There is also another way you can gain some benefit without a coach. Simply attend and compete in as many contests as you can. Use your first contest to base line your raw scores and to see how you stack up against your peers. Study your raw scores to see where you need the most improvement and observe your peers. In a competition it only takes 2 rounds to see who is in the top of the pack, middle of the pack and bottom of the pack. And then there will be you, somewhere in the mix. If you're in the top of the pack I beleive it would be much more difficult to improve by yourself & without a coach. If you're in the bottom or middle of the pack you can learn allot by analizing what the better guys are doing that you are not. Go home and try to emulate what you saw the better guys doing. Use your next contest to see how much you have improved.

Glen