Luck or Skill?

[Monty]

Just wanting to provoke some thought while I am in the mood! How much of the metal detecting game do you think is luck and how much is skill? Reminds me of the old saying, "I'll take luck over skill anytime"! For me it has been mostly luck to this point. I dig a lot of iffy targets based on intuition rather than sound reasoning. I also pass up a lot of targets for that same reason and know I am occasionally missing something. I see a lot of posts to the affect that, " He was using a Gizmo Special detector and I came along behind him with my Roscoe Thriller detector and found thirty cents he missed". So what? Is your machine better than his? Some seem to think so, but I don't. Do you possess better skills at detecting? Perhaps, but not necessarily. Are you luckier than he was? Maybe. Did you elect to "dig everything" whereas he was discriminating out some signals? Very possible. Which brings us back to Luck or Skill? What do you think? Monty

 

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[nevrdundetecting]

I would say that skill plays a bigger part in MDing than luck. Perhaps the best skill is knowing where to detect by investigation and research, then once you get to the site I think the luck kicks in. But knowing how to use the detector well is very important, especially with the deeper targets, or the good targets like gold that are hard to separate from the trash. Also knowing where to look once you get to the site is another important skill, by looking at the layout of the land, or remnants of buildings, and then deciding where to detect especially if you can't possibly cover all of the ground if the place is very large. Just my thoughts.....

HH

 

[AK in KY]

I agree with Nevrdone.


AK in KY

 

[Born2Dtect]

Skill gets you to the field to hunt. Luck helps you find that one nice item in the middle of the field. Skill tells you to dig it even though it is borderline trash. You get a nice find.

Ed

 

[Michigan Badger]

I've had the pleasure of meeting some very productive THers in my life. I don't recall any of them owning the latest and greatest machine.

They owned detectors that were considered outdated and not all that great even when new.

Here's what one needs to reap decent rewards in this hobby as it is TODAY.

1. Constructive enthusiasm as apposed to lazy dreaming
2. A decent detector able to detect a dime at say 4 inches.
3. Reasonable health
4. Time
5. Nerve

Personally, I don't really believe in luck. In treasure hunting I believe in technology and human will.

 

[ZumbroKid]

I'll go with both answers. First the skill part of it, this is mostly common sense. After detecting a while we all tend to hunt certain places why. Cause they pay off thats why. Research was only in the first year of my detecting. The libary books i saw let me know the history of home town U S A. I knew those areas to focus on. I spend my hunt time there, not on the road going to other towns in hopes of finding a hot spot. All the old coins i found only 1 was found outside of my home town (dateless Buffalo nickle). Try those side walk removal sites and house demos. Many coins there if the area is old enough.
Luck factor, seeing a potential site and detecting it. Then this is not luck it is common sense once again. Monty has that thread on house sites he has to hunt. He should find some interesting things there. Reason he is going to hunt these have been the posts that show what comes out of locations like that. Monty is using common sense when it comes to hunting these sites. I also believe anyone can gain this detecting common sense.

 

[stoney56]

Personally I think skill plays the part. Skill is knowing or learning where to detect and looking at the area, then figuring out where would people tend to congregate.
You can come from one direction and swing over a target all day long and not get a beep then if you come at it from a different angle and bingo. Yet it may not be a repeatable signal yet you decide to dig and find a coin that is setting at a 60 degree angle, or you hear a double beep (which could be 2 coins fairly close together or it could be a gold ring that sounds like 2 coins sitting on edge close together.
To me luck is finding that great weather and my day off just happen to coincide. ?

 

[TXKajun]

Being still new at this, it seems to me that you have to be skillful enough to get lucky and lucky enough to be skillful. But what do I know

HH, ya'll!

 

[Monty]

Interesting comments. Let me stir the pot a little. I found a gold chain the second time out! I had virtually no skill but I haven't found another since! Was tht just blind a$$ luck or does my skills suck? Maybe I have learned bad habits? I find myself constantly second guessing, even caught myself argueing with the detector one time! Some of my better finds have come from intuative digs rather than a careful analysis of what the machine was telling me! Luck or skill? Beats me but I didn't put anythig back! Monty

 

[jeff of pa]

Considering On an average , With Every Swing you Make, you Cover a 2 Foot Area 10" Wide (depending on Coil Size) I would say it's Mostly Luck at Swinging over the Right Spot.

Now you Increase your Chances, By Learning your Detector,

However, Unless You Grid Every Area, so you Cover every Square inch of Ground, Your Luck Still Plays the Biggest Part.

 

[Nana40]

Luck...purely luck.....

From what I have been reading here...must be just lucky to find something good. Lots of folks on here state that their detector was really iffy for this find...or it kept beeping from one signal to another... non repeatable but I dug anyway....and "make sure you dig everything" posts are frequently posted here.

But.....I suppose it takes some skill to decide where you are going to hunt. That yard at that old house looks more productive that concrete parking lot!

Nana

 

[slow sweeper]

? ? I think a more important aspect in finding anything while detecting is time. You need TIME to do the research. You need TIME to learn your detector. You need TIME to get out there and use your detector. The more TIME you spend out in the field the more you're going to find. ?
? ? This perspective I have may be a bit biased. The house renovation project I'm in the middle of has kept me from detecting for close to two months.
? ? I WISH I HAD MORE TIME!!! ?

 

[tallpaul]

i have to agree with nevrdone,, and you dont need a fancy high price machine,, you do need certain control features like ground balance and noise cancell and good discrim for your personnal needs,, as with higher priced machines ,, its like a kid with a mountain bike he has a good brand name one which cost good money,,, but his friend buys a higher priced one yet they both do the same job,,once you go to the extremes of extra this and that ,, bells and whistles its extra for nothing, not needed,, luck is when you do find at a high priority place,, but find what,, you'll always find something,.

 

[tallpaul]

i''ll just add its a combination of both,,,, no good going anywhere,,, notice when some find alot more great goodies than others its a little more than luck,, cause luck dont last forever.

 

[ClonedSIM]

Skill gets you to the field to hunt. Luck helps you find that one nice item in the middle of the field. Skill tells you to dig it even though it is borderline trash. You get a nice find.

Ed

Well said, Ed. I too believe there there is about a 60/40 balance betweek skill/luck, but I could not have said it better.

 

[hollowpointred]

theres been some really good points made on this thread and i would just like to add one thing. persistance seems to play a role in the better finds i have made.i have hunted a couple of places that i did not come away with much the first or even second outing,even though i knew something had to be there. by sticking it out and following a gameplan so to speak i was able to make some decent finds.i think keeping a positive outlook is important too. have you ever lost confidance in a site,and the next thing you catch yourself doing is swinging your coil kind of carelessly,not overlapping swings,etc?its easy to do.by keeping a positive mindset its easier to focus on good technique. luck is a part of metal detecting for sure but i think not as big a part as good technique and good ol intuition.....just my two cents

 

[stoney56]

When does luck change to perseverance? If you go to a park and continue digging pulltabs and the next thing you know, you have a gold ring, necklace, or bracelet come to light. Is that skill, luck, or chance? I mean you went to the park knowing that there is usually a piece of jewelry somewhere within the boundaries.

 

[northeast hunter]

mostly luck...think about it...first someone has to loose something for you to find
then you have to put your coil right over the spot they lost it..man that's luck
as far as skill i think that sounds are really the only skill you need
as far as research that is not skill or luck its just a mater of getting you lazy but to do it

 

[JakePhelps]

a little of each

 

[rvbvetter]

In my opinion, in the beginning luck holds the biggest percentage. But overtime as you develope an eye for spotting those sites that others (at least the ones just starting detecting) pass by with out a thought. And along with the ability to read a site once there, that only time and experience can teach. Along with the knowledge you've gained of your detector, through time. Then at that point, skill holds the biggest percentage. HH