Consistency

By: Paul Giambrone, III

Before diving into skeet shooting, I figured we should first determine what consistency actually means.  According to Google, the definition of consistency goes something like this “(n). The achievement of a level of performance that does not vary greatly in quality over time.”  In simple terms, I define consistency as doing the same thing over and over again with little variance.  As I travel across the globe, a common topic I hear amongst my clients is the word consistency.  When I am interviewing my clients, I ask them what their goals are for the day and what long term goals they have.  About 75-80% of them have the word consistency in one or both of their answers.  Remember the definition, it means to do the same thing over and over time and time again with little variance.  In skeet shooting, it starts with having some kind of routine that you go through before, during and after shooting.  Yes, practice is included in this drill.  If you do not start doing this in practice, how do you expect it to carry over to your tournaments?  We are going to discuss what we should be doing before we shoot, while we are shooting, and once we are done shooting.

First off, before we shoot there should be some kind of a routine.  Actually, before we even get to the gun club there should be routine.  Things like waking up at least 2 hours before your first event to make sure we are fully awake and alert.  Not to mention, get a good breakfast in before your first event (especially the 9:00 flight).  Does that mean order pancakes, waffles, eggs, and a dessert along with a full cup of coffee?  NO!  What it means is to get the HEALTHY nutrients in your system and get your day started off correctly.  I like to get a lot of proteins and some carbs in my system before I shoot in the morning.  I generally eat about an hour and a half before my morning flight.  This gives me plenty of time to eat and start digestion to get all of the nutrients in my system to where I am fully alert.  Shooters with blood sugar issues need to keep a close eye on having the proper nutrients in their system to prevent any kind of blood sugar crash or spike while they are on the field.  I also like to avoid caffeine on shooting days because our natural adrenaline should be enough and I do want any external forces getting me too pumped to where I cannot keep my cool.  So make sure we are awake two hours prior to shooting and get in a good breakfast…Now on to getting to the gun club.

I like to get to the club at least 30-40 minutes prior to shooting time to allow myself to find my zone and get acclimated to the field and conditions.  One of the first things I like to do is decide what color lenses I should wear that day for the given conditions and give my eyes at least 20 minutes to get used to the color chosen.  Next on the list is getting all of your gear together and ready to go (shooting bag, ammo, gun, etc).  Have everything ready to go that way there is no stress once the field becomes available.  No last minute scrambling to find your ear plugs or figure out if you have the correct tubes in or not.  Lastly, I like to watch the last round of the squad shooting in front of us before taking the field.  This is to get my eyes used to the target speeds for the event.  This is crucial; making sure that our eyes are fully alert and are ready to really stare at the targets once we take the field.  This also gives our squad time to decide if we like the way the targets are set.  If not, we have plenty of time to call the field mechanic over to make sure we get them set properly.  Keep in mind, while getting ready and watching targets, keep noise to a minimum to not disrupt the squad that is shooting.  Our voices, car engines and music carry further than we think…so let’s show some respect to the shooters in front of us.  Which brings me to my next point.  When taking the field, be sure to let the other squad gather their things and leave the field before invading the field.  Keep in mind the squads on the next field(s) as well.  They might be shooting a High 2 or High 3 or a Low 5 or Low 6 when taking the field.  Show etiquette and do not get in their peripheral vision when taking the field.

Almost there to station 1, but before going to station 1, walk stations 2-6 to determine all of your hold points and take a glance at your look points (this will come into play later).  Also, once you are on the field, you have the right to look at a few targets to verify they are set correctly.  Our squad has someone on station 1, station 7 and station 4.  The ones on 1 & 7 are to check if the high and low house targets are flying over the center stake or not and the shooter on 4 is checking the speeds.  The targets should be crossing the center stake at just about the same time.  If necessary, call a mechanic to fix the targets.  So, by now, we have all of our equipment ready to go, our squad mates are with us, referee on hand and our squad is now ready to start.  This is a time consuming process, but we do not overstay our welcome.  We know that shoot management has a tight schedule to keep so we make up for it by going straight from station 8 to station 1 at the end of each box.  We are also very efficient once on the station and stay well within the 10 second rule.  Here we go off to station 1!

Station 1, lead off shooter, always look at least one high house and/or pair to get an idea of where the targets are flying before calling pull.  This allows everyone to get fully ready, including yourself (lead off shooter).  Here is where the routine starts on the field for me.  When my lead off guy is shooting, I have already visualized the station exactly how I expect things to unfold, and now (while he is shooting) I am verifying my hold points and looks points.  Once they have been confirmed and my lead off shooter is finished, I step on the station and execute the plan I just put together and visualized.  The things I visualized and reviewed before I stepped on the station were my foot position, hold point, look point, break point and my sight pictures.  I take it to an extreme and actually visualize the actual presentation that I will see behind the gun when shooting.  Yes, I do all of this work before I step on the station.  This is why I am able to create and take consistent shots on the field because my preparation is the same every single time I shoot!  No, it does not vary, I do not let things distract me to prevent me from doing my routine, I do this every time.  The key is having some kind of a routine to help you stay in your zone.  So, I prepared off the station, I executed on the station, now what?  You can do a brief review of what happened on the station to determine if there are any tweaks you need to make to your hold point or look point or if the shots felt perfect.  If the shots felt perfect, then excellent!  Change nothing and execute it three more times for the following rounds to come.  Keep the review very brief and then relax a bit.  Bob Palmer calls this entering your “sub-zone” where you are still focused on the field, but not 100%.  I use this time to either visualize something to calm my adrenaline surge (if it is too strong) or maybe visualize something to get a little extra surge (if I am feeling flat).  Usually I need something to help keep me a little calm, but this is not the case for all shooters.  Some shooters need some extra adrenaline to help prevent them from going through the motions.  This is fine too.  The key is finding your zone and doing whatever it takes to stay there.  Your goal is to do this each and every time before you enter the station, execute on the station, then enter your sub-zone off the station.  No variation, no change, this is the mental routine.

Now that we have finished our event, now what?  This time is crucial to get away from the “clubhouse talk” and the gun club itself.  What do I mean?  First, define clubhouse talk.  The clubhouse talk is the negativity you hear in every single clubhouse across America.  “I missed six Low 6′s today and I can’t figure out what happened.”  Those are the negatives we hear.  Those negatives lead to all of the other negatives about how shooters missed their shots.  Instead, we should be saying “Fred, great shot on that pair on 2!  The high house went straight up and the low house went straight down.  Terrific!”  That is the positive talk we should hear, but we don’t.  Another important reason to get away is rest.  Trying to mentally execute 100 shots perfectly is very fatiguing… Not really physically, but more mentally tiring.  I usually like to go back to my hotel between events and get away from everyone and everything to allow myself to rest.  This way when I go back to the club for the 2nd event and/or shoot-offs, I will be well rested and ready to go just like the morning.  This is why just about every top shooter leaves the gun club between events.  It is not because they are trying to be snobby, it’s because they need the rest and want to stay away from all of the negatives.

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:      Find a routine that works for you.  Play with it and see if you need to be at the club a little earlier than 30 minutes for example.  Try different shades of lenses to help you see better.  But most importantly, find a routine that works and stick with it.  Even if it means you had a bad day…  Chances are, if you had a bad day, you weren’t executing your mental routine properly.  Lastly, I never said it would be easy to do, but if you want the consistency, you have to work this hard at it.  It will not be easy, however, if you do this every time, breaking targets will be a lot easier and more fun!

High 2 and Low 6 (Part 2)

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.

By: Paul Giambrone, III

I bet this title has your full attention.  I have worked with hundreds of students the last few years and about 80% of them tell me they have a “problem” with one of these two targets or maybe both.  Why is that?  I think a large part has to do with all of the “fear” that other shooters have passed on to the new shooters.  Granted, both are very fast outgoing targets that flash right in front of us at a close distance.  Add in some nerves on these targets and it makes matters that much worse.  I am not immune to the normal fears of these targets; I have had my fair share of difficulties with both of these targets.  For almost a full year, I wasn’t comfortable with High 2.  I fought and fought with it over that shooting season and luckily I only let a couple get away, but it still wasn’t comfortable.  I was stepping up in fear instead of with confidence.  BIG PROBLEM!  So let’s discuss some ways to help alleviate some of the fears that we face on these targets or any “problem” target for that matter.

First, let’s dive into the fundamentals of this shot and have a plan.  Assuming that you have a good turn and the gun fits you properly, let’s take a look at the setup for a High 2.  Right-handers, I recommend standing in the front corner of the station closest to the low house with your belly-button facing the low-house window.  Left-handers, same spot on the station, except you should be facing the high-house window.  This is where I like to start shooters; I have moved shooters to the back corner of the pad (still on the right hand side) and it helps them see the target better or make it seem slower.  Not for everyone, but it’s a start.  Next, get in your stance (shifting your upper and lower body forward on your lead leg), and position your hold point or gun hold at 1/3 of the way out (or around 21 feet away from the window in the direction of the center stake) and at the bottom of the window.  Think of your hold point like a grid; we have a horizontal point and a vertical point.  The horizontal is the distance out away from the house and the vertical height is the bottom of the window.  This is a great starting point to get some feedback; we may need to adjust this based on your skill level and reflexes.  Let’s stick with plan A for now and move onto our look point or the position where your eyes need to be in relationship to your gun.  From your hold point, shift the center of your vision (eyes away from the gun barrel) about ¼ of the way back to the house, or about 5 feet left of your gun barrel, and elevate your eyes above the gun barrel in the flight path of the target (most important concept here).  Think about it, if your gun is at the bottom of the window and you shift your eyes left of the gun, the center of your vision will be at the bottom of the window as well.  When the target comes out, it rises.  Therefore, we need to be sure that our eyes are elevated above the gun barrel IN THE FLIGHT PATH.  Also, it is very important to have your eyes in a soft focus (or relaxed focus) to improve peripheral vision; which will help you pick up the “streak” as quickly as possible.  Keep in mind, when you look back for this target, to keep your head firmly on the gun.  It is very common to look back too far (especially right-handers) and the head comes loose and peels away from the stock. It is very important to have your head on the stock, with your eyes and gun in the correct position for this target.  Once you are here, take a ½ second for everything to settle, your head to clear and then call “pull.”

Now, you are going to see a streak or a flash and it will be pretty quick, don’t panic!  Simply move with the target on the flash, stare really hard at the front edge at your break point (which should be at least 10-15 feet before the center stake, preferably at 2/3 which is 21 feet before the stake) and fire.  The key to a successful turn on this target is rotating your lower body and upper body together as one unit.  If you are able to use your legs and hips appropriately, this will help slow this shot down because you can generate very fast gun speed in a short amount of time.  Notice, I never said anything about looking for lead or checking for lead.  This is the biggest problem that I see with shooters is they try to be too precise on this target.  Just get slightly in front and pull the trigger.  I have had some students not even see a “perceived lead” but shot at the front edge of the target.  Everyone’s sight picture is going to vary to some degree so do not try to get 6” or a foot in front of the target and focus on the lead, keep your focus on the target!  Another common issue I see is that shooters are constantly changing; looking for that “quick fix” solution.  There is no quick fix on High 2 or Low 6.  It is a shot that takes time to develop, so what you need is a CONSISTENT setup, not an ever-changing setup.  Start with the setup listed above.

Ok coach, it has been a couple of weeks since working with this setup and I find myself consistently in front of the target, any ideas?  Yes, make sure you are not moving early.  Sometimes shooters are so anxious for this target that they leave on their call instead of waiting for that streak or flash.  Assuming you are waiting for the flash, and you are still in front, your look point is probably too far back.  Easy fix, do not look as far back as stated above, maybe look just off the gun barrel to the left and up in the flight path and see how that goes.  I had a student recently that had such great reflexes, we actually had to setup his eyes straight above the gun.  And he has only been shooting for 3 months!  That is not typical, but he didn’t have fear, he trusted his coach and his eyes.  That is why it worked.  On the flip side, say you are consistently getting beat by this target, we have a couple of solutions for you.  Start with making sure your eyes are high enough above the gun and in the target flight path to ensure you are seeing the “streak” soon enough.  Once your eyes are high enough, make sure you are moving on the streak and not waiting to see a target.  When I look back for all of my shots, especially a High 2, all I am looking for is a streak.  I do not see the entire target right in front of me, contrary to what some shooters believe.  I am human just like you guys!  Quite frankly, all I want to see is a streak…  I don’t want to see that clearly defined target until my break point.  Back to the topic, eyes up, moving on the flash, but still getting beat…  Try one of two things, holding a little outside of 1/3 (no more than 2-3 feet) or looking slightly further back towards the house (but don’t do both at once).  If you choose to look further back, be sure those eyes do not look more than ½ way back.  Any further, that target is going to look extremely fast!  Not only will it look extremely fast, but your eyes, brain, and gun will be disconnected.  Think about it; looking that far back would be a huge strain on your brain to keep everything together.  When this happens, it is really hard to keep our focus on the target because part of our brain will want to know where the gun barrel is.  When our brain wants to know where the gun barrel is, it will send our eyes to go find it, and when that happens, we lose focus on the target.

Overall, we need to step on the station with a plan and focus on executing that plan to the best of our ability.  Before you think there is a “problem” with High 2, start with the plan listed above and give it a couple of weeks of solid practice to set in.  If you are not comfortable, take a look at the small adjustments listed in the paragraphs.  Keep in mind, this article is no substitute for having a qualified and experienced coach behind you helping you with this target.  Stay tuned for the plan and setup for Low 6…

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:      Start with a solid setup that we discussed.  Give it some time to work before starting to change this and that.  However, if you have given this significant time to work and the setup is still not feeling comfortable, change one thing at a time.  I would start with the eyes and make sure they are high enough in the flight path.  If you feel your eyes are good, you can move your hold point slightly (1-2 feet at a time).  Again, when you make the change, give it time to work and only change one thing at a time!  If you change one thing and it is clearly not the right solution, go back to the old setup first before changing something else. Your brain has to recalculate every time you change so give it time to process.

Gettin’ Geared Up for 2013!

By: Paul Giambrone, III

Here we are in February already and time has gotten away from me and it has done so very quickly!  I apologize for the delay between articles, but as most of you know, my wife and I were very blessed to find a home towards the end of this past year and we have been getting settled in…then adding the holiday visits on top of all of that, phew!  Time really got away from me!  But here we are, back in the saddle, ready to buckle down for the upcoming season and boy I couldn’t be more fired up!  There are several different things going on in all of our lives and now is the time of the year where we have gotten past all of the holidays and we are getting with our shooting podnahs (Cajun for ‘partners’) discussing the upcoming season.  For most of us, that season will begin in the next few weeks with our first tournament or at least start some serious practice.  There might be some of us going through some equipment changes or fundamental changes going into next season as well.  Let’s dive in and take a look at some of these subjects more closely and how to properly prepare ourselves for the upcoming season.

I wrote an article a couple of years ago about the importance of shooting with the same squad as you go to your different tournaments.  Since writing that article, I have been able to shoot with the same group of people the last 2 seasons and it has paid huge dividends in my game.  The importance of surrounding yourselves with shooters you are comfortable with cannot be put into words.  Through my travels in giving lessons to shooters, a common topic that I coach about is having a solid pre-shot routine and focusing very hard on executing each shot while shooting on the station.  During the discussion, more times than not, shooters will have something distract them in their routine (another article topic in the past-“Distractions”).  I have said several times that when a distraction comes into play simply stop, reset, acquire your focus again, then proceed to give the next target all you’ve got!  However, when shooting with a squad you are not familiar with, shooters have said “well I don’t want to interrupt the pace” or “I feel like I am slowing everyone down” and things like that.  Are you in that boat?  You wouldn’t be if you had a regular squad who was standing behind you 110% wishing that you would reset so you can smoke that next High 2 or Low 6.  Personally, I reset probably more than most, but still do not break the rule that is set in place by the NSSA.  Without diving too deep into the rules, we basically have 10 seconds per shot, which is an eternity, as long as you are fully prepared when walking on the station.  I have never seen a referee get on a shooter for taking the gun down because something distracted them for a second or two.  Now, if you are doing this each and every station, there are other issues going on.  I could go on for a very long time about this, but the main point is that when you are setting your shoot schedule with your podnahs, try to schedule as many shoots as you can with shooters you are comfortable with so we can take this major distraction (feeling like you are slowing the squad down) out of the equation!

Speaking of which, what is a good first tournament to shoot?  For the larger shoots, the Blaser tournament down in San Antonio is the first major shoot for the year (#11 in the Top 100) and it is shot at the largest facility in the country (National Shooting Complex).  That is a great first shoot and is the “kick-off” to the season for some.  Personally, my season starts later in the year because I have my normal routine and list of shoots that I want to attend.  Let’s stay focused on you though and discuss what a good first shoot is.  Let’s think to college football for a second, (GO SEC!!!), most of the time, bigger schools like to schedule an “easy” opponent for the first game.  Why is that?  They want to establish some confidence and knock the dust off so to speak.  Why not do the same thing in our tournament schedule?  For years, my father and I would like to shoot a semi-small shoot just to get the jitters out of our system.  I would love the opportunity for that now, but my schedule just does not allow it so I have to do some extra mental training exercises to help.  The last couple of years, the first tournament that I shoot has created some extra nervous jitters that I have had to deal with.  I have the confidence to deal with them, but best case scenario, I would like the opportunity to shoot a smaller shoot first to help overcome these jitters when going to the first major shoot.  Let’s face it, if we show up at our local club for a tournament compared to Nationals for the World Shoot, which environment is going to create more of these jitters?  Duh!  That is why it is best to open up with a smaller event to help settle these nerves so when you go to your first “major” event for the year, you aren’t shooting your first tournament and your first major tournament at the same time.

Last but certainly not least, the off season is usually the best time to try “new” things whether it’s technique or equipment.  Let’s start with equipment.  Equipment usually does a couple of things for us and one is good and bad at the same time.  We sometimes think that the new gun or the new glasses are going to be the cure to all of our problems and we don’t have to work hard anymore (very bad thing).  What usually happens is we tend to quit thinking so much and just focus on targets and shoot (very good thing).  This is the reason why most of the time when you get the new gun or glasses your scores go up for a short term then come back to where they were.  Once the feeling of the new gun is over, then you go back to your normal thinking and over analyzing and you find yourself right back to where you started.  On the flip side, assuming you do not change your mental attitude or technique, you may notice a slight decrease in your scores…this is perfectly normal!  I started shooting my Kolar MAX skeet gun in March of 2010 and it took over 6 months to get fully used to the gun even though it had pretty much the same weight and feel as my previous gun!  This year, I am switching to Pilla lenses and frames, and while my vision has improved with them, it is still going to take some time to get adjusted to the different look!  The point here is when you do get the new equipment, keep everything the same (mental preparation, execution and your fundamentals) and give your body time to get used to the changes.  The same thing can be said when you make changes to your fundamentals or your form.  When you take a lesson, most of the time the scores are going to go down in the short term because you are so focused on all of these changes.  However, in the long run, your scores will go up higher than before because it takes time for your brain to get used to the changes you have made.  In closing, most of my clients talk to me about consistency and how badly they want consistency.  The definition of consistency doesn’t include the words change or variable.  With that in mind, when you do make NECESSARY changes to improve your game, stick with them and keep doing them!  It will benefit you in the long run to make changes only when necessary and trust in a coach to supply you with the best changes to improve your game.

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:      Make a statement in your game for 2013.  Go in shooting with consistent squad-mates, get your warm up shoot in before your first major, and stick with your equipment and fundamental changes (if any).  If you seek consistency, create things around you that are the same (such as your squad-mates), and stick with your equipment and fundamental changes you may have made over the off-season.  Remember, it takes time for our brains to adjust to the change, so give it the necessary time to take effect.

You’re Behind It!

By: Paul Giambrone, III

It was a beautiful spring morning inAbita Springs, LA, and I found myself on the golf course with my father and some of his golfing buddies.  Prior to the season getting started this particular year, I liked to get out and go play a little golf here and there.  Now, I am no pro golfer…not even close!  However, I am not the weekend hacker either.  When I play, I try to play for bogey golf and I am very satisfied with that.  Throw in a few pars, accompanied by a double bogey or two, I generally find myself in the mid to upper 80s the few times that I play each year.  This particular morning, we were golfing with someone that I had just met about 15 minutes before we teed off on the driving range.  Feeling good about my swing, I felt pretty confident going to the opening hole which is a 500 yard par 5.  With a good drive, you could possibly get there in two, but there is a pond about 100 yards from the hole so the wise move is to lay up and go for the green on your third shot.  Anyways, I did the wise move but ended up in the sand trap.  Good out, but still ended up with bogey.  Next hole, I decided to play some army golf…left, left, left, right, left!  I was all over the place!  The 3^rd hole is a short par 3, and I was nowhere near the green.  So you see, I wasn’t playing my best golf, but hey I’m out there for fun anyways!  I started to get my swing back a little here and there, but was not putting together multiple good shots.  This was about the time the peanut gallery started to chime in…

I am on the 5^th tee box, and I start to hear the words that I really do not like to hear while I am in the middle of playing a round of golf, “You know Paul if you did this, you would improve this…”  Great, that’s all I need is for someone who is not a coach, not a professional, just another golfer on the course to tell me what I am doing wrong and how to fix it.  Thanks man, now you are filling my head with all of these things to focus on instead of trying to get the feel of my good swing back.  Luckily for me, I have the mindset to let this go because I know this guy didn’t mean any harm by it.  I let it go in one ear and out the other and sure enough, I found my swing again!  I started nailing the ball and making pars and may have even thrown in a birdie on this particular day.  However, it did not come from the unsolicited advice, but came from me focusing on my good swing and getting that “feel” back that I had found on the driving range.  And, of course, any time I made a bad swing, the advice started to flow once again, but I still ignored it and stayed focused on my good swing feel. Notice what I did there?  I focused on what a good swing was supposed to “feel” like and put my focus on the good swing, not the possible problems that could have been going on.  If I were to put my focus on that, my brain would be so focused on fixing the grip, instead of swinging the golf club like I had wanted!

How does this relate to skeet shooting?  I see it all of the time…the unsolicited advice.  Granted, I know the shooters are genuinely trying to help their fellow shotgunner get better, but all they are doing is making the shooter worry about so many different things that they cannot possibly focus on the target anymore!  What is the most important fundamental in skeet?  KEEPING YOUR EYES FOCUSED ON THE TARGET!  If your focus is anywhere else, you are decreasing your chances of making a good swing or a good shot!  Now, if you are training or practicing something new, yes, your focus must be on what you are working on to build muscle memory and the new “feel” (this is what a coach is for).  My main concern is the person who is constantly telling a shooter “you’re behind it, you’re under it, you’re over it.”  That is not how you coach or help a fellow shooter; you help them by addressing the CAUSE of them being behind the target, not the symptom.  When you go to the doctor, you give him/her a list of symptoms for them to come up with a diagnosis, right?  The doctor doesn’t prescribe you 6 different medicines for 6 different symptoms (hopefully they don’t)!  The doctor is looking for the CAUSE of all of your symptoms and is going to get to the root of the problem and treat the cause of your symptoms!  If we truly want to help someone when we shoot, we need to help the shooter solve the cause of the problem, not the symptom.  The cause of most problems are the shooter measuring for lead instead of keeping their eyes on the target fully, lifting their head because the gun doesn’t fit them properly, and stopping the gun because their eyes look at the front sight instead of keeping their eyes on the target.  Skeet shooters are some of the best people I know and all they want to do is help, but sometimes it does more harm than good.

I’ll close with a story about a really good friend of mine who was having some issues on his high house targets.  My buddy had developed a really bad shoulder roll on his high house targets, especially the incomers (high 5, 6, and 7).  Now, he would hit these targets, but his form was severely compromised.  The first opportunity I had to work with him, we worked really hard on breaking this habit and got him upright and got those shoulders turning with his lower body instead of the roll that had been in his game for quite some time.  After fixing this issue, I noticed he was on the very leading edge of High 7.  No worries, that’s the money side anyway, so we go to station 6.  I watched him make a beautiful turn to the target, with his head down and eyes locked on the bird and he missed 3 feet in front.  He looked at me confused…  I said don’t worry about it, shoot it again.  Same thing, everything was right with his form, but he was 3 feet in front.  And one more time… same thing yet again.  I asked, “How much lead are you putting on this target?”  His response, “About 4 feet.”  Wow!  We know the correct lead on a High 6 is not even close to 4 feet!  But do you see what the peanut gallery had done?  They kept telling him over the years, “you’re behind it, you’re behind it” but no one ever corrected the actual problem, just the symptom.  This led to my buddy thinking he needed 4 feet of lead on a high 6.  This is why shooters need to have professional coaches and instructors helping them, not the peanut gallery.

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:      Be considerate of the shooters around you.  Do not force unsolicited advice to shooters that are struggling, help them out if you are asked and if you are capable of helping the shooter.  Your actions may create more harm than good, especially for newer shooters.   I know we are all out here as a big family just trying to help each other, but be mindful of your actions and respectful of others.

The Pattern Board

By: Paul Giambrone, III

Most of us are entering our off-season or at least slowing down a bit on our shooting around this time each year.  Some of us are getting new equipment and are looking forward to see how the equipment works for next season!  Even those of you who are still shooting throughout the winter, this is a great time to take a trip to the pattern board and see how everything is looking.  HOWEVER, PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION!  A friend of mine, Tom Hebert, said it best “more problems are generally created at the pattern board than solved.”  The reason being is that shooters want to get way too technical about what they see.  I have heard stories where the shooter will count each BB hole and see if the pattern is “perfect.”  I have news for you; shotgun patterns are generally far from perfect, remember it is a spread going out there!  We are NOT shooting rifles and pistols where 1-2” means a world of difference…  Do not get bogged down in the very minor details of shooting high or low, left or right at this point.  We are looking for a few things at the pattern board, and it is not perfection.

What do I look for in a pattern?  First off, you do not want to fire just 1 shell in the paper and start looking (I suggest 2-3 shots per gauge per barrel).  Also, you want to be sure to shoot bottom/top barrel only before checking the other.  Sometimes you will see the barrels shooting in different locations so we want to isolate each one.  BANG BANG BANG!  Let’s go take a look at the paper…  First thing I want to be sure of is that I am not shooting left or right of center, but am pretty much in the center.  Meaning, whatever target I am shooting at on the pattern board, I want roughly 50% of the pattern on the left of the target and 50% on the right side of the target.  Now, if you look at your pattern and it is shooting 1-2” left of center, you can slightly adjust the comb and push it in the opposite direction (to the right) maybe 1/16” to get those 1-2” back to center.  In my opinion, unless you are not down the center of the barrel (beads are in line with each other), I would not worry about 1-2” left or right of center.  While on this subject, I do like to see a fairly dense pattern in the center to make sure that when I hit the target that I am able to pull some smoke with it (this feeds my confidence).  For shooters who are more interested in just getting broken targets and not smoking them, I would suggest a more open, evenly distributed pattern to cover the maximum amount of area.

Some potential problems that you may see at this stage of the pattern board is that the gun is shooting way left or way right (more than 1-2”).  First things first, make sure the gun is fitting you properly.  There are several instructors that know how to set the gun up for you as well as great gun fitters across the nation.  Todd Nelson of Country Gentlemen is one of the best in the business and he does travel around.  If he is in your area or if you travel to him, it is well worth the money.  At my clinics, this is one of the first things we cover is your form, gun mount, and your gun fit.  I cannot stress having good form, a good gun mount, and an excellent gun fit enough.  It is a very essential part of being able to shoot to the best of your ability.  Back to the pattern, let’s assume the gun is fitting you properly and the gun is still shooting left or right of center.  It could be a bad choke.  Test the other barrel and make sure that it is centered.  If it is centered, we are now looking at the possibility of a bad choke.  Simple solution; change chokes and see if it straightens up.  If it does, contact your choke manufacturer and save your pattern paper to prove the choke is not cut properly.  If it is not the choke, check your loads.  You may need to try a different load as some loads with certain chokes will not cooperate together.  Keep this in mind that any time you change ammo or a choke, to always go back to the pattern board and test the combination and make sure everything gets along.

Ok, so we have determined that the first thing we are looking for is a pattern that is centered left and right.  The diameter of the pattern is the next thing that I look at.  I want to be sure that I am not spreading my pattern too thin where a target can get through.  I want to make sure that the pattern is dense enough to where a target cannot get through.   On the contrary, I do not want a pattern that is so tight to where I am really handicapping myself.  My patterning is done at 20 yards with a target about 6” below the center of a 30”X30” sheet of paper.  On a side note, I shoot the same ammo and the same chokes for singles and doubles to minimize confusion and worrying if I have the correct chokes in.  All of my gauges produce a 24” pattern at this range.  The 20 gauge has a fairly evenly distributed pattern with the outside couple inches spread a little thin, but it will still break a target.  The 28 gauge, the outside 2-3” is thin, but the inside 18” is pretty solid.  The .410, the inside 14” is very solid, with the outside 5” around being thin, but will still break a target.  Keep in mind, this is what works for me!  I have found a gun, choke and ammo combo that produces what I like to see and what gives me the most confidence!  You should do the same and find a gun, choke and ammo combination that gives you the same confidence and then stick with it!

So by now, you should know to have your pattern centered left and right with a choke and ammo combination that give you a pattern diameter that you are happy with and have confidence in.  Last part of the pattern to examine is the distribution above and below the target, a very hot topic.  A good starting place to have your pattern would be 60% of the pattern above the target and 40% at or below the target.  Keep in mind, this is a good STARTING PLACE.  What you really need to do is do some shooting to see if the gun is shooting where you are looking!  This is where the majority of problems are created because shooters think they “need” a 50/50 pattern or a 60/40 pattern when that is not where their eyes are looking!  Would you rather have a great pattern on paper or a shotgun shooting where you are actually looking??  Personally, I want a gun to shoot where I am looking even if its higher or lower than the “standard.”  Therefore, shoot some straight away targets like Low 7 and some incomers on stations 1, 2, 6, & 7 and you should be right in the middle of these targets.  If you are consistently breaking bottoms, I would advise raising the comb 1/16”-1/8” to help out.  This will not make a significant difference on paper, but will help the gun shoot where your brain is looking.  Now if you are shooting over the targets, that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to lower the comb.  In my travels, a lot of the time, a shooter has their eyes and head too low on the comb causing them to shoot too close to the flight line.  Most times, they will shoot over the top of the target because they are too low on the comb.  Each shooter has their own case, so there is no one size fits all solution, but this article should give you some tools to help you when going to the pattern board and getting your shotgun to shoot where you are looking.

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:      Before worrying about what the pattern board says, be sure that your form, gun mount, and gun fit are properly assessed.  Once everything checks out, then start testing which gun, choke and ammo combo produces the best results for your pattern left to right and for diameter.  Remember, there is no perfect pattern for percentage above and below.  It is a case by case situation because everyone’s eyes are different.  We want the gun shooting where we are looking, even if it means you have to shoot an 80/20 distribution!  If you are in the middle of targets, what difference does it make?

True or False?

By: Paul Giambrone, III

The last few tournaments that I have been to, I have seen several younger shooters coming on strong and it got my mind driving down memory lane.  I had the blessing of being able to shoot with my father and close friends for a number of years in my early and late teen years.  Those were some of the best times of my life and I think most of us feel that way about those teen years, especially the summer time.  Thinking of those summers spent traveling around going to different places with our friends and family and not worrying about school!  That was the life!  Going back to those times reminded me of school and tests and all that good stuff…  How were we measured in school?  By grades!  I grew up on an 8-point grade scale, some are 10-points, and some are only 6 points!  Think about that…  You had to be 90%, 92%, or 94% correct in order to get the highest grade available.  That seems very tough!  I know when I got an A that it was an achievement and it didn’t require me being 100%.  The point being is that it takes a lot to get a good grade or pass a test!  It is hard work and a process.

What about passing a driving test or a skill test?  Most tests out there do not require people to be 100% perfect and most answers are either right or wrong, not a lot of grey area, except of course, on essay and short answer questions where it is more discussion (keep this in mind for later).  Let’s focus more on the multiple choice or better yet, true/false tests where you have one right and one wrong answer.  I know I have taken guesses here and there on multiple choice tests and some were right and some were wrong.  Most of the time, when I went with my first instinct, I would be correct.  When I would think or try to analyze too much, I would more than likely change my answer from the correct one to the wrong one.  You would think after doing that a few times that logic would kick in to where I wouldn’t do that!  I continued to struggle with this throughout my years not only in school, but in skeet shooting as well.  See, on some days where I was feeling a little “off” I would start off ok and feel fine, then I would start paying attention to my breaks.  If I broke a couple of targets on the back end or the front end, I would start worrying and try to “fix” the problem.  The issue here is that there is no problem with my shooting, but your brain starts to think that there is because you are looking for that dead center break, instead of just letting it happen.  Hey, sometimes we make a great shot and just put slightly too much lead on the bird.  That doesn’t constitute as a bad shot, just means you were slightly on the front edge of a target that is only 4 and a half inches in diameter at 20 yards.  Sounds like a good shot when it is put that way, doesn’t it?  Anyways, some of the hardest hits I have had on targets come from being totally relaxed, yet focused. I was focused on seeing the target, not the break or the end result.  Think about some of your best moments and hardest hits…  How much of this “thinking” were you doing?  If I had to guess, I would say not very much.  It is a common topic I bring up to my students.  Thus far, everyone has told me that when they were really shooting well, very little thinking was going on, but when they did not shoot well, they were analyzing every little thing, mostly their breaks.  So would logic suggest continuing down this path when you start to shoot poorly, or try to relax and let things happen instead of trying to force them to happen?  I can think of several times where shooters have told me they shot poorly for a round or two, then finish up with a couple of very strong rounds.  What happened here?  Their minds finally settled down after a few misses and became focused on the targets, instead of the endless things that could be going wrong…

Let’s take a step back and take a look at a true/false question on a test. When I would come across a question I wasn’t sure on, I would certainly try to take my best guess.  If that guess was the correct answer, I would be relieved that I got it correct, but would also tell myself I could study better for the next test.  Keep in mind during that test I would not change anything… I said that I would prepare better for the next test.  The reason I like this test question best is because there is only one right answer and one wrong answer.  Just like in skeet, we only have two options, either we hit the target or we don’t.  There is no partial credit; there is only full credit or no credit.  So why do we get caught up so much on the partial hits?  What are we so worried about if we are getting “full credit” for the shot we just made, even if it wasn’t a perfect shot?  We are human!  We are going to make some non-perfect shots and still break targets because we are shooting shotguns.  In order to break a 100 straight, there are generally a couple of these non-perfect shots that shooters have to make in order to score the 100.  Most of the time, a 98 or a 99 is just as good performance-wise as a 100, the shooter just didn’t get that 1 or 2 extra targets they needed on those non-perfect shots.  Anyways, back to grading the breaks, I know sometimes that your hits can tell you what you are doing, but most of the time it is more of a distraction than a helping aide.  For example, if you are consistently hitting the front of the target, also known as the “money side” of the target, why would you want to change that?  My argument is if you are breaking it consistently in the same spot and feel you are doing everything correctly, why change?  The old phrase “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” comes to mind.

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:      Just remember that we only get full credit or no credit.  Another point to ponder is a story that I heard from Bob Palmer about a scene in a movie he had seen recently.  A student asked a teacher on the first day how to get an A in the class.  The teacher responded with, “You all have A’s right now; you just have to maintain them.”  Bob told me to take that to skeet.  Instead of worrying about scoring a 100, he said you already have a 100; you just need to maintain the 100.  And I’ll add it doesn’t matter how pretty or ugly the breaks are, just get the break.

One Target

By: Paul Giambrone, III

I was in Stockton, CA, recently shooting at the Western Open and decided to stay the week after for the 2012 Jr. World Championships to offer some help to the kids and to watch some of the young talent that is coming up in the sport.  What a great weekend to watch such great shooters and to see so much potential!  The hand to eye coordination is unbelievable at their age and it really is a great sight to see!  As I was going around helping some shooters here and there, a common topic came up about “one target.”  No, it wasn’t High 2 or Low 6.  It wasn’t any target in particular either – it was just that one target that jumps up and bites us.  A lot of the kids were asking me how to get that one target.  I would ask them, “Do you know how to break each target?  Do you have a routine for each target to break it?”  They would say, “Yes.”  So, the answer is simple: do your normal routine to break each target.  Sounds easy, right?  But boy is it hard to accomplish.  When you are shooting in this sport, unfortunately, all it takes is one slight mental slip to ruin a station, a round, an event, or even the entire weekend.  As soon as we make one bad move or slip, our minds want to put all of our focus on that one bad shot. Focusing on one bad shot can cause us to second guess ourselves and to over-analyze our shots, which can lead to more bad shots and more misses.  Why are we so stubborn to get caught up in the one bad move or bad shot and forget about all of the other great shots we made?  Why not focus on the great shots we made and forget about the bad ones?

In his prime, Jack Nicklaus made a statement in an interview that in the final round of a tournament on the last hole he never 3 putted and he never missed a putt inside of 5-feet (I am paraphrasing, but that is the gist of what Jack was saying).  A reporter stood up in the back and argued with Jack saying that he witnessed Jack miss a putt inside 5 feet at a major.  Jack shook his head and said that wasn’t true.  The reporter argued and Jack disagreed again.  The reporter wouldn’t stop and chased Jack down stating that he had video evidence of Jack missing a putt inside 5 feet.  Jack just simply walked off.  One of Jack’s body guards stopped the reporter and said the following: “Sir, do you play golf?”  “Yes,” the reporter replied.  “What’s your handicap?” asked the body guard.  “I am a 16 handicap.” the reporter said.  “Have you ever done those things Jack said and do you remember them?” the body guard asked.  “Well sure I have and I could tell you several occasions on when they happened.” the reporter said.  The body guard then replied, “So you want Jack Nicklaus, the greatest golfer to ever play the game, to change his mentality and think like you, a 16 handicapper.”  The reporter didn’t say anything and left.  The point is that no matter what the circumstances, Jack always stayed focused on the positives and forgot the negatives.  Why not apply the same concept to your skeet game?

I can give you a great example of focusing on the positives in your skeet game.  At the 2012 Jr. World Championships, a shooter walked up to me and said “LP, I’m shooting so well right now, but I am not quite finishing.”  The shooter had a string of 99s (12, 20, and 28) with one of those misses being a Low 6 the last round.  So I asked, “On that Low 6, were you fully prepared and ready?”  His response was yes.  I then went on to tell him about a recent experience I had at a shoot earlier in the year that yielded a similar result.  I was straight working on a 100 in the .410 and a 400 for the weekend and missed a low 6 in the last round.  The initial reaction is “he choked,” but I beg to differ.  Yes, I was excited and pumped about the event, but I channeled all of my mental energy into my normal routine and was 100% ready for the shot with no flaws in my setup.  Since I had channeled so much focus into the shot, I ended up seeing the target much sooner and clearer than normal causing me to get too far ahead and never could recover.  The result was a 99 and a 399.  Did I do anything wrong?  In my mind, no, I did everything exactly like I had trained myself to do; I just didn’t recover and make the shot.  With that in mind, I did everything the same at my next tournament, applied what I learned from the miss and shot a 400.  What did I learn?  That sometimes it just isn’t meant to be.  That my technique and my approach are solid, so why would I change?  After all, a single miss in the .410 isn’t so bad after all, right?  Anyway, back to the shooter who was talking to me about finishing strong – I simply said to him, “You know how to break the targets and you know you have a solid routine, now just get out there and keep doing it!  If something gets broken in the routine, just stop and start over from scratch.  Keep working hard and quit worrying about the one target and focus on the other 297 that you hit during the weekend!”  Focus on the positives!  Guess what he shot in the .410?  A perfect 100.  I had the opportunity to watch this shooter and he didn’t chip and hack, he absolutely rolled 100 targets in the .410, giving him a 397 for the weekend and winning his concurrent HOA.  You should have seen the smile on his face!  What a great moment!  So when all else fails, take a deep breath, stick to your routine, take your best possible shot on the next target and stay positive.

Tip of the month:      When you find something that works for you, stick with it!  Most misses are from a break down in our normal routine.  The problem, or why we never fully learn, is that we sometimes get away with a break down in our normal routine by breaking the target despite our mistakes.  My question for you is when there is a break in your routine and you say “I can still hit it,” how many of those do you actually hit?  Maybe a few, but I promise it is far less than you stepping up, doing your normal routine, and making your best shot.  Try to reset after those “I can still hit it” moments and clear your mind and see what happens.

The Score

By: Paul Giambrone, III

“How’d you shoot today?” someone asks, “Shot well, thank you!” my response.  “So you got ‘em?”  They ask.  “No, shot a 99.” I say.  “A 99?!?!?! What happened???” they say with a strange look on their face.  That is the typical response that I usually get when I shoot less than a 100 straight after stating I shot well.  Why is it that shooters automatically think that their performance is strictly based on score??  Well gee Paul that is how we shot that morning, right?  That is how we are judged!  The scoreboard is a trap for most shooters and those are the shooters that get so caught up in their SCORE they forget how they actually performed that day.  I understand we need to be “graded” or “measured” against other shooters to determine our winner for the event, the winner for classes, and the concurrent winners  for the day and that is done by the score they shot… but I honestly don’t care about score, I worry about my actual performance.

I was at the Dallas Gun Club about 2 years ago shooting in a tournament and I was having a particularly good “feeling” weekend and my scores were pretty accurate as to how I was shooting.  On Thursday, we had a 4X50 event in which I won an event, placed in the top three in all of the others and won the HOA with a 200X200.  The victories for the day were very nice and my score reflected a great day and was an accurate description of how I shot that particular day and I felt really great about my shooting.  I had not had that much confidence in myself for some time.  In 2010, I switched to the high-rib MAX skeet gun and I was still getting used to some of the new looks, but this weekend, everything seemed to be clicking.  As I went into Friday’s event, I shot a 100 in the 12 gauge and went a couple of boxes in the shoot-off before missing.  I didn’t win the event or place in the top 3, but I still felt really good about my shooting because I was executing all of my shots exactly like I wanted (keep that phrase in mind).  On Saturday, still feeling really great about my shooting, and at the end of the day, my confidence was just as high as it was the day before.  However, I shot a pair of 99s.  Even though I had missed 2 targets that day, my confidence was still soaring high.  At the end of the day, someone had walked up to me and we had the exact conversation I mentioned in the opening paragraph.  The person was completely surprised that I said I had shot really well and felt really good about my shooting, but didn’t break 100s.  The reason I felt really well is very simple.  The 2 targets that didn’t break that day must’ve been metal targets… just kidding!  Actually, the 2 targets that I missed, I would have shot the exact same way, it just wasn’t my day.  What I am getting at is I did everything mentally correct, prepared for the station and executed the shots exactly how I prepared, but the targets just didn’t break.

Remember, this is the year where I had just switched to the new gun so my eyes and brain were still getting used to everything so something like this is expected with new equipment.  It is also expected because we are HUMAN!  We are going to miss some targets just because!  With this in mind, remember what I said earlier about how I was executing my shots exactly like I wanted?  I felt the same way at the end of the day Saturday even though the “score” didn’t reflect how I felt about my performance.  I carried this attitude into Sunday shooting the .410 and went on to pulverize every single target that day.  This was my first 100 in the .410 for the year in 2010.  Earlier in the year, there were a couple of times going into the .410 being 300 or 400 straight, but didn’t end up with a perfect score or a perfect performance.  This particular weekend, I felt that I had made 400 perfect shots, even though my score reflected only 398 good shots.  My point being that the score rarely reflects your actual performance!  Some days we will shoot poorly, but score great.  I can think of several occasions where I lined up and left a little early but was able to “bleed off the lead” in order to get the target to break.  That isn’t a perfect shot, but it got the job done.  I have also had times where I did everything I wanted to do (like the example above) and not shot a perfect score.  The moral of the story is stick to how you performed in your mental preparation and execution; forget about the score.

After this happened to me, I decided that I would continue to keep this attitude of grading myself on my actual performance and not my score.  I went on to shoot a 400X400 at the Mini World that year and shot one of my better World Shoots, winning two titles.  I carried this mentality through the 2011 shooting season and had my most consistent year that I ever had.  I sincerely believe that the consistency in my scores last year were because of this concept.  I never got upset or disappointed with my score just because it didn’t reflect how I actually shot and believe me there were several tempting moments.  One of those was again in Dallas at the Pan-American last year.  I shot a stout 97 in the 28 gauge.  The score had some of my squad-mates watching me to make sure that I was ok…  They didn’t realize that there was only 1 shot that I was upset with myself over, the other 2, I prepared and executed the shot as to what I thought was best, the targets just didn’t break.  After missing the same target twice, I reviewed my hold point and look point and realized that I had made a mistake.  There was a depth perception problem going on and I didn’t pick up on it right away.  Once I fixed the problem, no more worries, blasted the back 50.  In the past, I would have gotten worried or concerned because of the “score,” but today was different.  I felt great, even though I had shot the worst score in the 28 gauge that I had shot in 4 years.  What was the result of keeping myself focused on my performance rather than my score?  I shot one of the most perfect 100 straights I had ever shot in the .410 the next day.  I was glad to have my father there watching as he said, “That 100 was one of your best ever.  Not just the .410, but all of your 100s.”  I firmly believe the reason I shot that well was because I kept my confidence up because I realized my performance had been perfect and did not let the score affect my confidence.

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:      Remember that everyone has a bad round, a bad event, a bad day, or even a bad weekend.  When you review that event, day, or weekend, forget about the score and check out how you were mentally.  Were you preparing and executing your shots like you would on a good day or were you doing something different (i.e. trying to figure out what is wrong instead of focusing on your normal game plan)?  The bad days come from getting out of our normal routine and focusing on other things (like your scores) besides your next shot.

Learn to Miss

By: Paul Giambrone, III

Say what?  Learn to miss?  Are you serious?  Just take a moment and think of all of the countless hours, ammo, and time we have spent learning how to break targets.  Could you add them up?  I know, speaking from experience, that there is no way I could count the hours I have spent learning how to break targets and how much ammo I have gone through the past 20 years.  Most shooters see me being 27 think I have natural talent in this game, but the truth is, it is learned ability over 20 years.  I can say this, I can’t even imagine how many YEARS, that’s right years, I have spent learning how to shoot the way that I do and how to do it consistently.  Sure, I know how to break targets, but it wasn’t until a couple of years ago I learned how to properly deal with a miss when it occurs.  Most of the time we know when we are going to miss which infuriates us even more or we simply do not let it go, which generally leads to another miss.

Speaking with my trainer, Bob Palmer, and a good friend of mine from Katy, TX, the same topic came up this week and both involved how to deal with a miss or adversity.  Strange thing, I have been coaching a lot of repeat clients and the topic in my clinics with these shooters has been on how to deal with adversity when it strikes.  The simple answer is simply move on after a miss.  We can’t do anything about the shot once it has been fired, we do not get a mulligan or two, although that would be nice if we hit so many in a row we could have the option to buy a mulligan…  Anyways, once the shot is fired, we can’t get it back, so what exactly is the point in dwelling on the miss?  I think it’s a good idea to dwell on the miss if you would like to proceed and miss another one because you haven’t let the first one go.  Attention to my young shooters out there, move on to the next target!  In my teen years, I cannot tell you how many targets I sacrificed just off this one principle of not letting the first miss go.  Also, my Italian and Irish buddies, same applies to you as well!  Just kidding, it really applies to everyone and we are all guilty of one miss bothering us leading to another miss.  By the way, I am not just talking about temper tantrums; I am also speaking to the shooters who are constantly trying to figure out what they did “wrong” in order to miss the shot.

Well, what is the solution besides saying “move on?”  I like to have a quick review of the previous shot, and let me stress the word QUICK.  I have 3 things that I review in order to see if I took my best shot or not:

1)      Was I ready for the shot?

2)      Did I move on the flash or initial streak of the target?

3)      Did I stare at the target as I pulled the trigger?

First off, notice that 2 of the 3 questions that I ask myself involve the start.  I cannot stress enough how important it is to be ready and set at the start and move as soon as you see the flash (the flash being the initial streak or blur of the target when you first see it after calling for the target).  I would say that almost 90% (or more) of misses or bad shots involve a bad start.  So, before calling for the target be sure that you are set and ready that way you can get off to a good start.  Lastly, assuming you got off to a good start, did you finish strongly by staring at the target or were you looking at the gun barrel to get a precise “measurement” on the target?  By the way, if you ask yourself and you think “well I thought I got a good look…”  that means you didn’t get a good look at the target.  You know when you get a good look at the target.  Now, if you can answer all 3 of these questions and answer them honestly and you did everything you could, you took your best shot possible for that day.  You can’t ask for anything better.  However, if you are consistently taking your “best shot,” and the target isn’t breaking, chances are there is a fundamental or technique problem that you may need a coach to fix.

Notice how the review is very quick and not very time consuming?  There is a reason I do this and that is to prevent me from dwelling on the miss.  Also, I do not get caught up in the endless debate of “Did I pick up my head, did I leave early, did I set my feet in the right spot, why did I look at the plane flying overhead?”  These type of questions lead down the path that you already know…a train wreck.  These questions put our brains in a frenzy state to the point we become so worried about our techniques and other things that we completely forget to focus on the next target (and we wonder why we can’t get back on track).  Now take that same state of frenzy, after missing a couple more, the brain finally calms down and we go back to focusing on the targets and amazingly they start breaking again.  Imagine that!  When we put our focus back on the target and doing the RIGHT THINGS instead of trying to figure out what we are doing wrong, we start breaking targets again.  This is no coincidence.  All it means is that when you miss, review the shot quickly, and start your normal routine again on how you are going to break the next target, instead of putting your focus on the countless things that COULD be going wrong…

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 remember, that once the shot is over, there is nothing we can do about it.  Good or bad, the shot is over.  The next shot requires your 100% complete attention on how you are going to break it, not on what went wrong on the previous shot.  Keep your normal routine and break each target one station, one shot at a time.