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HOW I Miss You

02/25/2023 | By: Daniel Schindler, Master Sporting Clays, Skeet, Trap and Wingshooting Instructor

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PULL………..Lost-Dead. 

Mumbling.

PULL……….Dead-Lost, Sir.

More mumbling, a little louder.

 PULL………Lost-Lost Sir.

Empty hulls landing near the guilty trap machines, expletives deleted.

If I may, as a full-time instructor and coach, I’d like to share with you what I believe are a few invaluable lessons in the clay target sports (sporting clays, skeet and trap). Here’s one example which touches on the ever-popular, mysterious Mental Game…which, truthfully, is far from a mystery.

Since 1990, I've worked with thousands of students from Novice to advanced Master Class. A blessing and a privilege. I’ve learned no one likes missing. Said constructively, all too often, missing promptly throws a shooter into a self-destructive state of disappointment, frustration, and sometimes anger. The missing leading to…you guessed it…more missing, compounded by the perception of failure. With expectations spoiled, this overwhelming discouragement invariably leading to another miss…and another. While some of this self-induced stress is entirely understandable, it does bring up our shooter’s hopeful “goal” on the course: better shooting, i.e., personal skill advancement. Where is it?

SOP…in the clubhouse, I spend considerable lesson time addressing the following with every student before we step outside. Respectfully…I ask my student(s) to seriously consider the cumulative consequences of time spent criticizing oneself after missing a target. To what benefit? How does a personal scolding move us closer to our mutual shooting goal? Is precious time - dedicated to learning and raising a skill level - being wasted?

“I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career.

I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed.

I've failed over and over and over again in my life.

And that is why I succeed.” 

~ Michael Jordan

Let’s take a moment to look at where some shooters allow their attention to go before and after the trigger pull. When the target is lost, does the shooter allow their emotions to guide the next swing? Or…do they evaluate the miss without negativity? The all-important questions on the table are…WHY did they miss? How can they quickly correct their swing so the very next target breaks? What happens downrange is irrelevant. That’s because…X and O… are determined inside the shooting box, behind the muzzle, before the shot string leaves the gun. That control…swing, sight picture and timing of the trigger pull…are all you can control and are in your capable hands. Yes?

When a target is lost, it's critically important to find the set-up and/or swing error and make the correction so the next target will break. OXXXXX!

Every formal lesson is built on the fundamentals of the consistently good shooting found in Take Your Best Shot. My students learn the Paragon shooting process and they learn they can trust that process. Time in the box shows them they can trust that process 100%, 24/7/365.

What is the goal here? Where is our attention? That's why…when I teach, my student and I evaluate each miss and each X. It's a golden opportunity for the shooter to learn the process…how to repeat the X...how to correct when needed. By teaching shooters the Paragon shooting process, shooters can continue to advance their skills when they don't have me, or an instructor standing behind them. We follow this process repeatedly during the lesson. Evaluating every O and every X by totally focusing on his/her swing steps (process)…my student predictably learns HOW to consistently break more and more targets...on purpose. We have a process that works and we follow that process. Negativity after missing? Disappears.  Doubling shooter self-confidence, joy and Xs.

Every single X and O…let me say that again…every single X and O is an opportunity to learn something valuable. The hard truth is…we can’t capitalize on that X or O unless we hold our attention on why that happened…evaluating and learning…step-by-step, what just took place. Predictably, this improves not only the next swing but overall skill level which leads to more consistency, and more broken targets. BTW, teaching you a completely reliable step-by-step shooting process is your instructor’s obligation to you. That's what you are paying for! To learn exactly what breaks targets and how to move your shooting forward! Not just Xs but shooting knowledge.

So…dealing with a lost target is simple? Well…not exactly. What I call the “attention factor”…is a skill worth learning and applying to meet YOUR goals…sooner. Hard as this may be at times…each of us has a choice on where we put…and focus our attention. I respectfully suggest…choose wisely. 

“Should things not be going well in the shooting box…

and you find yourself in a hole…

first and most importantly,

stop digging.” 

Taking a break for a moment, please notice that no one’s touched a gun yet. Our quiet and patient assembling of this advanced preparation eliminates serious problems later.

There are two more preparation steps on our list before leaving the clubhouse. Please remember, my student is here seeking improvement. He/she is paying not just for X’s but for specific shooting methods that work consistently, EVERY time, ALL the time. So, before closing, let’s add what I believe are two more preparation steps that should be addressed in the clubhouse before the shooting begins.

I, personally, do not “overemphasize” the importance of gun fit. I fully support that it is important, to a degree. And, by that I mean, close enough is good enough. A “perfect” gun fit is not and never will be a working substitute for shooting knowledge/skills…how to set up and execute a consistently successful swing. For those who might disagree with me, please explain how McIlroy, Rahm and other PGA Big Dawgs can play better than 99% of golfers by using any worn-out set of clubs bought at a yard sale 20 minutes ago. That said, your instructor should be doing a basic gun fit evaluation to make sure there are no MAJOR gun fit issues that do need to be addressed before heading out to the course.

In closing, I’ll spare you a thousand words needed to discuss “correctly” checking, evaluating and knowledgeably handling eye dominance “issues" successfully. If you wish me to discuss these issues later, I’ll be happy to share my experiences. For now, suffice it to say…please listen carefully…evaluations and any “needed” adjustments must be handled correctly. I say that because unnecessary, mishandled recommendations will be costly and far too often have serious, long-term consequences for all involved. I’ve seen those consequences first-hand, all of which could have been avoided had the shooter been diagnosed correctly and handled properly in the beginning. 

As you can see…while preparation steps are relatively simple and straightforward…there’s a lot more to improving your shooting…building consistency…than just heading out to the course with good intentions, hoping to gain some real shooting improvement.

 Thanks again for joining us here. Much appreciated. Until next time, be safe and I hope to see you out on the course.

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Please share the link with your fellow shooters. Thank you!

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!  

Testimonials 

"Folks fly from around the world to take lessons with Schindler at River Bend Sportsman’s Resort, his home course in Inman, South Carolina. Clients have included Bush staffers to NASCAR drivers to the U.S. Ambassador to Belgium. The approachable teacher has spent 25 years on “gentleman’s coaching” (with social and corporate shooters) and formal instruction (with individuals, groups, and competitors). Schindler has even certified more than 230 instructors using his handcrafted curriculum—a system that signaled his qualification as the first American admitted to the British Guild of Shooting Instructors... “Shooting, like golf, or anything like that, is a mental sport, and he has the mental game down so well.” To find out how he calibrated mind with metal, we head to Japan."
Excerpt from Gentleman’s Calling
Town Magazine
 
"Today goes down as one of my all-time favorites. Your teaching was exactly what I was looking for and you made me feel like a million bucks at the same time! Thank you for committing yourself to your craft for all of the years, you are outstanding at it!"
~ Jason Wilde, Wingshooting Student

Dan Schindler's Books

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

and parents of youth shooters."

Schindler's books are written for shooters like you!
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.
 
Warning: Shooters from around the world tell us ...if you lend these 3 excellent books to your shooting buddies, you may never see the books again! Some say they'd give up their spouse before they give up these books.
 
Order Schindler's 3 EXCELLENT books NOW!
 

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

THE TRUSTED PRIMER
A Quarter of a Century and Counting
 
"Take Your Best Shot is the best clay and wingshooting shooting primer on the market that I have ever seen. The brilliance of its simplicity aids in getting across the correct messages for successful shooting for ANY clay/wingshooting shooter, let alone a new shooter."
 
David T. Dobson, M.B.A.
Jacksonville University Sporting, Skeet & Trap Team
(Founding & Head Coach)
SCTP & ACUI Event and Divisional National Champions
Paragon Master Instructor
NSCA Instructor, Level III
NSSA Instructor, Level III
  
"Take Your Best Shot is the greatest publication ever written on how to increase X’s on a scorecard and put more game birds in a hunting vest. In plain language, Take Your Best Shot teaches the essential, non-negotiable basics for building shooting excellence. It should be a required text for every clay target shooter, Wingshooter, Coach, Instructor and parent of a youth shooter who is looking for a step-by-step shooting “system” that is easy to understand, repeatable and utterly dependable. Take Your Best Shot is not only the best, but the only book that provides this knowledge. Seriously – Take Your Best Shot is a must-have for every shotgunner."
 
Jeff Allen, Head Coach Carolina Clays
Paragon School of Sporting Professional Instructor
NSCA Level II Instructor
NSSA Skeet Instructor
NC State Scholastic Clay Target Program Advisor & Coach
NC Scholastic Clay Target Program Trap Director 

To The Target (Book II)

“Few authors have tried to take the shooter on from the novice stage to serious competitor. “To The Target” does just that and it is one of the most innovative and important books yet published on the art of shooting clay targets.” 
 
Clay Shooting USA

Beyond The Target (Book III)

"This third volume in the Paragon school trilogy is the second best thing to booking a lesson with Schindler himself. Dan writes the way he coaches in person: respectfully, provocatively, humorously, and, most of all, effectively. His new book informs the Sporting Clays arts not only with a clear and proven blueprint for breaking (many) more targets but with great heart as well.", Wingshooting Editor: Sporting Clays Magazine
Contributor: Clay Target Nation
 
Order Schindler's 3 EXCELLENT books NOW!   

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  • Home
  • Meet Dan
    • Meet Dan Schindler
    • Reviews
    • Dan Schindler's Blog
    • Sporting Clays and Wingshooting Videos
  • Instruction
    • Schedule Instruction
    • Sporting Clays, Skeet, Trap & Wingshooting Lessons
    • Sporting Clays Instruction
    • Wingshooting Instruction
    • Paragon Instructor Certification Program C.I.S.
    • Paragon Certified Instructors
    • Mental Training
  • Shop
    • Books, Tips & Articles
  • Resources
    • Questions to Ask Your Shooting Instructor
    • Shooting Tips
    • Sporting Clays Courses
    • Gun Shops
  • Contact