1st at Single Stack Nats: Rob Leatham (of course)

Here is the last interview in a great series with the top five shooters at this year’s USPSA Single Stack Nationals. The series was the brainchild of  the ‘movers and shakers’ behind the scenes at the Women of USPSA blog. A big thanks to Women of USPSA for allowing DRTV to republish the interviews and congratulations on a job well done. Now to the interview…

Tired of hearing about Rob Leatham winning another Single Stack Nationals (formerly the Single Stack Classic)?  We’re not!  2010 marked his 16th consecutive win, and one which might possibly be his last.  I know, I know, we say that after every Single Stack, however, keep in mind that Rob will be a Quinquagenarian by 2011’s National.

With each passing match, though, the margin of victory gets smaller and smaller. Rob beat Taran Butler this year by a small margin – 12+ points.  Nonetheless, he did win, and we have great respect for Rob.   More than just stating he won, we wanted to get the story from him personally on his Sweet 16th Title!

2010 USPSA Single Stack National Champion – Rob Leatham (24-Time USPSA National Champion, 5-Time IPSC World Champion)

WoU – Congratulations, Rob, on winning the Springfield / USPSA Single Stack Nationals.  What does it mean to have obtained your 16th consecutive Single Stack Nationals victory?

Rob – Thanks so much.  To tell the truth, I didn’t expect to win this year, so pulling it off makes me feel like this season is already a success. I think I won’t fully appreciate the wins until I finally lose.

WoU – Tell us about the gun and the gear you used in the match.

Rob – This year’s 1911 is the best gun I have ever shot.  It was built by the Springfield Custom Shop, using a Springfield Armory 1911 operator frame (light rail) cut to the same length as a standard frame in .40 caliber.  It has a squared trigger guard and 20 LPI checkering front and back.  Adjustable rear sight with Dawson fiber optic front, a Kart barrel and the new TGO design grips (AlumaGrips) and a Techwell TGO mag well.  The frame assembly is hard chromed and the slide is ION bonded.  This makes for a traditional but very durable look.  I use Wilson 10 mm magazines which have worked flawlessly for me since 1995!

My holster rig is a new Safariland dual belt with quick-detachable brackets that allow me to easily switch holsters and  pouches from one division to another.  The holster is the standard Safariland 5188 on a 013 rod that allows total adjustability.  It is so close in speed to an Open 013 rig that, except for the Steel Challenge, I’m not sure it is at much disadvantage.

Not since my very first single stack championship gun , which I used the first four years, have I had a gun that I wouldn’t change a thing on.

WoU – So, you’ll retire a perfect gun …

Rob – That’s the plan now, but come next year, I may have to snatch it from the safe!

WoU – The perfect gun, but you haven’t been in perfect shape for some time now. You had knee surgery earlier in the year and are now recovering from total knee replacement surgery.  How difficult has it become dealing with your knees and competing at such a high level?

Rob – Well, 20 years ago (when I initially injured my knee), it was not a big deal.  10 years ago, I started noticing a more limited range of motion – but it wasn’t really affecting my shooting much.  5 years ago, I saw that something would eventually need to be done, as I was getting along OK, but having to make up in shooting speed what I was losing in movement time.  At last year’s nationals, I knew it was time. I couldn’t stay competitive in field courses with more than a couple steps between positions.  I have always been good in and out of a position, but now I was just too slow in full speed.  More than that, I was losing the ability to shoot well on the move.  That was insurmountable to me and meant that it was finally time to cut my legs up and get them fixed!

WoU – An inside source says that you’re beginning to see some progress on your TKR.  We’re so glad to hear that!

Rob – I am – and that’s a very welcome sight for me!  I’m not the most patient person in the world.  I want to be running … now!

WoU – We admire that drive and determination.  You have had a career that has spanned decades.  What USPSA victories stand out most for you?

Rob – My first National Championship win, which was IPSC USA, before USPSA, and that first World Shoot win, both in 1983, will always be the most special.  They are what kick started my career and got the ball rolling.  Before that, I was just an amateur.  Those wins really lit a fire in me and made me want to shoot more than anything else.

WoU – How do you find the level of competition now vs. in the 80’s or 90’s?

Rob – There are many more good shooters now than then, but we’re all broken up among divisions.  Back in the early days, at any given match, there were really only 8 to 10 guys capable of consistently putting down scores good enough to win an overall.  Remember, back then there was just one division.  Everyone shot the same category, which meant you were in battle with everyone at the match.  There was no sub culture of production, limited or what have you specialists.  We all were general purpose shooters.  If you wanted to shoot more than one big match a year you had to jump into a different discipline.  Practical shooters all shot the Steel Challenge and the Bianchi  Cup, otherwise you had one National and that was it.

The battles I had in the 80’s with Jerry Barnhart are what made me tough.  No one was a better competitor, and if he was within striking distance, you were in trouble.  He would fight to the very end.  I didn’t really enjoy those wars as much then as I do now (thinking back on them).   One year, he made up 50 points on me on the last three stages of a National Match in Barry!  He really had me scared that I was gonna blow a 70 point lead.  I barely squeaked that one out.  Again … not much fun, but I do miss having Jerry on the range.

WoU – Those were some intense battles indeed.  Now, you have won more Single Stack titles than anyone.  Is it your favorite division?

Rob – Without a doubt.  As I get older, I may start losing the ability to see the sights clear enough to win.  Regardless, the closer the guns are to a daily, usable and sellable piece of equipment, the more I like them.  The low mag capacity makes accuracy more important, and conservation of the rounds you fire critical.  You can’t just shoot endless extra shots like in Open and Limited or you are going to be doing a bunch of standing reloads. It is a pure category. You can’t perform highly or win in single stack if you can’t shoot well.

WoU – What do you like about the Single Stack Division?

Rob – The purity of it.  Make every shot count.   Figure out what you are doing on a stage and execute properly.  Be deliberate and precise.

WoU – Historically at the Single Stack the GM’s are spread out all over the match in different squads.  This year was no exception. Do you prefer to shoot with a variety of shooters or do you like to be squadded in a Super Squad?

Rob – It’s fun to shoot with all levels, but I would prefer to have my competition with me. I had many great men shooters in this year’s squad who placed very high, along with the Ladies Champ Julie, and Kippi, who finished third. I think, though, that the super squad is still better for the top competitors so they can keep track of each other and see what’s going on.  At the least they should all shoot on the same day, so all the conditions are the same.  I don’t like it when someone wins shooting earlier or later than I did.  Makes me feel like they weren’t under the same pressure.  It is a National Championship … right?  At a lower level match, I love shooting with anybody!

WoU – How do you feel you performed?

Rob – Average.  I didn’t really get things going until the second day.  I was sluggish and performed poorly in the accuracy department.  I was lucky to win as this match penalizes that kind of performance more than most.  The second half of the second day is when I put my head down and started working hard.  Then the times and points started getting where they needed to be.  I was lazy early and that nearly cost me!!!

WoU – If there is one thing you can attribute to your success as a shooter, what would it be?

Rob – Tenacity and drive.  I love to shoot and hate to lose.  Winning isn’t all that important most of the time – it is just the result of a good performance. Failing to shoot well, on the other hand, feels TERRIBLE and almost always ends up in defeat. I hate to shoot poorly.  Since I have the means and time to train, I have no excuse to shoot poorly.  I may get slower on the move with my knees, but I should always shoot the best. I might get beat, but I should never loose because of lack of preparation.

WoU – Rob, congratulations once again on making history!  We wish you the best of luck with your recovery and hope you’re fully prepared for the October Nationals!  Thanks for your time.

Well, that’s a wrap for our coverage of the Top 5 men at the 2010 USPSA Single Stack Nationals.  We are honored that these incredible shooters took the time to interview with us.  Reading their responses, we get an inside look of what it takes to perform at the very top.  That and we get to read about the super cool gear they used!

We hope our Single Stack coverage will also help to further inspire our mother organization to thoroughly report and promote the top contenders at Area and National matches in USPSA publications. Winning an Area Match or National Championship (in all divisions and special categories) is a huge accomplishment and should be acknowledged. A big thank you to those at DRTV for sharing our posts on DownRange.TV and practical shooting blogs.  With this kind of coverage the sport’s winners are rightfully honored and celebrated!