This is a new feature that will interview top competitors in a number of disciplines and reveal how these “champions” are thinking as they compete at top levels. This insight into the Champion’s Mind should be not only interesting but beneficial in helping shooters build a mental game and allowing them to realize their real potential, both mentally and physically.

Kurt Grates – NSSA World Champion

Pete Brock – NFL Offensive Lineman

Robert Paxton – NSSA World Champion

Upcoming Interviews:

Doug Koenig – Action Pistol World Champion

Glen Eller – Olympic Gold Medalist, Doubles Trap

Tony Murphy – USAF Ret. F-15 Fighter pilot

Vincent Hancock – Olympic Gold Medalist, Skeet

Kim Rhode – Olympic Gold Medalist, Doubles Trap

Kurt Grates has been on top of the sport of skeet shooting for a number of years.  When he is not running Great Lakes Sporting Arms, he is traveling the country competing and helping shooters with their equipment needs.  Amongst a number of All-American selections and 400x400s, are Kurt’s performances and conquests at the highest levels of the sport, the 28 Gauge World Championship in 2002, and most recently the 20 Gauge World Championship in 2009.

TB:   Kurt, you have a very positive and confident personality, is this innate or strategically managed?

KG:   That is a good question, I think I am a very optimistic person naturally, but I do make a definite attempt to stay positive in concerns of my shooting, I strive to never say negative stuff on how I shoot or about the shooting conditions.

TB:   Most top shooters agree that you are one of the best doubles shooters in the sport.  How much of this training and how much in confidence?

KG:   Both, I train very hard on my doubles game probably eighty percent of my practice is doubles.  I try to be more aggressive in practice to help get my timing and shot placement at the optimum location, so when I’m in shoot-offs and I get a little  careful, I end up still hitting the targets with good placement.  I used to have a tendency to shoot them (targets) a little later. Being able to shoot and see the targets correctly gives me the confidence that when I am shooting good, I really do believe that I will never miss. It kind of snowballs from that point, as I start shooting better and better, giving me more and more confidence. Sometimes I feel that I can be too confident and miss, because I take it for granted. I think that there is fine between line of letting go recklessly and cautiously shooting.

TB:   You just won the 20 Gauge World Championship.  Did you build momentum as the shoot-off went on, and was it easier than the first one (28 Gauge in 2002)?

KG:   Definitely, I built momentum.  At first, I just concentrated on the each pair, then after the first round was complete, I remember thinking ‘I got this’, but I have thought that before and lost.  So I told myself to not take this for granted and just have fun. Then when it got down to the three us, Chris Cook, your (Bender) and me, the fun really started as I felt that we all had a good chance and if I just did what I trained for, then I would be OK.  Once you missed, I remember telling Chris to just relax and have fun. When Chris and I went out for the last box I assumed that he would get tight (as he never has been there before) and since I was shooting first, that would but added pressure on him. It was definitely a lot easier than when I won the 28 gauge. That is why I figured Chris would tighten up. I mean this is the World Championships, he might have not been tight at all, he definitely was equally deserving to win, but since I thought he was going to be nervous, it gave me even more confidence.

TB:   Do you start a shoot-off with the attitude, “This is mine, back-off!”  Or is it more lets just execute and see what happens?

KG:   Most of the time it is just execute and see what happens, then after a round or two it turns into “you guys are walking dead men and don’t even know it!”  I love it when that happens… I hate when I turn into one of the dead men.

TB:   You have spent some time building a mental game.  Any suggestions for someone trying to better their performance?

KG:   A few years ago I took a Lanny Bassham Seminar, I really can’t say if I learned anything that I did not already know, but I learned what I already knew, and why when I was shooting well, what was happening and why it worked. It was the best money I ever spent on shooting. Before that point I just hoped that today would be a good day, like there was some kind of black box. Sometime I would over try, and would concentrate on concentrating and that always leads to unfavorable results.  After the Basham seminar, I have a lot more fun and have become a lot more consistent shooter. He taught me how to build a strong self image and how to keep focused on the task at hand. I would recommend his DVD or seminar to everyone. I feel that the Bender-Bassham seminar is the best thing a new shooter could ever take as the mind gave is just as important as the fundamentals, in fact it could be more important, if you have the will to win, most likely you will win.

TB:   If you were to get stronger mentally, what changes would you want to make?

KG:   There is no way you could ever get a self-image strong enough, I work on my self-image every day, it would be nice to start each season with both the same mental and technical skill as the season that just ended and to keep evolving from there. Every day I learn something new about the mind game of shooting skeet, it helps with all aspects of life as well. The more I learn the simpler it becomes.

The days of being scared when I shoot are over… now I would like to have the Bender attitude of “This is mine, back-off” not just when the shoot-offs start but when the EVENT Starts… I really believe that if we do what we are suppose to do that we should never miss a target EVER…. The ONLY thing you can control is the NEXT Shot.

Pete Brock played twelve professional seasons with the NFL’s New England Patriots (1976-87).  Besides being one of the greatest lineman to play in New England, Pete is also an avid shotgunner.

Pete played every position of the offensive line in the 154 regular season games that he played for the New England Patriots. Pete, and his brother Stan Brock (New Orleans Saints, 1980-92, San Diego Chargers, 1993-95), were both first round picks in the NFL Draft.

Pete, one of the most versatile linemen to play in the NFL, also has a sense of humor.  He earned the nickname “Deep Threat” when he caught a 6-yard TD pass from Steve Grogan in the Patriots 38-24 win over the New York Jets.  Pete brought the play from the sidelines and told Steve Grogan in the huddle that the play was “222 to me” rather than 222 Tight End Delay.

Today, Pete lives in N. Attleboro, MA, with his family.  He is a successful businessman, and still very involved with Patriots organization, doing charity work, game-day color and play-by-play analysis.

Interview coming in 2010

Few athletes have reached the pinnacle of their sport, fewer can stay at the top.  Robert Paxton has done so over four decades.  This is the true test of mental toughness, and one of the most difficult things to do, maintain longevity in sport.  Robert has won more World Championships, shot more 400x400s, and earned more positions on All-American Teams than most people can dream of.  Robert is also respected as one of the best target gun dealers in the nation, running Paxton Arms since 1978.  But more importantly, Robert Paxton is recognized as the true gentleman of the sport.

TB:   You have been on top of the sport for over four decades.  That’s pretty impressive, what do you accredit that to?

RP:   I would say the love of the sport –and my addiction to competition.   In the end it’s the people who make the sport, and over the years it is personal relationships that keep me motivated.

TB:   You are very competitive by nature, that can be a good thing, but how do you channel that to have a positive effect on your game?

RP:  Being competitive means that your goal is to compete and win.  Therefore it also means putting in the necessary work on the practice field, and working the soft tissue between the ears. Being competitive is tremendous motivation to find the most effective ways to improve my game.

TB:   If you were to give a shooter advice on beginning and or improving their mental game, what would you tell them?

RP:  That one must have a fairly solid physical game before the mental game can contribute.  Once that is achieved, work on trust and confidence.  Learning to shoot with confidence, and being able to trust yourself to perform, as you know you can are mental keys that if applied properly, can help achieve full potential.

TB:  How do you handle a less than satisfactory performance?

RP:  I give myself a half hour to feel disappointed and chastise myself.  After the half hour is up I look forward, as the score on the sheet will never change.  I hate to lose, but I realize that focusing on the negatives will not help me win.  Looking forward to the next event with a positive attitude will.

TB:  Do you do any mental preparation before the season?

RP:  Yes, but only for a few weeks prior to the start of the season.  I do most of my mental training on the practice field – working both the physical and mental aspects.   After forty skeet seasons behind me, I try to take a vacation from the competitive grind during most of the off season.

TB:  What is your greatest mental attribute that is responsible for at least some of your success?

RP:  I could talk about visualization or focus, but I believe that to be successful in sport, you must have a dream – If you don’t have a dream, then how can it come true?  Secondly, you must be able to trust yourself, which is the key to bringing your full potential to the competition field.  Most find it much easier to trust themselves on the practice field.

TB:  Given the nature of your business, you are constantly bombarded with distractions at tournaments, and that without doubt extracts a toll.  How do you mentally deal with that, especially when preparing to compete?

RP:  Experience has helped greatly. It took many years, but I am finally learning that if I have prepared properly, distractions are much less distracting.  If I am properly prepared, I have trust in my ability to perform, regardless of what happened five minutes or five seconds ago.  I’m learning that if you let a distraction affect your performance, it will suffer.  Sounds easy, but for me it was not!

TB:  Any other comments that you believe are pertinent to the conversation about your game both physically and mentally?

RP:  I was blessed with pretty good hand/eye coordination, but know from experience that a great mental game can overcome almost any deficiency of natural gun pointing talent.  More than once, I have had squadmates that have had less than average natural ability, but through sheer desire, and a very focused mental game, rose to World Champion status.

There are scores of us who want that Gold Ring – who have tremendous desire and work ethic – who try as hard we can to achieve our goals – but I believe that the Champion is usually the one who is able to shoot with ultimate trust.  In other words he is able to “get out of his own way” and let all of his practice experience flow through, uncluttered, and confidently during competition.

An Interview with James Daemon

During my last visit to England, I had a chance to sit down with UK fitness guru, James Daemon. Mr. Daemon also happens to be a shotgun shooter, and writes monthly for fitness and shooting publications overseas. The following is a discussion that I had with James, and the important ideas that he has on fitness and shooting and how they relate to each other.

TB: How important is physical fitness to shooting?

JD: It’s critical! In athletics they say that “physical preparedness forms the basis of technique”, and it’s just as true in our sport. Your shortcomings in one area will form the limit to your abilities, and will become the ceiling of you technique. Many view work-outs as useless unless you want to lift weights. Whilst its certainly true that “specificity” governs all training we do, there are a host of other positive changes that’s training and fitness induce, ranging from ageing better, retaining muscular qualities, and the small things, like being able to breathe efficiently! Also there’s better bone density, and hormonal changes, which allow you just plain feel better. Who’s your money on, the guy who’s relaxed and focused when he steps onto the station, his only concern in the world is his next target, or the edgy guy who shuffles up with difficulty breathing?

TB: How should a shooter begin a program or enhance an existing one?

JD: First step is to take stock of where you are now, and where you want to be in a time frame you set. Its very easy to remember how fast you could run a mile, or how much you could lift when you were in college, but the rule of thumb is if it happened six months ago, you need to start back at zero.

Anything we do with structure stands a greater chance of success. So between you and your coach, or partner, start asking questions that will govern what you do. What do I feel I could do better? What is coming between me and my best scores? If it’s mental focus, don’t forget the mind depends on the body for energy, so general improvements in fitness pay dividends to your mental game.

Enhancing an existing program can very often be done by varying the routine a little. The body has to be forced to adapt and change, so after 6-12 weeks, give it something new to adapt to.

TB: What muscle groups should be targeted for shooters?

JD: All muscles should be targeted as part of an overall program, certainly at the beginning, to ensure good overall development, before specializing. Your first training venture shouldn’t be too specific, aim to bring everything up to speed at the same rate. What will likely happen then is you can start to target your problem areas, where does it ache after a days shooting for you? There’s a good place to start.

Good consistent technique comes from the lower body, so it makes sense to get some good work in on the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and the calves. Also, don’t forget to work in some lower back work as the amount of forward lean your individual technique has will govern how strong you need to be. Then, we can start to directly mimic the motions we use on the skeet field in the gym. This is where this “Specificity” idea comes into play. Not all training pays dividends for all sports. So the closer the action you do in the gym looks to your sporting movement, the more it will pay you to do it. In shooting, we have weight over the front leg, and some rotation. We have a lot of isometric force coming from the lower back and abdominal areas, as well as from the biceps holding the gun into the shoulder.

These are exercises in the gym that can benefit shooters:

Shooter’s Split Squat
Lateral Lunges
Good Mornings
Concentration Curls
Reverse Curls
Squats
Standing calf raise
Shooters Raise
Bicep Cable Curl with isometric hold at end

“Shooters Split Squat”

To give you power to stay stable whilst generating a smooth turn after turn, try this exercise. Start with one repetition per leg just to be sure of the movement, and build up to 12 each leg over the course of 6 weeks. When you get really confident, try holding bottles of water in each hand to add some resistance. The front foot should be turned to 2 o’clock as if addressing a target, this does mean that you must be extra steady when performing it. Don’t bounce – Keep it steady and keep your chin up!

“Reverse Curls”

As you can see, body stays completely motionless, and rotation occurs just around elbow joint. Strengthens lower bicep, upper forearm. This motion is neglected by many sports-people. Use light weights and aim for 10-12 repetitions for 3 sets.

“Bicep Curls”

Bicep work performed slowly to simulate holding the gun into the shoulder shot after shot after shot. Raise one arm at a time by flexing at the elbow joint, whilst keeping the other relaxed, extend the fingers to flatten the hand at the top of the movement. Perform 3 sets, 10-12 repetitions.

“Concentration Curls”

Concentration curls are of use to the shooter, as the strength gains are joint angle specific. We can see the resemblance between the position of the right arm, and the position we would be as if we were pulling the trigger. When you’re comfortable with this exercise, increase the weight slightly and perform it standing up. Hold at the top of the movement by the shoulder for 6 seconds, then slowly lower under control. Aim for a steady 10-12 reps, 3 sets.

“Seated Row”

This movement is for a strong upper back, increases control and reduces fatigue for shooting. Control this motion from the rhomboids! Pinch and hold at the end. 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions.

“Lateral Raises”

Start this movement in the shoulder blades, raise to arms length and hold for six seconds maintaining a lowered trapezoid. Hold the stomach in and don’t flex the spine to the side! Build up to 3 sets, 1-12 reps each.

“Good Mornings”

For the Lower back, and thus all lower body shooters! Keep looking up the whole time to keep the spine straight!

“Squat”

Crucial for leg strength and stamina! Keep the back straight and flex from the hips and knees – do not lean forward to pick up and put down the weights. Slowly extend knees and hips, then lower. 3 sets, 10-12 repetitions.

“Wrist Curls”

Strong wrists never hurt anyones averages! Get a full range of motion for this one!

TB: How important is stretching before or after shooting?

JD: The jury’s out on this one. My advice would be to stretch for a specific goal, which is to increase the range of motion around a joint, therefore to stretch at the end of the shoot, as stretching cold risks injury and reduces force production. The main thing about stretching after training is that it returns muscles to their resting length, which means your posture can return to normal after being hunched up over the gun all day, and that recovery will be faster. Some recommend stretching as a separate session, but I would always recommend after training. Pre-shooting, take the joints through the range of motion you will be using, but no further!

TB: What about cardiovascular training as a part of a routine program, and is it important in preparation for a day’s event?

JD: Cardiovascular training is another vital component of a well-balanced program. And it is important to make sure again, that what we do in the gym is going to be relevant to what we do on the field. Going hell for leather on the treadmill won’t help you much, so back to the idea of ‘modeling’. Your training should resemble your sport. What do you suppose your heart rate is during competition? And for how long must you maintain this? That’s how you should work. Being able to keep up a brisk pace with a slight incline will not only make your legs stronger, but will help keep weight down, and will help you recover from your other exertions. Cardio means better transport of oxygen, which will improve the function of everything, from the eyes, to your mental ability to focus

In preparation for the day’s event many find that some light cardio, literally a warm-up can help them prepare mentally for the day. Others will not want even want to do this. The key, with so many aspects of your game is to see which you feel more comfortable with, and have the most success with.

TB: What activities should be limited during a tournament?

JD: Shooting badly! I’d like to say smoking and drinking lots of coffee, but if these are things you do normally, not doing them will throw you off. Definitely avoid alcohol like the plague and remember it will still be with you the next day. Avoid anything that will cause you to lose fluid. Just be completely self-centered and think about you.

TB: What about nutrition during the day of an event?

JD: You could write a whole section just on this vital subject! But we’ll just cover a few key points here. The last thing you want to be thinking about is what you’ve just eaten, so no greasy clubhouse sandwiches that will sit in your stomach for hours whilst you shoot.

Anything high in sugar is off the menu too, as it will provoke an insulin response, which will affect the eyes, and make you tired and sluggish. You need a good stable stream of energy being delivered throughout the day with no peaks. So rice, pasta, potatoes, salads and fluids are all priority. Learn to stick with a portion size and don’t exceed it!

As a point of trivia, some have hypothesized that as the first part of target flight is picked up is the saccade (peripheral vision), which is a survival reflex. This can be focused on more acutely if the shooter is borderline hungry. If you had to opt for being nearer stuffed, or nearer hungry, opt for hungry!

Avoid high protein foods during the shoot, as these will be an effort to digest and absorb. Try not to eat 2 hours before and event and just bear in mind that it can drain the energy you need to shoot to digest bad foods. In future articles, we can look at combining foodstuffs to achieve optimum performance.

TB: Shoot-offs decide championships, but they are held at the end of the day. How can a shooter maximize energy levels at that time of day?

JD: Of course, nutrition is the foundation. But again with intelligent “Training/Modeling”, make sure you practice shooting at night. A lot of people’s circadian rhythms means they are ‘day’ people, and will feel odd trying to focus and perform at this time of the day. Get used to it before the event. Food wise, a complex carbohydrate meal every 4 hours or so, with constant fluid intake is the best foundation.

TB: A little is better that nothing at all. If a shooter doesn’t have time or access to gym facilities or equipment, what can they do in a hotel room to increase strength and endurance for shooting?

JD: Everyone can benefit a few back to basics sessions: Good on the road exercises include:

Push Ups
Sit-ups
Isometric Towel Work for the biceps and triceps
Body Weight Squats
Body Weight Good Morning
Lateral Lunges
Abdominal Plank

Alternate upper/lower body exercises with no rest intervals but keep momentum going and you’ll get some cardio work done at the same time. It’s like a circuit- training program, which is great for keeping you from going stale.

How to train Isometrically:

Isometric exercises, so called because you provide the resistance! You can do Bicep, tricep, and rotator cuff work with the common bathroom towel. Keep your limbs still whilst generating tension. If you try work the shoulders and arms in the same position you hold the gun in- this will ensure you get maximum benefit from this training. To be sure, do two parts to each exercise. Contract once at the bottom, and once at the top.

Make sure you have a FIRM grip on the towel. Squeeze the muscle and hold for about 6 seconds. Repeat 5 times. Aim to contract and squeeze in a smooth consistent fashion. Keep breathing in a controlled fashion. Repeat around 5 times.
TB: Correct breathing is important to weight lifting. Can better breathing improve shooting performance?

JD: Yes, in any sport, breathing makes the difference. We must appreciate there is a mental and physical aspect to our game, and its all so precise, we can’t just swing fast and do the job. Of course there are physical benefits to allowing regular passage of oxygen around the body, but for my money, the main edge here is mental. It’s that second of absolute stillness before you step onto the station, that means the target spins lazily in front of you almost in slow motion and you unfold with pinpoint accuracy with no rushing or jerking. A few deep breaths is one of the oldest adages in the sporting world, but next time you compete, you just watch how many people do it before every shot as part of their program. Do it in practice, do it in competition. No excuses.
For a tip to try in practice, when you take your few deep breaths, concentrate on the exhalation, most athletes have to be trained to exhale enough to allow the lungs to fill up with fresh oxygen to capacity. You’ll know when you’ve got it right!

TB: My guess is that shooter’s water intake is less than desirable in hot or cool weather. What effect and benefit does proper water intake have on an activity that involves, coordination and endurance?

JD: Good point, I’d have to agree. So much research has been done on the subject of performance and fluid intake, The main concern to the shooter is that it makes breathing increasingly more difficult from as little as a 1% fluid loss. The worry is, as events last all day, and sweating isn’t usually profuse, few recognize the need to keep fluids topped up.

Drink smart and use a drink with some electrolytes, as this is the important stuff we lose when we sweat. But be wary! Lost of energy drinks come loaded with glucose, which we don’t need! Often the high levels of carbohydrates in certain sports drinks can cause blood glucose fluctuations, which can affect the eyes ability to function as we need them to.

This article is the property of Todd Bender and bendershima.com, and it is presented for educational and informational purposes only. Any use or reproduction of this article or any content on this website without the written consent of Todd Bender is prohibited.

The Answer

Hold Points

Shot Placement

The Baseline Factor

Back to Basics

Utilization of Body for Gun Movement

Tale of the Tape

Obtaining Leads

Think Before You Speak

Bad Days

Setting Targets – Jason Menke of Briley/Mattarelli

Seeing Clearly – Allan Lehman

Country Gentleman Gun Fitters – Todd Nelson

Chokes – Cliff Moller of Briley

Going Mental – Lanny Bassham

Let there be Light – Dr. Rich Colo

The following is the property of Todd Bender and bendershima.com, and it is presented for educational and informational purposes only. Any use or reproduction of this article or any content on this website without the written consent of Todd Bender is prohibited.

Fundamentals of Skeet Shooting and Basic Shotgunning

Shooters who have worked with me are well versed on my mantra, “head on the gun, eye on the target.” This is because all shotgun shooting, be it American Skeet, Trap, Sporting Clays, and even field shooting, requires the three fundamentals– head on the gun, eye on the target, and proper lead–to be successful.

When shooting a shotgun, we must keep our heads firmly on the stock so that we see the correct relationship between the target and the barrel. The is the first of three the fundamentals. A shotgun has two sights, the front sight, which is the front bead on the barrel, and the rear sight, which is you. Much like the sights on an open-sighted rifle, as the rear sight is adjusted the impact point changes and the sights line up differently, slightly changing the direction the bullet travels. Raising the head off of the stock will cause the brain to “see” an improper relationship between the barrel and the target. As the brain immediately corrects this imbalance, it realigns the sights, usually resulting in a missed shot over the top.

Why over? Assuming a straight line from the rear sight–your eye–through the front sight to the target, as the head is lifted the alignment becomes non-linear. The eye will see the front sight as being below the target. Even though the gun is still aligned with the target, because the front sight has yet to move, the eye perceives this incongruity because of its new position. In realigning the sights, the muzzle is lifted, to bring the front sight back in line with the rear sight and the target. Although the brain “sees” the alignment as satisfactory again, in actuality the muzzle has been raised, as has the point of impact.

The second fundamental is keeping our eyes focused on the target so that the gun can move in concert with the target. Visual focus must be maintained on the target throughout the shot so that the brain receives a continuous flow of information regarding target speed, distance, elevation, and direction. Based on that information, our brain must then calculate the proper lead for the target and through action execute the shot.

We can better comprehend the act and the results of looking at the barrel through demonstration. Pick an object at distance, at least ten yards away, and focus on it. With your hand at your side, quickly point at the object. You should have no trouble doing this. We are all born with an innate ability to point, it is called hand-eye coordination. Now point your finger up in the sky and focus on the end of your finger. While continuing to focus on the end of your finger, lower your hand and point back at the selected object, but keep your focus on the end of your finger. You will find that this is much more difficult. As you look at the end of your finger, everything past that point is out of focus, including your target object; therefore it is difficult to find. The same thing happens when you look at the end of your gun barrel to check lead. Focus on the target is lost, undermining the whole process.

Notice that the act of pointing at the target was quite simple and rapid when focus was maintained on the object. Not once was there an inclination to look back at your finger to make sure that you were pointing at the object. This is because you are confident in your ability to point. Unfortunately we do not all have the same confidence in our abilities to point a shotgun, even though we should because it involves the same pointing attributes.

The act of pointing at a stationary object seems easy, but what if you have to lead that object. Let’s lead the object two feet to the right. Focus on the object and point two feet to the right. Again, the process should be simple. Now repeating, look at your finger and point two feet to the right of the object. Not as easy. So to facilitate pointing the shotgun and maintaining a relationship with a moving target, at distance, the eyes must continually have focus on the target.

The targeting system on a jet fighter works the same way. The system can lock onto a target, as long as the radar “sees” its intended victim. However, when contact on the target is lost, the system goes into neutral or back to actively searching, because it no longer has a target in “view” to track.

The third and final fundamental is to have the proper lead. Though important, lead is not nearly as influential to our success as the first two fundamentals, head on the stock, eye on the target. This is because we are shooting a shotgun, and a shotgun throws a big pattern. A normal skeet choke will throw a pattern that is close to thirty inches in diameter at twenty-one yards, the distance from any station to the center stake; also the distance that a majority of the shots are taken. So like hand-grenades, with a shotgun all you have to do is get close.

Let’s apply this thinking to an actual shot on the skeet field. Using High House, Station Five as an example, imagine shooting this shot, which requires approximately three to three and one-half feet of lead. You will notice that when I mention leads they will never be definite, but rather generalizations of the actual lead. If specific leads were given the tendency to be precise would be overwhelming, causing the eyes to look at the barrel in an effort to measure lead and be perfect.

But for demonstration’s sake, let’s pinpoint the lead for High Five at three and one-half feet, or forty-two inches. Knowing that we are shooting a pattern, or more descriptively what the English refer to as a “shot cloud” that is twenty-six to thirty inches in diameter, if I put fifty inches of lead on High Five, am I likely to break it? Sure, I may be in front, but in all likelihood the target will break. If I shoot this shot with only thirty-two inches of lead, will it still break? More than likely the break would be off of the back of the target, due to the shortened lead.

What is important is that lead is not that important. As long as you are close, the shotgun will do the work. Your job as a shotgun shooter is to be a good rear sight of the shotgun. To do this, you need to do two things. First, keep the rear sight in the same place, maintaining alignment with the front sight and the target, head on the stock. Second, keep the rear sight looking at what it is trying to hit, eye on the target. Do these two things, and hand-eye coordination and the shotgun will do the rest.

If I have my head on the gun, and my eye on the target, and I give the target the proper lead, allowing time for my shot string to intercept the flight path of the target, I cannot miss. If my head is down properly on the stock, that gun will shoot where I look. If my eyes are focused on the target, I can then match gun speed with target speed and mirror the movements of the target. This mirroring of movements can only be achieved if I have focus on the target. Finally, if I give the target the proper lead for the given distance and angle of the shot, it is physically impossible for my shot string not to intercept the flight path of the target.

Using Body for Gun Movement

We can categorize shooter’s body movement by dividing them into two groups, upper body shooters and lower body shooters. Quite simply an upper body shooter uses the upper body to create gun movement and the lower body shooter relies on the legs to do the work. Let’s look at each more closely, and determine why one is better than the other.

First we will examine the movements of the upper body shooter. This shooter generates all of the gun movement from the waist up. To move the gun, the shoulders and arms push or really force the gun in the desired direction of the shot. A number of poor fundamentals are created when using the upper body to move the gun.

Initially, two bad things happen as the arms “push” the gun. First, using the arms to move the gun is a very limited move, you can try but you will find that you can only push the gun so far in either direction. Also, the arms push in a point A to point B fashion. This move is very linear, so it is difficult to rotate smoothly and match gun speed with target speed for any sustained period of time. Secondly, as the arms push or “throw” the gun to the target, the head will invariably come off the stock. Any upper body shooter who has a problem of “coming out of the gun”, will continue to have that problem, regardless of how the problem is combated, until that shooter stops being an upper body shooter. Just the act of moving to the target, commences the pushing of the gun away from the face, which in essence, is raising the head.

While the arms are busy pushing the gun, the upper body follows the arm’s movement. Pushing back and forth from right to left, and left to right, the body’s weight shifts from on foot to the other. This happens because the arms have a limited area of movement, so the introduced weight shift increases the area covered by the push. As this weight shift occurs, you will notice that the shoulders do not stay level, but in fact roll as the body rocks back and forth. Now we’re in the quagmire, and deep.

Being a lower body shooter, all of the lateral rotation with the target is created by leg movement. It is the legs that do the turning. As discussed earlier, instead of right and left, our feet become front and back, the left foot is the front foot for the right-hander, the right foot for the left-hander. In order to counter the weight shift during the shot, I will position most of the body’s weight forward, onto the front foot.

This weight distribution can be easily demonstrated by standing with the feet underneath the shoulders, extending the fingers out from the left hand, and positioning yourself arm’s length away, and perpendicular to a wall, fingers just touching the wall. Left-handed shooters will extend the right arm. Now, while continuing to extend the arm, rotate the hand up, as if to tell the wall to “stop”. Next, lean against the wall using the rotated hand as support. You will notice that a majority of your weight now is positioned on the foot closest to the wall. Now, drop your hand. Roughly eighty percent of your body weight is now on your “front” foot. This is the weight distribution that one would desire while using the lower body to shoot.

Maintaining, this position, turn to the right, then to the left, rotating over the front foot. Notice that the body turns smoothly, and of utmost importance, on one axis. I like to think of a pole extending up from the ground, through my left leg, and continuing up through the torso. This is the axis that I turn on, and it is an unbending axis.

As you turn from this position, take into account that it is the large quadricep muscles of the legs that are doing the turning, the upper body turns also, but it is just coming along for the ride. The shoulders remain in the same plane as the hips, following suit as the legs dictate the action.

Adopting this method of turning, we have essentially eliminated all of the problems experienced by the upper body shooter. Recognize that as we turn over the front foot, the shoulders stay level, thus eliminating a shoulder “roll”. This roll only occurs when the weight shifts from the front to the back foot. Concurrently, as the weight remains over the front foot, balance is maintained throughout the shot.

Foot Position

When shooting clay targets, our foot position dictates where we can and where we cannot move the shotgun with a reasonable amount of control. This is because it is the legs and body that actually move the shotgun. If it is the legs that do the work, then it is the feet that specify within which range the legs will work. We can easily demonstrate this. Stand up and place your feet shoulder width apart. Now turn to your left, then to your right. Observe that we can turn to our left only to a specific point where we bind up, and can turn no further. Conversely, there is corresponding limit to our turn to our right. Therefore, when shooting at moving targets, since the gun must move in a relative motion with the target, we would want to place the target, and target movement within our left to right turning limits, where our movement is uninterrupted. This thought is the basis for all foot positions on a skeet field.

Take note that above I mentioned that the feet should be placed underneath the shoulders. Your foot position relative to your body is also significant. While standing, place your feet shoulder width apart, and keep your feet parallel, as if you were wearing skis. Now turn. Remember to break the knees, that’s why there is a joint in the middle of your leg, you are more flexible that way. With the knees locked, or legs straight, the joint is rendered useless. With your knees bent, your movement should be free and fluid. Now stagger your feet, one in front of the other, or point your toes outward, away from each other. Again turn, and notice that your ability to turn is noticeably hampered when the feet are not parallel, and or not in the same plane.

Foot position and the theory behind it is not brain surgery. In fact, if we accept the above discussion, then it is quite easy. Some shooters will argue its validity, but there is basically one foot position for the entire skeet field. For a right handed shooter, with two exceptions, your position for stations one through six, high house, low house, singles or doubles, is facing the low house window. For the left-handed shooter, stations two through seven, you will face the high house window. The exceptions are the locations on the field where you can’t possibly face the window. These shots would be Station Seven and High House – Station Eight for the right-shoulder shooter, and Station One and Low House Station Eight for the left-hand shooters. We will address these exceptions in a moment.

Obviously, this rule of facing the window seems rather simplistic. Nevertheless, it is based on solid facts. But how can one position work for most of the field? Understand that a skeet field is built around a semi-circle, and because of geometry, many of the shots and angles around the field of similar. Because many shots are the same, it stands to reason that many of our fundamentals on each shot, foot position, hold points, leads, will also be similar. So it follows logically that there could be a limited number of positions based on similarity of shots.

Hold Points

We will define a hold point, as a starting place for the gun, where movement is initiated on visual contact of the target. If this initial point is correct, then the ensuing movement of the gun with or to the target shall be simplified, and the desired lead will be become a by-product of the process, without effort. Therefore, the entire shot will be facilitated, because there will be no adjustments necessary in gun movement as lead is acquired, and most importantly, there will be less energy required by the shooter to execute that movement.

In actual application, this means that if I held my gun on the window of the house and called for a target, by the time that my brain visually acquires the target and sends impulses to the body to initiate movement, the target will be way ahead of me. It will have moved well toward the center of the field before I have had time to react. So, the ensuing gun movement to the target to obtain the necessary lead will be rushed, the gun will have to accelerate and over take the target, creating excessive gun movement to compensate for the poor or late start. This is the action of a swing through shooter. Conversely, a hold point that is too far away from the house requires the adjustment of slowing gun movement to let the target “catch up” with the gun. This movement basically involves stopping gun movement or “trapping the target”, a movement which is undesirable for consistent shooting of a moving target.

Considering the above incorrect scenarios, we come to my definition of a “perfect” hold point. This is defined as a starting point for the gun, in which visual contact is made, and as gun movement is initiated, the shooter is allowed to match gun speed with target speed and immediately obtain the desired lead. The “perfect” hold point requires no accelerated or decelerated gun movement or adjustments to allow for required lead. As illustrated above, if my hold point is in “too close” to the house, or out “too far”, either scenario requires adjustments in gun speed to allow for movement “with” the target, which is further defined as “matching gun speed with target speed.” The concept of matching gun speed with target speed is the underlying principle and the defining gun movement for a sustained lead shooter.

When analyzing or calculating hold points, understand that they are dictated by one variable, and that is target speed. So any hold point that is mentioned in this text, is only a generalized starting point, that will be fine tuned for any given situation, or target speed.

My hold points will change slightly in direct proportion to the equivalent changes in target speed from club to club, or even from field to field. This means that a faster target will reach my hold point more quickly than normal, so that my hold points in that situation are moved away from the house to compensate for the extra speed. A slower target would take longer to reach my barrel at its initial start point, so my hold points are affected by moving more closely to the target origination point. These compensations are made to maintain an initial movement that immediately generates gun speed with target speed, and at the same time, generates a proper lead. Every shot that I approach on a skeet field involves planning that includes a precise hold point. Introducing the idea of the perfect hold point, we can deduce that different speed targets will require different hold points, to keep gun movement with the target consistent, without adjustments to obtain lead.

Hold points are usually measured from the starting point of target flight, the house or window, and defined by its placement and relationship within the boundaries of the field. Generally speaking, given my approach to the game, all shots on a skeet field can be initiated with a hold point that is “one third of the way from the house you are shooting to the center stake.” Let us take a High House – Station Four for example.

To properly set up for this target, my initial starting point would be one third of the way from the high house to the center stake. That distance, from high house to center stake, is 21 yards, so one third of the way would calculate to 21 feet out away from the high house. This distance from the house allows me time to see the target as it emerges from the window, initiate gun movement upon visual acquisition of the target, and with little effort, match gun speed with target speed, and obtain the proper lead with little effort. Although the distance “one third of the way from the house you are shooting to the center stake” is a generalization, in almost all cases it will get you in the “ballpark” to execute a facilitated sustained lead shot. Then, given the definition of a perfect hold point, your actually hold point can be altered to take into consideration the given target speed on that particular range.

Obtaining Lead

Although lead is the third of the three fundamentals required to hit a moving target with a shotgun, and even though the first two, head on the gun, eye on the target, are much more important to our conscious plan, lead is still a necessary ingredient to the mix.

There are three methods of obtaining and maintaining lead on a moving target. The first is the “swing through” method. This method first allows the target to move past the gun barrel. The target is then followed by the gun barrel and at a point just before the trigger is pulled, the gun accelerates past the target and the shot is fired. It is the acceleration of the gun through the target that generates the lead, hence, the swing through method.

A swing through shooter rarely sees much lead, if any at all. However, this is a perception. In most cases the trigger is pulled as the gun passes the target, the shooter perceives the gun pointing at the target. But given the accelerated gun speed used to catch and overcome the target, even if the gun is pointing at the target when the trigger is pulled, by the time the firing pin hits the primer, which ignites the powder, which sends the shot down the barrel, the accelerated gun now points ahead of the target, hopefully with the proper lead.

A swing through shooter will always say that they see very little lead. How could one shooter see four feet of lead on one shot, and another shooter claim that they see “no” lead on the identical target? We know that physically and mathematically that would be impossible given that the shooters fired similar speed ammunition on similar speed and distance targets. Using the above illustration, this discrepancy is because the swing through shooter sees a perceived lead, as opposed to the lead a shooter using a method that generates matched gun movement with target movement would see. That shooter would observe a “true” lead. The lead observed is “true” because that lead, assuming gun speed being matched with target speed, is the distance that the target will travel as the shot string moves to intercept the target’s flight.

Many field shooters, sporting clay shooters, and even skeet shooters employ this method. I find though this method lacks in application though, at least when one desires a consistent approach to skeet shooting. Examining the above scenario, everything is saved until the end, including and most importantly, the obtaining of the proper lead. In fact, the shooter is never “on” the target, until the trigger is pulled.

The second means of obtaining lead is the “pull ahead” method. This way of obtaining lead is the chosen method of England’s Clay Pigeon Shooting Association (CPSA). In fact, in England it is referred to as “the Method”. When shooting “pull ahead”, after the target appears, the gun is pointed at the target throughout the shot, until the time to shoot the target, then the gun “pulls ahead”, obtaining the necessary lead, and the shot is taken.

This method has many advantages, the first of which satisfies one of the more difficult aspects of shotgunning. No matter what the target, round and made out of clay, or feathered, the most difficult variable to master on each shot is the determination of target direction, speed, angle, and elevation. Simply by point at the target, and then continuing to do so, all of the above variables are determined. By “mirroring” the target’s movement, or as the English would say, “moving in empathy with the target”, the target’s direction, speed, angle, and elevation are automatically calculated. All that is left is the introduction of the proper lead.

The third method of obtaining lead is the “sustained lead” method. This is my choice, and the most widely accepted method in the game of skeet. This method matches gun speed with target speed, much in the same way that the “pull ahead” method did, but at all times, we are ahead of the target, “sustaining” or maintaining the proper lead as we move the gun, forcing the target to follow the barrel. Any shot execution discussed in this book will implement the sustained lead method. This method also allows me to see a “truer” lead for a longer period of time, as discussed previously in the above paragraphs.

During any one of my well executed shots, I will immediately, upon the target emerging from the window, match gun speed with target speed, establish a lead, and then “carry” the target to my desired break point. By setting up the target, gun speed and lead, as early as possible, I control the shot, being able to first, break the target at my desired point, and secondly, I do not have to wait until the last possible moment to obtain a lead. Imagine that on every shot I attempt, that after the target has traveled no more that twenty feet from the house, I have matched gun speed with target speed and have already obtained the proper lead. Having done that on every shot, how many targets am I going to hit?

Shooting a sustained lead means that the target never gets in front of the gun. Most shooters accept that when a target “beats” them, the target gets ahead of their barrel. In my mind, a target “beats” me when it gets any closer to my barrel than the lead I am looking for. Example, if High Three requires three feet of lead, then High Three never gets any closer to my barrel than three feet, nor does it get much further away than three feet. This is the essence of sustained lead, total and constant control of the target.

Sustained lead on a target is the most consistent and most controlled way of approaching targets on a skeet field. Since all the shots on a skeet field are “known” or “givens”, this method allows us to control targets immediately, manipulating the shot placement to our advantage.

Go to the “Station by Station Analysis” Section for application of these fundamentals to skeet shooting.

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Station One

Station One – High House

As I approach each station my first concern is to acquire a proper foot position. As a right-handed shooter I stand facing the low house. If a line were drawn from one foot to the other, toe to toe, the front of the pad or station would be parallel with the line drawn in front of my feet.

A left-handed shooter would face the high house window on all of the shots from Stations Two through Seven. The exceptions for a left-handed shooter are Stations One and Station Eight low house. These are the two areas on the field where a left-handed shooter cannot possibly face the high house window. Instead, a left-handed shooter will face straight out from the field on Station One. A line drawn from toe to toe would extend through Station Eight to Station Seven, or be parallel with the sides of the pad on this station.

Many shooters try to track the Station One high house target, but gun movement that corresponds to the arc of the target flight is difficult to achieve. By shooting this target with a “dead gun” I have simplified the shot by reducing the required movement. Only if the target were inside or outside of the anticipated path, would I have lateral movement left or right to the target. Obviously, if the target was low and flew below my barrel, the muzzle would have to be dropped to acquire and then shoot the target. However these are situations thatmore often can be avoided by being aware of past target tendencies.

I will mount my gun and the point where I will break the target. The target break point will be approximately two-thirds of the distance to the center stake, or about fifteen to twenty feet this side of the stake

Next I focus my eyes just above, and past the barrel. I cannot focus on the Hgh One target clearly until it is at least twenty feet out from the house on its flight path, so looking higher would be no advantage. Also, I tend to lose sight of the barrel if I look higher. Although I do not want to look at the barrel, I need to see it as a reference point to acquire the proper sight picture. If I lose sight of the barrel as I focus on the target, I may have a tendency to look back at the barrel or re-focus onto the barrel to see a barrel-target relationship, but in the end this causes me to lose focus on the target, which spells disaster. Focusing just above the barrel allows me to see the target in clear focus as soon as possible while at the same time maintaining a constant knowledge of where the barrel is.

Because I am shooting this target with no gun movement, I cannot shoot directly at it. If I pull the trigger as I point directly at the target, by the time that the hammer hit the firing pin, and the firing pin hit the primer, which ignites the powder, sending the shot charge down and out of the barrel, the target would disappear below the barrel resulting in a missed shot over the top. I must shoot High One as it comes to my barrel. I will take this shot seeing just a little bit of daylight underneath the target. This “lead” underneath the target allows time for my shot charge to intercept the flight of the target at the desired location with limited gun movement.

Attempting this shot, I will first setup with proper foot and a proper hold point. I will slightly rotate my eyes above the barrel and focus out to where I can first see the target in a good sharp picture. As the target emerges from the house, with no gun movement, I will watch the target approach my barrel and as it closes to just above my barrel, I will pull the trigger. After the shot, I exaggerate keeping my head on the stock for a period of a second or two, to ensure that I do not raise the head during the shot, which in most instances results in a miss over the top of the target.

Station One – Low House

Low One is a long, slow incoming target so the hold point for this shot will be relatively close to the house as compared to other hold points around the field. I could use the “one-third” hold point described earlier, that will be used at the middle stations, but this hold point would start the gun too far ahead of this “shorter lead” target, requiring adjustment of gun speed during the execution of the shot. The hold point for Low One is level with the bottom of the window and approximately ten feet out from the low house window.

Every hold point that is discussed, with the exception of two or three, will begin with the phrase “level with the bottom of the window”. Get the gun down and out of the way so that you can see what you’re shooting at. This plays more of an important role in some of the more difficult shots, than here at Low One, but since we’re striving for consistency, I will conform to the fundamentals even on the less difficult shots.

Eye positioning on this shot is not paramount because of the angle of presentation and the time allowed to acquire the target. What is of importance is that the eyes are not focused on the barrel, rather looking off the gun and toward the low house so as to see the target emerge form the house as soon as possible.

I tend to break Low One single in the same general area that I would break Low one double. Because of the ease of this particular shot I could shoot it almost anywhere on the field. I choose to break Low One in the same place as the double for reasons of simplification. Breaking both the single and double in one spot gives me only one sight picture for both shots and only one area of placement. If I shot the single and double in different areas, those shots would have different looks, so theoretically I have turned two shots into one, I only see Low One, one way, so I have made the game less complicated. I approach and shoot the incoming targets Low Two, High Six, and High Seven the same way for the same reason.

Station One – Doubles

Just because we’re shooting doubles doesn’t mean that the fundamentals used on the singles changes. Because High One is the same speed, distance, angle, and elevation as it was on the single, our approach to the High One double will remain consistent with its singular companion. In fact, there’s no such thing as doubles really, only two singles real close together. So everything we did in our singles shots, will apply to our doubles shot.

When shooting the pair at Station One, I will assume my standard setup, starting with my foot position, facing the low house window. We will use the same hold point as we did for the High One single. We set up for the High One because the outgoing target is always shot first when shooting skeet doubles. Once the hold point is obtained, the eyes are shifted up, slightly above the barrel.

Station Two

Station Two – High House

The hold points for High Two and Low Six are the two most critical hold positions on the field. This because the first move onto the target, needs to be the right move, because these two targets move away from the shooter at a rapid pace. To find the hold point, I start the gun pointing straight out, that is, pointing the gun on a line that is perpendicular to the baseline, the line that runs from Station One through Station Eight to Station Seven. From this straight out position, I then move the gun three feet to the right, or towards the center stake. This hold point also happens to be a one-third of the distance from the high house to the center stake. This is a distance relationship that I will refer to many in this analysis of hold points for the field. “One-third” of the distance from the house we are shooting to the center stake is a very general, but also very constant part of this game, given our approach. However, because the hold point for High Two is so critical, I find that I can be more precise by finding “straight out”, and then moving three feet to the right. More precise than if I estimated “one-third” from this position.

More important than the lateral positioning of the gun at High Two, is the height or elevation of the hold point on this target. We have already discussed the value of holding the gun level with the bottom of the window, however this fundamental is of utmost importance on this target. More High Two’s are missed because of hold points being too high than for any other reason. If the gun is held at an elevation equal to that of the target flight path, as the target passes close to or through the barrel, vision is limited, and vision is the key to this shot. Therefore, I am more conscious of the window and its elevation here, than at any other position on the field.

After establishing foot position and a proper hold point, the next concern is where to look for this target. Again, visual acquisition is the key to this target, so eye placement is very important. I have found that I can look just off the left of the barrel toward the high house and pick up this target well using my peripheral vision. I have often joked that I would not want to look back in the window on this shot, because what I would see would scare the hell out of me. This is because I would see something very fast and out of focus. The only thing that I would know is that the target is way ahead of me, before I could ever begin to generate gun movement. So I don’t waste my primary vision or focus looking in an area where I can’t possibly see the target with clear focus. On this particular shot, I will look just off to the side of my barrel. Some may find that there is a necessity to look back further but should never look back further than half the distance between the gun and the house. Again, this would result in the target rushing past the eyes, requiring excessive eye movement to reacquire the target and generate a sight picture. Be aware that even though I am looking in certain direction, off to the left of the barrel, I’m thinking in my peripheral vision. This means that I am very conscious of what is happen in my peripheral vision. By looking off the barrel slightly I can use my peripheral vision to see the streak, or flash as the target appears as it leaves the mouth of the window. As the target gets to my barrel, I’ve had the ability to focus on it and actually move with the target, simultaneously obtaining a sustained lead.

Station Two – Low House

Low Two will be broken in the same general area that High Two was taken, so foot position does not change. Right-handed shooters are still facing the low house window, left-hand shooters, still facing the high house. Because Low Two is very similar to Low One, given that the target flight in relation to the shooter is similar, we will use the same hold point. So remembering from Station One, our hold point is level of the bottom of the window and out about 10 feet from the house. That gives me enough of a head start to see the target, start moving with it and make if fly behind my barrel across the field, while maintaining a sustained lead. Again recalling that I bring Low One single to the same area of the field as I want to break the Low One on the doubles, I do the same here at Low Two. My eye position remains constant with the Low One shot, shifting back towards the house. The one change is the lead we use for Low Two. Although this shot is very similar to Low One, because we have moved on the field, from one to station to the other, we have slightly altered our distance and angle to the target. So the necessary lead here at Low Two has doubled from the one foot used at Low One, to about a foot and a half to two feet. Also note that it is very important on these long incoming shots, the Low Ones and Low Twos, along with their corresponding shots on the other side of the field, High Six and Seven, that good continuous focus on the target is maintained through the whole shot. Given the time that we track with the target across the field, it is very enticing to look at the barrel and measure lead. But given that these incomers are relatively easy shots, meaning we have confidence in our ability to break them, we can also focus our thoughts on reinforcing our abilities, by practicing continuous focus on these targets. This practice should ensure that we execute this most fundamental of fundamentals, focusing on the target, on more difficult shots around the field, where it is most needed.

Station Two – Doubles

Reviewing our discussion on doubles at Station One and knowing that the shots have not changed, the fundamentals and the approach used for High Two won’t change just because we are shooting doubles here. Also, just because we’re shooting doubles, we need not rush the first shot, which will be the outgoing High Two.

We will use the same execution that we did on singles for High Two, placing the shot in the same area, about fifteen feet before the stake to just over the stake. Realize, that even you broke High Two directly over the center stake, that at that point in time, Low Two will just be getting to the center of the field simultaneously, allowing ample time for a good return shot on the second target. Because the shots remain the same, foot position does not change from the singles to the doubles, we are still facing the respective windows of the houses.

The hold point for High Two is consistent with the one used on the single, straight out and three feet past that point, and level with the bottom of the window. The eye position is constant, just to the left of the gun, and because, again, the shots are the same in speed, distance, and angle as the singles, the leads also remain constant.

Station Three

As we move from Station Two to Station Three, we enter a different part of the skeet field. When I look at the skeet field, I divide it up into two groups of stations. The “end stations” are Stations One, Two, Six, and Seven. These are the stations that are closest to the baseline, the baseline being the line that runs from the Station One to Station Seven. The end stations present us with the faster, outgoing targets, the High One’s, High Two’s, Low Sixes and Low Seven’s.

These shots are fast moving outgoers requiring little lead, but precise gun movement. The end stations also give us the long incoming shots, the Low One’s and Two’s, and their corresponding shots, High Six and Seven. These incoming targets give us a lot of time and also require a relatively short lead. Because many of these shots are similar, they are approached in the same way with the same fundamentals within that group.

We’ve now come to the second group of stations, the three “middle stations”, Stations Three, Four, and Five. This group of stations situates us further away from the targets and gives the shooter a crossing shot presentation, the ninety-degree angle shot. Taking into consideration the distance and angle to the target, this group of stations shows us the largest leads on the field, the three to four foot leads. Because of the longer lead requirements on the middle stations, compounded by the fact that we will shoot these targets somewhat faster than the incoming targets on the end stations, our hold points will change from what we have discussed so far. However, because all of the shots on the middle stations are similar, you’ll find that the foot position and hold points on High and Low Three, High and Low Four, High and Low Five are all the same.

Station Three – High House

As with the first two stations, I will address Station Three with the same foot position. Right-hand shooters face the Low house, left-handers, the High. Every time I step onto a station, the first thing that I do is set my feet and look at the Low house window

The hold point for the three middle stations is simple to remember. There are three middle stations, and my hold point for all six shots, High and Low Three, Four and Five, will be one-third the distance from the house that I’m shooting to the center stake. The distance from the house to the center stake is twenty-one yards or sixty-three feet. So when I setup for High Three, my gun will be positioned one-third of the way out from the house, or about twenty feet out from the house.

Much like High Two, it is very important here where we look with our eyes. I like to look about halfway back here, or in between my hold point and the house. I feel that if I look all the way back in the window I don’t get quite as good a look at that target, just like as discussed at High Two. This allows me to see the flash or streak of the target out of the window in my peripheral vision, moving my gun at a time that allows me to obtain a sustained lead. This allows me to see the target as fast as I possibly can. This may not work for everybody. If you prefer to look in the window and you see the target well, then by all means that I where you should position your eyes.

I want to break this target using a lead of two and one-half to three feet, and shoot it no later than the center stake, although I prefer to break it ten to fifteen feet before the stake. This should be your break zone, from the center stake, to approximately fifteen feet before that point. Any faster would be rushing the shot, and if proper setup procedures are followed, there is really no reason to shoot High Three past the center of the field.

Station Three – Low House

Even though Low Three is an incoming target, it is still one of the middle station shots and still a long lead target. . The lead on Low Three is basically the same lead that we will see over at High and Low Four and even at High Five. On all four of these shots we will use a three to three and on-half foot lead, some even call it four feet. Since the shot will be taken at mid-field my normal foot position remains correct. The “one-third” hold point used on High Three will also suffice, allowing me to wait until I see the target, initiating gun movement as it appears, then obtaining and maintaining a sustained lead throughout the shot.

Station Four

Station Four – High House

We remain in the same group of stations. As may well have guessed, the foot position of facing the Low house window still applies, and obviously for a left-hand shooter, the position still is facing the high house window.

The hold point here is just the same as it was at Station Three. The hold point for both High and Low Four is one-third of the way out from the respective house and always level with the bottom of the window. My eye position on High Four stays looking halfway back from my hold point to the house. If you have been previously comfortable looking back further at other stations, there’s no reason why it would be different here. As with High Three, my break point should be approximately ten feet before the center stake, yet a shot over the stake is fine. This target will require the same lead as Low Three, or about three to three and one-half feet.

Station Four – Low House

Low Four is the same shot as High Four, it just comes from and goes in the opposite direction. Low Four should be taken in the same area as High four, but on the opposite side of the stake. The hold point is maintained at one-third the distance from the house to the center stake.

I personally don’t often adjust up to the top of the window at Low Four, because that elevation in hold point starts to obstruct my vision. Even though I’m giving up some gun movement by holding lower than necessary, I maintain a clear view of the target. But giving up gun movement and gaining vision, is one hell of a good trade off in my mind.
Taking background into consideration, I don’t rely as much on my peripheral vision on this particular shot, but rather look back closer to the window, even though I don’t look in the window. I look about three or four feet out from the window, and this allows me to visually dig the target out of the background, while at the same time limiting eye movement in relationship to the gun, and maintaining the timing on the shot that I desire.

Also, for a right-handed shooter, this is where, because of the length of the shot and the movement, it is very easy for a right-handed shooter to rock back on his right foot while attempting the High house shot. The opposite applies to the left-handed shooter. This is where they may start to roll and shift weight to the back foot on Low Four. A review of the chapter on using the body for gun movement will reveal why this mistake can be disastrous.

Station Five

Station Five – High House

Station Five is the last of the three middle stations, so once again, the approach to these two shots will be replicated from the approaches used at Stations Three and Four. Foot position remains facing the right and left-handers respective windows. The hold point here is constant because High Four and High Five are basically the same shot. So the gun will start at level with the bottom of the window and out about one-third of the distance between the High house and the center stake, or twenty feet outside the house. Eye position as it has, remains halfway back, in between the gun and the house, which allows me to pick up the target visually, react to it and make an easy sustained lead shot.

High Five is the exact same shot as Low Three on the opposing side of the field, so my break point or zone will presumably follow suit. High Five should be broken at the middle of the field, over the center stake, or anywhere up to a point that is fifteen feet past that stake. A middle station lead of three to three and one-half feet should be used.

Station Five – Low House

As you may have already guessed Low Five is the same shot as High Three. Even though the lead is a little bit shorter than the other middle station shots, maybe by a foot less, a two and one-half to three-foot lead, the exact same fundamentals apply here, just as they did at Station Three and Four.

Foot position, facing the window, is unchanged from High Five, because Low Five will be broken in the same area as High Five was. Low Five should be broken ten to fifteen feet before the center stake. A shot over the center stake is fine for the single shot, but taking Low Five past this point has no positives.

The normal “one-third” hold point works as well here as anywhere, allowing time for a smooth sustained lead shot. As mentioned in the Low Four discussion, the closer and closer that we get to the Low house, the target comes out at such an angle, that I don’t gain anything by being low with the gun. That positioning just causes more gun movement, yet I don’t see the target any better. So to facilitate gun movement, I do come to the top of the window here, my exception to the bottom of the window hold point rule

Like Low Four because of background problems here, even at clubs with great backdrops, there will usually be trees, hills, or something back behind the low house, that may interfere with my immediate visual acquisition of the target. Because of this I will look in a little more closely here than I have been looking on the High house middle station shots. As with Low Four, I will look about three or four feet off the window, so I can pick up the target out of the background just a little bit better.

Station Six

Station Six – High House

All of the shots on Station Six are exactly the same as those on Station Two on the opposite side of the field. This means that High Six will be exactly the same as Low Two. This is because of distance and angle to the shots are congruent. Therefore, the leads and the fundamentals employed will be the same.

The same foot position that has been fundamentally correct around the field still applies here at Station Six, for the right and left-handers equally. Remembering back to Low One and Low Two, we know that the hold point for High Six is level with the bottom of the window, and out about ten feet from the house. The eye position is shifted off of the gun toward the house.

Recalling the emphasis on incoming shot placement, I still want to break this target in the same area as High Six doubles will be taken. This relates to a spot on my side of the field, on the Low house side of the center stake, twenty to thirty feet past that stake. Again this placement is not critical, nor specific, however, a consistent placement is desirable. The necessary lead here, like the corresponding incoming target, Low Two, is one and one-half feet to two feet.

Station Six – Low House

The hold point here for the Low house target on Station Six, is very similar to what the hold point that was used at High Two.

First, find straight out, a line that is perpendicular to the baseline, and then move out about three feet past or to the left of that point. As discussed earlier it’s interesting to note that the hold points at the middle stations were a one-third of the way out from the house to the center stake. By coming straight out from Station Six and moving three feet to the left, that also happens to be exactly one-third of the way from the Low house to the center stake

Just as was done at Low Five, the elevation of the hold point will “rise” to the top of the window. The angle in which the target flies, relative to the shooter, eliminates any need for the gun to be held lower than this point. A hold point lower than the top of the window, would in most cases, not increase vision, but only require more gun movement to the target, making and smooth and timely shot more difficult.

Assuming some background interference even at Low Six, I also tend to look back further here than I would at the corresponding High house shot on the opposite side of the field, High Two. When setting up for Low Six I look back about halfway between my hold point and the house. This gives me a little better look at the flash of the target leaving the window. I still am leery of looking back all the way into the window, even though some very accomplished shooters rely on this. In theory, shifting the eyes this far back, causes the eyes to see only something very fast and out of focus, then the eyes must move, acquire the target and barrel, and in a very short period of time attempt a shot. Too much work for me.

Like High Two, lead on this shot is not foremost in my mind, yet a picture of one foot to one and one-half feet will break this target, for shooters matching gun speed with target speed and using a sustained lead. Some shooters will say that they see no lead on High Two or Low Six, but if those statements indeed true, then the “no lead” is a perceived lead as they actually “swing-through” the target with excess gun speed.

More importantly here, is the good, clear focus on the target by the shooter, which will allow for the matching of gun speed with target speed, rendering this a much simpler shot than is perceived by most. Although I am aware of a lead here, more like “daylight” between the barrel and the target, number one on the list is visual acuity. If I see this target well, I will break it. If I am not seeing it well, a change needs to be made in the approach to the target to facilitate and enhance the target’s visibility.

Station Six – Doubles

The pair at Station Six does not differ any from the other pairs shot on the end stations, those being the doubles fired from Stations One, Two, and Seven. Because Low Six doubles is the same shot as Low Six single, my fundamentals won’t change. The foot position stays the same, as does the hold point. The only difference now is that after I break Low Six, I will pick up High Six over the middle of the field, and bring it back to the break point like a single.

The most important thing to remember when shooting this pair is to turn back with the second shot, High Six, with no change in your body weight distribution. You will turn out with the first shot using the legs, and then reverse the direction of gun and body movement back with the High house. While all this happens, your weight and balance should always be maintained over your front foot, that is your left foot for the right-handers and the right foot for the left-handers. That turn and maintaining of balance, allows the shoulders to stay level and keeps the upper body from rocking back, creating an unstable platform, a very common and insidious problem here at this station. We have all seen shooters walk or in reality “fall” off the station on this particular pair.
What we should do, as with Low Five, and other fast outgoing targets, is relax and take the target out towards the middle of the field. This allows for time to see the target with sharp focus and then make a proper shot. This brings us right back to hand eye coordination, as long as the brain is allowed to get a good visual on the target, the brain will calculate and generate the necessary actions, and make the correct move, resulting in the desired completion of the shot.

Station Seven

Station Seven – High House

Since Station One, the right-handed shooter has always faced the Low house window. Station Seven is one of the exceptions to that rule, because this is a place on the field where the right-handed shooter can’t face the low house window. The right-handed shooter will face straight out, just as the left-handed shooter stood for Station One. Assuming the Low house window had a guard, an extrusion sometimes placed to protect shooters, the right-hander would face this extrusion. Standing in this manner, if a line were drawn across my feet, from toe to toe, that line would run parallel with the baseline, and extend over to Station One. Stand with this foot position, I can close my gun, holding it across my body, as discussed in the foot position chapter, and see that the gun comfortably points at the center stake, right where the Low Seven shot will be taken. I can then also comfortably turn on my side of the field, the side contained between the low house and the center stake, where I will be taking my High Seven shot both on the single and the double. This is also the same foot position the right-hander will use at High Eight, because basically High Eight is the same shot as High Seven, you’re just sixty feet closer to the house.

For the left-handed shooter, you will assume the same position that you have been using since Station Two, facing the high house window. Recall that the hold points that we’ve used for incoming targets on the end stations, Low One, Low Two, and High Six. The long incoming shots with a short lead. High Seven is the same. That hold point will be level with the bottom of the opening and out about ten feet from the house. The eyes shift off the barrel, and focus out toward the house where the target will first appear.
When placing this shot, like the others of its kind, the single target will be brought over to the same approximate area that the double will be taken in. Comparable to Low One, the lead on High Seven is six inches to one foot.

Station Seven – Low House

The foot position utilized for the high house shot on Station Seven works perfectly for the effort on the low house target. So foot position remains unchanged from the high. Most would establish a hold point on this shot, holding the gun exactly on the anticipated target flight path. But I am very weary of this target. My hold point on Low Seven is usually one foot to one and a half feet below where the target has been flying

Although one might not think so, eye position is very important here. The eyes must focus not only over the barrel, looking in the direction of where the target will appear, but also out past the barrel, focusing on the area of the sky where the target will be. Realize that Low Seven and High One are the only two targets on a skeet field, that when the hold point is attained, there is nothing to look at but he barrel. When shooting these two shots in particular it is very easy to just look at the barrel, because there is nothing else out there to look at.

Placement of Low Seven does not come to the forefront of concerns for a skeet shooter, even when attempting the doubles. Nevertheless, this target can be easily broken before the center stake, and should be taken in the general zone where all targets are shot. That being the area bound by the limits of the center stake, and the imaginary limit of fifteen feet before the center stake, on the low house side of the field. This is the one shot on the field that has no lead. This target is shot at directly. It is a true straightaway target.

Station Seven – Doubles

Now that we’ve shot our singles, let’s move to the doubles shot. Like all the other doubles around the station, the doubles shots will be executed with the same fundamentals as the singles. The foot position used during the singles shots works just fine because it allows for movement on the second shot, while maintaining comfort on the first shot, the outgoing target, Low Seven. The hold point on the low house will remain the same as the single, again always looking out for that flat Low Seven. After breaking Low Seven, the eyes look over the gun toward the middle of the field, pick up the high house as it enters the low house side of the field past the center stake, and then bring it across just like a single.

Station Eight

Station Eight – High House

Foot position for a right-handed shooter will be the same as it was at Station Seven, facing out toward the center stake, because the body movement to the target at Station Eight is much the same as the movement for High Seven, utilizing a short left to right turn. The left-handed shooter will continue to face the high house window.

I have often compared the setup points and execution of this shot to “making a triangle”. The hold point for these particular shots, is level with the bottom of the window, out from the house about four feet. Extending a line out from the window to the hold point forms the bottom leg of the triangle. Holding at the lower level of the window is important because it is necessary to have the gun down and out of the way so as to see the target with better visual acuity.

Some shooters have difficulty moving the gun to the target by starting the gun at that low of a position. There is no problem with coming up to the top of the window, however the top of the window should be a limit, as any higher than that and vision will begin to be obstructed. This situation is very undesirable, given the compactness of this shot, both in elapsed time and movement, vision is an important key to this shot.
Continuing on to eye position, these are the only two shots on the field that I look right in the window, again because of the brief time allowed to shot this target. I quickly need the visual information that the target is in the air so I can react to it, and make a timely shot. Now when it comes to lead on these Shots I don’t even think about it here. The whole key to these targets is seeing them clearly so that I can generate a smooth move up to the target.

It is the execution of the shot that completes the “triangle” that I alluded to earlier in this segment. Remember that the hold point formed the first and bottom leg of the triangle. The target flight path forms the hypotenuse of the triangle, and the gun movement up to the target from the hold point forms the third and final leg. Understand that this not a “right triangle”, meaning that the gun does not move directly up in a straight fashion. Rather this is an acute triangle, meaning the gun movement closely mirrors the target flight path. I use the triangle analogy because one can see that the gun is never actually on the target until the point of firing. Therefore the matching of gun speed with target speed is never really achieved.

Do not misconstrue this method as spot shooting. Spot shooting implies that the gun is moved to a “spot” in the sky where the target is anticipated to be. This is not the case here as the gun movement is always toward the target, as dictated by the target movement itself. This target movement is translated to the brain through the eyes, which is the essence of hand-eye coordination.

The lead on this target is basically zero, however some may perceive a small amount by “covering the target up” with the barrel. Realize that this is really just a trick shot, that seems impossible to the beginner, yet with time, evolves into a “no-brainer” for the veteran, experienced skeet shooter.

Station Eight – Low House

Low Eight is the same shot as High Eight, it just comes from a different direction. Foot Position here alternates for the right and left-handed shooters. The right-hander is now back to facing the low house window, because Low Eight is a very similar shot to Low One. This creates a comfortable zone of movement that is compatible with the area in which the target will travel. Some right-handed shooters will face to far infield, facing Stations Six or even Five, but if the body is positioned too far in that direction, body movement with the target is restricted, creating a tendency to stop the gun and probably come out of the gun.

The left-handed shooter not being able to face the high house window for this shot, would stand like the right-handed shooter stood on High Eight, facing straight out toward the center stake. This stance also mirrors the foot position used by the left-hand shooter on Station One.

Because this is a similar, or in fact mirror image shot to High Eight, all of the setup points and fundamentals here at Low Eight remain constant. The hold point is exactly the same as High Eight, level with the bottom of the window and out about four feet. Again, you can come to the top if you want but be careful not to be any higher than that. The eye position attained by still focusing directly in the window, and the completion of the shot done in the same manner as High Eight, done so by “completing the triangle”. The same lead and shot placement as High Eight, is implemented here too, at Low Eight.

Without much hesitation, Stan Brock replied “Reggie White”, the great defensive lineman of the Green Bay Packers and later, the Philadelphia Eagles. Stan said that you didn’t block Reggie White, you just put off Reggie making you look bad. He continued, “…because at some point during the game, Reggie was going to blow by you, you just didn’t know when”.

Stan played in the league for sixteen seasons, so his career ranks him as one of the better and most durable offensive linemen ever. But his experience against Mr. White, made me think that many skeet shooters approach their game as did Stan, and many other linemen in the NFL, when facing Reggie White. Many skeet shooters try to put off the inevitable, even when they know that trouble is coming.

This subject brings to mind a particular week in my career, the 1998 World Championships. During that week I was shooting for the most part quite well, with the exception of one target, Low Two. All week, I hacked, cut in half, three-pieced and four-pieced Low Two to death. But I was shooting everything else well and going into the final event, the .410 Championships, I was straight for the tournament. So I was afraid to change my approach to Low Two, fearing that changing anything might screw with my apparent brilliant luck for the week. Eventually, the inevitable happened, I missed a Low Two. It was a single in the second round of the .410 event. After missing, I said myself, “Well, that’s over with. Now, what am I going to do so that I do not miss more of these?” After some quick reflection I recalled that over the course of the week, I was not seeing that particular target so well. I deduced that my hold point was too high, corrected the mistake, and stoned the last two Low Two’s of the event. I finished with a 549×550, but had I faced my obvious problem with more cajones earlier in the week when I was aware of the fact that something was wrong, I might have scored better.

The moral of the story is not surprisingly that many of us know trouble is coming well before it presents itself, but do nothing about it. We all say at times, “I am hitting it, so I’m not going to mess with it”. This is surely a recipe for upcoming disaster. Putting off the inevitable just prolongs the pain, conversely, when the first sign of trouble appears we might through logic circumnavigate oncoming problems and continue smooth sailing.

Even during this past summer, I was guilty of putting off a not so obvious problem even though I knew something was wrong. For the first part of the year I shoot relatively well, winning some major championships and shooting some respectable HOA scores, but I knew that I was a little off. I wrote off these less than perfect performances to lack of practice. But for the first few months of the summer I still had these unexplainable misses. Then it finally hit the fan. A number of factors came to together, much like in the movie “The Perfect Storm” to create a disaster. OK, now I knew something was wrong. So I took a day off, spent sometime on the practice field, and with a little help from a friend, thanks Oak, I came to the realization that I was over gripping the gun and to my complete surprise, leaving early, moving my gun on my call. Since this epiphany my shooting performances have increased greatly during the later part of the summer.

So knowing that this happens to all of us, and is probably happening to most of you as you read this article, how does one go about eliminating problems before they materialize? Awareness is your greatest defense. And awareness means staying on top of, and asking a lot of question about your game and your performances, and if necessary seeking out some good help.

Is there a pattern to your misses? Are you continually breaking a target late, early, hitting it on the tail end? Are you really seeing the target well? Or does it appear to be a blur? Do you see the target, lose it, and then re-acquire it? Attention to detail will lead down the righteous path. How do feel at the end of a shot? Are you off-balance, does your body feel bound up at the end of the shot? Is your face coming off the gun even when you try your best to stay on the stock. When answered truthfully many of these questions will lead you to flaws that are building within your game, and if not addressed will cause certain havoc with your performances.

Now even though asking these and other questions about your game does not insure immediate improvement, acknowledging that there is a problem is the first step to its resolution. In a game that tolerates few mistakes, any shot that is less than perfect requires some attention as to what really happened and what can be done in the future to make sure that it does not happen again. This is not an easy task. This year it took months and a friend to recognize, accept and correct a major flaw in my game. But turning away from a problem and sticking your head in the sand, will accomplish nothing. Staying on top of your game will increase your scores and reduce your number of “train wrecks”. And no matter what, always remember, regardless of how well you are shooting, pay attention to your game. Because Reggie’s coming.