I know a couple of guys that fly very competitively in ScaleMasters and Top Gun competition. They both use gyrs on their rudders to smooth out the flights in wind.
Personally, for flying sport planes I think gyros are a crutch. I'd rather learn the proper techniques to fly the plane myself. I fly mostly tail draggers including a Citabria, which is known for it's extremely unstable ground handling. Guess what, with practice I've learned to take off as smoothly as with any other tail dragger.
I won't say that they don't have their place, such as in competition (when they're allowed). After all, you need every 1/10th of a point. They're just not for me.
That IS what makes this hobby great though. The technology is there, and if you want to use it, you should!
Dennis-