I’ve only been shooting in the Open division (USPSA) twice, and I’ve already learned one very important lesson. Matches and stages are won and lost because of a fraction of a second. A stove pipe, a mental pause, hesitate and your placement can drop tremendously. You have to not only be at the top of your shooting technique and gun manipulation, more importantly, you have to be at the top of your mental game. Lose focus for 0.2 secs and you’ve lost two places. Remember that “chicken finger” you got on the 2nd array? yup! you just gave away a stage win.
I know the other divisions is similar in a certain way, but it’s a heckuva lot more pronounced in Open.
If you’re looking for something to push your limits higher, shoot Open. It will make you a better competitor all round. (maybe except for Revolver, which is a different beast altogether)