Shot Plan Have a ‘shot plan.’   It’s been proven that shooters with a shot plan actually achieve better scores than those that don't have one. A shot plan includes a few steps that work for you to get you focused on the task at hand—your next shot and only your next shot. In skeet shooting, your shot plan starts before you get on the station. That’s where you should be looking at how the targets are flying; thinking about your hold point, look point, kill zone, and foot position; and keeping positive thoughts about your shooting. When it’s your turn to get on the station, … [Read more...]

John Doe   Are you shooting as well as 'John Doe'?   Are the people you shoot with shooting as well as 'John Doe'? Do you want to improve your shooting, or are you just out for the social aspects? The social aspects of shooting are there, and they're one of the reasons we like to shoot. Being around people with similar likes and dislikes makes the sport more enjoyable. But, if you want to shoot higher scores and have more satisfaction with your shooting, you may have to start shooting with different people—those that are shooting at a higher level, trying to improve, … [Read more...]

Journal   Have you ever wondered why you can shoot well at one event and not at another? You can shoot a competition every week and not perform at each shoot as you think you should.   Your practice seems up to par, but for some strange reason you can't seem to be consistently competitive at your shoots. One of the things that I tell new shooters that show an aptitude for competition is to keep a journal or, as some call it, a diary. Whatever you call it, it will help you to know why you shoot well at one venue and not at another, or at one time and not at another. There … [Read more...]

Mental Game   That's a term you'll read about in most sports psychology articles, it's where we try to learn how to have our minds help us do what we want to do.   In shooting, this is as—or more—important than the physical aspects of what we do. We have to focus only on what we're doing at that time and to 'stay in the moment'. Stay in the moment. That's where you are paying attention to the one thing you're doing at that time and not thinking about how you should be mowing the back 40 or how your mother-in-law is coming to stay with you for an extended period of … [Read more...]

New Shooters   Many times after we finish our shooting, we see a group of new shooters that seem to be struggling with the game they're trying to shoot.   You, as a more knowledgeable shooter, might just ask them if they would like some help. This is not a bad thing to do if it's done in a helpful and friendly manner. In fact, it shows that it's a friendly club and that you welcome new shooters. If you approach them in a helpful manner, they may even want to join your club. When I encounter struggling shooters I'll ask them if they need help understanding the principles … [Read more...]