First of all, I want to say hello to the returning shooter I met on Thursday. I forgot to ask you your name but it was very nice to meet you. To elaborate on our conversation:
I like to go to different clubs to shoot practice. I find the exposure to varying backgrounds really helpful for mental focus. My favorite club to practice at is the one with the most difficult background. We spent an entire day there on January 31 shooting practice. It is tough since there are horses in the background, a major airport, residential homes and apartments, and all kinds of other noise. My scores are never as good there but the focus it takes to concentrate without becoming distracted really sticks with me when I go somewhere else. For example, today I was shooting 27 yard practice. Tony was standing behind me to observe and a group of shooters arrived waiting for the trap. Another person was with the group to act as a coach. They came into the trap area right behind me and were talking. I know it was intentional to see my reaction. I continued what I was doing so that I wouldn't keep them waiting. Then the 'coach' (whom I personally think is an excellent teacher even though I don't shoot his style) decided to chuck a few pieces of cardboard in front of me as I was about to call 'pull'. I didn't even turn around to look. I knew who it was, I didn't startle, called for the target and broke it.
Plus, there is another club we like to practice at and we have someone pull for us. This person will pull slow, fast, cough, holler, and other things to attempt to break focus. It really is great mental practice. Honestly, the one thing that continues to interfere with my concentration (and it certainly should) is my son's voice. If I can hear him when I am at the line I can't focus on anything except his voice. But then again, he is only five.
Another thing I find really helpful is to have someone (usually Tony) stand back and observe me. I also find it helpful to be the observer. Having someone to let me know when I shot faster than I usually do, moved slower to the target, picked up my head, and things along those lines enables me to analyze myself better. Sometimes I know I did something 'off' but I don't know what it was and an observer might be able to see it. Watching other people (and I mean people, not their targets) also gives me insight into mistakes I might be making. The one thing I want to point out that I do not ask observers to do is give me any advice on how to shoot unless I specifically ask for it. For me, it is very important to be able to figure out what works and what does not on my own. That way I understand the reasons why and why not and can replicate it or avoid it.
--Heather
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Point of Impact Overview - Part 3
Moving on to part 3 in POI
Now you have found the POI on your favorite trap gun and looking to get it to center on the moving target. This next level is not possible if you haven’t accomplished the fundamentals in elementary and Jr high. You need to have established your form, consistently hitting your body balance, foot placement, gun mount, head/eye/cheek position, elbow level, etc. Maybe studied Rollin Oswalds book. Must have learned how to stay in the present and switch from thinking to vision before calling for the target. Have established your visual and timing routine. Mistakes will be made, so hopefully you will be able to recognize mistakes and disregard those errors.
We have discussed and cussed, debated and bantered target break reading. Although there will be no debate among our nations best trap shooters. So without controversy or sorted debate on the merits of target reading, lets assume the reason these great shooters made it to the top is not only based in perfect form and timing, but their choice of gun being center target. This is one variation of how to get there.
Trap shooting is 12 inch game. The center core of your pattern is the only part of the pattern that can guarantee a solid break. The rest is unreliable, and depending on choke performance, may have uneven shot distribution in the periphery every shot down the barrel. So for this example lets put in a choke with over 32 thousands of constriction, full choke by some measure, certainly IM. The only important part is that it will turn the target into dust if perfectly center. Something to look for and measure by. Those that subscribe to the open and hope choke theory, your wasting your time reading this. Your past the beginner stage anyway, so play along, and fine out how to own a forgiving trap gun. At least get the gun on center before you open the choke up and make the next level of mistakes.
Start with a gun that breaks targets. Just needs to break targets, not smoke’em, but smoke would be good thing. You have already set the left and right on the patterning board, so the only thing we are concerned about is the vertical setting. If you decide to set the vertical on straight away targets that fine, a good place to start, but realize that your timing could be different for angle presentations. Easy to break the straight target and just as easy to get out of timing or go after the easy one more aggressively. Our goal is to set the POI for all targets and concentrate on maintaining control during the easy straight birds. The straights will also remain the most lost target in trap shooting.
When breaking the target and setting the vertical, just look for low or high hits. Low hit target will have smaller debris on the bottom and larger chunks going up. A high hit target is visa versa, shall chips on the top and the big chips short stopped or seem to be pushed down. If your getting chips left and right its either your pointing/timing error or you need to go back the bench and pattern. A choke tube could be off, or your changing the cheek pressure applied to the comb while moving with the shot. Usually left and right shooting is your fault, and something we pay attention to, to monitor our timing and pointing.
Once the gun is set to center, it time to move on to using the target break information to enhance our concentration on staying in the present. To measure our speed, control, point..... timing. The next level of skills to be focused on. Higher education with a sound base of fundamentals from gun fit, to stock setting, to vision and timing. You have complete confidence in your equipment and developing confidence in your pointing skills. With the POI issue settled you can focus on learning to be consistent or making minor changes in your approach. This is the point where if you decide to spend your money on a Phil Kiner clinic, you can actually learn better shooting skills, solve problems and listen to ideas or theory. Not spend his time working on your basic or fundamentals. Local coaches and mentors are for the basics. This where you get your moneys worth. Kiner, Chambell, Ohye, Harrison clinics are like going to college. You need to go there with a high school education for them to offer the most value for the money in information.
From this point on you can use the target break information to measure each shot. Can enhance your focus and self analysis each shot. On a good day, you will be completely absorbed in every detail of your shooting. Its called the "Zone" when each targets technique and control is the only focus. You don’t here others talking, see distractions, or find concern. You are completely absorbed in your shooting and the presents of the next target. One target at a time. Mental skills and management. The difference between the Kiner’s in trap shooting and the everyday average shooter even with a lifetime of experience.
--Maltzie
Now you have found the POI on your favorite trap gun and looking to get it to center on the moving target. This next level is not possible if you haven’t accomplished the fundamentals in elementary and Jr high. You need to have established your form, consistently hitting your body balance, foot placement, gun mount, head/eye/cheek position, elbow level, etc. Maybe studied Rollin Oswalds book. Must have learned how to stay in the present and switch from thinking to vision before calling for the target. Have established your visual and timing routine. Mistakes will be made, so hopefully you will be able to recognize mistakes and disregard those errors.
We have discussed and cussed, debated and bantered target break reading. Although there will be no debate among our nations best trap shooters. So without controversy or sorted debate on the merits of target reading, lets assume the reason these great shooters made it to the top is not only based in perfect form and timing, but their choice of gun being center target. This is one variation of how to get there.
Trap shooting is 12 inch game. The center core of your pattern is the only part of the pattern that can guarantee a solid break. The rest is unreliable, and depending on choke performance, may have uneven shot distribution in the periphery every shot down the barrel. So for this example lets put in a choke with over 32 thousands of constriction, full choke by some measure, certainly IM. The only important part is that it will turn the target into dust if perfectly center. Something to look for and measure by. Those that subscribe to the open and hope choke theory, your wasting your time reading this. Your past the beginner stage anyway, so play along, and fine out how to own a forgiving trap gun. At least get the gun on center before you open the choke up and make the next level of mistakes.
Start with a gun that breaks targets. Just needs to break targets, not smoke’em, but smoke would be good thing. You have already set the left and right on the patterning board, so the only thing we are concerned about is the vertical setting. If you decide to set the vertical on straight away targets that fine, a good place to start, but realize that your timing could be different for angle presentations. Easy to break the straight target and just as easy to get out of timing or go after the easy one more aggressively. Our goal is to set the POI for all targets and concentrate on maintaining control during the easy straight birds. The straights will also remain the most lost target in trap shooting.
When breaking the target and setting the vertical, just look for low or high hits. Low hit target will have smaller debris on the bottom and larger chunks going up. A high hit target is visa versa, shall chips on the top and the big chips short stopped or seem to be pushed down. If your getting chips left and right its either your pointing/timing error or you need to go back the bench and pattern. A choke tube could be off, or your changing the cheek pressure applied to the comb while moving with the shot. Usually left and right shooting is your fault, and something we pay attention to, to monitor our timing and pointing.
Once the gun is set to center, it time to move on to using the target break information to enhance our concentration on staying in the present. To measure our speed, control, point..... timing. The next level of skills to be focused on. Higher education with a sound base of fundamentals from gun fit, to stock setting, to vision and timing. You have complete confidence in your equipment and developing confidence in your pointing skills. With the POI issue settled you can focus on learning to be consistent or making minor changes in your approach. This is the point where if you decide to spend your money on a Phil Kiner clinic, you can actually learn better shooting skills, solve problems and listen to ideas or theory. Not spend his time working on your basic or fundamentals. Local coaches and mentors are for the basics. This where you get your moneys worth. Kiner, Chambell, Ohye, Harrison clinics are like going to college. You need to go there with a high school education for them to offer the most value for the money in information.
From this point on you can use the target break information to measure each shot. Can enhance your focus and self analysis each shot. On a good day, you will be completely absorbed in every detail of your shooting. Its called the "Zone" when each targets technique and control is the only focus. You don’t here others talking, see distractions, or find concern. You are completely absorbed in your shooting and the presents of the next target. One target at a time. Mental skills and management. The difference between the Kiner’s in trap shooting and the everyday average shooter even with a lifetime of experience.
--Maltzie
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Point of Impact Overview - Part 2
Part two is finding where your point of impact needs to be to center moving trap targets. The next step or going from elementary to Jr high.
A new or less experienced shooter steps to the line on a trap field. They have not developed their skills or have not had the opportunity to repeat each shot thousands of times, developing their personal form, timing, visual target acquisition, bead/barrel relationship or shot placement. They tend to be a slower and more deliberate shooter than the experienced old timer standing close by. They are shooting at the target as it peaks or the targets only horizontal level during its flight time. They are still trying to aim or relate the bead to the target to gain confidence and shooting data for their internal target solutions computer. In their minds eye they can see the recent patterning board results and are thinking they can place the pattern while the target is at its easy spot. With the chips, chunks and losses, they soon feel lost, because they know exactly where the pattern is as it relates to the moving target. It’s the moving part that changes where the POI needs to be at.
At this point the shooter needs to understand that aiming and pointing are very different, and pointing is the only way to break moving targets. Keeping a visual lock on the target and seeing the bead /barrel relationship in the periphery vision essential. It’s the targets path and movement that generates the shooters movement. Look away (bead check) and loose the target.
The 60/40 or 70/30 percent POI settings would work fine for the new or slow shooter, allowing for visual bead contact with the target. After your muscle memory has mastered the moves to the target and the shooter is comfortable with all aspects of form, mount, move, many shooters will start to naturally speed up timing. Taking the target sooner and while still climbing. This is where we need to start raising POI compensating for the targets vertical momentum. Raise the POI or try to control your timing every shot. My theory is, the shooter needs to shoot their natural timing. This speed should be based on vision. How fast visual target acquisition is locking on the target and how fast the shooter is responding to the targets movement. You can count on the trigger being pulled/released when the sight picture is accomplished. Can’t stop it, it’s a trained subconscious response, data you have loaded in your brain. Many will also find advantage in not making visual bead contact with the target, and float the target above the bead/barrel relationship. If you tend to flinch the float could be good. This again represents a higher setting on the stock for POI. As we can see its not hard to need and get settings that are 100% or more high at target distance (5 inches high at bench 13 yards). One thing you can count on, is each shooter must find what works for them, and how high their trap gun must shoot to center moving trap targets.
Once your gun is set for your proper or natural ability, any timing error will represent a lost target. Any visual mistake or jump will be a loss. The guns POI is set on your capability and normal shot sequence. A bead check is a stop movement, a jump is out of control movement. Once you establish your form, mount, vision and timing, thereto setting the POI to center, each shot must be in the same manor. So the shooter needs to self analyze every aspect of how a well placed shot was made, and know what the difference is of any error made.
--Maltzie
A new or less experienced shooter steps to the line on a trap field. They have not developed their skills or have not had the opportunity to repeat each shot thousands of times, developing their personal form, timing, visual target acquisition, bead/barrel relationship or shot placement. They tend to be a slower and more deliberate shooter than the experienced old timer standing close by. They are shooting at the target as it peaks or the targets only horizontal level during its flight time. They are still trying to aim or relate the bead to the target to gain confidence and shooting data for their internal target solutions computer. In their minds eye they can see the recent patterning board results and are thinking they can place the pattern while the target is at its easy spot. With the chips, chunks and losses, they soon feel lost, because they know exactly where the pattern is as it relates to the moving target. It’s the moving part that changes where the POI needs to be at.
At this point the shooter needs to understand that aiming and pointing are very different, and pointing is the only way to break moving targets. Keeping a visual lock on the target and seeing the bead /barrel relationship in the periphery vision essential. It’s the targets path and movement that generates the shooters movement. Look away (bead check) and loose the target.
The 60/40 or 70/30 percent POI settings would work fine for the new or slow shooter, allowing for visual bead contact with the target. After your muscle memory has mastered the moves to the target and the shooter is comfortable with all aspects of form, mount, move, many shooters will start to naturally speed up timing. Taking the target sooner and while still climbing. This is where we need to start raising POI compensating for the targets vertical momentum. Raise the POI or try to control your timing every shot. My theory is, the shooter needs to shoot their natural timing. This speed should be based on vision. How fast visual target acquisition is locking on the target and how fast the shooter is responding to the targets movement. You can count on the trigger being pulled/released when the sight picture is accomplished. Can’t stop it, it’s a trained subconscious response, data you have loaded in your brain. Many will also find advantage in not making visual bead contact with the target, and float the target above the bead/barrel relationship. If you tend to flinch the float could be good. This again represents a higher setting on the stock for POI. As we can see its not hard to need and get settings that are 100% or more high at target distance (5 inches high at bench 13 yards). One thing you can count on, is each shooter must find what works for them, and how high their trap gun must shoot to center moving trap targets.
Once your gun is set for your proper or natural ability, any timing error will represent a lost target. Any visual mistake or jump will be a loss. The guns POI is set on your capability and normal shot sequence. A bead check is a stop movement, a jump is out of control movement. Once you establish your form, mount, vision and timing, thereto setting the POI to center, each shot must be in the same manor. So the shooter needs to self analyze every aspect of how a well placed shot was made, and know what the difference is of any error made.
--Maltzie
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