HOW DID WE DO?

So what do we as pigeon shooters think constitutes a good day out? How do we measure our success? Do we need to measure our success? In a modern sporting world riddled with statisticians doesn’t measuring every aspect of this art form somehow detract from the enjoyment to be had and lead to the kind of performance anxiety that seems to grip our national sides on a regular basis? All good questions and the answer is – ‘well yes and no’.

If it is done in the right spirit then a scientific approach to this game can be a valuable one and can be the revelation that leads to Damascene enlightenments. If not then you are liable to start forgoing shots in an effort to preserve a cartridge to kill ratio that only you will know about (no – trust me, she really doesn’t care). I have come to realise that the bag size at the end of the day can really be equated to cricket. Let me explain: 50 is a good knock; a century an outstanding one. 200 is a score of a lifetime and after that you’re talking rare events that live forever in the memory. But a well crafted 30 odd against good bowling on a difficult wicket can give just as much satisfaction as any of the big numbers – you just have to remember not to feel entitled to a certain number and to play the bowling as it comes down the pitch. That may be a little too curious a mixture of Zen and the British Empire but slow days in a hide allow a man to muse on these things. I will expand more on how the stats have helped and not hindered in the future.