Dan Schindler's Blog

Guaranteed Xs? The Numbers Don’t Lie

“Explaining good shooting mathematically is hard.Demonstrating the math’s effectiveness on a Sporting Clays, Skeet and Trap target is not.” How to score well in Sporting Clays, for some, is no longer a mystery. I say ...

Instinct Got You Here

Methods will take you further.In the early days of sporting clays, natural ability and point-and-shoot instincts were enough to break targets and win bragging rights. But times—and targets—have changed. If you’re serious about ...

Beyond The X

If you already know you can break that target, why practice that target?My Sporting Clays student Greg (not his real name) sat across from me after this morning’s lesson. Over lunch he said he went to the Practice segment in his Paragon ...

Real Improvement Starts Here

And it’s not what you think.“Many stumble over a truth—then walk away, leaving the good lesson behind.”To keep a reader’s interest, a writer’s topics are endless. Truths, however, aren’t. And the value of ...

Make the Seconds Work Overtime

“Don’t count the seconds.Make the seconds count!”Being occupied with our guns, chokes and loads, that‘s all good. Too often though, we overlook one of the, if not THE most important requirements of consistently good shooting. ...

Good Lessons

Inconsistent scores, up one day, down the next on the same targets? Lesson paid for, shake hands with your instructor.Chambers loaded, gun up, targets are breaking station after station. You’re asked to hold the gun here, see this over the ...

The Day She Broke More Than A Target

She came to River Bend with a large group of friends, maybe fifteen ladies, most of whom had never touched a firearm. Surrounded by their anxious looks, I expressed comfort in each handshake. The atmosphere softened as smiles began to replace looks ...

Trust Me, That's a 3-Foot Lead!

“All the measuring in the world is uselessif it doesn’t match the target data.”In Sporting Clays, measuring leads causes missing. Period.This example illustrates why measuring works in Trap and Skeet but not Sporting. Lisa, a ...

Speaking of Gun Control

Let’s talk about what it really takes to generate more broken birds: Gun Control. Every inch movement of our gun muzzle will decide what happens out at the target, making swing precision non-negotiable. This is not my ...

Successfully Dealing with Pressure

“Our game has an uncanny way of endearing itself to uswhile at the same time revealing every weakness of mind, no matter how well hidden.”― Timothy Gallwey (Paraphrased)Think of the pressure we put on ourselves playing clay target ...

Lost Target. What's Next?

While definitely not getting our vote for favorite pastime, I think it’s fair to say, missing will be with us for a while longer. The good news is, we all miss and no one likes it. One difference is how each of us reacts to the disappointment. ...

Truths Part II

Here’s the long way around to improving. Load the cart with a flat of shells, some hope and a trial-and-error approach to each target. Unfortunately, all this will do is reinforce our old, inconsistent habits that we’ll later want to ...

Truths

“You can practice shooting eight hours a day…but, if your technique is wrong,then all you become very good at is shooting the wrong way.” -Michael JordanBasketball, football, golf, shooting…look no further to ...

Building Confidence Through Muzzle Awareness

Imagine knowing exactly why each shot connects—or misses. Muzzle Awareness (MA) unlocks this critical insight for shooters of all levels.Finding the Right BalanceIn the simplest of terms, muzzle awareness (MA) means keeping the gun muzzle in ...