The Healing Power of Clays in Covid Times
As a skeet, trap, five stand, sporting clays, star shot, quail walk; and ‘simulated driven’ grouse, pheasant, and dove shooter with 50 years’ experience, I have a pretty good understanding of the games, at least in theory. ‘Practice’, as in ‘putting what you know into’ practice or gaining additional skill levels through ‘practice’ would probably be topics for another time. As Ebenezer Scrooge so wonderfully put, “I say I understand, and that is sufficient for the moment.”
We live in some of the most trying, limiting, and depressing times most of us have ever known. Yet, the human spirit, being what it is, tends to find ways to cope with an unpleasant situation.
I have a friend who is a newspaper editor and a talk show host of the radio. He lives in New York in a nice apartment on something like the 17th floor. He has been out rarely in the past year. He has a balcony from which he can see the outside world, his own forms of entertainment – tv, radio, books, the internet – and he has his groceries and necessities brought to him by someone in basically a hazmat suit. He is a heart attack survivor and is on the list for vaccination, if he chooses to get one.
I tell you about him because he is representative of many, many people in the world today, who have figured out how to cope with the oppressive society of Covid 19. People driving around by themselves with masks only reinforce my understanding that half the world is to the left of center on the Bell Curve of Intelligence.
We live in some of the most trying, limiting, and depressing times most of us have ever known. Yet, the human spirit, being what it is, tends to find ways to cope with an unpleasant situation.
I have a friend who is a newspaper editor and a talk show host of the radio. He lives in New York in a nice apartment on something like the 17th floor. He has been out rarely in the past year. He has a balcony from which he can see the outside world, his own forms of entertainment – tv, radio, books, the internet – and he has his groceries and necessities brought to him by someone in basically a hazmat suit. He is a heart attack survivor and is on the list for vaccination, if he chooses to get one.
I tell you about him because he is representative of many, many people in the world today, who have figured out how to cope with the oppressive society of Covid 19. People driving around by themselves with masks only reinforce my understanding that half the world is to the left of center on the Bell Curve of Intelligence.
Ah, but too much more pleasant thoughts.
One of the wonderful bright spots in all this is the incredible increase in number of people participating in outdoor sports – the ones where you can easily maintain ‘social distancing’ and wearing a mask is not a requirement. Golf immediately comes to mind. Of course, of those outdoor sport, clay shooting is another good example. Not only can the clays games be played year-round, but they have an inherent social distancing routine, especially when you look at skeet (where we take turns), and trap (where each shooter is 9’ from the next).
Similarly, Five Stand has five shooters, each in their own ‘Stand’, at least 6 feet from one another. Sporting Clays, like skeet, has one individual at a time on the stand, and following shooters are smart enough to social distance, even the puller.
The point? The shooting sports, as a part of outdoor recreation opportunities, present a wonderful and more open feeling for all participants. Two people on a golf cart, with masks if they choose, is easy. Shooting with gloves is normal for many shooters.
Want to learn about shooting? Handguns? Rifles? Shotguns? Many ranges offer instruction, and every instructor is well versed in all the techniques required to keep their students safe, from both a gun and a Covid standpoint. At the ranges I frequent, hand sanitizer is everywhere, even on the stands on the range.
One of the wonderful bright spots in all this is the incredible increase in number of people participating in outdoor sports – the ones where you can easily maintain ‘social distancing’ and wearing a mask is not a requirement. Golf immediately comes to mind. Of course, of those outdoor sport, clay shooting is another good example. Not only can the clays games be played year-round, but they have an inherent social distancing routine, especially when you look at skeet (where we take turns), and trap (where each shooter is 9’ from the next).
Similarly, Five Stand has five shooters, each in their own ‘Stand’, at least 6 feet from one another. Sporting Clays, like skeet, has one individual at a time on the stand, and following shooters are smart enough to social distance, even the puller.
The point? The shooting sports, as a part of outdoor recreation opportunities, present a wonderful and more open feeling for all participants. Two people on a golf cart, with masks if they choose, is easy. Shooting with gloves is normal for many shooters.
Want to learn about shooting? Handguns? Rifles? Shotguns? Many ranges offer instruction, and every instructor is well versed in all the techniques required to keep their students safe, from both a gun and a Covid standpoint. At the ranges I frequent, hand sanitizer is everywhere, even on the stands on the range.
Want to know what one of the fastest growing sports in high school and college is? Trap shooting. One gun can be used for 16 yard, handicap, and doubles; it requires lots of concentration and focus, has a good chance of some initial and, hopefully, continued success; teaches responsibility and respect; provides team bonding; provides team and individual scoring; and promotes fair play. Winners, second place, third place, and ‘thanks for coming’ – real life rewards are part of the competitive scene. And yes, the shooting sports have them all. And if you are not a competitor type and just enjoy your own success and ‘improvement routine’, or enjoy simply hanging out with some friends who are also shotgun shooters, expensive gun admirers, old gun aficionados; duck, quail, or dove buddies; or whatever, the shooting sports can check a lot of boxes for a lot of people.
I see new games coming on the horizon too. With gun clubs getting more and more business, and, as I write this, the cold winds of winter moving rapidly toward the warmer breezes of spring, many gun clubs will be looking to expand their operations to include some ‘new’ clays’ games, like ‘simulated driven’, ‘Argentina Doves’, ‘simulated’ driven grouse, a flurry, quail walk, and whatever else might appeal to the shooters in the area where the range is located.
We are not past the pandemic yet, but we are starting to see more signs of hope – vaccinations, fewer cases, more survival. We will get there. And the shooting sports will be a good way for many of us to cope, to breathe, to share, to enjoy, to laugh, and to smile.
Get on the internet and type in ‘Gun Clubs in (type in your area - city and state, county, whatever). Make a point to visit and see what they have. Call some friends. Pack a lunch. Eat on the tailgate. Fist bump. High five. Hand sanitize. Wear your shooting coat, or hunting coat, your long underwear if necessary, your warm boots, relive some old memories, make some new ones. Live. Get out and get ready. Shooting season is coming.
I see new games coming on the horizon too. With gun clubs getting more and more business, and, as I write this, the cold winds of winter moving rapidly toward the warmer breezes of spring, many gun clubs will be looking to expand their operations to include some ‘new’ clays’ games, like ‘simulated driven’, ‘Argentina Doves’, ‘simulated’ driven grouse, a flurry, quail walk, and whatever else might appeal to the shooters in the area where the range is located.
We are not past the pandemic yet, but we are starting to see more signs of hope – vaccinations, fewer cases, more survival. We will get there. And the shooting sports will be a good way for many of us to cope, to breathe, to share, to enjoy, to laugh, and to smile.
Get on the internet and type in ‘Gun Clubs in (type in your area - city and state, county, whatever). Make a point to visit and see what they have. Call some friends. Pack a lunch. Eat on the tailgate. Fist bump. High five. Hand sanitize. Wear your shooting coat, or hunting coat, your long underwear if necessary, your warm boots, relive some old memories, make some new ones. Live. Get out and get ready. Shooting season is coming.
