5 Simple Steps to Higher Scores

 “If you can't explain it to a six-year-old,

you don't understand it yourself.” 

~ Albert Einstein

I love that quote and teach it in our Paragon Instructor Certification (C.I.S.) classes. I will do my best to do that here as this is all about the incredible value of keeping everything simple.

With a few thousand extraordinary students and instructors sharing my journey…I’ve dedicated over three decades of my life to teaching Sporting Clays, Skeet, Trap and Wingshooters (to all skill levels - novice to Olympic competitors) nationally and internationally. I mention that because the following are not casual suggestions. They are hard-earned knowledge, each fiercely time-tested where it counts…on your scorecard. Shooters trust the Paragon Shooting System, Paragon methods, and Mental Game program because they are simple, easy to understand and work consistently.

“Shooters who struggle with inconsistent performances…

simply lack the required basics, the fundamentals of our game…

and nothing more.” 

As you already know from folks standing behind you in the shooting box, and from Google, there’s no shortage of opinions on what works best, when and where. My students arrive telling me how it’s all become a bit complicated. Understandably so. What to trust? Like trying to find truth in government.

“Perfection is achieved…not when there is nothing left to add…

but when there is nothing left to take away.”

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry 

5 Simple Steps to Higher Scores: 

1. To break targets, are we depending on our hand-eye coordination? Or are we using proven methods? Using our instincts is commendable, but, as time has shown, cannot be trusted to create a consistent swing. An inconsistent swing = OXXOOOXO. What’s absent here is a foundation built on the specific, non-negotiable fundamentals covered in Take Your Best Shot, chapters 4, 5, 6 and 7. A clear, concise, easy-to-read 72 pages.
2. Paying more attention to what we don’t know…will be a lot more useful to us than listening to what we’re not sure of. When in doubt in the shooting box…let that doubt inspire some changes, instead of repeating the same mistakes over and over again, always hoping for better results. All while building habits that we will likely want to change later and will be even harder to break.
3. It’s not about the X or O down range. What really matters is what took place inside the shooting box behind the muzzle before the trigger was pulled. Overlooking unknown swing mistakes will be costly…the # 1 reason for inconsistent results. Breaking targets for fun is one thing. Shooting to improve skills is another altogether. Building this skill requires a) watching your pre-shot set-up and b) executing your specific swing steps correctly.
4. All with good intentions mind you…folks often take a shooting situation and create complexity where none is needed. My student recently shared that she was asked by another instructor to adjust her elbow height to a certain level to improve her shooting. She said she did. It hasn’t. OH no…here we go again! She was told to focus on the minutia, not what really matters! Allow me to introduce Mr. Joe Scull, owner of Cedar Creek Sporting Clays in NJ and Master target setter. I personally had the privilege of watching Joe (humbly) turn his gun upside down and place it on top of his head. Again, upside down on top of his head. The targets? A blistering True Pair of 50-yard midis off a tower…yeah, they were an honest 50+ yards. Target speeds? Chuck Yeager would have been proud! Joe’s first 6 shots…truthfully now…he broke all 6!! NO visible pieces. Not exaggerating. I saw it. And I’m not easily impressed. Other equally skilled shooters do similar distorted feats, successfully, any time you want to watch. Meaning? Yes…good shooting “form” is recommended…but, is not required. When it comes to X consistency (regardless of shooter age, height, build, skill or method) to create the X swing consistently…precisely guiding the MUZZLE is priority 1.
5.  Turn what appears to be a complicated shooting problem into a simple one, by breaking the problem down into its specific components. Once we clearly understand what we want…X…our keeping everything simple creates a much more dependable way to raise our scores. Here’s a classic example. In the 1960s, Americans began to explore “outer space.” Once “up there” it quickly became apparent the ball-point pens would not work. NASA spent years and millions of tax dollars to develop a “Space Pen.” The Russians used a pencil. 

“Build a simple, consistent swing...

there’s your reliability!”

XXXX

The # 1 most successful, most consistent and dependable shooting method in the world is not always easy…but it is in every way…as my lady student last summer said…stupidly simple. These simple, crystal-clear methods are outlined in my 3 books: Take Your Best Shot, To The Target and Beyond The Target.

To summarize…

The very best shooters have an unrelenting passion for keeping things simple. By making their setup and swing uncomplicated, it’s so much easier to understand and execute correctly. XXXXXX. OK…I’m being redundant here…but there it is.

 Successful shooters focus their attention on their method and their unhurried, deliberate swing “process”…instead of trying hard “to break the target;” aka “outcome” thinking…which is not the shooter’s friend. We’ve discussed all this in recent newsletters, so I won’t belabor this very important point. However…keeping our attention tightly focused on our swing “task” does bring incredible clarity and a reliable execution of the critically important process in front of us. The correct…or incorrect (distracted) execution of that process…will decide X or O. By consciously letting go of distractions… focusing only on what the X requires…allows each of us to repeat the sensible….a clean, precise swing. XXXXXX. That’s so important, I could say it a thousand times and it may not be enough. Then again…maybe I have? 

Thank you for joining us here. Be safe and I hope to see you out on the course.

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XXXX

About Dan Schindler

Dan Schindler is one of only 60 worldwide members of the Guild of Shooting Instructors (UK) and is one of the most highly respected Sporting Clays and Wingshooting Instructors in the US. Dan is an NSCA Level III Instructor (since 1995) and founded the Paragon School of Sporting with one goal in mind. Whether it be for the advanced competitor or providing the basics to the entry-level shooter, Paragon provides the simplest, most practical and most effective Instruction, Coaching and Mental Training for the Sporting Clays, Skeet, Trap & Wingshooting enthusiast. Dan Schindler helps shooters alleviate a lot of their frustration by taking the mystery out of breaking targets, calling their own misses, and making their own corrections. Lessons are fun, enlightening and our clients learn to shoot better in minutes!  

Dan Schindler's Books

"Recommended for shooters of all skill levels, Coaches, Instructors

and parents of youth shooters."

Take Your Best Shot (Book I), 3rd Edition is THE Gold Standard Primer It's all about the fundamentals, a requirement for good shooting. This book is used by high school and college shooting teams, recreational and competitive shooters from around the world. Solid, valuable, concise information that has helped thousands of shooters shoot more consistently with higher scores.

To The Target (Book II) Builds on the steps outlined in Book I. Emphasises Gun Management skills when the trap fires, creating a consistent, reliable, trustworthy swing.

Beyond the Target (Book III) is for shooters of all levels, filled with valuable information, clay target truths. Entertaining and a culmination of 3 decades of Dan's life's work as a teacher, competitor, published writer, and much more.

Here's what Shooters, Coaches and Clay Shooting USA saying...

Take Your Best Shot (Book I), 3rd Edition

To The Target (Book II)

Beyond The Target (Book III)