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Thanks for the info, Ben. I think it's safe to say you are a shooting prodigy, an outlier. At least you understood you had to practice to hone your skills. I enjoy your videos and the information you put out. I have your books and am working on raising my C-game to a B-game. 😀
Trips me out I’m the same age. Got into trying to be a better shooter more recently and seeing what works for me. Learning a lot from you on here and IG. Thanks. Keep it up please. If I show up to your class with dpp don’t hate homie. lol
20’s? 2004??? Damn I’m old… Kudos on the skill and hard work. Curious thought. I understand your personality, it’s similar to mine. But, if you hadn’t advanced so quickly within USPSA, perhaps, over time you would’ve been more inured to its machinations and less aware of the issues. The rapid rise let you see the state of organization from more of an outsider looking in rather than someone with his head down grinding through the trenches, working their way up. Then just taking it as it is. This coming from someone who loves to shoot and does so weekly but has only shot 4 Steel Challenge matches, over a year ago. Competition is fun but not my jam.
“But I ignored it” 😂🤣classic Ben. Love it and keep em coming. Ill be your first member if you end up doing a new org. Especially if its 2 gun/action challenge oriented with armored divisions and such
I'm sure of it, I hate you. I've been enjoying the content and I've found so much of it beneficial in my shooting but I still suck worse than a .... well. I guess I really need to dry fire more and occlude that damn dot more.
All right so on my wall is a idpa state match2004 plaque for 2nd place… stock service pistol. I remember very clearly getting beat by a young guy with long hair shooting a beretta. I also remember looking at him and shaking his hand and telling him he was a bigger sandbagged than me….. sorry. I would like to take a class with my son..
I believe it. You obviously have some talent for shooting, plus starting out at 20 is a definite advantage. I started out at 55, and I am 60 now. Plus I am over weight and out of shape, so getting better is difficult. Plus I'm on the geriatric squad, so that isn't helping. I still have fun, but I'm still in the D class. I'm hoping to move up to C class this year, but it's going to take some work. Your videos show a lot of areas that I need to work on, so I appreciate what you are doing. Thank You!
I seem to recall from speaking to you at a class that you were more analytical in your training than this video makes it sound. Maybe you would be so kind as to expound on your thought processes as you initially trained?
People will say there's no such thing as a natural. I know you put a lot of work into it, but I want to know what you think mostly contributed to this phenomenal achievement. And don't tell us "dry fire".
While this is a good story about how Ben started and his meteoric rise to fame(infamy). A better story is how did Doody Project start. I caught DP in the middle and logged into the forum and it provided me endless hilarity of which I'm thankful. Ben, you're a national treasure.
As a person who has experienced competitive pool players over the years, talent (or natural aptitutde...whatever you want to call it)is certainly a thing as well. I have seen guys come into the pool hall and shoot drills for hours everyday over years and improve but very slowly. Contrasting that, occassionaly a kid comes in (I say kid but 21) and starts hitting balls as a beginner...6 months later they are top 10 in the area. Some people just absorb certain skills much more rapidly than others. Not sure why. And no they aren't some secret pros beforehand...I have known some personally.
I'm gonna try my hand at USPSA this year, maybe IDPA too. The gun club I'm a member of hosts all sorts of matches. I wish 2 gun was more popular because I really am not interested in 3 gun. I just don't wanna have to deal with a shotgun. I also wanna shoot my rifle suppressed in matches. I don't know how common that is or if it'll even work. I know a lot of timers fail to pickup suppressed ARs.
Correct about suppressors and timers. I really enjoy the 2 gun style that incorporates drills and things like armored divisions. The 2 gun matches that are just USPSA matches with a rifle dont interest me that much. Much prefer to have less emphasis on fast and furious competitive and more focus on the practical applications and getting better with a realistic kit.
I'm at 3.5kish rounds, and have a two Master class runs on my classifiers, sitting at a high B. Maybe I can hit M in 5k, but GM? Doubt it. Ben is naturally talented.
im not very familiar with classifications or pistol sports in general but in 2004, wouldnt the competition be less intense than it is today and the bar to GM is more difficult to reach today than it did 20 years ago?
@@DefZen343 So you're saying I'm better than Ben? Lol jk. The shooters in IPSC/USPSA haven't changed much from the 2004s to 2024. Even in the 80s you had guys who would run circles around most shooters around today, guys like Brian Enos were doing .10 splits while I feel like I'm stuck at .20. Yeah the competition is a little stiffer now simply due to way more competitors, but the top guys have always hovered around what peak human performance can do. The major change that's happened throughout the years was probably red dots on slides, and the only thing that's done is change scores from 11.5 seconds to 11 (referring to steel challenge). Maybe in another few years we'll see a massive influx of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs with a big focus on training physicality, but that would only increase scores marginally. But for the moment shooter skill hasn't changed much since the 80s, shooting isn't hard to do or understand, it's just most people aren't willing to put in the time to practice the fundamentals that will get you to a high level. I remember watching an old video of trick shooters that seemed to be as far back as the 50s (perhaps further) where a guy was shooting coins out of the sky with a 38 special revolver from the hip, and another aspirins out of the air with a 22lr rifle. A feat even a guy like Ben would have trouble with. Point is good shooting has been around for a long time.
I’ve just starred shooting semi-seriously in the last two years. I’ve put a fair bit of work into it. My experience, and observing the efforts of others around me, would suggest that this is an exceptional story. Good work.
That laugh followed by "..... that's not true". Also, nothing makes me feel more like a clown than hearing how little the top guys shoot. I'm shooting 10kish a year (barely a year in to practical shooting), and I'll see M and GM guys at matches talk about shooting 5k-7k a year. Shows how much more precision I need in my training!
Eh who cares? You're having fun shooting right? Shooting is hella fun. I go shooting every weekend and I love it. The range is my happy place. I think I'm gonna try my hand at USPSA/IDPA. I kinda wanna get into the limited optics division but I gotta get a decent 2011 first. I just like those guns. To start with though I think I'm gonna shoot either my Canik Rival or my G17 in Carry Optics.
@@armorers_wrench I do, but I am extremely competitive with myself. I don't have goals to win matches, but I have goals of bettering myself each month. With that, I am always in search of the most efficient approach to improve. If I wanna relax and go to a "happy place" I lift weights or run lol
My experience has been the opposite. Most of the M and GMs I know and see at matches, and on social media, often shoot way more than they let on or they’re just open about doing a ton of live fire. Some of the same instructors I see preaching how live fire is only to “validate” your dry fire and you don’t need to shoot live fire much will then be the same guys that post another video talking about how they’ve put 15k rounds through a single gun in the span of a year. And they have multiples of the same gun that all somehow get thousands of rounds put through them. So they’re either lying about high round counts or they are vastly understating the amount of live fire they actually do.
Not to take away from anyone’s notable accomplishments, but GM in 5K rounds is only possible if you’re very gifted or maybe the standards changed. If it only took 5k rounds there’d be a lot more GMs than there are now. Plenty of people have over 4x that round count and are training seriously. It’s impressive either way, but don’t go out thinking you can dry fire a bunch, not shoot much live fire, and become a GM relatively quickly. For most people that doesn’t happen.
I would say it is possible, but it requires a lot of perfect instructions. You can technically practice running the stage with BB guns to learn translations.
It's a love hate relationship I guess. People don't like it when the pot is stirred, doubly so in this community. Everyone is afraid of stepping on each other's toes, to each others' faces at least.
This is very inspiring. Thanks Ben for sharing so much. Your videos have been invaluable to me as a newbie IPSC shooter. I truly hope the mess in USPSC gets fixed soon and I hope you get back into the game again. Give EG a run for the money 😄
It’s amazing what one can do when they have an analytical mind, identify specific goals , and are motivated. Kudos to you!
Thanks for the info, Ben. I think it's safe to say you are a shooting prodigy, an outlier. At least you understood you had to practice to hone your skills. I enjoy your videos and the information you put out. I have your books and am working on raising my C-game to a B-game. 😀
Cowden Method: Cheat your way to GM.
What's the story behind this?
@@jtasgl88 th-cam.com/video/Vt6QJedND-c/w-d-xo.htmlsi=_yuprVuhZmekUZwd
Lol, the last! Ben is my favorite dude out there.
The funny finish, "that's not true". Great story
Trips me out I’m the same age. Got into trying to be a better shooter more recently and seeing what works for me. Learning a lot from you on here and IG. Thanks. Keep it up please. If I show up to your class with dpp don’t hate homie. lol
20’s? 2004???
Damn I’m old…
Kudos on the skill and hard work.
Curious thought. I understand your personality, it’s similar to mine. But, if you hadn’t advanced so quickly within USPSA, perhaps, over time you would’ve been more inured to its machinations and less aware of the issues. The rapid rise let you see the state of organization from more of an outsider looking in rather than someone with his head down grinding through the trenches, working their way up. Then just taking it as it is.
This coming from someone who loves to shoot and does so weekly but has only shot 4 Steel Challenge matches, over a year ago. Competition is fun but not my jam.
I feel like the videos about the USPSA BOD have stopped.... did he get a cease and desist?
I did get a cease and desist some time ago. I ignored it and continued making videos. More videos will come as events happen.
“But I ignored it” 😂🤣classic Ben. Love it and keep em coming. Ill be your first member if you end up doing a new org. Especially if its 2 gun/action challenge oriented with armored divisions and such
I'm sure of it, I hate you. I've been enjoying the content and I've found so much of it beneficial in my shooting but I still suck worse than a .... well. I guess I really need to dry fire more and occlude that damn dot more.
And you will be happy to hear… your video was sponsored by a pro-Biden commercial!! 😂
Ain’t that a kick in the NUTS!!
Bro is the Disney underdog story of the USPSA….. could be played by Zac Efronn
I liked his performance as Eric Knox in Charlie's Angels. Or 2009s Moon for something more recent.
All right so on my wall is a idpa state match2004 plaque for 2nd place… stock service pistol. I remember very clearly getting beat by a young guy with long hair shooting a beretta. I also remember looking at him and shaking his hand and telling him he was a bigger sandbagged than me….. sorry. I would like to take a class with my son..
I’m over here trying to wipe off a speck of dirt on my phone.. naw it’s just the paster on Ben’s wall🤦♂️
I did the same thing lol
right?
IT. JUST. WONT. COME. OFFFFFF
😂 not the only one
I'm loving the 30 day TH-cam push. This shit is gold, please keep it up.
I believe it. You obviously have some talent for shooting, plus starting out at 20 is a definite advantage. I started out at 55, and I am 60 now. Plus I am over weight and out of shape, so getting better is difficult. Plus I'm on the geriatric squad, so that isn't helping. I still have fun, but I'm still in the D class. I'm hoping to move up to C class this year, but it's going to take some work. Your videos show a lot of areas that I need to work on, so I appreciate what you are doing. Thank You!
I seem to recall from speaking to you at a class that you were more analytical in your training than this video makes it sound.
Maybe you would be so kind as to expound on your thought processes as you initially trained?
Get his “Practical Shooting Training” book. That should answer your question.
He talks about it in more depth in a PSTG podcast with Joel
Everyone loves you in USPSA except the BOD.
People will say there's no such thing as a natural. I know you put a lot of work into it, but I want to know what you think mostly contributed to this phenomenal achievement. And don't tell us "dry fire".
Thing is Dry Fire and laser focus obsessiveness 8s what got it.
@@jediknight1294I thought it was a steady supply of PEDs and blood doping 😂
Being 20 would help.
While this is a good story about how Ben started and his meteoric rise to fame(infamy). A better story is how did Doody Project start. I caught DP in the middle and logged into the forum and it provided me endless hilarity of which I'm thankful. Ben, you're a national treasure.
I like the idea of grandmaster being the start of the journey. Its not an overall goal.
Holy smokes of the baby buddha! I think that sort of proves that you are a natural savant at shooting Ben! Unbelievable accomplishment.
didn't know your initial class was gm lol 🔥
He won a national championship 3-4 months after his first match.... how sick is that!
As a person who has experienced competitive pool players over the years, talent (or natural aptitutde...whatever you want to call it)is certainly a thing as well. I have seen guys come into the pool hall and shoot drills for hours everyday over years and improve but very slowly. Contrasting that, occassionaly a kid comes in (I say kid but 21) and starts hitting balls as a beginner...6 months later they are top 10 in the area. Some people just absorb certain skills much more rapidly than others. Not sure why. And no they aren't some secret pros beforehand...I have known some personally.
I'm gonna try my hand at USPSA this year, maybe IDPA too. The gun club I'm a member of hosts all sorts of matches. I wish 2 gun was more popular because I really am not interested in 3 gun. I just don't wanna have to deal with a shotgun. I also wanna shoot my rifle suppressed in matches. I don't know how common that is or if it'll even work. I know a lot of timers fail to pickup suppressed ARs.
Correct about suppressors and timers. I really enjoy the 2 gun style that incorporates drills and things like armored divisions. The 2 gun matches that are just USPSA matches with a rifle dont interest me that much. Much prefer to have less emphasis on fast and furious competitive and more focus on the practical applications and getting better with a realistic kit.
Dry-fire is to shooting what shadowboxing is to boxing. Essential.
I'm at 3.5kish rounds, and have a two Master class runs on my classifiers, sitting at a high B. Maybe I can hit M in 5k, but GM? Doubt it. Ben is naturally talented.
im not very familiar with classifications or pistol sports in general but in 2004, wouldnt the competition be less intense than it is today and the bar to GM is more difficult to reach today than it did 20 years ago?
@@DefZen343 So you're saying I'm better than Ben? Lol jk. The shooters in IPSC/USPSA haven't changed much from the 2004s to 2024. Even in the 80s you had guys who would run circles around most shooters around today, guys like Brian Enos were doing .10 splits while I feel like I'm stuck at .20. Yeah the competition is a little stiffer now simply due to way more competitors, but the top guys have always hovered around what peak human performance can do. The major change that's happened throughout the years was probably red dots on slides, and the only thing that's done is change scores from 11.5 seconds to 11 (referring to steel challenge). Maybe in another few years we'll see a massive influx of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs with a big focus on training physicality, but that would only increase scores marginally. But for the moment shooter skill hasn't changed much since the 80s, shooting isn't hard to do or understand, it's just most people aren't willing to put in the time to practice the fundamentals that will get you to a high level. I remember watching an old video of trick shooters that seemed to be as far back as the 50s (perhaps further) where a guy was shooting coins out of the sky with a 38 special revolver from the hip, and another aspirins out of the air with a 22lr rifle. A feat even a guy like Ben would have trouble with. Point is good shooting has been around for a long time.
🇺🇸
But what did you do exactly to level up that quick. Did you have any mentors?
I’ve just starred shooting semi-seriously in the last two years. I’ve put a fair bit of work into it. My experience, and observing the efforts of others around me, would suggest that this is an exceptional story. Good work.
Ben, why you gotta make me feel so old.
Solid 21st birthday. Nice!
That laugh followed by "..... that's not true".
Also, nothing makes me feel more like a clown than hearing how little the top guys shoot. I'm shooting 10kish a year (barely a year in to practical shooting), and I'll see M and GM guys at matches talk about shooting 5k-7k a year. Shows how much more precision I need in my training!
Eh who cares? You're having fun shooting right? Shooting is hella fun. I go shooting every weekend and I love it. The range is my happy place. I think I'm gonna try my hand at USPSA/IDPA. I kinda wanna get into the limited optics division but I gotta get a decent 2011 first. I just like those guns. To start with though I think I'm gonna shoot either my Canik Rival or my G17 in Carry Optics.
@@armorers_wrench I do, but I am extremely competitive with myself. I don't have goals to win matches, but I have goals of bettering myself each month. With that, I am always in search of the most efficient approach to improve. If I wanna relax and go to a "happy place" I lift weights or run lol
Maybe more dry fire?
My experience has been the opposite. Most of the M and GMs I know and see at matches, and on social media, often shoot way more than they let on or they’re just open about doing a ton of live fire. Some of the same instructors I see preaching how live fire is only to “validate” your dry fire and you don’t need to shoot live fire much will then be the same guys that post another video talking about how they’ve put 15k rounds through a single gun in the span of a year. And they have multiples of the same gun that all somehow get thousands of rounds put through them. So they’re either lying about high round counts or they are vastly understating the amount of live fire they actually do.
When did shooting become a full time thing for you?
Not to take away from anyone’s notable accomplishments, but GM in 5K rounds is only possible if you’re very gifted or maybe the standards changed. If it only took 5k rounds there’d be a lot more GMs than there are now. Plenty of people have over 4x that round count and are training seriously. It’s impressive either way, but don’t go out thinking you can dry fire a bunch, not shoot much live fire, and become a GM relatively quickly. For most people that doesn’t happen.
I would say it is possible, but it requires a lot of perfect instructions. You can technically practice running the stage with BB guns to learn translations.
It's a love hate relationship I guess. People don't like it when the pot is stirred, doubly so in this community. Everyone is afraid of stepping on each other's toes, to each others' faces at least.
This is very inspiring. Thanks Ben for sharing so much. Your videos have been invaluable to me as a newbie IPSC shooter. I truly hope the mess in USPSC gets fixed soon and I hope you get back into the game again. Give EG a run for the money 😄
Did you say that airsoft was in your background? Do you think that helped at all?
I'm still C class after 4 years of course I don't really try or care much and only shoot 4-5 locals a year. 😂
“That’s not true.” 😆
Great story! Thanks, sir.
Damn....................Just Damn.
The ending lol
Impressive!
Would you like to talk about 2017 world shoot? So curious how you deal with that crazy stressful situation.
What was crazy about it?
I love it...👍
LOVE IT!!🤣
sickest guy