He fought at several venues this year but in the end, he had a very successful season. Let�s not forget Gene Buckys, Jeff Stover, and Larry Costas who wound up in the leading spots of the World Team. I have to mention Roy Walker who worked his ass off this year, went to every match he could and fought in them all to make his goal - the World Team. All these guys had bumps in the road to overcome. Heck, Larry�s rail gun fell off a cart down at Raton for cryin� out loud. Talk about getting you out of your game! There are other stories as well and forgive me for leaving them out but these are the ones I�m more familiar with. The point is these guys all overcame a lot this year, and years before, to set themselves up for this season. There�s a nice lesson in here if we chose to look for it�.

The focus of this article is that research indicates truly successful people at any endeavor rely a hell of a lot more on hard work then any talent set with which they were born. I tried to point out that this is apparant from watching those folks at the top of their game in our own sport.. I hope this gives us all the encouragement that we may not all be able to shoot when every flag is whipping left and right without using sighters; but if we practice enough and approach the problem with right attitude, we may find a hole in which we can sneak in enough shots to finish a group. In summary, it seems a good attitude and a lot of practice can take us far at this and I�m glad to see some data from other areas of life that support this.

I hope you�ll find the long read to be worth while. Besides, it beats shoveling snow�.


Regards, Scott


NRA Life Member