A
s an amateur triathlete, improvement is easy
to measure: VO² max (the maximum level of
oxygen the body can deliver to muscles) is
measured automatically through my watch/heart
rate monitor. As my training progresses, so my
VO² figure increases. Likewise, my power meter
measures improvement through the pedals and
crank arm of the bike. Both offer a good
measurement of how my training is progressing,
and although there will be an improvement in
speed, speed alone can be a misleading measure
of improvement as it very much depends on the
gradient, weather and your level of fatigue.
When it comes to measuring shooting success
on live quarry, it can be a little subjective. A ‘poorday’ is soon forgotten about after one exceptional
(‘lucky’) shot.
Comparing my two sports, it did make me
wonder why I do not measure improvement with
shooting. Of course, we all say it: “clays are
nothing like quarry,” but that’s only when we miss
the clays. However, clays are easy to measure
success against, and with the opportunity they
give to have another go at a tricky target and learn
from your miss, there is really no excuse for not
mapping your route to improvement.When the wheels fall off
Last season started normally for me, and as my
confidence grew, so more birds came down. Butthat dreaded day came when I could not even
scare the birds, let alone hit them, and whereas a
week off usually changes things, this spell of bad
shooting just continued, to the point where it
seemed futile to even pull the trigger.
Fortunately, I am married to a shotgun coach
and so, before I set about ruining the rest of my
season, Jane and I hit the clay ground. With a
fairly analytical head on, we needed to discover
what had changed and how I could get back to
my usual self – I cannot express enough just how
beneficial it is to have a coach with you to analyse
your misses and teach you how to hit a target.
I knew my gun fitted me well – my wife had
been there when I chose it – but we checkedMEASURING
IMPROVEMENT
A SHOOTER’S PERSPECTIVE
When the wheels fall off during the game season, Alex Hatton decides to take a more
structured approach to his practice sessions. The results speak for themselves!
PICTURES:
ALEX HATTON
TUITION // WITH ALEX HATTON
DTL layouts are great
for simulating snipe