She came to River Bend with a large group of friends, maybe fifteen ladies, most of whom had never touched a firearm. Surrounded by their anxious looks, I expressed comfort in each handshake. The atmosphere softened as smiles began to replace looks of concern.Seating them around a large conference table, I opened by explaining that anyone who did not want to shoot today didn’t have to. A rush of relief went across many faces, knowing they didn’t have to touch a gun. I did, however, ask them to come and watch, to support their friends in the shooting box. Everyone agreed, anticipation replacing fears.Eye-dominance checks and adjustments completed, eye and ear protection in hand, ...

“All the measuring in the world is uselessif it doesn’t match the target data.”In Sporting Clays, measuring leads causes missing. Period.This example illustrates why measuring works in Trap and Skeet but not Sporting. Lisa, a 13-year-old Novice, has retained some help to improve her shooting. Instructor behind her, it’s her first time on a Skeet range. At each individual Station – the targets and their individual leads always being “known” – she’s shown lead measurements of 1 foot, 2 feet, etc. This makes her learning easier and clays are breaking. As the days turn into months of practice, target by known target, she’s ...

Let’s talk about what it really takes to generate more broken birds: Gun Control. Every inch movement of our gun muzzle will decide what happens out at the target, making swing precision non-negotiable.  This is not my opinion; the math says so. Please read those sentences again. For every shooter, no exceptions, swing mistakes promise a lost target.  With the emphasis on controlling our movements, here’s where we begin.  With consistency and improvement priorities, our “set up” steps ask for our undivided attention. Each step is intended to build critical swing precision, before and during the swing. In order, ...

“Our game has an uncanny way of endearing itself to uswhile at the same time revealing every weakness of mind, no matter how well hidden.”― Timothy Gallwey (Paraphrased)Think of the pressure we put on ourselves playing clay target games. We don’t just want that target to break…we need that target to break. When it doesn’t, our pride takes a hit. After all, folks are watching. At least in our mind, we just failed. This creates even more pressure to break the next target. To do well. To stop the embarrassment. Unfortunately, as the craving to succeed intensifies, more targets escape untouched, the inappropriate mental input is spoiling what we want to ...