CLAYTARGET NATION

CLAYTARGET NATION – January 2021 Some time ago there was a guy I would find myself squadded with on the practice field at Markham who always shot skeet low gun. It was obvious he was not a seasoned shooter and not good at skeet (scores in the mid to low teens). I asked him why he shot low gun. He replied he shot that way because it was more challenging and shooting pre-mounted didn’t seem fair. I followed up with a question about his golf game, “Did he hit his driver off a tee?” He responded, “Of course.” Then why did it seem unfair to premount in skeet when the rules allowed it? He had no response. The point is, he would have improved as a shooter, especially a skeet shooter, if he would have practiced shooting pre-mounted first. Learn how to shoot as a pre-mounted shooter first, then try to learn how to shoot low gun. Skeet is a fast game. Out-going targets are shot in less that 1.2 seconds even by pre-mounted shooters. For a beginner add in the low gun move to the shoulder and there’s little time left to break the target in 1.2 seconds. Not to mention the variability the low gun causes to a new shooter. Learn how to shoot premounted first then go low gun or at least just do it on the incoming targets. Just as you would use a tee for driving and you use irons or fairway woods to hit off the fairway. I believe the guy would have been better off learning how to break in the 20’s first as a pre -mounted shooter before attempting skeet low gun. As to low gun and sporting clays you have a completely different situation. Many shooters learn sporting clays as a low gun shooter. With courses like the Whitetail at South Florida Shooting Club and the Red Course at Quail Creek you have targets totally conducive to learning low gun as a mount and shoot technique. Lots of time to see the

target and mount to shoot it on most stations. Skeet and Trap are too fast to start as a low gun shooter. Anyway, Paul Giambrone III talks about shooting American skeet from the low gun position. When he asked people why they do it they either respond that they want to simulate hunting or they see the target bet 8 ter from the low gun mount. He does not address the hunters.

It’s the ones who think they can’t shoot premounted to see the target effectively that are his target audience. He addresses the skeptics with two pointers. The hold point for the High house, out-going targets needs to be below the flight path of the target. Easy reference, hold level with the bottom of the window or below it. With the Low House, hold in a spot where the target must pass

over your barrels. If it comes out below your barrels you are in for a world of visual confusion. Now that the barrels are correctly situated find your ideal look point. This is so personal to each shooter I’m only going to tell you what Paul advises, look half-way back to the window from you hold point. I’m able to disassociate my eyes from the barrels at my hold point and look back much further than most folks. It took me years to work up the courage to try this and when I did I found it was what was missing in my skeet game. I also want to give my friend and coaching partner at times, Russ Naples, kudos for sug gesting standing in the back of the box on 2, 3, 5, and 6. This allows for a wider visual range back to the window. You wouldn’t think it would help that much, but it did improve my look back to the target. I read everything and Russ is the only one who ever sug gested this. Thanks, Russ! Look above your barrels is another good suggestion from Paul. Look above your barrels and go into soft focus!!! Look into the distance and concentrate on just seeing the target. That last part is vitally important. Look. For. The. Target! That’s where your conscious mind should be focused, looking for the target to appear. Don’t just gaze off into the distance. Look for the target! This is the big gest mistake people make on 2, 3, 5, and 6. They don’t use the Quiet Eye technique to pick up the target. When you call and see the target, ROTATE, from the ankles up. Swinging from the waist and arms only isn’t going to keep you ahead of the target ever y time.

CLAYTARGET NATION – Januar y 2021 Cont’d

Gil and Vicki Ash talk to the Master Class shooter this month. The ones who expect to shoot in the mid to high 80’s or into the 90’s at every event. When their scores don’t reach the heights they expect is it their training regimen or is their personal life intruding into their athletic pursuits? Sometimes readjusting our goals to more realistic goals ones in line with what’s happening in our lives outside of the range can reduce the stress and frustration we feel from less than optimal scores. The take-away from their article is, don’t beat yourself up for having a personal life that may temporarily be keeping you from your shooting goals. Readjust those goals until you can pursue loftier ones when your personal life is under control. Beating yourself up just adds to your frustration. Get a handle on the direction of your life and how it’s going to affect your shooting, then move forward with a more reasonable plan. “The harder they try to break a target the less likely it is to break.” Wise statement from John D. Shima this month. John is all about process shooting. Watch the target, let the shot happen, and forget the rest. John brings up a paradox that happens with a shooter’s intention shifts from watching the target to breaking it. They look at the gap between the target and gun rather than at the target. His point is a valid one. The conscious mind inserts its intention to break the target into the shooting process, measuring lead and interfering with the uncon-

scious mind’s ability to take care of the target shooting business. Don’t let your desire to break the target interfere with the process of shooting is the fix for this issue.

Missing a specific target on a station is a training problem, random misses are the issue above, poor concentration on the process and conscious interference in the process. Good mental habits can fix the conscious interference problems. Trust is important. Quit placing emotional attachment on breaking the target. Reward the feeling you get from placing unconditional trust in your pre-planned move to the target. Reward your concentration on watching the target break. Feed the good habits and star ve the bad ones is the take-away.

You can’t value the last target on a station, post, or round more than you do the first one. Avoid the value trap. The value is in the process and executing it perfectly for each target. That’s the reward while you’re shooting. Don’t jump to the end. Score takes care of itself if you execute the process perfectly each time. Use visualization to relieve stress and prepare for the shot. John uses a quick visualization after he mounts his gun in the station. He swings to his break point, visualizes the shot, and the rotates his body back to the hold point, visualizing the target’s flight path in reverse. This activates his mental discipline to watch the target. Finally, there is a performance mindset and a training mindset. Training mindset gets the conscious involved in analyzing the shot and consciously programming the shooting reflex. You override the unconscious mindset during training to improve. You don’t want that going on during a competition. You want unconditional trust in your preplanned move. Remember the difference. Performance mindset is about watching the target and allowing your pre-planned move to take the shot without conscious interference.

Winchester SUPREME 12 Gauge 28” barrels excellent condition with choke tubes and selectable barrels. Also includes a gun sleeve and 4 boxes of ammo.

This gun was made by FN for Winchester for several years around the turn of the century (2000)

Fired less than 50 shells - asking $1,000 (negotiable) Call Gar y: 954-240-6967 gar ylea@bellsouth.net

Beretta 682 Golden Skeet 30” barrels excellent condition with choke tubes Stock has a high gloss finish done by Pedro Ber nal asking $3,000 Give a call to: Phil Keag y 954-258-0085