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“I tell all my students, never be afraid to experiment with something, but never forget where you were at…Remember your base.”
An iTrapshooter.com interview
Copyright 2011.
All Rights Reserved.
Mike Blaisdell
8 Time All-
30 New Hampshire State Titles
Other State Titles -
9 Times Captain
Past
President, New Hampshire
Trapshooting Association
5 – Eastern Zone Titles
(Including
2011 Eastern Zone
Doubles Championship and All Around)
2005 Eastern Zone Singles Champion
ATA
Record Shoot-
12 Grand American Trophies
15 Satellite Grand Trophies
All-
Page Five
Copyright 2011
iTrapshooter.com: You’re in the history books. People will always look at what you’ve achieved and say “I wish I was shooting with him”.
Mike: I had people unbeknown to me, they were picking up my hulls after that shoot-off and would come to me at certain shoots and ask me to sign the hull. I was taken aback by that. It’s a strange role for me because I don’t consider myself in the class of a Leo Harrison or a Kay Ohye or a Phil Kiner or a Britt Robinson. I kind of classify myself as a true amateur shooter. I have a family to raise and a living to make and I’m not able to travel as much as I’d like to.
I think one of my greatest accomplishments was making the first team All-American and I only did it with seven shoots. There’s people that are taking fifteen or sixteen shoots and taking the best seven from there. I only had seven shoots.
I barely made the minimum target requirement to make the All-American team. That was a fantastic year for me and that’s on one of the top of my accomplishments, on my part.
iTrapshooter.com: What do you advise when people feel they’ve hit a plateau? How do you get to the next level?
Mike: I do the same thing. I seek more knowledge. I’m not afraid to try things. I tell all my students, never be afraid to experiment with something, but never forget where you were at. If you want to change the comb height, that’s great, see what it does. But don’t forget where you had it. That’s the key. Remember your base.
I always tell my students, I keep a book of shoots that I go to. I write down my scores, the bank I was on, how I felt that day, what I felt was good, what my spacers were, my gun calculations. I always check my gun calculations because things can get off. I really pay attention to those things. I tell everyone, write things down. Keep a log and if you have a question, if you’re able to, go take a class from somebody. Find out. I mean, I seek knowledge from everybody. If I’m talking to Ray Stafford and I’ve got a question; or If I’m talking to Ricky Marshall or Phil Kiner, I talk shop with both of them a lot.
iTrapshooter.com: It doesn’t matter how great the achievements, you know you still have to do the homework if you want to succeed.
Mike: Absolutely, there is no pill you take to make you the greatest shooter. Everyone has an ability but there are people who have exceptional ability, like a Leo. Leo Harrison. Leo and I are about the same age and I remember reading about him in 1974. I started in ‘75. I remember the pictures of Leo when he was that age.
Copyright 2011
iTrapshooter.com: You’re in the history books. People will always look at what you’ve achieved and say “I wish I was shooting with him”.
Mike: I had people unbeknown to me, they were picking up my hulls after that shoot-
I think one of my greatest accomplishments was making the first team All-
I barely made the minimum target requirement to make the All-
iTrapshooter.com: What do you advise when people feel they’ve hit a plateau? How do you get to the next level?
Mike: I do the same thing. I seek more knowledge. I’m not afraid to try things. I tell all my students, never be afraid to experiment with something, but never forget where you were at. If you want to change the comb height, that’s great, see what it does. But don’t forget where you had it. That’s the key. Remember your base.
I always tell my students, I keep a book of shoots that I go to. I write down my scores, the bank I was on, how I felt that day, what I felt was good, what my spacers were, my gun calculations. I always check my gun calculations because things can get off. I really pay attention to those things. I tell everyone, write things down. Keep a log and if you have a question, if you’re able to, go take a class from somebody. Find out. I mean, I seek knowledge from everybody. If I’m talking to Ray Stafford and I’ve got a question; or If I’m talking to Ricky Marshall or Phil Kiner, I talk shop with both of them a lot.
iTrapshooter.com: It doesn’t matter how great the achievements, you know you still have to do the homework if you want to succeed.
Mike: Absolutely, there is no pill you take to make you the greatest shooter. Everyone has an ability but there are people who have exceptional ability, like a Leo. Leo Harrison. Leo and I are about the same age and I remember reading about him in 1974. I started in ‘75. I remember the pictures of Leo when he was that age.
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