Want to Shoot Higher Scores?

The process of improvement can be very rewarding, but not always, as each of us has learned when going down that oft times stressful road. For your consideration, here are 2 hard-learned truths on how to steadily and very successfully advance your clay shooting skills. 

“Used properly…

failure can be one of,

if not our best teacher.” 

More than just a good soul, John Shima is a gifted, professional Coach, one who has, for decades, worked hard to gain the wisdom Instructors should aspire to. I share the following respectfully and apologize if I’ve misquoted John’s messages in any way.

In the September 2021 issue of Clay Target Nation, John so eloquently points out why only deliberate practice makes perfect. I strongly agree with John’s many cogent points, the first of which is an improvement requirement: every shell – every target – practicing with a purpose. A specific purpose.  

As John correctly says, real practice puts entertainment aside (knowing missing targets will be inevitable). Using my words now – once that missing starts – here’s where the pressure shows up. Serious, palpable pressure to try to break the next target, as in, whatever it takes. Whoa! Time out. “Whatever it takes?” Yup! Here, in desperation, our shooter has fallen back on old habits, very much “needing” to break the next target. Whatever it takes. Why? Because the fun is gone, replaced by the fear or more missing. Going back to “whatever it takes,” however, loses the very purpose of this practice session – which is to quickly accept and self-forgive the missing – to correct the errors – to replace the old, inconsistent habits with new, more consistent habits.

This can only occur by making a better choice in the shooting box, what John appropriately calls “deliberate action.” A much better decision under pressure. He then emphasizes “mental discipline,” intentionally shifting our attention to what needs getting done, which isn’t another X. Our task – our mission – is to build better form, a more consistent swing. In my experienced opinion, right there folks, it’s that discipline that does indeed separate those who actually do improve their shooting skills from those who don’t. One shooter is happy with an X. The other is dedicated to XXXXXX. The same number of shells fired in a practice round – very different results. Thank you Mr. Shima, nicely stated and well worth the read.

If I may, another suggestion. Just “how much” visual focus do we put on the clay – as in, how hard should we look at the bird? Should we focus on target “parts” – staring hard at the dome, shoulder, skirt, bottom? Or, basically, just see the clay clearly, while not forgetting muzzle “awareness” in our peripheral vision?  

“The human eye can see very well, thank you.

No further visual training is required.”

Another writer in the above magazine states – “The most important thing is to keep your eyes on the target. Your brain will kind of place the barrel where it needs to go automatically, as long as you keep your eyes on the target.”

Say what? With all due respect – your brain will? Kind of? Automatically??

Seriously, I don’t mean to be rude here. Are we to understand – as long as “we see the details on the clay – the barrel will go where it needs to go – automatically?” Consistently – with no skill needed?  X?  Just look at the target harder and trust that an X will result?

For anyone to teach that a shooter can stare at the target and the muzzle will automatically / instinctively find the correct X sight picture – consistently – sorry – that just isn’t going to happen and never will. And I believe that because? Been there – done that! A very long time ago, seeking my Instructor certifications, my Instructors taught me to teach the “TOTAL focus on the bird” method. Stare hard – see the rings – see the edges – and the bird will break. So I did teach that. Exactly. Regrettably, both in and out of this country, for too long, my students suffered from that teaching, not to mention yours truly. Please allow me to skip the frustration we all felt! Akin to the Churchill shooting method and its shortcomings, we were counting on a super hard focus on the bird to break the target. Long story short, that failed and will fail miserably on the majority of our evolving Sporting Clays targets.

It was Peter and Wendy Crabtree out of the West London Shooting School who got me up to date – to the immediate, emphatic and abundant improvement of my students, both nationally and internationally. In my Book 1 (Take Your Best Shot) and Book 3 (Beyond The Target), I speak on this from lessons hard-learned, so you don’t go down that exasperating, dead-end road.

To be fair here, I believe some of the “automatic” parts of this might be true if you are George Digweed, Wendell Cherry, Bill McGuire, Will Fennell, Anthony Matarese, Todd Bender, John Shima, et al who’ve been practicing and competing since the dinosaurs roamed. They’ve earned their exemplary skills and titles. However, we who are a bit less skilled might want to first consider paying a bit more attention to intentionally “building” swing sight pictures that include both a visual focus on the target AND muzzle “awareness.” Meaning, our swing placement of the muzzle – into the X sight picture – development of that picture must at first be intentionally practiced. Emphasis on the words first and intentionally. AFTER the skill level rises to appreciable levels, those sight pictures may become more instinctive (automatic?). I say this because – God bless our hand/eye coordination (HEC) – while always to our advantage – HEC simply cannot, by itself, be counted on to dependably create the X. Not automatically – not consistently – and especially not with today’s increasingly challenging target presentations. Add skill to your HEC – now you have 4 Aces in your hand.

Here’s one Coach’s perspective on how to look at a target. Point your finger at an object across the room. What do you see? Are you pointed at the object? Of course, you are. How do you know you are? Because you can see your finger in your peripheral vision, confirming (not just blindly trusting) where you are pointing. There’s your all-important bird / barrel relationship. Staring at a clay target harder and harder not only isn’t necessary but runs the risk of losing muzzle awareness. Been there – taught that – won’t ever go back. Knowing where your shotgun muzzle is (peripheral vision) – allows you to guide your gun accurately – and is no different than pointing your finger. See the target clearly and trust your peripheral vision to help you intentionally move your gun into the X sight picture. XX XX XX. Never trust a “magic-bean” method to blindly guide your gun. Time and targets will very quickly teach you why you can’t trust that. Keep control of that movement in your capable hands – give your eyes the job of guiding the gun. Make every set-up and swing a planned, intentional act. Once you’ve invested 10,000 shells in deliberate practice – swing, target and sight-picture familiarity all now onboard – let your brain / sub-conscious instincts assist. That’ll work!

OK, sorry, I went past the brevity mark in this post. Thanks for stopping by. Be safe, shoot well and I hope to see you out on the course.

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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 & 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 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)