Hey everyone, I am loading up the truck and trailer and getting ready to head down to the Super Bowl in Miami FL. I am performing the day before the Super Bowl for the NFL Alumni. I am looking forward to this event and it should be an amazing time.
Just a few weeks ago I was out in Las Vegas at the Shot Show. This was my sixth shot show and it seems to get bigger and better every year. Matt Hughes and I where there representing some of our sponsors. I spent the majority of my time in the Winchester Firearms booth and Otis booth while Matt was in the Browning booth. Here is a link to a video from the Winchester Booth - Patrick Flanigan 2010 Promo. Matt and I shopped around in the mornings prior to the opening of the show and found some great new gear and toys to take home with us. We made a lot of new friends and I look forward to working with them in the near future.
I got to do a little drumming at the Otis 25th Anniversary party. Matt Hughes and Cara Peebles from Otis put me up to it. Pure pressure gets me every time however, I believe Matt promised to give me a gun of choice for doing this. Here is some video from that:
I also had the opportunity to meet up with Country Music Singer Mark Wills (see picture below). Mark is a cool guy and has some great hits. Mark and I chatted briefly about teaming up in the future on some projects so we will just wait and see what happens.
I wanted to congratulate Matt and his wife Audra on their new baby girl Katelyn Mae Hughes. See a picture of Katelyn here- Matt Hughes Blog
Talk to you all soon!
Patrick Flanigan
Click on an image below for a closer look.
"Impossible Shots" and Patrick Flanigan join force - 11/14/2009
For immediate Release:
Xtreme Shooter Patrick Flanigan Joins Shooting USA's Impossible Shots
Franklin, TN: Tier One Media, LLC has announced Shotgun Exhibition Shooter Patrick Flanigan is joining the Shooting USA Impossible Shots Television Series in 2010.
"Signing Patrick as the newest member of the Impossible Shots Exhibition Team is the perfect move to support the success of our top rated show," said Jim Scoutten, Executive Producer of the Shooting USA Series. "Patrick brings his youth, enthusiasm and his world records to delight the audience. We know we've got entire families tuning in weekly," Scoutten said. "So adding a young shotgun performer will continue to entertain the younger members of the audience."
Patrick Flanigan said: "Joining the Impossible Shots series will help me connect with the next generation to educate and encourage their shooting and hunting involvement. It is my dream to someday see any or all of the shooting sports recognized as a professional sport on the same level as baseball or football. My shooting campaign is promoting the shooting sports as a professional sport, as I am living proof you can make a career out of your shooting passions."
Scoutten said he's been watching Patrick develop his exhibition career over the past few years. "He's not only grown to be a great entertainer in his personal appearances, he's also documented six world records in exhibition shooting. If we just show you his records, we'll have an extraordinary series of shows. We couldn't be more pleased that he's joining the team."
Scoutten says, Exhibition Shooters are challenged by the Impossible Shots series to keep thinking up new shots to amaze the audience. We've seen a lot of shooters over the years burn-out, running out of ideas and skill.
"Patrick Flanigan represents the new generation with new ideas, new records, and the extraordinary shooting skills to carry the tradition well into the future," Scoutten said.
Patrick Flanigan joins Exhibition Shooters Bob Munden, Byron Ferguson, Jerry Miculek, Gil "Cisko" Guerra, and George Sutton as a contributor to the Shooting USA TV series hosted by Brian Speciale. Shooting USA's Impossible Shots airs year round on Outdoor Channel entertaining an average viewership of 3.2 Million fans per month.
Special appearance at Kalamazoo MI Fight Night - 09/17/2009
Hey all,
I will be making a special appearance at Kalamazoo MI MMA fight night, Rumble In Zoo, on October 3rd. There will be UFC legends, amazing fights and yours truly all under the same roof for a night of some amazing MMA fight action.
I will be bringing in some special gifts for select fans in attendance. Call Lightning Kicks at 1 269 383 2610 for ticket information.
For further details go to www.lightningkicks.com and stay tuned for some special announcements including a possible exhibition between two world champions. Details coming soon!
See you there!
Patrick Flanigan
Brett Favre, "The Legend Continues" - 08/19/2009
Brett Favre
Well, I normally don't get into these debates and public arguments as I try to remain neutral for the sake of my many, many fans who don't all agree. However, as you all know Brett Favre is a personal idol of mine and in my opinion the greatest legend to play the game of football.
In the past couple of years Favre has been juggling the difficult decision of retirement and rightfully so. This man has fought wars on and off the football field. What he is going through is a common thing that all of us go through in our own lives and for some of us, on a day to day basis. I can honestly admit that even at 31 years old and while entertaining an amazing career and a blessed opportunity to utilize my gifts, I too have considered bowing out while on top. Don't worry though I have no intentions of walking away until I break all of my records and cross off a few other goals on my to-do list.
Favre knows he can still play, however, I truly believe that his pride and heart was damaged when the GB Packers closed the doors on him. I won't go into personal thoughts on the deal but I will say this, "McCarthy and Thompson are truly two of the biggest morons to have ever held a management/coaching position in the history of the NFL. Again, personal opinion and I won't go into it. Ha!
I would like to ask everyone this question: How many of you wake up everyday 100% certain of what you want from your job or career? I know that everyone reading this has gone through the same uncertainties that Favre is now dealing with. So.... back off and try to be human about the situation. The guy is amazing to watch play the game so try to enjoy what may be the last games you get to see a true legend play or possibly win a Superbowl. It would be rare to see another individual of Favre's caliber play again in our lifetime.
I am not a Vikings fan and may never be. However, I am a Favre fan and I look forward to watching him make amazing things happen once again this year even while wearing a purple jersey. #4 will amaze the world once again and for all of you who love to stir up the drama you will find yourself secretly sitting and cheering for Favre with the rest of the world. Pull your heads out of the hole and welcome back the man who made watching football on Sundays sheer pleasure these last 19 years.
To all my fans. Brett Favre inspired my professional career through his approach to the game of football and his having the heart of a champion. I watched Brett Favre highlight reels and DVD's prior to my shows and world record attempts. I still to this day carry a Brett Favre DVD with me and find myself playing it on my laptop whenever I need a boost. I owe a great thanks to Favre for inspiring whatever legacy I have attained.
Go Favre!!
August 13th 2009 - 08/13/2009
Hey all,
I want to apologize for being long overdue on my blogs and updates. Life is good and extremely busy!! In the last month I performed in Idaho, Illinois twice, ND, SD and MN. The shows went over great and many new memories were formed along with many new friendships.
On July 6th I opened up a new MMA gym called the H.I.T. Center (www.hitcentermma.com) in my hometown of Oshkosh, WI. Matt Hughes helped out with getting the gym ready and on August 8th came up to do a seminar for the grand opening. Everything went great and the gym is a HIT, ha ha, get it? Ok, my jokes need some work.
Winchester Legends has started airing on the Versus network so tune in and watch me do a little bird hunting throughout the country. For further information on Winchester Legends please visit www.winchester.com .
Matt and I left the gym right after the seminar and headed down to his house in Hillsboro, IL where we watched UFC 101 and hung with the family. That night we watched Mark Hughes pull his pick up in the local truck and tractor pulls. Mark didn't win but did well. The next day we enjoyed a great burger at the Park and Eat in Hillsboro then Matt, Jimbo (Matt's father in law), Nate (Matt's webmaster) and myself packed into the Dodge and made our way to Sparta, IL for my show at the Grand American. The show went well and Matt and I signed autographs for over an hour in the White Flyer booth then we were off to dinner and finally back home.
I'm now making my way over to the Chippewa Valley Games in WI for a show on Saturday. Then it's off to SD, TX and back to SD.
I hope to catch up with you all at a show.
Talk to you soon!
H.I.T. Center MMA Grand Opening - 07/18/2009
H.I.T. Center Grand Opening
Hey all,
Be sure to stop by my new MMA gym on Saturday August 8th 2009 for the Grand Opening. My good buddy Matt Hughes will be conducting a seminar from 10am-1pm and signing autographs from 1pm-2pm. I will also be on hand that day signing, answering questions and working out with those of you who attend the seminar.
The gym has started off with great success and I promise to continue bettering the facility as we continue to grow.
I look forward to seeing you at the Grand Opening and make sure you head over to the H.I.T. Center MMA webpage www.hitcentermma.com to pre-register for the seminar or for further information on becoming a member.
Thanks again everyone!
Patrick Flanigan
Click on an image below for a closer look.
July 12th 2009 - 07/12/2009
Hey everyone,
As many of you know I have many hobbies. One of them being Mixed Martial Arts. I started in Kenpo Karate around 7-8 years ago under my current instructor Sensei Dan Lett. I earned my black belt under Sensei Dan and I continue to practice the art of Kenpo on a regular basis. A few years ago I became interested in submission grappling so I started training at a club in Appleton WI along with my current business partner Mike Beschta. I was pretty much addicted, and practiced quite regularly when I wasn't on the road performing. After two years of training I finally became bored and discouraged with the lack of leadership and organization at the Appleton club so Mike and I decided to go out on our own. Nothing personal to the Appleton club of course, but why would we want to drive 20 miles each way and everyday and receive no instruction with which to improve our skills?? You see folks, I am a professional and an individual who succeeds through his passion for constant improvement. When I join or open a club I expect that it will be run and conducted with the same professionalism that I would put into my shooting profession. I got irritated watching our head instructor and owner sit in his office behind a computer screen while we taught ourselves. You're only as good as those who surround you and we all know that laziness is a contagious disease.
Funny story, I brought Matt Hughes up to do a small seminar last summer at our former club. There was probably 12 guys that attended as my intentions were to keep it small. Well, the only individual who didn't get on the mat that day for the seminar was our former owner/instructor.?? After we left, Matt asked me, "So...who runs that joint?" He assumed it was my buddy James who had to step up to play leader that day. Now, what would you do or how would you feel? Exactly!!
So, after a significant amount of hard work and dedication we finally opened the doors Monday July 6th 2009 to our new gym H.I.T. Center MMA and we are located at 927 W. Oregon St., Oshkosh, WI 54902. We offer a variety of different programs including Chinese Kenpo Karate, kids classes, womens self defense, cardio fitness, submission grappling, wrestling, boxing and more to come. You can find out more about us by going to our webpage at www.hitcentermma.com.
I want to thank my partners Mike and Mark for all their hard work. I also wanted to thank my good buddy Matt Hughes for his support and ongoing efforts.
Stop on in and say hello! I look forward to meeting you all and this would be a great time to put some faces to the e-mails I receive from the greatest fans a shooter could ask for. Thanks again everyone!
Patrick Flanigan
Morgan, UT - 06/18/2009
June 18, 2009
Well, as you already know I spent three days in Morgan UT at the Winchester facility filming commercials and attempting to break two of my own world records. The commercials were finished with great success and I am eager for all you to see them after production. I should have them up within a month.
The world records didn't come easy, in fact, they didn't come at all. We actually spent very little time on the world records as we were confident my current records will stand for a while so we are going to come back to the records in late summer. However, I have got to be honest, the pump hip record will be the easier of the two for me to accomplish. It's the speed record of 12 rounds shot in 1.4 sec from a non-modified shotgun that seems almost impossible to break. I am sure there is some gunsmith genius out there who could modify one of my SX3's and make it quicker but I truly don't believe there is a person capable of pulling the trigger that fast and I am proud that all my records occur with a non-modified gun. Only time will tell if I am capable of bettering that record but I vow not to give up!
I want to thank Matt Hughes for coming along with me on this trip. Matt is always a great supporter, friend and a good ol' Midwestern Corn Fed Country Boy just like myself. We had some great laughs on the airplane and throughout the trip. I wanted to congratulate Matt on his new sponsorship with Browning Firearms, Winchester's sister company. Just remember buddy, WWJD?? Matt, you can explain the meaning of this to your forum and mine.
I have a new MMA school opening up July 6th in my hometown of Oshkosh, WI. I have already posted some information about the school on my webpage but look for a more complete blog within a week. I am on the road to Idaho now and will post some stories very soon.
Thanks again!
Matt Hughes Blog 7 June 09 - 06/07/2009
Hey, everybody here's a recent post from my good buddy Matt Hughes (matt-hughes.com) and this is a blog that I truly enjoyed being a part of:
Strikeforce
Well, last night we had the Strikeforce event and as most of you know, Robbie lost from a guillotine choke. We knew that was Jake's bread and butter and the gameplan was definitely not to let him get ahold of Robbie's neck. In the opening of the round, Jake went for a takedown and then even a reshot and put a lot of effort into trying to take Robbie down. Robbie defended it all well and when he broke apart from him, Robbie felt confident. With all the effort Jake put into the takedown, Robbie knew that would have been hard on Jake mentally. Then the next time they got together Robbie even thought that he felt Jake breathing heavy. All that had a lot to do with why Robbie felt so confident clinching with him. That was another reason why Robbie was pressing. We (Matt Pena and I) didn't want Robbie pressing the fight, it's just so easy to take somebody down and strike with somebody if they are trying to come into you. But Robbie felt confident and wanted to press a little bit. It was one of those things where Robbie just felt like he could put his glove on Jake and end the fight. When the fight was over, Robbie knew he had made a few small mistakes and in this game you CAN'T make a big mistake or put two or three small mistakes together. This was a catch-weight fight, so Jake will go back down and Robbie will go back up and to be honest, I really don't think this changes much for Robbie down the road. The Arlovski fight sure didn't go the way I thought it would, but this is a game of big hitters. And Arlovski's style of throwing those front kicks doesn't match up well with a big hitter. All in all, I think it was a good card. I talked to a few of the fans, they said that the production quality and pre-fight hype was nothing like a UFC event.
A couple of weeks ago I talked about some people from my hometown (a small farming community) betting against me, well here is one of those guys that has bet against me twice. Here is a guy I'm going to call "Shorty", standing to the right of Patrick Flanigan. This is the second time "Shorty" has bet against me and actually I would have called him a good friend. A couple of months before my fight he bet Patrick $100 that I was going to lose. We went there to get Pat's money as I'm one of those guys that, if I bet, I always pay and, as some of the people on the forums know, if I win a bet I also expect to be paid.
Pat's in town, later on this week we're going to go up to Utah to visit Browning/Winchester and let Pat film a few commercials and he's also going to try and break two of his world records. I'm going out just to try and help out, I think Pat's sport is a lot like mine in that it's just as much mental as it is physical. When I heard Pat talk about how it was going to be hard to break these world record, this was the first thing I told him, "There are two types of people in this world, those that think they can and those that think they can't. You know what, they're both right." Spending a lot of my time in the gym, one of the first things I figured out a long time ago is that your body will do so much more than your mind will let it. All these world records are Pat's already, so that right there is something huge he has to overcome. You can find a lot of motivation to go out and break someone else's world record, breaking your own is just not quite the same. But as Pat knows he need to keep pushing himself and if he doesn't break it somebody else down the road will. Pat and I both know that being at the top is sometimes a hard place to find motivation.
We had a great time on vacation, but glad to be home. Check in with you guys next week. -matt
Click on an image below for a closer look.
Stories from the road! - 05/26/2009
Hey all, I wanted to let you know that I have a cool new way for all of you to come on the road with me. It's called, "Stories from the road" and it's written by Mike the sound guy and myself. It's a detailed description of our adventurers from the road. You can find it located on the right side of the webpage. Check it out and join us on the road!
Patrick
Rich Seubert Celebrity Trap Shoot - 04/22/2009
Hey folks! Just a note to keep you all up to date on our travels and performances. The weekend of April 17, 18 and 19 is one that Mike and I will remember for a long time to come. This weekend was the second annual Rich Seubert celebrity trapshoot. Some of you may remember that we had performed last year, met Rich and the other starting linemen of the then World Champion New York Giants and had a great time. In fact we had such a good time in 2008 that we decided to donate the value of our 2009 performance to the Celine Seubert Endowment for Cardiology Research at Marshfield
Clinic. Yes we had a blast at the event but lets not lose sight that we were all there for a cause. The event was a huge success raising a ton of money thanks to many, many people but more on that later.
Like last year, the event opened with a mixer of the celebrities and donors at the prestigious Leinie's Lodge. The lodge is the topper of your tour of the famous Leinenkeugel Brewery and where we got to meet Rich's guests and teammates. Rich brought along Chase Blackburn; NY Giants linebacker, Zak (Snapper) DeOssie; long snapper and linebacker, Madison (Combine) Hedgecock; fullback and returning for his second appearance Kareem McKenzie; offensive lineman. The players generously signed autographs and chatted with everyone about their lives both on and off the field then it was off for a small sampling of the Eau Claire/Chippewa Falls night life where the players and yours truly happily posed for more pictures and a few autographs.
Saturday morning we headed over to the Eau Claire Rod and Gun Club and while the players were busy in a friendly trapshooting competition Mike and I were busy setting up for our show. Because this was a charity event the goal of this show was to keep it simple, keep it fun and leave em' wanting more so they would all return next year. I think and I am told that we were successful on all counts. I broke out a couple new routines, busted nine from the shoulder and tied my hip shooting world record of nine clays. There was great crowd interaction and you should have seen the egg fight that broke out among the Giants players who were supposed to be throwing them as targets for me! I had to hunker down by my shooting table to keep my guns from getting plastered with raw egg! (I know from past experience how hard that is to clean up.) But it was all in good fun and everyone had a good time.
After the show we had just enough time to head back to the hotel for a shower and a change of clothes before it was time to head over to the banquet and auctions. The banquet hall was huge and during cocktails and some finger food everyone had the chance to peruse many donated items for the silent auction. There were outdoor life paintings, hunting trips, jewelry, a couple Patrick Flanigan trap throwers and many arts and crafts items to bid on.
During dinner Rich had the opportunity to thank everyone who donated their time and money for Heart Research which holds special importance for him. Rich's grandmother, Celine, for whom the endowment is named once needed and received a heart transplant and his niece (Gracie) was born premature and suffered many medical problems including heart problems and both are survivors today thanks to heart research.
After dinner and dessert the real fun began with a live auction. All the players donated an autographed jersey and as they came up for bid some of them donned their respective jerseys and proceeded to model them for the crowd. The guys had great fun strutting around like Calvin Klein models enticing the crowd to increase the bids. So which player received the highest bid for their jersey? The honor goes to Kareem McKenzie who got a whopping $750.00 bid for his jersey but it was for charity and not a competition right guys? Can't wait to see how that goes next year! There were some great items up for bid like Colorado elk hunts, Mexico vacations, Autographed Payton Manning Helmet and football and many, many more. What item brought in the single highest bid of the evening? I am so glad you asked because I am humbled to announce that it was a Winchester Super X3 Flanigun autographed by yours truly that was won with a bid of $7,500.00. I feel honored that I was able to be part of a donation that will hopefully aid at least a little in heart research.
As always we hated to see the weekend come to an end but we left making some great new friends, reacquainting with treasured old friends and having a great time for a great cause. I am honored to be invited back next year for the Third Annual Rich Seubert Celebrity Trap shoot. The event will be held April 17th 2010 so mark the date on your calendars now!!
Thanks again everyone,
Patrick Flanigan
Click on an image below for a closer look.
Update - 04/10/2009
April 8, 2009
Hey everyone!
Well, I have been very busy with the Xtreme Tour 2009. We kicked off the tour in Florida just over a month ago and we found that I was a little rusty. So, I went back to the practice field and had to rework some new and old routines until I was comfortable with the new shooting style that I had to develop since my injury in 2008. For those of you who didn't know, I had battled with a serious back/arm/nerve injury last year that was almost career ending. Therefore, I needed to retrain myself to accommodate a loss in strength and speed. But hey! Don't worry devoted fans, I am still stronger and faster than the competition and my Winchester's.....?, well, those have had no problems for over hundreds of thousands of rounds so the team is solid.
I've been spending a lot of time trying to create some new routines for the show and we've been working extra hard on the pyrotechnics in hopes of giving our audiences the most Xtreme sport shooting show ever!
Team Xtreme has also added some new apparel to the Patrick Flanigan on-line store and sales have been great! We apologize to all of you who had purchased a shirt(s) and had to wait longer then your typical on-line order but hopefully the wait was worth it. I wanted to personally thank some new friends of mine Susan and Brian for their patience. Thanks guys!! I have attached a picture below of Susan and Brian sporting not only a new Team Flanigan shooting shirt, woman's team Flanigan shirt but also a Winchester SX2 Signature II. Thanks again for the picture Susan and Brian.
I have been on some amazing trips in the last few weeks including my return to Deadwood, SD and I have some great pictures and stories to share with all of you very soon.
I've got to get back on the road so, stay tuned to www.patrickflanigan.com and be sure to check out the Deadwood blog coming soon!!
Patrick
Click on an image below for a closer look.
Matt Hughes Trip - 03/26/2009
Hey all,
here is a blog written by my buddy Mike Beschta about our recent trip down to Matt Hughes place for some training.
Patrick
Weekend with Matt Hughes
By: Mike Beschta
This past weekend Pat, James, and I had the pleasure of taking a trip to train with 9-time UFC champ Matt Hughes for a few days. This is the second time I have had the opportunity to train with Matt, and just like the first time, we all had a blast. We were again blown away by his generosity and hospitality.
Friday afternoon we arrived in Hillsboro, checked into our room at the Red Rooster Inn and met up with Matt at his house. As we all sat and talked for a while with Matt and Audra, James found a new friend, Matt's adorable little daughter, Hannah, to read a book with. Next, Matt took us out to dinner at a local diner. We had a good time chatting and listening to James do his Georges St. Pierre impression. A pretty good impression I must add! After dinner, James and I headed over to our room and watched some college wrestling while Pat and Matt headed to a local gun auction. Later that night, we all met up at Brian Patton's house for a friendly poker game with Mark, Nate, Jim (Matt's father in-law) and a few other friends of theirs. Unfortunately though, none of us Wisconsin boys walked away with as much money as when we arrived! After the poker game, we went back to the hotel and got some rest so we could be ready for a big day of training on Saturday.
We met Matt Saturday morning at his house and took a ride to the HIT Squad for some training. We played about an hour of HIT Squad dodge ball and then did a little over an hour of grappling. During the dodge ball game, I took shot to the face that left me with a big red print of the ball on my face. The guys thought it was pretty funny and I had to laugh a little myself. That's what I get for not paying attention I guess. It was also great to roll with Matt, Amir and all of the other HIT Squad fighters. We were impressed by the cardio level of all of the fighters at the gym. They seemed to be able to go forever. After training, we were treated to some sushi by Pat and then headed over to Rising Sun Martial Arts in Hillsboro for our second training session of the day.
After burning off every calorie that we had consumed for the past week, we met up with Matt, Jim, Jim's wife and Amir for a really nice dinner at Church Street Pub. We had an interesting time talking to everyone and it was great to get a chance to know Amir a little better. Since he is cutting weight for his upcoming fight, he didn't mind talking as we all enjoyed our delicious desserts! We all agreed he was one of the nicest guys we had ever met. James gave him the nickname "smiley" and if you ever get the chance to meet him you will immediately know why. Good luck to Amir on his fight this Saturday! He's a tough guy so we are sure he will do well.
We stopped at Matt's house after refueling and were sent away with some nice training gear. Later that night, we met up with Mark at a little place across the street from our hotel. Mark is a great guy to be around and also one of the best storytellers I have ever had the pleasure of talking with. We all had a lot of laughs. That night James, a Pan-Am champ and a great grappler in his own right, studied some submission defenses to a certain submission that Matt was catching us all with over and over again. We headed to bed early, exhausted from our two training sessions in one day that we were definitely not accustomed to.
Sunday morning we all met up again at Rising Sun for another good training session. James worked his defense to the submission effectively so props to him. I wish I could say the same for myself! After training, we all jumped into Pat's truck and headed home. We were all exhausted and a little sore, but we had a great time.
Thanks again to Matt for having us. We can't wait to do it again soon!
Click on an image below for a closer look.
Wake up people! - 02/16/2009
Nobody can sell any ammunition after June 30, 2009
Ammunition Accountability Legislation
Remember how Obama said that he wasn't going to take your guns? Well, it seems that his allies in the anti-gun world have no problem with taking your ammo!
The bill that is being pushed in 18 states (including Illinois and Indiana) requires all ammunition to be encoded by the manufacturer in a data base of all ammunition sales. So they will know how much you buy and what calibers. Nobody can sell any ammunition after June 30, 2009 unless the ammunition is coded.
Any privately held uncoded ammunition must be destroyed by July 1, 2011 (Including hand loaded ammo). They will also charge a 5 cent tax on every round so every box of ammo you buy will go up at least $2.50 or more!
If they can deprive you of ammo they do not need to take your gun!
This legislation is currently pending in 18 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington.
Send to your friends in these states AND fight to dissolve this BILL!!
To find more about the anti-gun group that is sponsoring this legislation and the specific legislation for each state, go to: AmmunitionAccountability.org
A conversation with Patrick Flanigan - 11/29/2008
A Conversation with Patrick Flanigan by Clark Bush
Patrick Flanigan is a man who has a passion and has devoted his life to fulfilling it. You can not be anywhere around him and not feel his enthusiasm, his excitement and his absolute joy for what he does.
Experience one of his shows and if you're a shooter, you'll marvel at what he's able to do with a shotgun but even if you're not, you'll be entertained and energized.
Recently, I had the pleasure of spending some time in conversation with Patrick and would like to share that experience with you.
CB: First of all, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to "visit". I know your schedule is full and there's a lot of demand for you time. It means a lot that you'd share some of it with us.
PF: You know we've been trying to do this for a couple of years. I'm glad we could finally get together and do it.
CB: Many of us have seen your truly amazing shooting skills and I always find myself saying, "How does he do that?" but before I ask you how you do that, I'd like to know a little more about you, where you grew up, your family and how you became involved in the shooting sports.
PF: I grew up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, still live here and shooting and hunting have always been a part of my life. My Dad, my 4 brothers and my Uncles all hunt and shoot. I've been hunting and shooting since I was about 6 years old. We have a long history of shooting in our family. I just happen to the one who does it professionally.
CB: I know you also have an interest in the martial arts. Would you tell us a little bit about that?
PF: The martial arts for me are all about competition and discipline. I've always been competitive, involved in sports and this was just another way for me to be competitive. I think the discipline that I've learned has also helped me in shooting. It's important for me to take care of my body and mind. It's just another way to do that.
CB: Shooting, martial arts and music. That's not always a combination that comes to mind.
PF: I'm just a very lucky guy. I'm able to do a variety of things and I enjoy all of them.
In mixed martial arts, I work and train with Matt Hughes, in my opinion the very best at what he does. He's taught me a lot and even offered to arrange a professional match for me. I don't think that's in the cards but I really enjoy his friendship and all that I've learned from him.
I also work with Aaron Tippin a great country music star. We've done shows together and he's been a great help and a good friend to me in many ways.
I think really all of these, shooting, martial arts and music all go together. They are all entertainment. They help to make me what I am today and what I really want to be, an entertainer.
You and I have also talked about the importance of rhythm in speed shooting. I have been a drummer for twenty plus years, and as you know a successful or accomplished drummer must have solid rhythm. My rhythm, like my shooting, is very instinctive and natural. I had to work to develop it but I feel as though I have always had it in me. A part of drumming is learning rhythmic patterns that are structured numerically and accented on different beats. I apply different rhythms to my Xtreme sport shooting, especially my speed shooting!
My music, the discipline of martial arts and the rhythm of music are all a part of what I do.
CB: With all the various different interests that you have, how and when did you decide that you wanted to have a career as a professional shooter?
PF: I'm still digging for that answer. I've been asked that many times but truly, I never had any aspirations to be a trick shooter. I always just wanted to entertain people and play into my passion. When I finally made the decision to do it, I went at it with everything that I had in me. I've always had a passion and I just followed it to make it into a career.
CB: What led you to Winchester?
PF: Winchester has always been a big part of my life. My Grandfather had a huge collection of Winchester guns. Whenever we visited him, we always looked at his Winchester guns, both shotguns and rifles. It was like getting a history lesson every time we walked in his door.
That made it one of the first that I tried but frankly, I tried all the other major brands too. When I came on the Winchester Super X, it was just a great fit and I was able to do more with it, in trick shooting than the other brands. You know how it is, you pick up a gun and it just has a natural fit. I tell everyone who asks, try a bunch of guns and find the one that works best and fits you best. For me, that was a Winchester.
CB: I've seen you shoot many times and always try to pay attention to the guns you shoot. I know your Super X2 has been retired to the Winchester Museum and that you're now shooting a special Super X3. Would you tell us just a bit about that gun?
PF: I feel really honored that Winchester would create a gun, just like the one I use and make it available to the public with my name on it, the Super X3 Flanigun Exhibition/Sporting. It's a great gun. I shoot both 28" and 30" barrels and honestly, it doesn't matter to me which length I shoot. I like the longer barrels because they give me a bit more front-end weight. To me it's all about balance and I like that weight out front to help balance the weight of the extended magazine. I want to be able to close my eyes, pick up the gun and feel it balance in my hand.
CB: As you know, I've been shooting the Super X3 for the past 12 months or so and that's been one of the qualities that I found most appealing. It balances well in the hand and comes up to the shoulder so quickly.
Shifting to another subject, since you fire so many thousands of rounds each year, what do you use for hearing and eye protection.
PF: I use a number of hearing protection products. I like to use electronic plugs at my shows so that I can hear everything that's going on and also so that I can have interaction with the audience.
I use solid plugs, ear molds, when I make videos. I also make sure my eyes are protected and use a variety of brands of shooting glasses. I wear contacts so I don't want to get debris in my eyes.
CB: You mentioned that you wear contacts. So you don't have that "eagle vision" that we sometimes hear about that allows you to see more than most of us.
PF: No, not at all. My prescription is pretty strong. I know some shooters have really great vision, some are almost like Super Man or somebody. Without glasses or contacts my vision is pretty poor but honestly, most of what I do is very instinctive. I think I could close my eyes, throw targets up in the air and shoot them. If there's anyone out there who aspires to be a trick shooter but has bad vision, I'd urge you not to let that be a roadblock. Instinct is a big part.
CB: Following up on that, how much of your current ability to you attribute to natural talent or instinct and how much to practice?
PF: Natural ability is always a huge part of any athlete's success. For me coordination and rhythm have always been easy and natural. I just never had to work at it. Once I discovered I had those gifts, it became my responsibility to fine tune them. I think that's true for everyone. Whatever your gifts are, you have a responsibility to use them to the best of your ability.
CB: Switching gears, would you tell me about your turkey hunting experiences?
PF: I've always been a bird hunter but had not hunted turkeys until last Spring when I was invited by Aaron Tippin to hunt with him at his farm in Tennessee. I'd just never had the opportunity. I was really impressed by his athleticism. We were all over those mountains. We'd hear a gobble here and then one there. He'd be almost running over those hills and mountains and I'd be right behind him. I'm sorry to say I did not get a turkey but I sure got hooked. I've got a lot to learn about the sport however.
CB: Patrick I know that the last several months have reinforced your belief that shooters, who truly are competitive athletes, should train and prepare for their events just like a runner or any other competitor in any other sport. Would you share with us, some of what you've been through in the last few months, what it's taught you and what lessons you believe each of us can learn from your experiences?
PF: I have to say that for some time I did not respect the physical responsibilities of my sport, like I did that of other sports.
I know that you've seen my shows many times and that you know just how hard and how high I throw those targets. I really put everything that I have into doing that and it resulted in some severe damage to my throwing arm. I'd noticed some pain and strain but because of my participation in sports, I tended to just try and ignore it and work through the pain.
In late August of this year, I was diagnosed with a significant and potentially career-ending injury. I had lost 70% motor function in my right arm. There was fear that I might have permanent nerve damage. I had total numbness in my right hand and could not feel anything from my elbow down and my right hand was pretty much useless.
On top of all that, I had excruciating pain. Nothing that they tried helped. Finally, as a last resort before surgery, they tried a series of very powerful anti-inflammatory drugs that began to relieve some of the pressure on the nerve. Slowly, the numbness and then the pain began to subside.
I also had physical therapy, chiropractic treatments and something unusual for me, rest. It was a very dark period and left me wondering about my future not only as a shooter but as a provider for my family.
CB: How do you feel today?
PF: That's the good news, I'm back at about 75% - 80% of arm strength and my hand strength is back to almost normal. I feel great and have no soreness or pain.
I'm now convinced more than ever before that all shooters should take stretching and warming up seriously. We need to give our sport the respect that it deserves. After you shoot, consider icing your shoulder. I now spend at least a half-hour stretching. I'm out there holding a gun, throwing targets, twisting and turning in all kinds of directions, it's important that I warm up just like a runner or other athlete.
CB: When you first told me of your injury, I was frankly frightened and very concerned. Watching you for the past couple of years however convinced me that you just have the determination to overcome whatever obstacles are put in your way. No one wants to go through something like this of course but I think, as in many other challenges, you've used it in a positive way to help others.
PF: I've tried to do that. I've tried to use everything that I've learned from all the important people in my life to make me a better person. I feel very fortunate to have met so many good and helpful people and fortunate to be where I am and doing what I'm doing.
The people at Winchester have been very loyal and supportive. They and my good friends helped me through this very tough period in my life and I won't forget it. I had friends who came out just to throw targets for me. How could I ever thank them enough for that?
My Grandfather used to say to me, "Patrick, just be a good person and everything else will work out." I've tried always to remember those words and even in tough times to try and be a good person.
I'm looking forward to 2009 and hope all your readers will try to come out and see one my shows.
CB: Would you tell us how we can keep up with all of your activities and see your schedule for next year?
PF: Sure, you can visit my web site http://www.patrickflanigan.com/ and from there you can probably find out more than you ever wanted to know about me.
CB: Again, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to share some information about yourself and let our readers learn just a bit more about you. My very best to you in all that you do and I look forward to seeing your next show.
PF: Clark, we've talked about sitting down and doing this for so long, it's great that we could both find some time for this conversation. I look forward to seeing you out at the shows and hope your readers will take something from this that they find helpful.
Patrick Flanigan is not just one of the most amazing shooters you'll ever see but also one of the finest men you're likely to encounter in the shooting trade or any other.
He lives his values and in a sport where it's easy to become "full of yourself" he keeps everything in the proper perspective. You will really like this man!
This article was published on Thursday 13 November, 2008.
Otis Commercial Shoot - 11/26/2008
Hey all,
I just got back from R&R Pheasants in Seneca SD where I was filming a video and photo shoot for Otis Technology. I met up with Cara and Ashley, two of the ladies from Otis's marketing and advertisng. We had a great time and I am confident that all of the media that was filmed or shot that day will turn out perfect.
I have included a few pictures from the shooting tips video shoot and the photo shoot.
