Consistency Sometimes I shoot lights-out and other times, not so much. It’s aggravating to know my potential when I fall short of my potential 80 percent of the time. What’s the solution? Consistency is the Holy Grail for competitive shooters, but it’s elusive for many. Consistency is the number one goal of competitors that come to me for first-time lessons. For students whose goal it is to reach and remain at the top of the leaderboards, I coach them on three pillars of consistency: 1) Commitment to break point, 2) Planning and executing to plan, and 3) Commitment to … [Read more...]
Ask the Instructor: Leading Crossers
Leading Crossers Is there any difference between a right-to-left target and a left-to-right target in terms of perceived lead? Roger Silcox once talked about left-to-right needing extra lead, or perhaps he meant extra effort (for a right-handed shooter). Do you recognize this in your move/mount? Roger Silcox was a legend; a coach’s coach. I wish I had known him personally. The phenomenon that you are referring to is the comparative difference in “perceived lead” of a left-to-right crosser versus a right-to-left crossing target for a right-handed shooter. For a right-handed … [Read more...]
Ask the Instructor: Stance for Sporting Clays
Stance for Sporting Clays What is the proper stance while shooting sporting clays? Should my knees be bent slightly, or should my legs be straight with no movement in my lower body? The basic shooting stance for shotgun shooting is similar to any other fundamental athletic stance used in sports, such as boxing, tennis, football, and martial arts. The shooter should stand comfortably with feet about shoulder width apart. The right-handed shooter should stand with the left foot slightly forward, pointing generally towards the anticipated break point for the target. The knees … [Read more...]
Ask the Instructor: Pointing vs Aiming
Pointing vs. Aiming I was a rifle shooter before I started shooting a shotgun, and I struggle with ‘pointing’ vs. ‘aiming.’ How can I get out of the habit of aiming? Having grown up shooting and competing in small-bore rifle, I can sympathize. Most shooters, with a little practice, will progress to a point where applying sharp visual focus to the target is natural. There are two techniques I would recommend you employ to avoiding aiming. First, increase the intensity of your focus. Just as a batter tries to “see the threads” on a 90 mph fastball, the sporting clays … [Read more...]
Ask the Instructor: Cutoffs
Cutoffs I’ve been having trouble figuring out a low, incoming, quartering target, the type that is on edge and starts dropping and going right or left before it hits the ground about 30 yards out. Because it is coming mostly straight at me until it loses speed, it feels like I am aiming when acquiring the target. What technique do you suggest? Cutoff and collapse is the technique I find the most effective on the presentation you describe. The most common reasons for a miss on this type of target are: a lack of commitment to the break point; too much lateral movement at the … [Read more...]
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