Finding the Right Balance: Building Confidence with Muzzle Awareness (MA)

In the simplest of terms, muzzle awareness (MA) means keeping the gun muzzle in our “peripheral” vision, before and during our swing. Seeing this target/barrel “relationship” allows us to a) know where our gun is actually pointing and b) intentionally guide our gun movements with XX precision.

Each shooter’s MA will differ slightly. Most are comfortable with 95% or more of their visual focus on the target,   while maintaining a small yet crucial peripheral awareness of the muzzle. While these are rough guidelines, the key is to maintain enough MA to establish some harmony between the muzzle and target without detracting from our focus on the target.

Training to Improve MA

For those who have been told and adopted the total focus method (no MA—see ONLY the target), will inevitably fall in the hole of not knowing why their target was hit or missed. The following MA exercise allows us to see both the bird and the barrel simultaneously, helping to visually create a X swing more consistently.

Allow me a quick side note here. To instructors, parents, and well-meaning husbands, bear with me for a moment. This is a drill I often use with inexperienced shooters, especially young folks and women, who have a tendency to glance at their barrel during their swing. When this happens, they lose sight of the target, only to frantically try to find it again. Their swing becomes erratic—stopping, starting, and ultimately leading to miss after miss.

Instead of simply telling them not to glance at the barrel, here's a better solution: ask your shooter to call for the target and follow its path across the sky with their finger. Almost without fail, they’ll do so with precision. This simple exercise helps them maintain finger awareness in their peripheral vision, which builds a natural sense of comfort and confidence in knowing exactly where their gun is pointing. From this awareness comes swing precision, consistency, and control—essential ingredients for success.

The Value of MA in Shooting

Top shooters understand the critical role MA plays when the target is broken and when it is missed. Every shell, every target, and every swing depends on that visual information to shoot the high scores they do. When a target is missed, seeing the mistake and knowing where the muzzle was during the swing and at the trigger pull is required to make the correction. Without MA, the cause of the miss will be a mystery, leaving us no choice but to guess with the next shell.

On the other hand, when the target breaks using MA, we’ll see the “sight picture,” the bird/barrel relationship that led to the break. This visual image can now be intentionally repeated, successfully, building both X consistency and confidence.

The Bottom Line

A hard focus on the target—not a “total” focus—is key to unlocking consistency in Sporting Clays, Trap and Skeet. As multiple-time champion, Jon Kruger aptly stated, “Peripheral vision MA allows us to confirm the muzzle placement in every swing, start to trigger pull.” Shooters using MA can not only break targets but do so intentionally, shot after shot. MA allows us to track, adjust when needed, and duplicate the X swing. Intentionally. No more guessing about why the target was hit or missed. With good technique, of course, say goodbye to mysterious inconsistencies and hello to consistency.

Final Thought: As President Reagan once said, “Trust but verify.” In Sporting Clays, MA is the verification that puts trust in our swing.

At this time of Thanksgiving, let us always remember and cherish the many blessings of this great land we love, the United States of America, as well as the camaraderie of the wingshooting and clay target sports that bring shooters together from around the world. May God bless us all and guide us as we continue to pray for peace—both in our world and in our hearts. Thank you for spending time with us. Cheryl and I look forward to the day we meet on the course and share some time together.

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About Dan Schindler

Dan Schindler is one of only 60 worldwide members of the Guild of Shooting Instructors (UK) and is one of the most highly respected Sporting Clays and Wingshooting Instructors in the US. Dan is an NSCA Level III Instructor (since 1995) and founded the Paragon School of Sporting with one goal in mind. Whether it be for the advanced competitor or providing the basics to the entry-level shooter, Paragon provides the simplest, most practical and most effective Instruction, Coaching and Mental Training for the Sporting Clays & Wingshooting enthusiast. Dan Schindler helps shooters alleviate a lot of their frustration by taking the mystery out of breaking targets, calling their own misses, and make their own corrections. Lessons are fun, enlightening and our clients learn to shoot better in minutes!  

Dan Schindler's Books

"Recommended for shooters of all skill levels, Coaches, Instructors

and parents of youth shooters."

Take Your Best Shot (Book I), 3rd Edition is THE Gold Standard Primer It's all about the fundamentals, a requirement for good shooting. This book is used by high school and college shooting teams, recreational and competitive shooters from around the world. Solid, valuable, concise information that has helped thousands of shooters shoot more consistently with higher scores.

To The Target (Book II) Builds on the steps outlined in Book I. Emphasises Gun Management skills when the trap fires, creating a consistent, reliable, trustworthy swing.

Beyond the Target (Book III) is for shooters of all levels. It is filled with valuable information and clay target truths. It is entertaining and a culmination of three decades of Dan's life's work as a teacher, competitor, published writer, and much more.

Here's what Shooters, Coaches and Clay Shooting USA saying...

 Take Your Best Shot (Book I), 3rd Edition

To The Target (Book II)

Beyond The Target (Book III)    Currently Out of Stock