Obsessive , Compulsion

[Cosmicblue]

The main difference I find between clay shooting and any other sport is the amount of hobbyists amongst top class competitors.

There isn’t a single sport i can think of where you can pay an entry fee of £30-£40 and compete alongside county, British and on some occasions world title holders.

And I think that's what makes this leisure activity (carefully avoiding the term 'sport') so special.

 

[ChrisPackham]

I couldn’t agree more. On a slightly different note, I'm sick to death of seeing my fellow competitors constantly promoting themselves on social media.

It seems the phrase, "self praise is no praise at all" is lost on most of them.

I’m sure they are managed into self promotion to please or attract sponsors..

 

[Jan Powell]

I’m sure they are managed into self promotion to please or attract sponsors..

You'd be tempted to think so, only they're not. Sure, sponsors need to keep tabs on their performance but this is done through internal communications or checks of websites.

I know of no sponsor that demands their shooters constantly bombard social media with self praise. Quite the opposite in fact as they know it turns potential customers off. It's more to do with massaging egos than promoting a brand.

I remember many years ago a very successful competitor in another sport said to me, "never court popularity, if you're good enough folks will notice and sponsors will come to you".

Wise words.

 

[ChrisPackham]

I see, although self promotion brings followers which are classed as advertising audience and therefore revenue..

 

[Richard59]

Yes, having bern out aporox 20 times already this year I own up to being a Clayaholic, in context when serious at Cricket one would play both days at weekends at least once in week and train / practice, even in Winter one would net 4 months out of season, as for Rugby, serious injury apart one game a week one would train twice and other exercise relative to it also, ones Mrs is of the opinion that Im devoting far less time to shooting than either of the former. Mrs having bern privvy to my recent toild is also of opinion that I need to buck up & try harder 

 

[Will Hewland]

Back when shoots were almost only on Sundays (I.e about 7 years ago before EJC started the weekday shoot revolution off), I remember looking shocked when my mate said he shot 300 every Saturday, in preparation for his Sunday shoot. I looked a bit surprised and he just said to me “well you don’t get better at this game sat on your sofa”

 

[Wonko the Sane]

I've said it many times and likely will again.  The concept of score-based classes in sporting where there is no standardized course of fire is ridiculous to start with.  In the context of the above comments it becomes even more so.  Lewis Classes at each and every shoot take care of all of it.  Carry nothing from one shoot to the next.  Men, women, relics, babes in arms - shoot to your ability and take your place.

Tab A / / Slot B

 

[Westward]

I've said it many times and likely will again.  The concept of score-based classes in sporting where there is no standardized course of fire is ridiculous to start with.  In the context of the above comments it becomes even more so.  Lewis Classes at each and every shoot take care of all of it.  Carry nothing from one shoot to the next.  Men, women, relics, babes in arms - shoot to your ability and take your place.

That's where the obsessive/compulsive gene comes into play. At any given reg sporting shoot there are about 10 people who might win a small sum of ££. Most of the other 150 or so won't win anything and many may well have never won anything but, they keep on coming out and competing, some infrequently whilst others may enter 120 shoots a year. The great majority are in the right class, or will be within 12 months and mostly they (of which I'm one BTW) are competing against themselves, keeping their fingers crossed and hoping for a PB.

 

[bisondan]

What I have found most disappointing just lately is the obsession with sponsorship. Every Tom dick and Harry wants a sponsorshio deal, and not because they can't afford to shoot, mainly because they want the bragging rights of being able to spout off on facebook and instagram about how many sponsors they have, or how they have a cartridge deal.

An example: on Facebook the other week, someone posted the question what were your goals for 2018?

95% of the replies were "I want a cartridge deal, a gun deal etc etc"

No one replied with, I want to be county champion, English champion, world champion!

The obsession with sponsorship is getting out of hand, I sponsor me and me only, my wife and family sponsor my time by allowing me to go once a fortnight, for which I am grateful.

Ah yes, the best at the moment is the constant plugging of products that shooters give out constantly on social media for nothing in return.  If I was a gun/cartridge/clothing/hearing protection company and people were constantly telling thousands of other people how good my product was for free then I'd be laughing, lots.

I know of a coach who had a shooter approach him after he'd had a few shots at one of these multi-activity Stag do's, and on his first lesson he said one of his aims was to get sponsorship.  It's a status symbol for some.

Dont get me started on the lengths of what some people will do to get a couple of free chokes or £5 off a thousand cartridges ......

 

[Wonko the Sane]

That's where the obsessive/compulsive gene comes into play. At any given reg sporting shoot there are about 10 people who might win a small sum of ££. Most of the other 150 or so won't win anything and many may well have never won anything but, they keep on coming out and competing, some infrequently whilst others may enter 120 shoots a year. The great majority are in the right class, or will be within 12 months and mostly they (of which I'm one BTW) are competing against themselves, keeping their fingers crossed and hoping for a PB.

Lewis classes eliminate the hopelessness of the masses.  Do you understand how Lewis classes work?  A search might be beneficial.

My personal opinion is that score/average based classes in ALL the shotgun sports are universally a bad idea.  Win/place based classes and Lewis classes are many times superior in every respect.

 

[Guest]

Lewis class = lotto

 

[Will Hewland]

Lewis class = lotto

Utter nonsense, agreed. 

 

[Wonko the Sane]

Lewis class = lotto

Not at all.  You clearly do not appreciate the implicit consolidation of any and all factors on any given day into a simple solution.  And above that a fine basis for a win based class system if anyone was ever to get smart enough to do that.

IMO there should be no purses for any class but an open one.  If you insist on purses for all classes the vast majority of shooters who enter will never see the $.

But, I'm sure finer minds than mine have cogitated on this topic extensively and come to quite contrary conclusions.

 

[Richard59]

Ah yes, the best at the moment is the constant plugging of products that shooters give out constantly on social media for nothing in return.  If I was a gun/cartridge/clothing/hearing protection company and people were constantly telling thousands of other people how good my product was for free then I'd be laughing, lots.

I know of a coach who had a shooter approach him after he'd had a few shots at one of these multi-activity Stag do's, and on his first lesson he said one of his aims was to get sponsorship.  It's a status symbol for some.

Dont get me started on the lengths of what some people will do to get a couple of free chokes or £5 off a thousand cartridges ......

Oh do please enlight, no personal names required at all just the scenarios

 

[Doug Pinnegar]

Interesting snippet from the CPSA site. It shows the top 10 highest number of registered targets shot in UK for issue 53. Running from highest number of raw targets down.

No surprise who shot THE MOST targets in the UK in issue 53  :lol:  @Sian!!

 

[Sian]

Interesting snippet from the CPSA site. It shows the top 10 highest number of registered targets shot in UK for issue 53. Running from highest number of raw targets down.

No surprise who shot THE MOST targets in the UK in issue 53  :lol:  @Sian!!

View attachment 7081

In all weathers, all over the place, and in several different mood phases ..  See my lovely hubby is not that far behind.  He doesn't get out in the week unless it is a special shoot like the Worlds.

 

[ips]

Ruddy ell Sian that is a LOT of shooting

 

[Doug Pinnegar]

It should be noted that @Will Hewland was in 18th place for highest number shot in the UK  :lol:

Ruddy ell Sian that is a LOT of shooting

~370kg of lead  :lol:

 

[Will Hewland]

It should be noted that @Will Hewland was in 18th place for highest number shot in the UK  :lol:

~370kg of lead  :lol:

Although I pretty much only shoot comps. Sian blows the heck out of practice shooting too!

 

[paul b]

Last year there was a article in clay shooting mag i think it was where mainly us shooters and  richard faulds was one interviewed ,and if memory serves they mostly said they shot in the region of 30k a year .