1 SHELL. 1 TARGET. 1 X.
Recently, as many before him had done, an experienced shooter traveled 1,500 miles for two days of Sporting Clays instruction.
We’d planned to meet the evening before his first lesson, and soon we were sitting across from one another at a table, talking.
Told me he’d shot plenty of targets.
Said he’d hunted game birds and owned good guns.
Then he said a few things every serious shooter should think about:
“I want a shooting system; a plan I can follow with methods I can trust. I gotta know, is my swing on track, yes or no? With results I can expect.” Now we had something to talk about. Not just what was happening but WHY.
WHY AN X ISN’T ALWAYS TELLING THE TRUTH
Not all, mind you, but most shooters' expectations go like this.
X = Good.
O = Bad.
Here, all attention is on “outcome” thinking, which is disrupting our shooter’s setup and/or swing. OXOO.
Errors made? Unknown.
Plan for the next shell? Hope for the best.
Confidence in the next swing? Fading fast.
A target can break with a poor setup and swing mistakes, but never consistently.
Worse, a broken target can convince you to repeat the same unseen mistakes that I know you don’t want to repeat.
Outcome thinking is the first step into inconsistency.
Shells in their chambers; all attention on distractions and expectations; no one’s taking care of set-up and swing management.
And eventually you are right back where my student said he was:
“My shooting is totally random.”
WHAT DO YOU REALLY WANT?
I asked him what he wanted most from our time together.
His answer? “I want a shooting system: a plan I can follow with methods I can trust. I gotta know, is my swing on track, yes or no? With results I can expect.”
Like so many shooters, he wanted to (and did) become consistent.
That’s a much better goal.
Because eventually every shooter discovers the same thing: wanting the target to break does not assure a broken target.
Trying harder won’t either.
And shooting another hundred shells never solves the problem. It only reinforces bad habits and mistakes.
“I JUST WANT TO BREAK THE BIRD.”
At this point in our conversation, he laughed and admitted exactly what happens in the mind of almost every shooter:
“My instinct is to just break the d**n bird!”
And that instinct is a defective, totally unreliable substitute for a reliable shooting method; a trustworthy shooting “system.”
You start thinking about results instead of execution.
You miss.
You react.
You make an adjustment.
You miss again.
Soon you are chasing the target, chasing a score, and inevitably chasing your own confidence.
There’s no consistency in that.
Just disappointment.
For decades, I have used a very simple phrase with my students:
1 SHELL. 1 TARGET. 1 X.™
Not the station.
Not wondering whether this target will break.
Not your score.
Not by hoping.
Not with guessing.
One shell.
One target.
One X – by following a shooting process. A dependable, trustworthy system.
Then do it again.
That is where swing and X consistency live.
With knowing, seeing exactly what you are doing so you can repeat it. Intentionally.
Because there comes a time where another article, another video, or another shooting tip stops being the answer.
Sometimes a better answer is a conversation about your shooting.
WHAT IS REALLY KEEPING YOU FROM BECOMING CONSISTENT?
This is why I am offering a limited number of private PHONE SESSIONS:
1 SHELL. 1 TARGET. 1 X.™
One shooter.
A one-on-one private hour with me by phone.
Your questions.
Your mysterious hits and misses. To identify and discuss where your inconsistency is actually coming from.
What may actually be happening.
A focused, one-on-one conversation to discuss better options.
Options designed to help you step back from the targets and take a serious look at your game. What to do. What not to do. Specifically.
Before you shoot another flat of shells trying to fix the problem, you might want to understand the problem first.
1 Shell. 1 Target. 1 X.
Set up your private 1-hour 1 Shell. 1 Target. 1 X. Breakthrough Phone Session with Dan Schindler, Paragon School of Sporting, 828.693.6600
https://www.paragonschool.com/contact-paragon
Introductory Session: $250
One hour.
One shooter.
One phone call.
One objective: How to build consistent XX’s.
Be safe. Shoot well. And thank you sincerely for spending time with us.
XXXX
Want to Experience Your Very Best Shooting?
1 Target. 1 Shell. 1 X.
The System. The Process. The Understanding.
Trusted by Shooters Worldwide for More Than Three Decades.
Many shooters start their Paragon journey with Dan Schindler's books and audio programs before working with Dan personally. These trusted resources have helped shooters in more than 30 countries better understand their shooting, solve problems, and build greater consistency.
Many shooters first discover the Paragon Shooting System through Dan Schindler's books. They gain a deeper understanding of why targets break, why they miss, and what separates consistent shooting from inconsistent shooting. They then come to Paragon to work with Dan for custom-tailored, one-on-one instruction where he teaches them the actual shooting methods, the Paragon Shooting System, and the process behind building consistent X swings.
Through highly personalized, hands-on coaching, shooters accelerate their progress while learning one of the most valuable shooting skills—how to become their own instructor. They learn how to identify their misses, make the proper corrections, and see what they are actually doing with their gun that works and doesn't work. More importantly, they learn how to fix it.
Most arrive feeling lost, confused, and frustrated. They leave with a clear understanding of exactly what they must do to consistently break targets, solve shooting problems, and keep improving their shooting.
Take Your Best Shot, To The Target and Beyond The Target treasured by shooters worldwide.
The trusted foundation for dependable, consistent shooting.
Develop a trustworthy swing through a deeper understanding of Gun Management.
Practical insights, solutions, and lessons designed to help shooters continue improving long after the lesson ends.
Proven principles for building confidence, maintaining focus, managing pressure, and performing at your best.
Sold in more than 30 countries, Dan Schindler's books and audio programs have become trusted references that shooters often read and listen to three, four, or five times as their skills continue to grow. Many return to them whenever their scores dip, their confidence wavers, or they encounter a shooting problem they need to solve.
The lessons end. The learning doesn't.
XXXX
Experience Your Very Best Shooting.
Dan Schindler Will Get You There Faster...
Dan helps shooters eliminate confusion and frustration, develop dependable, repeatable shooting skills, and shoot their very best—in the shortest amount of time possible.
Shoot Higher Scores.
1 Target. 1 Shell. 1 X.
The System. The Process. The Understanding.
Trusted by Shooters Worldwide for More Than Three Decades.
Whether you're a brand-new shooter or you've been shooting for more than 50 years, Dan Schindler can help you quickly achieve your shooting goals and become a more confident, dependable, and consistent shooter.
Through the simple, proven Paragon Shooting System and Process, you'll learn all the important Basics and develop the dependable and consistent skills required to break more targets with greater consistency.
You'll Learn:
✔ The all-important Paragon Shooting System and Process
✔ Why targets break
✔ Why targets miss
✔ How to make the proper correction so the next target breaks
✔ How to become your own instructor
✔ How to continue improving long after the lesson ends
Most shooters don't need more opinions.
They need a dependable system that teaches them:
What to do.
How to do it.
And why it works.
In just two 4-hour lessons!
Four Proven Paths to Better Shooting
Orientation
Perfect for brand-new shooters and those wanting a thoughtful refresher.
Skip the frustrating trial-and-error process while building a safe, dependable foundation for successful shooting.
Fun. Educational. Confidence-building.
Sporting Clays
Two focused four-hour sessions designed to help you quickly achieve your shooting goals and break more targets with greater consistency.
Develop the essential Basics and learn to successfully approach:
✔ Crossing targets
✔ Quartering targets
✔ Chandelles
✔ The Mental Game
✔ Target corrections
✔ Dependable and repeatable X swings
Wingshooting
Flushing Game or Passing Game instruction built around the all-important Basics and the Paragon Shooting System and Process.
Develop the confidence, competence, and dependable shooting skills required to become a more successful wingshooter.
Learn why birds are missed, how to make the proper correction, and how to create repeatable success in the field.
Skeet & Trap
Two focused four-hour sessions designed to develop the dependable and consistent skills required for long-term success.
Learn what works, why it works, how to repeat it with confidence, and how to identify and properly correct your misses.
Schedule a Call with Dan Schindler
About Dan Schindler
Trusted by Shooters Worldwide for More Than Three Decades
Dan Schindler is one of only a select few instructors worldwide invited into the prestigious Guild of Shooting Instructors (UK) and has held NSCA Level III Instructor status since 1995.
For more than three decades, Dan has helped shooters of all skill levels—from beginners to Master Class competitors—quickly achieve their shooting goals through the simple, proven Paragon Shooting System and Process.
Shooters travel from across the United States and around the world to train with Dan because his methods work—and continue working long after the lesson ends.
At the Core of Paragon
A clear, step-by-step system that teaches shooters how to:
✔ See targets correctly
✔ Understand their misses
✔ Make the proper corrections
✔ Become their own instructor
✔ Continue improving independently
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