NSSA staff and members are saddened by the unexpected death of past president William N. "Bill" Batty, Jr. on October 25. Bill was a long-time member of Minute Man Sportsman's Club in Massachusetts where he held numerous leadership positions. He was also active in NSSA governance over a 25-year period, culminating in his election as NSSA president in 2008. In 2013, he was inducted into the NSSA Hall of Fame as the Ray Boller Award recipient for service to the association. He proudly served in the U.S. Marines, was a graduate of the University of Miami and Suffolk Law School, and … [Read more...]
Focus and Muzzle Awareness
Focus and Muzzle Awareness I understand there should be some muzzle awareness while concentrating on the bird. Unfortunately, in my quest to focus harder on the dimples and ridges of the clay, I find that on a great many shots I have no muzzle awareness at all. Is there a practice routine that would help me reach that holy grail focus/awareness of 95/5? Different instructors have different philosophies on focus and muzzle awareness, and only you can decide which is more compatible with your shooting style. Here is my philosophy on the subject: I don’t agree, and have … [Read more...]
Longtime NSSA Member Harry Frey Passes
NSSA member and friend Julius Harry Frey passed away on August 22 at the age of 93. Harry was known as a vibrant, energetic, and enthusiastic person. Skeet was his favorite pastime, and he was a 31-year member who shot at 26 World Skeet Championships, including the 2015 shoot. He was named to the All-American teams as Senior Veteran or Super Veteran every year since 2005. In 2014, he won the Armed Forces HOA Super Veteran Class at 91 and was sponsored by Blaser. Harry had 128,554 lifetime targets; in 2013 at 90 years old, he shot 4750 targets, and in 2014, he shot 3729. He was a Master … [Read more...]
Ask the Instructor: Practicing for Nationals
Practicing for Nationals I'm going to Nationals in October and would like to know how I should be preparing for it. Should I practice differently? Most shooters think practice means shooting a round of sporting clays. I take a wee bit of exception to that notion. Shooting one last round at your local club before heading off to the National Shooting Complex is unlikely to improve or tighten up a specific part of your game. Practice, on the other hand, works on a specific part of your game in preparation for competition. There are several practice areas I typically assign … [Read more...]
The Challenges and Opportunities of Member Communications
You probably can't name a sport with memberships more diverse than skeet and sporting clays. Because they can be pursued successfully and with enjoyment by people of virtually any age or gender, we have the good fortune of memberships from young to old, male and female, novice to world championship levels. Members span wide-ranging income levels, vocations, and locations. Some participate in sporting clays or skeet exclusively, while others shoot both sports through dual memberships or the Crossfire program. Our members span all levels of technological expertise. Our diversity presents us not … [Read more...]