The other problem in achieving GMB and MB is the lack of events to enter in a given year unless you have almost unlimited funds.
I like these events, and I think others do too I would hope that the current status would be a driving force to keep these competitions.
I note that Meriden's double 1440, usually popular as a pretty safe bet for 2 decent classification scores, would this year have been a 1440 and 720+H2H...
The cone of fire idea for determining group size and thus handicap doesnt work well in practice either becasue your target is not in the centre of the cone once you get beyond 40 yds so for the lower classes and
longbow/barebow especially there is a distortion.
Yes, see my comments above. Though the system 'works' for now it isn't by any means perfect, but once you start adding shorter distances and rounds in it starts to become even less perfect and the comparisons become even less reasonable.
Added to that the classes dotn correlate across ages, sex or bowstyle. Why joes a jumior girl barebow archer have to get a higher score than a senior lady at the same distance to achieve the same classification? same with some girls/ladies
longbow classifications.
I have taken this specific case up with AGB, and I know at least one other person who has also done so.
The problem originates due to the fact that in the year the scores for each classification were set there was an exceptionally good junior lady who led to this anomaly. They have confirmed that these problems are going to be addressed as part of a review.
A more equitable thing would be a separate classification for each round rather than trying to amkke the handicap system fit there are other handical systems that work well and can be applied. Yes, this creates a little more work for the people who keep the records at club and national level but I think it will give people an incentive to DO something rather than just shoot.
This would be so much work I think, and there just isn't the data there (How many compounds do you know who shot Junior Windsors recently, or anyone who shot a St. Nicholas, never mind having similar ability ranges reflected in the data for all the rounds).
Though not perfect, the handicap does provide a rough and ready way to compare rounds shot by an archer to see broadly how they compare. I think there could certainly be scope to look at improving the handicap scheme, but the danger is that it gets so complicated that the average archer becomes even less bothered to understand and use it than they already are!
I have yet to find a tournament local to me that has a handicap trophy even when I am asked to provide my handicap but there again I have only been shooting properly for 8 years so I dont remember the good old days I am always told about
As a contrary anecdote my club has always handed out the handicap medal every year for at least the last two decades, but then they are very long/well established.
In addition our county's end of year shoot is always run as a handicap competition, as are a number of our (and local) club's monthly shoots to allow all members to compete together. As mentioned above the system is not perfect, and as a reasonable gents
compound I know I am out of the running, but it allows new members to get involved and shows the system is still used in some places.
Also the peopel who win things at long distance arent usually the same people who excel at the shorter distances. Malcolm Cooper, multiple olympic and commonwealth games rifle champion [...]
Personally I am not a great fan of these analogies. Though both are target sports there are differences between archery and gun sports. For a start we shoot the same bow at all distances, whilst pistol and long range rifle are very different disciplines - I can shoot a
compound well, but my attempts at barebow have been atrocious!
There are some sports/formats that are better to watch, and variety across sports, but I am not asking so much what we want to see rather what we, as archers, think the MB and GMB classifications mean to us, and what their recipients have demonstrated. I think KidCurry's comment immediately above sums this up excellently!