As you know, changing chokes from field to field is very common. And it can be to our advantage, depending on the reasons for changing and how the choke is being used.         For example, a few years back in a match, I observed an elderly gentleman prepare for a crossing target under his feet, inbound across a ravine. The common breakpoint on this A target was under 25 yards. Visibly anxious, he was vacillating, unsure of what choke to put in. He stepped into the box less than confident. I was on deck behind him. He very clearly shot behind the first two A birds, stopping his gun each time because he incorrectly thought he was too far in front. He ...

Target setters are a devious bunch and, have no doubt, we’re all the better for it. This particular true pair presentation can be shot either way and has us wondering which bird first, the A or B trap? Watching some of the shooters ahead of us hasn’t helped since there are just as many shooting the A trap first as there are shooting the B trap first and few are running this station. Choosing which bird first isn’t obvious but there is a way to untangle this and put the odds in our favor.         At the call, as a true pair, watch both birds carefully as they come into their last half or last third of their flight. Which bird do you ...

TIRED OF X's HERE & THERE? Here’s a simple lesson I’ve learned while teaching. It’s not the new methods that make student improvement harder…it’s letting go of what he/she believes. Especially when that swing is breaking some targets. Why change?That’s a great question, which is answered in depth in my new book, Beyond The Target (Book III). In this TIP, I thought this particular analogy would illuminate why our habits can be so hard to abandon…even when we know it’s those habits that lead to inconsistency and lower scores. It was somewhere around 2010 and I was working with a gentleman from South America. A world traveler and ...