THE EYES HAVE IT

Ben Cartwright shot rifles in his youth, but only recently took up clays. He has since immersed himself in the sport. We follow his journey as he strives to improve

I need a new pair of eyeballs! Is it any wonder my eyesight is deteriorating after 54 years of constant use? My eyes are the first thing to start working when I wake up, and they function non-stop throughout the day, only getting some respite when I go to sleep.

When I first started clay shooting in early 2017, I had no idea my biggest challenge would be eye performance. I was in my forties when I first realised I needed spectacles – my arms weren’t long enough to hold the newspaper where I could read it anymore. And in low light it was even harder. For about two years I had been eating restaurant meals that bore little resemblance to what I thought was on the