Choosing an Instructor A few days ago, I was practicing with a friend who is an NSSA Certified Instructor, and during a short break, he told me of a gentleman he's been coaching. His student took lessons about a year ago from a so-called instructor that set him up on a path toward failure. It has taken this new instructor several lessons for the student to un-learn much of what this previous person had tried to teach him. It always surprises me when a new or even an experienced shotgun shooter doesn't at least ask others about the capability of the person he's … [Read more...]
Search Results for: target talk
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: 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...]
Hartmann’s Hint #39: Ask Before Touching
Ask Before Touching A few years ago, I was at a gun club when I saw an unusual shotgun in the gun rack. The shotgun had a significant modification to the rib on the barrel. The gun turned out to belong to a member of the California Golden Bears Trap Club, a gentleman that I knew. He had lost the vision in his right eye, and he was right handed. He was in his early eighties and, rather than learn to shoot left handed, he chose what I called a canary ladder. That's what it looked like to me. He could still mount the gun to his right shoulder but use his left eye for alignment—an … [Read more...]
NSSF, Project ChildSafe Call for Responsible Gun Storage
Project ChildSafe®, the nationwide firearms safety education program of the National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®), is urging all gun owners to make responsible firearms storage a priority — and providing the tools to do so — with the launch of its sixth annual “S.A.F.E. Summer” campaign. Launched in conjunction with “National Safety Month” every June, S.A.F.E. Summer emphasizes the importance of storing firearms responsibly when not in use, especially during the summer months when children are home and more likely to be unsupervised. "S.A.F.E." serves as an acronym for Store your … [Read more...]
