any one fancy a try at clays they will be surprised how dextrous you have to be to maintain a good clean break rate,i have shot regularly up to a year ago and its not easy as you think it is,concentration,skill and practice,dedication
But isnt that true for all sporting disciplines; without a frame of reference its extremely hard to appreciate just how good these people are?
My personal example is Archery. I used to shoot alot in a previous youth (until the late teens and associated distractions got in the way). Now, you'd be forgiven if you watched any archery coverage for thinking "that looks simple enough. Just pull back, aim at the target, and let go when the wind is right..." Perhaps you may think to yourself as you witness a third arrow fall in next to the spider "Ok I wouldnt hit the gold everytime, but Im sure they'd all/most be in the boss (target)"? Understandable given the ease with which these guys make it look. What you don't see from the 30-40 seconds on the line is the amount of technical coaching which has gone into that one shot.
First of all you have the draw. You need to keep the bow-arm steady and minimise movement - or at least maintain a smooth consistent motion - as settling down at full drawer becomes more troublesome when you are straining with maybe 40lb-50lb of draw weight being juggled through the body.
Then you have the anchor point where the fingers come back to the chin/face to allow you to aim the shot. Again you are looking for consistentcy. Put the top of your fist against your chin. Now take it away and put it by your side. Now put it back again. Was it in
exactly the same place? That "close enough" has just missed the target at 70 meters completely.
You've then also got head position - keeping it steady and stable, resisting the temptation to move your head into the draw because of the pressure of the string - again any variation here means that your arrow may not even make the required distance as you draw short.
Then you've got shoulder rotate and lock. Which is simply a skill which has to be drilled and drilled and drilled as it perhaps one the the most counter intuitive techniques ever, but a must for the sport.
Then you have to hold all of this steady while you stabilise the sight which has been tuned to this "body data" over the target.
Then you have the release, which needs to be smooth and fluid in one motion. Snatching at the string, even the way you move your hand away from the string, will throw the arrow in any number of ways. In all of this, you have to have a completely unnatural reaction of
letting go of the bow so its just resting in your hand, braced by the tension of the draw. Any grip on it will make your wrist throw the shot on release (hence why after the shot the bow just seems to drop from their hands)....
This is all only 101 stuff, you learn it the first time you pick up the bow. Get any of this remotely wrong - a cm on the head, half a cm on the anchor point, and your body data which feeds the sight is skewed. And over 70 meters, you miss by meters.
And I havent gone anywhere near trivial matters like stance, wind or grouping adjustment...
I ramble perhaps rather boringly. But Im just trying to reiterate that the great paradox of the Olympics is that seldom does the layman appreciate what he is witnessing!
