I have been practicing clay shooting as a hobby since 2011. It takes about an hour and a half to drive to the shooting range. But it doesn’t feel that far, thanks to the sense of anticipation.
Clay shooting is different from the fixed target shooting that typically comes to mind. You need to keep both eyes open to use your dynamic visual acuity, since you are trying to hit a moving target.
When you hit one of the fluorescent orange discs and it shatters into pieces, it looks like fireworks in the daytime. It is an exhilarating feeling. It’s visually stunning, plus the solid recoil against your shoulder and the sound coming through your earplugs adds to the appeal.
In the past, I used to count the number of targets I hit and was hung up on the results. But these days, I pay more attention to my stance.
anticipation - a feeling of excitement about something that is going to happen in the near future
acuity - the ability to hear, see, or think accurately and clearly
exhilarating - making you feel very excited and happy
be hung up on sth - excessively focused on, preoccupied with, or obsessed with a particular issue, idea, or problem
나는 2011년부터 취미로 클레이 사격을 하고 있다. 사격장까지는 차로 한 시간 반 정도 걸린다. 하지만 기대감 덕분에 그렇게 멀게 느껴지지 않는다.
클레이 사격은 일반적으로 떠올리는 고정된 표적 사격과는 다르다. 움직이는 과녁을 맞혀야 하기 때문에 두 눈을 모두 뜨고 동체 시력을 사용해야 한다.
형광 주황색 디스크를 맞혀서 산산조각이 나면 마치 낮에 불꽃놀이를 하는 것처럼 흥분된다. 시각적으로도 멋지고, 어깨에 느껴지는 묵직한 반동과 귀마개를 뚫고 들리는 소리까지 더해져 그 매력은 배가된다.
예전에는 명중한 표적 개수를 세고 그 결과에 연연했다. 하지만 요즘은 자세에 더 신경을 쓰고 있다.
- The dish takes about an hour and a half to cook. / The trip takes about an hour and a half.
- Even if you think it’s easy, you need to keep both eyes open. / I learned to keep both eyes open while aiming.
- She is hung up on appearances. / You can’t succeed if you are hung up on details all the time.
A: Did you say you’ve been practicing clay shooting lately?
B: Yeah, it’s a ton of fun.
A: Did you buy your own shotgun?
B: Sure. I signed up with the Shooting Federation, went through physical and drug tests, and hot my firearms license.
A: Oh, I see. Where’s the shooting range?
B: The closer one is about a 90-minute drive away.
