Reading clays

[Jonny English]

Bloke said to me the other day that you had to shoot with instinct to be good. I dissagreed, you can shoot one or two targets on instinct, then sight picture and memory takes over. I believe the best shots work out a target (by reading it) before they get in the stand.

 

[Steve Lovatt]

Johnny you are spot on

Spraying and preying with an open choke ain't no good to build a score consistently

 

[Nicky T]

Steve,

How about doing a postmortem, in terms of reading clays, of the Gamebore Gold Cup?

 

[psych4shooting]

Clays presented are usually based on Speed, Distance and Angles, sadly too many targets are set to be speed and distance - where Steve has it right is the combination of all three elements, and there are only a handful of true course setters that use all three of the crucial elements.

 

[Steve Lovatt]

Nicky t I am saying nothing about the gold cup until it is over with , other than don't miss it

. !!!!

 

[Nicky T]

Nicky t I am saying nothing about the gold cup until it is over with , other than don't miss it

. !!!!

I expected nothing less Steve; simply suggesting a postmortem of what you consider each target was doing and needed.

 

[Steve Lovatt]

Ah yea , good idea and then we can see if you guys found certain targets as tricky as I set them

This is a strange game we play , certain times I set what I think is a really steady course and it shoots hard and then on the flip side I have had tricky shoots with some brilliant scores come in .

 

[Stew]

That is my job.. But also is giving folk an enjoyable day out and if I can give a little bit of an insight on how the top shots do it consistently I will always help out

Plus it might just might stop some people saying interesting targets are too hard who knows

Steve

I think you got it Steve, your job is to set a challenging course but on the other hand not destroying people. I have been very lucky that I live very close to Westfield & Windrush, 35 mins from Weston Wood. My first registered at Westfield, I pitched in with a 44/100 after shooting 80's at a local farm shoot. Massive wake up call.

I immediately went and had 3 or 4 lessons with the Bloxster. Shot a year with Kirk Bridges and Chris Durrant. Started to learn about hold points, setting yourself for the second bird, even looking at the spring on the trap (nice touch from Carl). I am still learning to read the targets, but now I know this is a massive mental sport also. Once your in the cage you need to switch off all background stuff and drill your mind into what the clay is doing. And as the Bloxster says, once you have missed a target, forget about it, it has gone. Make the rest count and straight the next stand. Read it and kill it.

I am still only an average (sometimes below average) 'A' class shot. But I think the layouts you set will make people a better shot. They are testing targets but all killable.

I have only ever shot one round of 90 plus at your shoots. I had a good day and felt good in the mind, but I also think the targets that day suited me. On another day they did not suit my style so I will have to learn to change to suit what you set to become consistent at this game.

Stew

 

[Chris Reedy]

I have only had my ticket since last November and I am just about starting to hopefully understand where to put the lead on certain targets and certain distances, BUT then you find out that for instance Rabbit clays can be thrown in the air and to break them takes more thinking about.

Personally I enjoy registered shoots that test me with difficulty, but I can also watch the far for experienced and better shooters than me smashing them and me hopefully picking up a few ideas..

 

[Steve Lovatt]

Keep at it Chris , it's all good experience and you will keep building up your memory bank of certain clays and presentstions , sometimes it seems hard to keep going but I assure you is it worth the effort

Steve

 

[** Pending Removal **]

+1

 

[Bebo]

I have only had my ticket since last November and I am just about starting to hopefully understand where to put the lead on certain targets and certain distances, BUT then you find out that for instance Rabbit clays can be thrown in the air and to break them takes more thinking about.

Personally I enjoy registered shoots that test me with difficulty, but I can also watch the far for experienced and better shooters than me smashing them and me hopefully picking up a few ideas..

I've been shooting for a similar length of time.  Not entered any competitions yet, but may start doing that next year when the ground I normally shoot at starts running them.  I think I am starting to read and understand clays better now.  I was recently struggling with some fast quartering birds, but realised it was because I was treating them more like crossers than going away birds.  Had my hold point too far back, was chasing them and going through to give too much lead.  Changed my hold point to treat them like a going away bird and started smashing them.  It's ridiculously satisfying when you manage to work out what it is you are doing wrong.