By: Paul Giambrone, III

I hope you enjoyed last month’s article prepping you for high 2.  This month we will tackle its counterpart, Low 6.  Reflecting from last month, a lot of the issues caused on these targets stem from the 6 inches between our ears.  In some cases, Low 6 usually generates a little more stress than high 2 due to the round getting close to being over.  First off, realize, I have seen many straights lost on stations 7 & 8, so the round is not nearly close to over as you may think.  I will grant you that it is probably the last “difficult” target left before achieving your goal of your perfect round or finishing up your best score.  Low 6, just like High 2, needs a plan.  How are we going to break this target and what makes a good plan?  Once again, assuming that you have good fundamentals in your rotation and the gun fits you properly, let’s dive in and discuss what a good plan is.  We need to have our foot position, hold point, look point, break point and sight picture all determined before we get on the station.  If we have all of those, your goal is to simply execute that plan when you step up (even if it results in a miss).

For right-handed shooters, we should be facing towards the low house window with our foot position and be on the left hand side of the pad.  Being on the left side puts you a little further away from the window and will give you a better view of the target as it crosses in front of you.  I know some shooters argue “well the right side has less angle when we pull the trigger.”  While this might be true, I would prefer a slower target over less angle (just my preference).  For my lefties, I actually prefer you guys to be in the back left corner of the pad with your belly-button facing slightly right of the high house window (this will give your left eye more peripheral vision when looking back for this target).  Ok, feet are set, now the hold point.  We should be holding in the area of 1/3 of the way out (around 21 feet from the window) or you can find ½ way from the house to the stake and subtract 10 feet (either will get you to 1/3).  The height of your gun barrel should not be higher than the top of the window.  This will prevent the gun barrel from getting in the way.  If you see low 6 when it first emerges, lose it, then see it again, there is a good chance the gun barrel is getting in the way so this solves that problem by keeping the gun barrel no higher than the top of the window.  Also, have no shame if you have to mark it off and set out a marker to give you a visual.  I have done this a few times to double check my hold points.  Check with club management first to be sure you are not in any safety violations before walking in the outfield.

Next, the most important part is where to look for this target and how to look for it.  Right-handers I like to put their eyes about ¾ of the way back from their hold point back towards the window, left-handers only ½ way back, but IN THE FLIGHT PATH of the target.  This means that your eyes will be elevated above the window a couple of feet!  Think about the trajectory of the target…there is a good amount of rise to the target.  It is very important to get your eyes to the correct elevation in order to pick the target up as quickly as possible.  Also, the state of focus your eyes must be in is very important as well.  As we discussed in the past, our eyes need to be in the soft or relaxed focus when we call so we have as much peripheral vision as possible.  This is where most shooters fail on this target because they are so stressed that their eyes go to a hard focus and try to see the entire target too quickly…  All we are looking for at this point is a blur, streak or flash.  The easiest way to pick up the streak is to have the eyes in the soft focus and at the correct elevation.  Keep in mind, the further away from the window you look, the higher your eyes have to be (take a look at the flight path of low 6 next time you are at the field).

From this setup with your foot position, hold point and look point, our next move is to call and start our turn on the streak or flash.  Once you are moving, turn at a speed that keeps you in front of the target.  This may take some time to develop, but you are looking for that “feel.”  Best way to accomplish this; keep your eyes on the target and not the gun barrel.  The gun barrel only causes problems, not solutions.  So from here, we are in the middle of the shot, last step is to acquire your hard focus on the front edge of the target as you pull the trigger.  Your break zone here is about 2/3 of the way to the center stake.  Anywhere from 15-21 feet before the center stake should be acceptable for this target and will have you in good position for doubles.  To execute the shot on six, we have our feet set, hold point at 1/3, eyes back to our look point and elevated, move on the flash, then stare at the target and shoot.  SMOKE!

Let’s discuss some troubleshooting.  Just like last month, give this setup some time to work.  The first time we rode a bicycle, we crashed several times before getting the hang of it.  Any time you learn something new, it takes time and practice to get used to.  So, assuming you have given this setup a few weeks and hard practice (not one or two days), and are still having problems, let’s dive a little deeper.  Common problem is we see the streak, lose it then see it again.  Solutions, we already discussed one saying that the gun barrel could be getting in the way.  Another, is the target outrunning your eyes or vision.  If this is the case, you are either not in a soft focus or you are looking too far back.  Most of the time the shooter is looking too far back so move your eyes a little further away from the window (or closer to the gun) and elevate them a little higher.  Another common problem is we jump the target thinking we do not have a lot of time.  When this happens, your swing is very choppy or inconsistent, usually resulting in using only your arms for the turn instead of your legs.  Solution, move with the target smoothly and take the shot when you are able to get your hard focus (even if it is past the proper break point).  Spend time for a few shots, even a few practice sessions sometimes, and work on your eye focus.  Try to get the hard focus sooner and sooner in the swing without rushing yourself.  Also, keep in mind that we break targets sooner than what we think.  When we are in the heat of the moment, we do not see where the target actually breaks; we see the pieces flying off.  This means that we generally break targets a good 10-15 feet sooner than what we think!  So, in order to break the target at 2/3, we will feel like we are breaking closer to the center stake!  You probably have more time than you think…  So to double check where you are breaking the target, ask a credible source to tell you versus trying to figure it out yourself.  And always remember, perfect practice makes perfect, not practice makes perfect, especially with this target.

If you have any questions or comments, please email me directly at info@gsclinics.com and visit www.breakmoretargets.com for more information!  Please check the website for upcoming tournaments and clinics in your area and keep in mind that GSC is now in the DFW area!  GSC will be available to teach in the Dallas/Fort Worth area all year-round!  Please call for lesson availability today!

Tip of the month:      Always have a plan when walking on any station.  Remember your goal is to simply execute that game plan.  When working on Low 6, train on getting your technique correct and then worry about shooting regular rounds of skeet again.  Also, throw in some common thoughts when walking up there about “this is for my best score, or this is for my first straight” to purposefully distract you.  When you do that, focus on your plan and force yourself to execute it relaxed.  This will help prepare you for the real thing when the time comes.