EdSolomons
Well-known member
But I looked good doing it.....
Churchills Classic - June 2012
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Chard
Well-known member
Will Hewland
Well-known member
Great score Ed. Small margin away from a win really..
Gnasher
Well-known member
Hmm. I shot a 57 on the blue which put me well in contention for the ladies.
Started the Red course on stand 2. Must have been the worst stand to start on. The beginning of a run of 5 stands of wind effected, skinny white targets that I couldn't connect with. By the time I got to the stands with the friendlier targets my card was decimated, my brain was mush and I couldn't work out the lead on anything. I couldn't hit anything consistently. Wheels had fallen off and a only hit 40.
Luck always plays a big part in shooting. We shot in the best conditions, I believe, on Saturday, so no complaints about the weather except the wind did play around a lot with those nasty white incomers and crossers. Probably the same all 3 days though. But I do think if I had started on stand 7 or 8 my score would have been 10 better.
Gnasher
Started the Red course on stand 2. Must have been the worst stand to start on. The beginning of a run of 5 stands of wind effected, skinny white targets that I couldn't connect with. By the time I got to the stands with the friendlier targets my card was decimated, my brain was mush and I couldn't work out the lead on anything. I couldn't hit anything consistently. Wheels had fallen off and a only hit 40.
Luck always plays a big part in shooting. We shot in the best conditions, I believe, on Saturday, so no complaints about the weather except the wind did play around a lot with those nasty white incomers and crossers. Probably the same all 3 days though. But I do think if I had started on stand 7 or 8 my score would have been 10 better.
Gnasher
Gnasher
Well-known member
Another thought. Setting a course to the right standard is a real skill. The guys who do it on a regular basis for CPSA registered shoots and usually get it right - ie AAs 85-90, As in the 80's, B's 70's etc - they deserve a lot of respect. It's getting the balance right between mainly hitable targets with a handful of testing ones to sort the AAs from the Cs. I think the Classic had some great testing targets - its what I love about Sporting clays: I can't wait to get to the next stand to see what it will be - but it just had too many of them. It didn't get the balance quite right.
Ultimately my bad score on the red course wasn't about not being able to hit the hard targets. It was because the hard targets left me thinking I couldn't hit anything and once that thought is in your head, you've had it.
Gnasher
Ultimately my bad score on the red course wasn't about not being able to hit the hard targets. It was because the hard targets left me thinking I couldn't hit anything and once that thought is in your head, you've had it.
Gnasher
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I get what Gnasher is saying here - my ONLY criticism of the course (and I gave this to Churchills yesterday) was that the harder parts of both courses came in the first half of each layour. If you were unlucky enough to start on stand one (like me) then you had 6/7 relentlessly hard stands before it eased up a bit.
Don't get me wrong - I heard the comments on last years, and I welcome the overall difficulty being increased, I am on record saying I like harder targets (good way too learn, seperates the men from the boys etc) but there was a chance that the lower classes had enthusiasm 'ground out' of them before they got onto a stand that helped them build a score.
Simply rotating the start points (so starting on stand 1 on Red meant you started on Stand 8 of Blue) may have made it a bit more accomodating for the lower classes.
Other than that detail, I couldn't fault the tough targets all day - I enjoyed them and they NEED to be hard when £50k of prizes are on the table.
Don't get me wrong - I heard the comments on last years, and I welcome the overall difficulty being increased, I am on record saying I like harder targets (good way too learn, seperates the men from the boys etc) but there was a chance that the lower classes had enthusiasm 'ground out' of them before they got onto a stand that helped them build a score.
Simply rotating the start points (so starting on stand 1 on Red meant you started on Stand 8 of Blue) may have made it a bit more accomodating for the lower classes.
Other than that detail, I couldn't fault the tough targets all day - I enjoyed them and they NEED to be hard when £50k of prizes are on the table.
chippy
Well-known member
I think it had the right amount of hard stands but they could have spread them out more. starting on stand 2 was a bit of a killer.but your 57 on the blue was impressive, the way you started i thought we had another cheryl hall on our squad.
chippy
Gnasher
Well-known member
A good course setter can get the balance right. Just because you can come up with lots of challenging targets doesn't make you a good course maker. I think we could all set great targets. But very few can get it just right - to set a course that allows the people who shoot for pleasure get as much out of it as the people who manage to win the prizes. Stringing 5 stands together that can rip the heart out of a card isn't clever or good course setting. Neither is making it too easy. Didn't shoot it last year but I heard what people said about it.
The guys who set the courses for registered shoots that I go too normally get it about right and they deserve more credit for what they do. I shot the English Open and didn't shoot well but that was me on the day. I thought the targets were excellent.
Gnasher
Gnasher
Well-known member
Ha Ha. Thanks for the compliment but she's got what it takes mentally which is what I so obviously lack!!
So - my full review is over on the main site : http://shootclay.co.uk/2012/06/10/shoot-review-2012-clay-shooting-classic-at-ej-churchill/
Overall - I enjoyed it, despite finding it very difficult. I'll stand by my earlier comments that I think it needed to be difficult, but I shot a little below my expectations.
Overall - I enjoyed it, despite finding it very difficult. I'll stand by my earlier comments that I think it needed to be difficult, but I shot a little below my expectations.
FieldandClay
Well-known member
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Dean B
Well-known member
Well i thought it was a very good shoot, but the harder stands should have been more spread out , i started on stand 1 on the red 
and by stand 7 i must have been 20 clays down which was partly down to me shooting like a chump, just did not get a chance to get some confidence built up , which did make the softer stands seem harder then they were, other then that good shoot
you shoot it well FieldandClay
Think it time i come see you for a lesson
and by stand 7 i must have been 20 clays down which was partly down to me shooting like a chump, just did not get a chance to get some confidence built up , which did make the softer stands seem harder then they were, other then that good shootyou shoot it well FieldandClay
Think it time i come see you for a lesson
I think this course was a few clays harder than last year, the event was very well run and a pleasure to shoot. The biggest problem in my mind was the weather which can spoil most events, i think the feed back would have been more positive had the sun been shining and no wind. A generous prize fund, let's look forward to next years classic.
Will Hewland
Well-known member
A few clays!!! Look at the score. Many clays!
He is the nicest man you could ever meet, thank you to those who know him. He did used to shoot ALOT before 2003 and he was a character most shooters knew, sadly he did stop due to personal reasons. He now only shoots the classic with a great friend just to come back have a good day and see all the old faces, hi to all of them by the way, we do miss you. He was classified on the day he shot and when he found he was put in B class thought it would cause trouble, thanks Wesley! On Saturday morning he was rung and they moved him to AAA, thanks again Wesley! He probably has only shot 100 clays since the last classic so only goes to prove how brilliant he is, even in driving rain xxx P.S. Sue we will be up for a visit soon and bring Junior who is proving to be pretty hot to.
Will Hewland
Well-known member
Difficulty of shoot is judged by the percentage of clays missed. 2011, 6 clays missed from 150 is 4%. 2012, 13 clays missed is nearly 9%, over double the effect.
Look at the average losses further down the list, the effect was huge. Last year I hit 118, this year 102 and I shot better this year. Phew!
CSC3
Look at the average losses further down the list, the effect was huge. Last year I hit 118, this year 102 and I shot better this year. Phew!
CSC3
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