[shoot]

I'm one of those guys who is just too serious when shooting. It's obvious.... but I'm running through the COF in my mind of course etc ...

Now that I'm starting to get better and pushing at my friends scores they are playing mind games getting me laughing.

Now that doesn't bother me although friendly reminders, hexes and jokes especially bring to me need for reciprocity.

Help me out here.

In friendly club shoots of course what are some of your favorite jokes and mind games to break the ice and have a little fun just before they shoot.

Zen jokes would be especially appreciated as they know I'm a Maku-Mozo shooter.

[Chills1994]

Not to be a "Debbie Downer" here, but in MY opinion that is at the very least unsportsmanlike. You don't see anyone heckling Tiger Woods when he is about to tee off or to putt, now do you (or any other golfer regardless of skill level)?

Why would that be acceptable at an USPSA or IDPA match?

They are your friends. You figure it out.

[outerlimits]

pull the old ong45 trick on 'em. challenge them in the match-$1 for each D hit, $5 for each mike/penalty. take their money and run.

[Matt Cheely]

Chills1994, on Apr 23 2008, 10:43 AM, said:

Not to be a "Debbie Downer" here, but in MY opinion that is at the very least unsportsmanlike. You don't see anyone heckling Tiger Woods when he is about to tee off or to putt, now do you (or any other golfer regardless of skill level)?

Why would that be acceptable at an USPSA or IDPA match?

Any local match I'm shooting with my friends, which is almost everyone, we're always joking around. Depending on the day it continues right up through "make ready". As long as everyone is having fun we don't care in the least.

[Chris Keen]

Pasters are always fun to stick on your friends backs & such. Put some big old rocks in their range bags when they're not looking, so when they carry their bag to the next stage they think it's getting heavier with each stage you shoot instead of lighter.

[Chris Conley]

My face is usually sore from all the laughing and jokes. Range and matches is about the only place I have any real fun.

Chris C.

[Supermoto]

Matt Cheely, on Apr 23 2008, 08:01 AM, said:

Any local match I'm shooting with my friends, which is almost everyone, we're always joking around. Depending on the day it continues right up through "make ready". As long as everyone is having fun we don't care in the least.

Same at our local matches, there is alot of mind game going on between a few of us. It all in fun and only done to those that can handle it. It usually a small back handed comment, like "hey, you're shooting great" or "you're winning the match". sometimes its a little more direct like having a someone say "no pressuse, don't screw up" right before you shoot shoot a classifier. But the thing is, if you asked which was the best way to shoot the stage, etc. everyone would give you good advice.

This post has been edited by Supermoto: 23 April 2008 - 08:29 AM

[Chris Keen]

Chills1994, on Apr 23 2008, 10:43 AM, said:

Not to be a "Debbie Downer" here, but in MY opinion that is at the very least unsportsmanlike. You don't see anyone heckling Tiger Woods when he is about to tee off or to putt, now do you (or any other golfer regardless of skill level)?

Why would that be acceptable at an USPSA or IDPA match?

They are your friends. You figure it out.

Debbie Downer

My friends deserve *much* worse, but since they are my friends I hold back a little bit. (very little)

Have you not ever met Pharoah Bender ? He spray paints his shoes BLUE!

[Keith]

Almost anything goes, right up until "make ready".

After "unload and show clear" it's back on.

[racerba]

Chills1994, on Apr 23 2008, 10:43 AM, said:

You don't see anyone heckling Tiger Woods when he is about to tee off or to putt, now do you ...

You haven't watch when they play skins, have you. Then again, we not shooting for millions of dollars, are we? My group of friends joke and kid around all the time, including at the nats. It keeps things from getting too serious and keeps you loose.

[Chills1994]

Basically, I can count the number of good friends I have had my entire life on one hand.

Good friend = give the shirt off your back, down in a foxhole kinda thing.

If you know me that well, then you know I don't like joking around and / or grab a$$ing at a match, especially with the underlying ulterior motive of screwing with my/your mind game .

If you don't know me, don't try to small talk me at a match. Don't try to "joke around" with me.

Again, just my opinion, to do so is not respectful, is low, and shows a lack of class.

I dare any of you to walk by the Super Squad this weekend at the Single Stack Nat's and as Todd Jarret or Dave Sevigny is stepping up to the line, yell out:

"You're winning the match!"

Or

"No pressure! Don't screw up!"

I double dawg dare you!

Hmmn... methinks that will go over like a lead balloon.

[L9X25]

Chills,

I think you are in the minority on this issue. The majority of our folks enjoy the "give and take" as much (or more) than the actual match itself. We have a good time, even on days when we are not shooting our best. Once you become accustomed to the joking and teasing you become almost immune to it and (I believe) it helps your overall ability to keep cool at big matches. Cranking up the stress at local matches helps you deal with stress.

While I do not think that a stranger making ANY comment at the LAMR is going to go over very well, TJ and his crew are first class pranksters among themselves. You would not believe the things that I have heard and seen Todd do to Phil and his other friends. While we in Florida usually limit of joking to comments, in the Carolinas and Virginia those guys play physical pranks on one another. Things that you can only do to GOOD friends.

This post has been edited by L9X25: 23 April 2008 - 12:55 PM

[racerba]

Chills1994, on Apr 23 2008, 12:34 PM, said:

If you know me that well, then you know I don't like joking around and / or grab a$$ing at a match, especially with the underlying ulterior motive of screwing with my/your mind game .

The difference is that there are no ulterior motive of screwing with the shooter in order for them to screw up. It's jesting. I'm not going to play mind games with someone who do not know me. I know Dave well enough to joke around with him, but I'm not going to joke with him while he is shooting in the nats. We joke around because we all know each other and we all know that there are no ill intentions. You have to know who, when, and where you can joke around. If one of us is doing good and needs to do real well on a stage, then the joking stops. Again, there are no ill intentions.

PS - read my signature.

This post has been edited by racerba: 23 April 2008 - 01:31 PM

[shoot]

Supermoto, on Apr 23 2008, 10:29 AM, said:

Matt Cheely, on Apr 23 2008, 08:01 AM, said:

Any local match I'm shooting with my friends, which is almost everyone, we're always joking around. Depending on the day it continues right up through "make ready". As long as everyone is having fun we don't care in the least.

Same at our local matches, there is alot of mind game going on between a few of us. It all in fun and only done to those that can handle it. It usually a small back handed comment, like "hey, you're shooting great" or "you're winning the match". sometimes its a little more direct like having a someone say "no pressuse, don't screw up" right before you shoot shoot a classifier. But the thing is, if you asked which was the best way to shoot the stage, etc. everyone would give you good advice.

I know that I'm too serious and this is a great sport to have fun with.

I would never want them to stop but they do because I'll be off in a mental visualization thing and into some serious maku mozo.

Heck if they didn't joke with me it wouldn't be fun and I'd find another sport because I already have a job... this is for fun and I need a good one now and then.

Those are some good joking around comments that I get above ... What are some more favorites out there?

Something to get a laugh .

[HSMITH]

Chills, no offense man but I don't want to squad with you. I shoot to have fun and your version isn't what I am looking for.

[HSMITH]

shoot,

Pick on their shooting, movement, gun, haircut, gut, everything but their wife, kids and dog are fair game.

One of my favorites is "I would have _______ like you did but I am straight".

[L9X25]

HSMITH, on Apr 23 2008, 03:53 PM, said:

Chills, no offense man but I don't want to squad with you. I shoot to have fun and your version isn't what I am looking for.

+1

[Chris Keen]

HSMITH, on Apr 23 2008, 03:55 PM, said:

shoot,

Pick on their shooting, movement, gun, haircut, gut, everything but their wife, kids and dog are fair game.

Well then Howard I don't know if you could handle us ............ the running gag between me, Pharoah Bender, and Bseevers is:


whatever was last said + ________ like your sister!

It works with just about any comment made, and the challenge is to spin it in the funniest way possible. (we mean no harm by it, and after awhile you get immune to it anyways)

[BSeevers]

CHRIS KEEN, on Apr 23 2008, 04:36 PM, said:

HSMITH, on Apr 23 2008, 03:55 PM, said:

after awhile you get immune to it anyways)

.................Yea like your sister.

[Chills1994]

And therein lies the rub...

If you're really good friends with me, then yeah, that kinda stuff is kosher, up to a point.

I would prefer the heckling to start after I shoot the stage while the targets are being scored and the time already called out.

Don't deliberately try to upset my mindset as I step to the line, especially if you don't know me from Adam, and vice versa.


L9X25 wrote:

Quote

Cranking up the stress at local matches helps you deal with stress.

Not to toot my own horn here, but....

I graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1994. I know what stress is. I completed 5 free fall jumps while I was there. When the Wings of Blue "jumpmaster" points at you and shouts "Are you ready to jump?" and you sound off with a loud and thunderous "FREEFALL!" And then you kneel in the door of the Twin Otter and see the USAFA airfield 5,000 + feet below, hmmn... YEAH, that's stress.

I also completed Air Assault too. Running with a ruck, a rubber ducky M-16, boots, BDU's, and a K-pot on in the middle of an Oklahoma summer for 12 or 13 miles in less than 3 hours is yeah, kinda stressful.

Completing 192.5 credits in exactly 4 years is kinda stressful.

Having either 27 or 28 credits of workload my last semester before graduation was kinda stressful.

Being a psychology (human factors) major and going into an Astronautical Engineering final with a "D" grade knowing full well that if I didn't get a good score on the final that I would have to tell my entire family that their plans to come out for graduation in 2 weeks would have to get scrapped... yeah, that was kinda stressful.

Basic cadet training, yeah, that was kinda stressful.

The fourth class year, yeah, that was stressful.

Going through SERE (mock POW training) yeah, that was stressful.

Jumping off the 10 meter platform in full BDU's into the olympic size swimming pool for water survival was kinda stressful.

Once on active duty, getting ready to invade Haiti, yeah, that was stressful.

Getting ready to deply to the Sandbox, that was stressful.

Having some poor trooper get hung up in the static line and get mashed to a pulp outside the plane's jump door and having to wake up the one star at Oh-Dark-Thirty to give him the news, that was kinda stressful.

Telling the Army that "No, you can NOT just hose out the plane and continue jumping tonight!" was stressful.

I don't know about you guys, but my time at the range and going to matches is like a mini-vacation for me.

My life, otherwise, is stressful enough... 'kay .

I guess when I make Master or GM level and I'm getting paid to shoot, I'll be relaxed enough too, to have pranks pulled on me and to pull them on other people.

Just keep in mind, if you can't take it, don't dish it out.





PS: yeah, I knew full well I'd be in the minority here. That's fine by me. It's not going to stop me from voicing my opinion and at times stirring the pot.

Sorry, Mr. OP, about the thread hi-jack....

[John Heiter]

It's the friendly stuff like the jokes and teasing that makes it fun to me as well. The guy who got me into USPSA shooting to begin with likes to change my name to "Chump" on the squad list when calling out the shooting order and doesn't hesitate to good naturedly point out that, when comparing my time to his on a stage, he could have run the stage twice and eaten a sandwich between runs in the time it took me to shoot it. It's all in good fun though and I know that if I said to him "Hey, I really want to push hard to make it to A class", he'd volunteer immediately to meet me at the range every day to coach me and run me through drills for however long it took. We would never say the things we say or go to the trouble of getting Brian to send him an autographed copy of Beyond Fundamentals referring to him as "Nancy" for a stranger.

...and I've seen some of the jokes Robbie and the "Super Squad" make. Watch some of the Shooting USA coverage of the steel challenge. Those guys are nothing but complementary of the other guys skills when the other guy isn't around, but they're ruthless with each other in person. You can be disrespectful in a completely respectful way.

[L9X25]

If you can take all of that stess but get unraveled by someone making a "don't mess up" comment just before LAMR, something is wrong with this picture.

Chills1994, on Apr 23 2008, 04:42 PM, said:

Not to toot my own horn here, but....

I graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1994. I know what stress is. I completed 5 free fall jumps while I was there. When the Wings of Blue "jumpmaster" points at you and shouts "Are you ready to jump?" and you sound off with a loud and thunderous "FREEFALL!" And then you kneel in the door of the Twin Otter and see the USAFA airfield 5,000 + feet below, hmmn... YEAH, that's stress.

I also completed Air Assault too. Running with a ruck, a rubber ducky M-16, boots, BDU's, and a K-pot on in the middle of an Oklahoma summer for 12 or 13 miles in less than 3 hours is yeah, kinda stressful.

Completing 192.5 credits in exactly 4 years is kinda stressful.

Having either 27 or 28 credits of workload my last semester before graduation was kinda stressful.

Being a psychology (human factors) major and going into an Astronautical Engineering final with a "D" grade knowing full well that if I didn't get a good score on the final that I would have to tell my entire family that their plans to come out for graduation in 2 weeks would have to get scrapped... yeah, that was kinda stressful.

Basic cadet training, yeah, that was kinda stressful.

The fourth class year, yeah, that was stressful.

Going through SERE (mock POW training) yeah, that was stressful.

Jumping off the 10 meter platform in full BDU's into the olympic size swimming pool for water survival was kinda stressful.

Once on active duty, getting ready to invade Haiti, yeah, that was stressful.

Getting ready to deply to the Sandbox, that was stressful.

Having some poor trooper get hung up in the static line and get mashed to a pulp outside the plane's jump door and having to wake up the one star at Oh-Dark-Thirty to give him the news, that was kinda stressful.

Telling the Army that "No, you can NOT just hose out the plane and continue jumping tonight!" was stressful.

I don't know about you guys, but my time at the range and going to matches is like a mini-vacation for me.

My life, otherwise, is stressful enough... 'kay .

I guess when I make Master or GM level and I'm getting paid to shoot, I'll be relaxed enough too, to have pranks pulled on me and to pull them on other people.

Just keep in mind, if you can't take it, don't dish it out.

[benos]

[Sorry to follow the thread drift.]

All the guys I shot with - we pretty much ragged on each other the entire time. Right up until you were on brass or on deck. It seemed like we all liked to have fun, and it made you tougher.

But it was all ad lib though, so I don't have any specific jabs to pass on.

[shoot]

I'm the serious one of my bunch. Most would say it's my problem but it's always been my sop to let my shooting do the talking.

We are just talking reciprocity with good friends after they start it.

Maybe we should have asked when it is appropriate to tell a funny joke or have fun with a friend in the heat of a good competition. I didn't think that was called for as it goes under good sportsmanship.

I wish I knew a couple good one's to break the ice and even make a range nazi grin.

All in all it's me that is a stick in the mud as I never speak or say a word until someone breaks the ice and gets me to laugh.

I wish that I could reciprocate on those occasions and just thought with all the range time in this forum somebody has heard a real tear jerker funny joke ... then again if it's gotta be spur of the moment ad lib that requires wit.

So we are only talking under perfect circumstances ... I don't want them to shoot bad ... sheesh ... just smile

This post has been edited by shoot: 23 April 2008 - 02:28 PM

[Supermoto]

Chills1994, on Apr 23 2008, 09:34 AM, said:

Again, just my opinion, to do so is not respectful, is low, and shows a lack of class.

I dare any of you to walk by the Super Squad this weekend at the Single Stack Nat's and as Todd Jarret or Dave Sevigny is stepping up to the line, yell out:

"You're winning the match!"

Or

"No pressure! Don't screw up!"

I double dawg dare you!

Hmmn... methinks that will go over like a lead balloon.

Yelling out at the nationals doesn't compare to making comments to friends at local matches. And while I want to win every match I enter, I won't do it at the expense of having fun. I don't want to be the guy that stand at the back of the squad with a pissed off look, that is unapproachable. And nothing is better than having someone try to get into your head, then you take the stage.

Don't think TJ doesn't make comments, he is a funny guy. I took a class with him and while he didn't make comments before we shot, he sure did afterwards. and you know what, it took the pressure off shooting infront of one of the greats.

This post has been edited by Supermoto: 23 April 2008 - 02:13 PM