Practice makes...

[Lloyd]

Perfect... Or so that say.

Being the analytical, spreadsheet nerd that I am, I took a look at some data from CPSA averages tables to see if there was anything interesting to be learned.

There isn’t, but I thought I’d share anyway as it’s another great opportunity to embarrass myself as you good folks pick holes in my feeble unfounded theories

To start with, I looked at the default settings of 3 grounds/1000 clays (Blue) and filtered to “English sporting” and “Seniors” for AAA, AA, A, B and C. I presented this a simple stacked column chart along with filtering groups who presumably attended just one 100 bird comp (Yellow), filtering groups that entered approximately five comps over a t least one grounds (Grey), and those who entered at least 3 grounds/3,000 clays (Green). From this latter group I found interesting to note some notable names missing from the list of AAA shooters, they having shot around 1,500 to 2,000 targets apiece.
 


 

What I see in this is that as you descend from AAA to C, there are an increasing proportion  of competitors doing fewer registered shoots. The largest group A also appear to be more proactive. This could be down to opportunities, ability or desire or a combination. It would take a significantly more detailed study to work that out and even I’m not that nerdy or have that much time on my hands.

As you get to AA group, there are far fewer competitors, but proportionally similar to group A, whilst in group AAA we again see fewer competitors but also interestingly, seemingly few competitors entered. I guess those skilful folks have both opportunity and talent in abundance.  Messers Digweed and Faulds in particular shooting little and achieving much!

If we were to believe the theory that you become expert after 10,000 hours, and one can shoot approximately 100 practice targets per hour, given my current rate I think I can become World FITASC champion just in time for the start of the twenty-fourth Millennium.  
Clearly then it is talent that I am lacking.

If anyone is having trouble sleeping, I’m always on hand to help

 

[Will Hewland]

At the shoots I do in the south, there are always loads of AAA and AA shooters, certainly disproportionately so compared to the fact that they are only the top 15% of all shooters. Simple conclusion is that with few exceptions the better shooters are those that do a lot. 

 

[Lloyd]

At the shoots I do in the south, there are always loads of AAA and AA shooters, certainly disproportionately so compared to the fact that they are only the top 15% of all shooters. Simple conclusion is that with few exceptions the better shooters are those that do a lot. 

Agree with your synopsis. Interesting though about your observations as to the number of folks you see at comps.
In each group there are a larger number as you go down the ranks, though an increasingly larger proportion pro rata of those that shoot less frequently, e.g. 225 class C shoot the CPSA 1000 over three grounds to only 25 AAA who do the same. 300 class C shooting only one comp compared to 61 class AAA

 

[Richard59]

Agree with your synopsis. Interesting though about your observations as to the number of folks you see at comps.
In each group there are a larger number as you go down the ranks, though an increasingly larger proportion pro rata of those that shoot less frequently, e.g. 225 class C shoot the CPSA 1000 over three grounds to only 25 AAA who do the same. 300 class C shooting only one comp compared to 61 class AAA

? As having looked it reads that for CPSA Rankings (current) show 121 AAA having shot min 1000 over three grounds, a further 229 AA having shot same. 
Will agree with MrH that in this part of country the AAA & AA entry numbers are strong, often greater than C.

 

[Lloyd]

@GlawsterCodger

Here is the breakdown of each class and grouping of number of comps/grounds

 

[westley]

At the shoots I do in the south, there are always loads of AAA and AA shooters, certainly disproportionately so compared to the fact that they are only the top 15% of all shooters. Simple conclusion is that with few exceptions the better shooters are those that do a lot. 

Quite right and I am one of 'the lot' who has just been done by one of them    !

 

[Will Hewland]

Quite right and I am one of 'the lot' who has just been done by one of them    !

Join the club.

 

[timps]

I’ve always found this average thing a bit odd even though I chased them myself. When I was travelling and shooting a lot and shooting a different ground every week and not returning to some months on end I was comfortably in A. If I cherry picked my averages for the year with just 4 of my favourites I was in AA if just 2 I was in AAA.  It wasn’t that these grounds were soft just I like the targets and less of my bogie ones as others struggled. Also, some people can accidentally loose these ‘bad’ cards when travelling or having a bad day.

I knew an AA shooter that would not shoot for months on end then turn up at a random shoot anywhere in the country and put in and AA score I also knew one that would let’s say have disappearing score card syndrome when he occasionally ventured away from his favourite ground or on a bad day.

A long time back I’ve put a 91 ex 100 registered sporting in B class at a hard shoot and not long after a 56 ex 100 at registered skeet, yes skeet so I decided classes now mean diddley squat to me unless you all shoot the same targets at the same ground with no missing cards and it’s not skeet did I tell you I don’t like skeet.

There is genuinely too much manipulation of averages for vanity reasons and the differential in targets to make any meaningful comparisons for sporting.

 

[Wonko the Sane]

Lloyd - you need to get a hobby, man.   :thumbsu:

 

[Lloyd]

Lloyd - you need to get a hobby, man.   :thumbsu:

Yeah... all my hobbies are as boring as Sh...

except shooting of course

@timps For sure. There are some with a higher average than Mr Faulds, if you tinker around with the numbers.

This was just an “interesting “ exercise that says something and nothing all at the same time. Just a bit of fun.

My god, I need to get out more!

 

[timps]

@timps For sure. There are some with a higher average than Mr Faulds, if you tinker around with the numbers.

This was just an “interesting “ exercise that says something and nothing all at the same time. Just a bit of fun.

My god, I need to get out more!

It's the whole point of an internet discussion forum, it would be pretty boring if we didn't have posts like yours. 

Some of the very top shooters do a fair bit of shooting but away from normal CPSA registered shooting and have other commitments on Sundays, it is not like those shooters need to maintain a high volume CPSA average to attract sponsorship. 

I know a guy that shoots 200 + clays a week every Wednesday and Saturday but struggles to get out on a Sunday due to family commitments. When he does get out to a Sunday registered shoot he puts a score in that reflects a guy that shoots 200 clays a week but looking at the CPSA he looks like a shooter that has natural talent to randomly turn up and do well  or that he bins all his bad cards .

 

[Wonko the Sane]

A

It's the whole point of an internet discussion forum, it would be pretty boring if we didn't have posts like yours. 

After reading one of the most extensive and exhaustive analysis of skeet chokes in several gauges in the history of the world a skeet shooter friend of mine said, "I want that guy to clean my kitchen."

 

[Lloyd]

@timps Thanks  

@Wonko the Sane And I bet you just you know my kitchen is spotless don’t you?