FITASC Mount In FITASC, is the first move to the target a bayonet move, or is the first move a lift with both hands to the cheek and break point as you match gun speed to target speed? I don’t like the term “bayonet move” because it implies that we should thrust our shotgun at the target and shift our balance to the front foot — which is ill-advised. Allow me to rephrase your question to the following: As we mount the shotgun in FITASC, should we mount and move simultaneously using both hands to move to the cheek and break point, or should we use a more aggressive, … [Read more...]
Ask the Instructor: Barrel Length
Barrel Length When I first started shooting skeet 40 years ago, everyone shot a 26-inch barrel. Now 28-, 30-, 32- and even 34-inch are the popular lengths. My sporting clays guns have 28- and 30-inch barrels. What is the difference in breaking targets? My 28-inch will reach out as far as needed for standard targets. Is the sighting plane or lead different with a longer barrel? Ballistically speaking, there is no difference in shooting a shotgun with a 28-inch barrel length versus a 34-inch barrel except that the wad and shot exit the barrel 6 inches earlier. The decision on … [Read more...]
Ask the Instructor: Eye Shift
Eye Shift While shooting sporting clays with a low gun, should the eyes alone shift when moving from the hold point to the pickup point? Or should the head move so the nose is pointing at the pickup point and the eyes remain centered? Proper shot execution requires acute visual focus and a head and muzzle that are synchronized with the target through the break point. Movement to a target must include an acute visual fix on the target, together with a brief period prior to shot execution when the head is quiet and synchronized relative to the target. There is plenty of … [Read more...]
Ask the Instructor: Loose vs Tight Focus
Loose vs Tight Focus What’s the difference between loose focus and tight focus, and when should you use each? There are indeed two types of focus. Peripheral focus (or ambient focus) is characterized by relaxed eye muscles and provides for a wide field of view. We use ambient focus for reading, computer work and driving. It is the predominant mode for our eyes throughout our daily lives and under most circumstances. Acute focus (fovial or central vision focus) involves the conscious and intense contraction of your eye muscles to narrow your focal field of view. You are … [Read more...]
Ask the Instructor: Visualization
Visualization In a recent edition of “Ask the Instructor,” you talked about the mental process and the three elements of a pre-shot routine: (1) deep breathing, (2) visualization, and (3) a trigger thought. Can you describe visualization in greater detail? You have hit upon an important point. When we talk about “visualization” as part of a shooter’s pre-shot routine, we immediately think of “picturing” the pair you are about to break – visually imagining the targets launching and seeing the targets break at the break points. But there is an important distinction between … [Read more...]
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