In Breaking Every Target On Purpose, we discussed Day One of our client, Ed’s shooting lesson.
Ed had been lost, frustrated, and confused for three years with his shooting.
Day Two.
For Ed, it brought a promising sunrise—free of frustration, confusion, and inconsistency.
He arrived quiet. Settled. Ready.
We had found his method.
He understood his system.
For the first time in a long time, he knew what he was doing—and why.
All that remained was to prove it—to himself—on doubles, under pressure, start to finish.
That’s what Day Two was for.
This is a personal story, told through a coach’s eyes.
To give you a deeper appreciation of Day Two, I’ve posted Day One at the bottom. If you haven’t already, I urge you to read it first.
As I do with every student, before Ed and I left the clubhouse on Day One, we talked through his concerns as I put a plan together.
My intention being this:
Each new step I introduce has to be working before I add the next one.
That’s why we spent Day One on singles—every Station, 1 through 8—before we ever got to doubles.
Because if his form wasn’t reliable on a Station 2 single, what could he honestly expect on his True Pair?
X’s every now and then, maybe.
Consistently?
X’s are always welcome.
But as I do with all my students, Ed was learning that a miss has value too.
After a miss, there’s a brief moment to see what happened, make sense of it, and put it right with the next shell.
Most shooters don’t use that moment—getting frustrated, losing focus, and moving on without the lesson each miss can teach… if seen.
Every planned step we took on Day One was there to set up Day Two.
The singles-only groundwork was doing exactly what it was meant to do.
Warm-up finished, it was time to move forward.
We knew that because, with every shell, X’s were becoming more and more predictable.
Station 1 — Doubles.
Ed had it together.
Foot position.
Method.
Break Points.
Pre-shot routine.
All where they needed to be.
Targets broke when—and where—expected.
On purpose.
And when a miss came, he fixed it with the next shell.
No frustration.
No second-guessing.
Just clean, deliberate shooting.
A little over three hours in, nearly done, we stopped to rest.
Ed sat quietly, thinking things over.
I suggested one final round—by the rules, start to finish.
With a look of determination and supreme confidence, he beat me to Station 1.
We each took a moment.
My silent mission was to push buttons.
Time to go, Ed.
He moved through the stations calmly and deliberately.
At Station 4, a gust of wind stole his High House single.
Time out.
One shell.
X.
We mentally marked his OX—and kept going.
Station 5: XX.
He ran 6 and 7.
Station 8: XX.
Finishing with a 24.
His best score ever?
No.
He turned and said:
“Absolutely the best round I’ve ever shot, Dan. After three years of struggling, all twenty-five targets, I knew exactly what to do and how to do it. I broke every target on purpose.”
After a long road—and two days of honest work—
Ed went home with what he came for:
Certainty.
To better understand how Ed got here, you can read Day One:
👉 https://www.paragonschool.com/blog-post/breaking-every-target-on-purpose
XXXX
👤 About Dan Schindler—Trusted for over three decades
Dan Schindler is one of only 35 instructors worldwide invited into the prestigious Guild of Shooting Instructors (UK) and has held NSCA Level III Instructor status since 1995. With more than three decades of trust and proven results, Dan is widely regarded as one of the most effective shooting instructors in the world. His instruction has influenced shooters, coaches, and instructors worldwide who value systems over opinions.
He founded the Paragon School of Sporting with a clear mission: deliver the simplest, most effective, and most practical instruction for Sporting Clays and Wingshooting. Shooters travel from across the United States—and internationally—to train with Dan because his methods work fast and continue working long after the lesson ends.
At the core of Paragon is the Paragon Shooting System—a clear, step-by-step approach that teaches shooters how to see targets correctly, call and correct their own misses, and improve independently without an instructor standing behind them.
Dan helps shooters break more targets, eliminate confusion, and replace frustration with confidence — often in one lesson. His lessons are fun, enlightening, and relentlessly results-driven, offering something rare in today’s shooting world: a proven system trusted for life. Eliminate frustration. Build consistent Xs.
Many shooters first discover the Paragon Shooting System through Dan Schindler's books. They learn the principles at home—and then come to Paragon to confirm and accelerate the system in person.
📚 Dan Schindler’s Books
Recommended for shooters of all skill levels, coaches, instructors, and parents of youth shooters.
Trusted by shooters around the world, these books are a true investment in good shooting. Written in plain, uncomplicated language, they strip away the mystery and lay a rock-solid foundation for improving scores and building consistency.
Take the mystery out of missing targets and feathers with Dan’s simple, easy-to-understand books. These bestsellers are your roadmap to more Xs on your scorecard—and in the field.
⚠️ Shooters say, “If you lend these books out, you may never get them back. Some say they’d give up their spouse before giving up these books.”
- 📘 Take Your Best Shot (Book I)
THE gold standard primer used by shooters and shooting teams worldwide. Solid fundamentals that help shooters of all skill levels break more targets with less guesswork.
Testimonial: “The best clay and wingshooting primer on the market... The brilliance of its simplicity aids successful shooting for ANY shooter.” – David T. Dobson
- 📗 To The Target (Book II)
Builds on Book I and emphasizes Gun Management and developing a trustworthy swing.
Clay Shooting USA: “One of the most innovative and important books yet published on the art of shooting clay targets.”
- 📕 Beyond The Target (Book III)
Want to take Dan Schindler home with you? This third volume delivers unmatched insight, humor, and practical solutions that stick—on and off the course.
Randy Lawrence: “The second-best thing to booking a lesson with Dan Schindler. A clear and proven blueprint for breaking more targets—with great heart.”
Thousands of shooters begin with the books to build understanding—then accelerate dramatically once the system is confirmed in a lesson.