Last month we talked about the advisability of you having more than one shooting method available when facing so many sporting clays target presentations. I thought, over the next few months, each month we could focus on one method, why and where you might want to use it.
Before we begin, I'd like to say that this is a hotly debated topic. Many will argue that this method or that method is best for a particular presentation. Will that method work on that presentation? Sure! Consistently? Ahhh,......now there's the real question. Every shooting method has its strengths and weaknesses. It's up to us to match a method's strength to a presentation difficulty. That gives us the advantage, not the target!
I believe each of the methods we'll discuss will put the odds in our favor when applied correctly and matched correctly with a presentation. Method # 1 will be Maintained Lead or Sustained Lead........ more>>
As you would expect, I field a lot of questions about shooting methods.
Which is best, where and why. 30 years of sporting and watching literally
millions of targets from behind the trigger has taught me this.
No one
shooting method is best for all targets. The wide diversity of target
presentations in sporting clays strongly suggests we have more than one
shooting method in our skill inventory.
For instance, what method would you
use on a fast, left to right, 40 yard crossing target off a tower? Well for
starters, what breakpoint have you chosen on this bird? An early breakpoint
will likely mean the speed of the bird is up, requiring a suitable lead.
Midway through the flight the bird speed has slowed, changing the lead.
Eventually running out of speed the bird is still a crosser, but the lead
has again changed.......
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I hear this frequently when my student first calls to inquire about
taking lessons with me at his club or River Bend. My caller is
(understandably?) disappointed over breaking fewer of his or her targets
than the group‘s 70% or 80%, maybe a 90%.
When I ask how long he's been in sporting clays, the answer is usually less
than a year or two. We can all relate, it's human nature to compare
ourselves to those ahead of us, sometimes forgetting they've been shooting
4, 8, maybe 15 years or more........
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Have you noticed how the really good ones make it look so easy? Gymnasts,
skateboarders, cyclists, runners, shooters—the ones in the lead—all have an
easy, rhythmic stride or stroke.
Too many shooters approach the shot anxiously, the swing is much too fast
and the shot is launched, more with hope than confidence. Their
tempo—the first T—is too fast, putting
the gun out of control. Contrast that with the advanced, experienced shooter
who has this almost "syrupy” swing, a slow, fluid, graceful swing that
delivers the XX. Why is this slower tempo so effective?........
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What if I told you I had the "secret” to advanced shooting skills—an
irrefutable truth. Before you say, "Yeah, sure you do Dan,” take a minute to
consider this.
The road to advancement has to 2 toll booths. No one advances without paying
the 2 tolls.
The 1st toll is that we search and find what needs
changing in our game. We must first
learn—specifically—what is holding us back, causing our inconsistencies and
current plateau........
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Sporting clays is the ultimate test, pitting ourselves against targets down gullies and through trees at countless unknown speeds, angles and distances. We spend thousands of dollars on equipment, books, videos and training all to master basic, rudimentary skills. Some shooters do, and they have the skills to show for it. But why is it that skills don't always match scores?........ more>>
In late 2007 I made some important changes to my shooting. That meant I was putting my attention on those changes during practice. Early this year I was still working diligently on those changes, even during my tournaments. As a result of that, my attention riveted on specific parts of my shooting, I slipped and made errors I don't usually make........ more>>
Preparing for competition ahead of time puts your mind at ease, knowing that what you need will be there when you need it. That includes your attention, which you can now put on the target in front of you, unnecessary distractions eliminated because you prepared ahead of time. Here's a short list of things I ask my students to do as they prepare for competition........ more>>
What is POI? It's Point of Impact and there are multiple ways to look at
POI. The first is the nature of your barrels to shoot straight and a second
refers to proper gun fit.
Do your barrels actually send the shotstring on a straight line to the
target? From a bench rest, as you would a rifle, does your shotstring hit
the bulls-eye dead on, with 50% distribution on the top, bottom, left and
right? Or is it slightly high, low or off center? If score is a priority in
your game, this is an important piece of information........
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The fastest way to take random gun movement (RGM) out of your swing is to pre-mount your gun. As sporting clays shooters - when shooting gun up - it's important that we not forget to raise our head and relax the shoulders. Head up allows us to see - and shoulders down keeps much needed body movement in the swing. Gun up works in sporting clays........ more>>
I commonly hear stories of my student shooting a station very well, or a course very well, and suddenly concentration is gone. Result: 00 or worse. It is frustrating and usually occurs without notice. Why does this happen?........ more>>
As you would expect, the "best” shooting method is and always has been a hotly debated topic. Shooters who frequent the tournament circuit are always looking for that "1 thing” that might give them more X's, hence the "best” shooting method invariably rises to the top of the discussion checklist........ more>>
