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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[lonewolfe]

Skill/experience & common sense plays the biggest part/s in MD'ing according to my book.

I don't believe in? "luck"? as I was taught in entry level higher learning math that? "luck"? is nothing more than chance based on probability, and I believe it to be 100% true.

Think about it,,

the statement suggest that if you use your common sense based on your experience and skill (then) put those to work in finding the most probable place to hunt that will give you the highest chance for success (then) your end result will give you the best chance in all probability of finding the highest % of what you're looking for based on your skill & experience that tells you where & how to find these things in the 1st place

P.S.

A good "quality" detector that you know how to use to its fullest potential helps a LOT!

HH

Lonewolfe

 

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[stoney56]

Exactly HH

 

[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

I agree with the defintion of "LUCK". Substitute "chance based on probability" for the word luck and you still have the same statement. But the classic feeling awe and envy placed the word luck are hard to let go off. When you do analyze it you can improve the quote as follows;

Skill gets you to the field to hunt. Chance based on probability (luck) helps you find that one nice item in the middle of the field. Skill tells you to dig it even though it it borderline trash. You get a nice find.

Ed Donovan

 

[slow sweeper]

Maybe the answer is that it changes over time. When first starting out, having no experience, practise, or knowledge you'd be lucky to find something of value or historical significance. But as time goes on and you begin to acquire more experience and knowledge you are also becoming more skillful.

 

[beeper]

i belive it's like fishing---------10% of the fishermen catch 90% of the fish

 

[Monty]

I can see a lot of thought went into some of your answers. I agree fully with one post, I think it changes over time. Because of the skills I have developed I don't necessarily find more but find better quality. There is one site in particular that I am putting all my skills to work. I know there is treasure to be had but I just haven't developed the skilll to figurte it out yet. I went by it again this morning and just sat and looked and thought about it. Somewhere there is a missing clue that I just haven't figured out yet. When I do, I will hit it big, not necessarily in monetary value but in quality artifacts that I know are there! When it comes together it will be by use of skills gained from my various outings and the valuable learning I have absorbed on this forum. Thanks for your great comments! Monty

 

[ZumbroKid]

Monty, take a shovel and dig down some, see if the color of the dirt changes. If you notice darker dirt lower down, this is the older layer that was once the top soil. Older finds are in those deeper layers, it is that way here. Soil might be different where your at. After a while one sees this coloration of the dirt and knows the potential in the location. You have some demo sites in your area, once they shave off some ground you will start to see this. Good luck on your area demo sites.

 

[lonewolfe]

? ?? Maybe the answer is that it changes over time. When first starting out, having no experience, practise, or knowledge you'd be lucky to find something of value or historical significance. But as time goes on and you begin to acquire more experience and knowledge you are also becoming more skillful.

You're also increasing your "chances based on probability" as time goes on because you're aquiring more experience and skill, and using more of your common sense based on these facts!

 

[slow sweeper]

? ?? Maybe the answer is that it changes over time. When first starting out, having no experience, practise, or knowledge you'd be lucky to find something of value or historical significance. But as time goes on and you begin to acquire more experience and knowledge you are also becoming more skillful.

You're also increasing your "chances based on probability" as time goes on because you're aquiring more experience and skill, and using more of your common sense based on these facts!

And by using the common sense and skill you have gained through experience, you increase your chances of finding more and/or better targets by spending your time in areas that are more likely to produce quality finds.
I can't wait to get out there and practise what I preach. If I can only find the TIME!

 

[lonewolfe]

? ?? Maybe the answer is that it changes over time. When first starting out, having no experience, practise, or knowledge you'd be lucky to find something of value or historical significance. But as time goes on and you begin to acquire more experience and knowledge you are also becoming more skillful.

You're also increasing your "chances based on probability" as time goes on because you're aquiring more experience and skill, and using more of your common sense based on these facts!

? ?? And by using the common sense and skill you have gained through experience, you increase your chances of finding more and/or better targets by spending your time in areas that are more likely to produce quality finds.
? ?? I can't wait to get out there and practise what I preach. If I can only find the TIME!??

LOL!

Me too but it's kind of hard to do with 4 inches of snow on the ground and the temp being around 25 degrees tops

HH

Lonewolfe

 

[Born2Dtect]

I will dig a whole for everyone who is frozen in when I go detecting on Saturday. Still digging down here in Maryland.

Ed Donovan

 

[dave-enc]

Monty. for us it is both skill and luck, luck is going to a brand new site and making some good finds, skill is doing it on a consistant basis. Skill comes from getting out and hunting on regular basis, knowing your machine, not just how to sweep it but all the little nuances about it. Experiance should bring an increase in skill. One thing to never forget is the old expression that a detector never finds anything sitting in a closet growing dust.
hh
dave+bobbie

 

[littlehugger]

Monty,
Because of the nature of detecting, luck always plays a part.
Skill? Thats a variable too.
Time, planning and persistence also play a role.
I have heard the expression in athletics, "I would rather be lucky than good" but I doubt most pro athletes feel that way. Think about it, if they were not good, ie, skilled, they would not be there to get lucky in the first place. Athletes also will tell you, "He makes his own luck" Other applicable phrases come to mind. "God helps those who help themselves" and the old joke about the religious guy who got caught in a flood, and prayed for God to rescue him. A boat comes along shortly after, but he refuses a ride, saying God is going to rescue him. A helicopter comes along, and he refuses that, saying God will rescue him. Finally, another boat offers help, but again, he refuses, saying God will rescue him.
The water finally rises enough to sweep him off the roof and drown him. He goes to Heaven, meets God, and is infuriated at Him, saying "I prayed and had faith and you didnt rescue me!"
God replied, "Hey, I sent two boats and a helicopter"
Good equipment is nice, and can play a part, but in my experience, the guys who work the hardest are usually the luckiest.

 

[mrmark55]

I would say 50 / 50 on the luck & skill thing!
Mr Mark

 

[nevrdundetecting]

Monty. for us it is both skill and luck, luck is going to a brand new site and making some good finds, skill is doing it on a consistant basis. Skill comes from getting out and hunting on regular basis, knowing your machine, not just how to sweep it but all the little nuances about it. Experiance should bring an increase in skill. One thing to never forget is the old expression that a detector never finds anything sitting in a closet growing dust.
hh
dave+bobbie

But doesn't skill play a part in picking that "brand new site", knowing where to hunt is a skill also, I believe. Just stirrin the pot a little....

HH

 

[rvbvetter]

? ? ? This is not really meant to stir the pot. But to help me better understand the term "chance based upon probability"? ? ?
? ? Is chance to be considered luck or does it have to do with fate?
? And probability, I assume has to do with odds. Akin to saying the odds were in my favor?
If I'm told I should probably take a chance. Is that telling me that I have a good chance at winning or that I have a good chance at being lucky?
? ?And probability.? Is that to say it was my turn, or to say I was probably lucky, based upon the chance I took?
? ? ?Or was the term "chance based upon probability" coined by someone with no better understanding of this thing called luck, than I have?

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? I'm confused

 

[Monty]

So are you! Monty

 

[stoney56]

Let's try a different perspective. If you hunt by yourself and find something good, then it's skill. If you go out with a partner and your partner finds something good, then it's luck.

 

[rvbvetter]

Monty; Chances are, you're probably right in agreeing I'm confused. But I've been for so long, I've gottin use to it.

Stoney; Now thats something I can understand.

 

[Sandman]

Now after reading a couple posts in this thread I am confused too. But I like it that way as it makes sense.

I know a woman detectorist that we say doesn't need batteries in her detector. Many times I have seen her walk over walk over off the path and bend over to pick up a coin or gold chain. On a beach she just needs to scrap the sand with her toe and scrape up a gold ring. An here I have to rely on hard work to locate something.......

Thanks people for the thoughts,

Sandman