A Shortcut to Xs

As Sergeant Joe Friday said, the story you are about to hear is true. Just the facts.

Five of us on the squad, the tournament had just begun. First Station finished, we gathered our gear and settled into our three carts. Arriving at the next Station, waiting for the squad ahead of us to finish, I overheard one gentleman on the cart behind me say how he was disappointed in his shooting on the last Station. A difficult stand, I remember him only breaking two out of eight. Yeah, I shouldn’t have been watching but I was studying those two devious targets, calculating which bird to shoot first and the method I would use on each.

His turn, an eight bird Station, he stepped into the box and again, visibly struggled. As he stepped out, I heard the scorekeeper say “Out with three Sir.” As his vocal irritation escalated, I turned off my ear-muffs.  

His third Station was a repeat. And finally, here it came. Anger…and not just with himself but with his instructor from yesterday. Did he say yesterday? Diatribe underway, he obviously felt we should all know about his instructor being clueless. Wishing he could get his money back, his tirade went on and on about the poor instruction he’d paid for. Obviously, Sherlock had found the culprit. It was the instruction he received that was not working.

Let’s talk about that.

Quite honestly, I’ve had many good folks call and ask if I will be attending the XYZ tournament coming up in two weeks. They asked me to work with them on Tuesday or Wednesday, right before the tournament begins on Thursday. My response has always been, I’d be happy to work with them right “after” the tournament, but not a few days before.  

A long run of Xs,

there is no magic bean shortcut to better shooting.

X consistency can only come from skill,

skill at the end of a long road of persistence,

tirelessly overcoming trial and error.

If you care to look, right before the tournament…on satellite courses around the tournament grounds…you’ll see busy instructors working with, for lack of a better term, desperate students. Students who are desperate to shoot better in the tournament and will take that neediness right into the match, into the waiting arms of disaster. Disappointment and frustration await.

What is the motivation here? The goal? Microwave improvement.

We all want to shoot well. Welcome to the club. What’s overlooked by those who run to an instructor for the “quick fix,” (the magic beans?) is that any skill improvement, in any endeavor, takes time. And work. And patience. In my humble and professional opinion, those instructors who engage students right before the tournament …students who have these expectations…do hold some responsibility for what will inevitably happen. Because they know…or should know…there never has been or ever will be any microwave improvement in a person’s shooting.

Those who do take this type of instruction…one or maybe two days before the tournament… invariably step into the box honestly believing a better score is ahead, starting NOW. It won’t be. And when it isn’t, our shooter will tell all how his instruction isn’t working. And it’s all the instructor’s fault. Has to be, see, OXOOXOXOXOXOOXXO…

And, of course, here, our shooter is overlooking some personal accountability for what’s happening. Can’t blame him/her for wanting to shoot better though. Good intentions aside, a more realistic approach to improvement would have avoided all this.

Please understand, my purpose here isn’t to criticize but to suggest a more common-sense approach to instruction. Primarily to point out that any instructor, anywhere, regardless of shooting skill, cannot fix your shooting. Not in two days or five years. That process of improvement rests entirely on the shooter’s shoulders, hopefully, guided by very specific, competent teaching. To learn and be able to execute the required basics and fundamentals. The real, measurable difference between breaking targets sometimes and consistently.

Improvement? Real improvement?

Is more about Os than Xs.

A truth.

If you are looking for a shortcut to improvement, consider ordering Beyond The Target, Book III. And remember, sure as rain, the improvement you are seeking…Xs consistently…will take more than a day or two.

Beyond The Target will help you avoid so many common detours shooters unintentionally take, only to lead them right into reinforcing set-up and swing errors they are already making. Result. Right on schedule, more inconsistency. Why? Repeating the same mistakes over and over again and expecting a different result. There’s a better way and Beyond The Target, Book III would be a wise first step.

We look forward to seeing you here next time. Be safe, take something good out of every shooting box.

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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, Skeet, Trap 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 & 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 make 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 the mystery out of missing targets and feathers with Dan Schindler's simple, easy-to-understand books. They're your road map for consistently and dependably shooting higher scores.

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)