
March 2024

Markham Park Gun Club
Youth Program
Mondays 6-9

NSSA Skeet
Saturday, March 16th
ATA Trap Sunday, March 17th
NSCA Sporting Clays March 30th















Markham Park Gun Club
Youth Program
Mondays 6-9
NSSA Skeet
Saturday, March 16th
ATA Trap Sunday, March 17th
NSCA Sporting Clays March 30th
There was no Sporting Clays shoot this month. Given all the large shoots this month, it is hard to compete with the loss of our shooters to those events.
Trap was well attended by 20 shooters who shot 2,900 targets. The skeet shoot was still disappointing this month with only 4 shooters and 500 targets.
Clays, Skeet, or Trapshoot in the next couple of months somewhere in Florida.
If you know someone who would like the newsletter, forward them a copy and tell them to email me so I can add them to the list.
Joe Loitz954-857-5278
jloit@bellsouth.net
Attendance on Mondays continues to be excellent. Most nights we have 15-16 shooters. We could use more coaches now and if attendance keeps up we could use more in the future. If you are interested in Youth coaching or just getting experience as a coach, come and see us on a Monday night and get the paperwork started.
This is still high season for registered shooting in Florida. Hope you get a chance to attend either a Sporting
Shotgun Sports – February
2024
Everyone has a club they feel at home with and subsequently they perform better when they are competing there. I always shot well at the club my family ran in Illinois and there was another club 15 miles away that was just as comfortable to me. Shooting twice a year at the Ohio State Shoot and the Grand American made Vandalia seem like a home club also. I shot most of my best scores at those venues. Michael J. Keyes, M.D. talks about home field advantage this month and its effects on our mental state. I think the best takeaway from this is there is an aura of expectation where we believe a positive outcome is assured when we are shooting at our favorite and familiar venues. How can I fail, I always shoot well here? This predictability allows us to relax and perform at our best. It helps relieve the anxiety that surrounds outcome unpredictability. We always do well here, so why would today be any different? This is the power of positive expectations.
How do we relieve the anxiety that a new shooting venue presents? First
Micheal warns us we need to be aware that new contextual and environmental changes will naturally cause stress levels to increase. Obviously, but what’s the fix? He suggests, as I would, concentrate on the target and the shooting process. Same holds true of any distraction, whether it is a new venue of shooters talking while you are on your post or station. Concentrate on the process and visual concentration on the target. Play the game and enjoy it. Don’t let fear of missing the target override your desire to break the target. Finally, if you are going to be a competitive shooter you have to get out there and experience every club you can. I have shot targets at over 90 clubs around the world and the US. Some I liked, some I dreaded.
Why do we miss? Ian Darroch has some ideas this month. Moving too early, either before you see the target or as you call. Do not move until you see the target! Moving too early will either cause you to over-move in the right direction or you will move in the wrong direction. More important is the fact you are not looking at the target when you move. Visual lock on the target before you move is paramount.
Ian loves foot position and hold points are one of Ian’s speaking points. Don’t overcompensate for the angle with your foot position and hold points. Hold points and foot positioning is very individual to each shooter, just don’t over-compensate to the hard angle. Finally, Ian thinks you hold the gun tight. Not a fan. His belief is that keeps your head from lifting off the gun. If you know how to shoot, you won’t do that. Hold the gun in a relaxed manner like you would a golf club, tennis racket, or baseball bat. You squeeze as the shot is
taken like you would squeeze the club, racket, or bat as contact is made with the ball.
Like most coaches that give class type lessons, where several shooters are taking lessons all at once, Ian Darroch hands out lots of “strategy and tactics” suggestions. There are never any practical suggestions about learning how to shoot. Ian talks about what’s required to reach the “Competitive Level” this month. First, make sure your gun fits and make sure the gun is a quality gun. Guess shooters like Mark Arie or Arnold Rieger would never have gotten competitive in Ian’s world. Gun fit is important and should be addressed. Few shooters ever shoot a fitted gun or a properly fitted gun.
Good shooting glasses are important. Get a variety of colors, yellow, vermillion or burnt orange, and brown. Next practice with a purpose to narrow down your faults. Maybe some suggestions as to what common faults are would be a good idea, so I’ll give you some. If you don’t see the target break, you are not shooting properly. You are shooting more by instinct than with actual purpose. Reaction shots are bad. You should be in control on every shot and know to shot because the sight picture was correct. If you are simply reacting and throwing the gun at the target, you are not shooting on purpose. Fix that!
Finally, shoot more than just one club. Go to other clubs and get experience shooting new venues. Ian also suggests taking a class. Again, if you don’t al-
ready have a well-established ability to break targets, those classes are pretty much a waste of time. Learn how to shoot first.
holsters, NIB never $575.
scope. Made by Nikko Arms. Weatherby look alike. $600
fired. $575.
P365xl holnever fired.
older shoulder holster.$875
located in Davie, FL right on I-595 and 5 Minutes From Markham Park Trap Skeet and Sporting Clays Club. We are open year round to serve you at our FL Location.
Here at Royal Sporting Arms we are excited to help you with your next gun purchase.
We carry new and used Beretta, Perazzi, Rizzini, Krieghoff, Blaser, Syren, Fabarm, Caesar Guerini.
We are a full service shop, offering Fine guns, Ammo, stocks, over and under Barrels, gunsmithing, Gunstock work, recoil pads etc
We'll Pay TOP DOLLAR for your used guns and also take firearms on trade / consignment!
We are excited to see and work with you! Please contact our team to make an appointment or to stop in!
ATATrapshoot
Saturday,March17th
Signupstarts8:00
ShootingStartsat9:00
10016Yardtargets
100Handicaptargets
100Doublestargets
$42first100targets
$36foreachadditional100
AdditionalShootDates SeePage34
ATATrapshoot
NoShootinMarch
Signupstarts8:00
ShootingStartsat9:00
10016Yardtargets
100Handicaptargets
100Doublestargets
$40first100targets
$34foreachadditional100
Saturday,March16th
Signupstarts8:00
ShootingStartsat9:00
50targets12gauge
50targets20gauge
50targets28gauge
50targets.410gauge
50targetsDoubles
$22each50targets
954-846-2336
What do I mean by concentration? I mean focusing totally on the business at hand and commanding your body to do exactly what you want it to do.
Gun Shows
Miramar National Guard Armory March 9-10th
Skeet
Markham March 16th
So. Florida March 24th
Trail Glades March 30th
Trap
PBS Complex March 9th
Gulf Coast March 10th
Markham March 17th
Sporting Clays
Vero Beach March 2nd
Quail Creek March 3rd
OK Corral March 9th
Gulf Coast Clays March 17th
South Florida March 21-24th
Markham March 30th
your personal resources,
Saturday Jan. 27th Snow Bird Open
February No Shoot in February
Saturday Mar. 30th St. Patrick’s Day Open
Sunday April 14th Gerry Stumm Memorial
Sunday May 19th Memorial Day Open
Saturday June 22nd 23rd Annual Sunshine State Classic
Saturday July 13th Super Sizzle Open
Saturday Aug. 10th Summers End Open
Saturday Sept. 14th Markham Fall Fest Open
Sunday Oct. 20th Pumpkin Blast
Sunday Nov. 3rd Richard Merritt Memorial
Sunday - Dec 22nd Bud Wolfe Classic
Registration: Opens 8:30 a.m. and will close at 10:00 a.m.
All scorecards must be turned in by 1:00 p.m. in order to be posted.
Entry Fee: $80 N.S.C.A., $80 Hunter, $60.00 SubJunior, Junior
No Scorers or Trappers will be provided. Shooters will be asked to squad themselves into groups of at least 3 and designate a field judge to verify scores for the squad. Tiebreaker station rankings will be posted during registration. Lunch will not be served.
COURSE RULES: All shooters and spectators are required to wear ear and eye protection on the course.
MAXIMUM LOADS PERMITTED: 12GA, 3 DR EQ, 1 1/8 oz. Shot 7 1/2.
For additional information contact:
Jon Roberts (786)-210-9448
email: MarkhamSportingClaysClub@gmail.com
Please Preregister using: scorechaser.com
Price
.410 gauge
28 gauge 50 Targets $22.00
20 gauge 50 Targets $22.00
12 gauge 50 Targets $22.00
Doubles
50 Targets $22.00
Shoots usually held the first Saturday of every month. Gauges may be shot out of sequence with the permission of management. More than one 50 target program may be shot in the same gauge as a preliminary event.
As my father taught me, and he drove home that point, he said, 'Just remember something. You don't need to tell anybody how good you are. You show them how good you are.' And he drove that home with me. So I learned early not to brag about how good I was or what I could do but let my game take that away and show them that I could play well.
Arnold PalmerTrap Program:
Trap Tournaments are usually the fourth Sunday of the month.
100 target 16 Yd, Hdcp and Doubles events.
First 100 targets.
January 28th
February 25th
March 17th
April 28th
May 26th
June 23rd
July 28th
August 25th
September 22nd
October 27th
November 24th
December 22nd
$42.00
(Includes ATA and FTA daily fees)
Additional 100 target events. $36.00
See Joe Loitz for details: 954-857-5278
WEDNESDAY NIGHT SHOOTING IS STILL POPULAR WITH THE SHOOTERS. SIGN UP WITH THE REST OF THE REGULARS AND TRY YOUR SKILL AND LUCK AT ALL THE GAMES.
Come out and join the fun!