Please place one hand under your gun's receiver - balancing the barrel on one side, stock on the other. Now gently push the stock UP and watch what happens to the muzzle. It, of course, goes DOWN. During your gun mount - this is exactly what happens if your trigger hand goes UP faster than the fore-end hand in charge of the swing. In slow motion - if the trigger hand snatches the gun to the face - the muzzle does a "dirt dive." So - early in the swing - if the muzzle is going down and the bird's flying across the sky at 60 mph - are the bird and barrel aligned? Are they together? No. MOUNTING the gun to the face too quickly has pushed the barrel down, well off the target line. The muzzle will now have to be pulled up, then chase after the escaping target. All of this is called MOUNT - then move and shoot - a costly, time consuming, 2 piece gun mount. Friends will happily tell you "where" you just missed - but the real reason "why" you missed took place way over there at the start of your swing......... more>>
Once we decide to get serious about building a complete shooting game, we quickly begin to learn just how many different ways there are to present targets.
Once a target leaves the machine, there are usually multiple breakpoints available to us. Which one is best? That depends on many, many different factors. Shooting style is one example, an important consideration when choosing a breakpoint that favors that style. A fast shooter might pick an earlier breakpoint - a more methodical shooter would likely shoot this same target a bit later......... more>>
Learning a new skill can be fun. And it should be. And once all the equipment has been purchased - ready or not - it's finally time to step into the box and meet the clay target. While no doubt exciting - it may be a bit humbling as well. Not only do the targets provide all the challenge we want and more, we quickly learn the target doesn't always break just because we want it to.
Don't get me wrong - I applaud determination. But I also know that repetition in the box without the basics - without proper technique - is practice built more on hope than a well thought out plan. It seems, good shooting can be here today - then gone tomorrow. Consistently good shooting, on the other hand, is built on a strategy that includes the basics......... more>>
000000. As the empty shells pile up in the trashcan beside the shooting box, do you ever feel "lost?" Can’t find the problem? Why isn’t that target breaking? Here’s what I believe is the # 1 most common problem and cause of missing. Chances are very good this particular detail could well be the starting point, the primary reason why your scores and performances may be sputtering. In Latin, it’s called "anxious-erratica." I’m pretty sure that means "lost birds senor."
"Anxious" describes the approach to the shot - "erratic" is the swing result. When the trap fires, overcome by the feeling "the target is getting away," the shot is rushed unnecessarily, causing even more unwanted barrel movement during the swing. Just a thought,..... the shell speed is about 750 mph. Target speed is about 55 mph. You win. Why the rush?......... more>>
Learning a new skill can be fun. And it should be. And once all the equipment has been purchased - ready or not - it's finally time to step into the box and meet the clay target. While no doubt exciting - it may be a bit humbling as well. Not only do the targets provide all the challenge we want and more, we quickly learn the target doesn't always break just because we want it to.
Don't get me wrong - I applaud determination. But I also know that repetition in the box without the basics - without proper technique - is practice built more on hope than a well thought out plan. It seems, good shooting can be here today - then gone tomorrow. Consistently good shooting, on the other hand, is built on a strategy that includes the basics......... more>>
Being a pragmatic person, I am usually more inclined to look at things from a practical perspective. What follows is something that I've learned is best for me. YMMV. Here's what I've discovered.
I have a drawer full of shooting glasses, some dating all the way back to 1979. If you need a particular color, call me.
When I am teaching in really bright sunlight, I greatly appreciate my Randolph Engineering CMT's. The glare reduction features in these lenses are a Godsend and crystal clarity isn't compromised at all. On a grey, overcast day - I reach for my light yellow tint. It brightens my surroundings and seems to add appreciably more light making this color very useful in subdued light conditions......... more>>
OK, I understand this,.......sort of. Many folks put shotgun aesthetics at the top of their list. No arguments from me. A beautiful shotgun is a joy to behold, a masterpiece of craftsmanship, function and form, making it a delight to hold. Few "tools" deliver anywhere near this level of pride of ownership. I own one for upland hunting. So I do understand,......right up until all those "dynamite" loads take a trap, skeet or sporting clays shooter down with flinching, head lifting, debilitating neck and shoulder problems.
The affects of recoil are cumulative. It's a price we all pay, some more than others by the choices we make. So it's in our own best interests to mitigate recoil every chance we have. First are ammunition choices. Here, Lite loads get it done,....all day,....every day. 2 3/4 dram loads will help you shoot better and do it more consistently.......... more>>
Sunday evenings and Mondays can be busy answering calls and emails from my students around the US. Typically, we're discussing this week-end's tournament - play by play - and results. Listening, I hear a Field by Field account of what happened and why.
It is worthwhile to do a post-game review of stations - provided we don't get caught up in replaying certain misses too many times and reinforcing those particular images - which we really don't want to do.......... more>>
Excessive gun speed, swinging the gun too fast is all too common in my lessons. It's the opposite of gun control. Russ Vowell called it, "blazing barrels." There are a hundred reasons for this, mostly having to do with wanting to break the target--with a fierce determination. Going too fast though has a price.
After the first 5 minutes of the lesson on the course, we've got 0000 and a well-intentioned swing out of control. To slow my student's swing down, drastically, I ask if he's ever driven a tractor. Ever heard of granny gear? He says yes. Granny gear speed is a crawl. At this point my student is thinking, "This ain't going to work. Not happening. I'll end up shooting way over there."......... more>>
Last month we took a look at "the hard part." In that discussion, I mentioned the "1" change. Let's talk about that a bit further.
First, it's human nature to be in a hurry to get somewhere. I get that. Guilty myself. But in skill development, it just doesn't work that way. Ain't goin' to happen. Like it or not, learning a new language, a new software program, shooting skills, let's face it, some time and effort will have to be invested. So we head out to the range, fully determined to accomplish something good today. Here's how......... more>>
When people ask what I do and I explain, their eyes light up and they say "Wow,"..... or "Cool,"..... or something to that affect. Understandably, this reaction overlooks the everyday challenges of being a Coach. Standing inside the clubhouse, 2,000 miles from home with my disgruntled students looking out the window as the snow piles up and the wind howls, is nobody's idea of a good time. Tomorrow's forecast is the same and day 3 is their flight home. This we can't control.
Fortunately, there are some things we can control......... more>>
A good teacher/instructor can't just be a lecturer. There's more to good teaching than just dispensing advice and information. When you register for a private lesson or a class with your friendly, local instructor, it is reasonable to expect your "mentor for the day" to be organized, look the part, and be truly attentive to what you have to say. It is also fair to anticipate that your instructor will take the time to ask why you are here today. He or she will listen to your specific questions and concerns - then tailor your lesson around those topics. Isn't that why you signed up in the first place? Yes it is. A competent instructor will want to have this conversation with you in order to formulate the best lesson for you.
When the early Q&A portion of your lesson is concluded in the clubhouse, priorities shift. Headed out to your first shooting field, you become the listener. It is because your approach to your shooting is not working - you will be asked to do things differently in the shooting box than you are accustomed to......... more>>
That I do work with a lot of students in a year's time grants me an experienced opinion. And I am privileged to be included in each and every lesson. With one exception (Gunny) - I have never learned more from anyone than my students.
So I find it interesting to watch how many shooters are romanced and seduced by all the tangibles. Holding it in your hands, surely there's something magical about it, surely there can be no doubt - this is THE one that will work better than any other. And it may. But down the road, many find this revelation: look not at what you have or where you are – but to step-by-step, consistent improvements......... more>>
