Different Shell, Same Miss, No Improvement.
The truth is, we all want to shoot better. More consistently. Yes? Amen.
Allow me to borrow a comment from my last article on swing precision…
“Albeit with good intentions…
trial and error shells downrange without change
only reinforce and strengthen all the habits,
the very reasons behind your inconsistency.
0XX00XX0”
The very best shooting method in the world will fail if the swing isn’t executed correctly.
That places our favorite shooting method second to the correct assembly of the required set-up and swing.
I say required because precision in our movements determines X or O. Count on it.
Inconsistent swing movements create inconsistent results — not just sometimes, but every time.
Even a very small mistake behind the muzzle can place your 35-yard shot string not inches off the target… but feet.
Mystery in the miss?
Nope.
A verifiable truth I regularly show my students.
And no—none of this implies aiming a shotgun or applying math to target forward allowance.
Before we begin a practice session to gain any true, measurable improvement—consider two things:
1) Improvement can only come from correcting our set-up and/or our swing errors—changing what needs to be changed.
No change assures continued inconsistency.
No change assures no measurable improvement.
2) Your shooting method should meet one standard: dependability.
The shooting method selected for a target presentation should be 100% reliable.
No exceptions.
When the swing is executed correctly—precision intact—the expectation should be X. X. X. X. X.
Consistently.
You have every right to expect that from your method when executed properly.
If you do execute it properly and the result is OXXOOX.
Promptly move to another method that promises greater dependability.
Here — specifically — is where most practice sessions fail to deliver any real, measurable improvement.
Granted, everyone wants their target to break.
So that becomes the practice mission, right?
Well… no.
Our real practice mission—if measurable improvement is the goal—requires placing our attention squarely on Number One above.
Every shell.
Every target.
When you step out of the box—and especially at the end of your practice session—ask yourself this question:
“Specifically… in my swing… what is noticeably working better now than before I began this practice session?”
Not sure?
Folks… that’s fun shooting.
Not practice.
A few years ago, I arrived at a distant course to teach.
As I stepped onto the clubhouse porch—thunder rolling in overhead—one of my previous students raced up the steps trying to beat the lightning.
Shaking hands, he explained he’d only been on the course practicing for maybe 30 minutes.
“Dan,” he said, “I only got through one box of shells. But I’ll tell you what… every shell, I’ve been working on building better Muzzle Hold Points for my target intercepts and intentionally creating a more consistent swing.
“That one box of shells clearly showed me why I’m putting more Xs on my scorecard.”
Now that is the definition of a genuinely productive — and highly rewarding — practice session.
Because every shell counted.
Dan Schindler’s instructional books—Take Your Best Shot, To The Target, and Beyond the Target—have helped shooters of all skill levels around the world better understand target interception, consistency, swing precision, and the mental side of performance.
Trusted by shooters for decades, these books continue helping shooters build greater understanding, confidence, consistency, and more Xs on purpose.
Break More Targets on Purpose.
For more than 3 decades, shooters worldwide have trusted Dan Schindler and the Paragon Shooting System™ to simplify the shooting process, eliminate inconsistency, and create more Xs on purpose.
To learn more or schedule a lesson:
👉 Book a Lesson with Dan Schindler
Be safe, and I hope to see you out on the course.
— Dan Schindler
XXXX
The Paragon Path to Good Shooting Is Incredibly Simple
• Execute the Basics. They’re the home address of consistency.
• Why? Because an inconsistent swing will always give you inconsistent performances.
The Tried-and-Proven Steps
1. Open your mind to changing what’s not working.
2. Learn exactly why you're missing. Go from an O to an X—with one shell, on purpose.
3. Learn why you broke the target so you can end those mysterious "sometimes" breaks.
Result: XXXXXX
Dan Schindler offers simple, very specific training with 4 options:
Orientation—For the brand-new shooter or those who'd like a refresher. Fun and educational. 2 hours. To skip all the frustrating trial and error, lay a solid foundation for moving forward.
Sporting Clays - Two, 4-hour lessons. Day One: Crossing target presentations. Day Two: Quartering and Chandelle target presentation. The lessons reinforce the Basics and provide a significant amount of time covering the all-important Mental Game.
Skeet and Trap - Two 4-hour lessons.
Wingshooting - Flushing game or Passing game. The all-important Basics. So you can stop embarrassing yourself in front of the dogs.
👤 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 — in the first 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.”
Beyond The Target isn’t just a book—it’s your breakthrough.
It’s built on decades of hard-earned experience: teaching, competing, and coaching shooters who are tired of trial and error and ready for results.
Shooters around the world trust Dan Schindler’s books for one reason:
They make complex concepts simple—and they work.
Inside, you’ll finally discover how to:
✔️ Solve inconsistency at its core
✔️ Master gun control and eliminate random movement
✔️ Train in a way that delivers real, lasting results
✔️ Build the 3 essential Skill Sets every top shooter uses
✔️ Stay focused under pressure
✔️ Lock in performance with a repeatable pre-shot routine
✔️ Think like a champion—on and off the course