One simple, deceptive target presentation…

explains a thousand misses.

It’s been some years now; I’d just come home from the NC State shoot where Chuck Frasier got an A+ for outsmarting us. Standing in the box, I distinctly remember telling myself not to shoot that target right “there.” Did I remember to follow those instructions? The truth is, I just forgot. It looked so good right “there” I couldn’t help myself. I crushed the first bird, smiled, and casually turned to intercept the second. And there it was, right on schedule. So, I moseyed up to it with my “never-fail” move and watched myself shoot right over the top of it! Chuck ambushed me. Twice! XOXO. It’s enough to make a person daffy. I did adjust the last two pairs, XXXX. Couldn’t get those lost birds back, though.

This article is dedicated to Mr. Chuck, who, before he passed, taught us shooters and other setters the true “art” of creating mischief in the world of setting targets.

In my opinion, in Sporting Clays competition, never have so many demands been placed on the competitor’s shoulders to properly handle his/her gun. With today’s more creative, deceptive, and difficult match presentations, swing mistakes are rarely forgiven on the scorecard.

Top shooters don’t have a gift; they have good form. Form they’ve earned. While their shooting styles may differ, the shooting method each one uses is dependable at the target and on the score sheet. 

Here’s how the target setter counters this.  

Stand beside me on tournament Sunday, 20 yards to the left of the 80-foot tower. Both traps sit on top. True pairs, the birds leave on our right, high, heading out and away. The shooting box was placed here on purpose. The first thing we notice is the awkward target line on each bird. That was no accident. Holding each line will, at the very least, be tough. To compound matters, the targets are getting out of Dodge!! Meaning? There is a long way to go and a short time to get there! And you can count on it…swing mistakes will be costly.

How many of us can honestly say we would be dead sure confident stepping into that box? You might be. And you would likely score higher on this station because of that. For you, it’s likely this presentation is more familiar. For others, less familiar. And for some, it may be entirely unfamiliar. On this Station, the level of shooter familiarity will likely decide X or O. That will hold true on most Stations. Meaning? A vote for our practice drills to build that familiarity on as many presentations as possible. Those drills help the advanced competitor build long runs and post the scores he/she does. That familiarity is an enormous scoring advantage.

The target setter very well knows this, knows our limitations and will set each target accordingly. The setter’s mission is to lure us into his deceptive trap. Here, we increase our focus on what each target is “actually” doing both before and at our chosen breakpoints. The setter is counting on our not seeing the ambush he has so carefully laid. Trust me, the setter knows exactly where you want to break this bird. He’s counting on you to shoot there, and that’s where he plans his mischief. You can count on his knowledge as a course designer with long experience and tournament target setter.

In the target setter handbook, all is fair if it’s within reasonable shotgun range. Today’s tournament shooters…beware of approaching any target casually or nonchalantly. Many of us here have learned that the hard way. Note I said “us.” 

“You can fool some of the shooters all of the time…

all of the shooters some of the time…

but you cannot fool all of the shooters all of the time.”

 ~ Abraham Lincoln

When score matters, here’s a heads-up. Setters deliberately give us less time on the second bird, knowing that’s where we are most vulnerable to making mistakes. X on the first bird, he intentionally puts our gun out of position for the second shot. XOXO. Friends…the fact that the second bird keeps curling out from under us is no accident. Setter 2, shooter 2.

Confident, taking the second target for granted, here it comes, X0. NOW, it has our attention. We underestimated the second bird. Shells in the chamber, we make the sight picture adjustment to compensate for the setter’s deception…XXXX. Setter 1, shooter 5.

I recommend that, with practice, we expand our comfort zones with the ever-changing presentations we face today. 24/7, target setters are aggressively looking for new ways to use trap machines, target sizes, speeds, angles, lines and terrain to their advantage. We must see each presentation clearly and prepare THE strategy that will break that target.

While we definitely don’t want to make a target harder than it is by seeing things in a presentation that aren’t there, scoring well today is becoming increasingly dependent upon developing better strategies and error-free shot execution. Adding our familiarity with the target presentation offers each of us an incalculable advantage.

Does anyone ever get familiar with all the presentations? In my humble opinion, thank goodness, no. But…from E class to M class…those who are the most familiar with the presentations consistently post their best scores. There’s a truth worth remembering during our practice rounds.

Take the mystery out of missing targets and feathers with Dan Schindler's 3 excellent books: Take Your Best Shot, To The Target and Beyond The Target. These simple, easy-to-understand books are your road map to consistently and dependably shooting higher scores for decades to come. This invaluable resource is tailored for shooters of all skill levels and cherished by enthusiasts spanning 24 countries across the globe. Many shooters tell us they read Dan's books 3, 4 or 5 times and refer back to them when things go awry in their shooting. More information on the Paragon School of Sporting website and dozens of blog posts. 

Thanks for joining us here. Be safe. I hope our paths cross out on the course.

Sign up for the Paragon Newsletter  Click Here

Please share the link with your fellow shooters. Thank you!

XXXX

About Dan Schindler

Dan Schindler is one of only 60 worldwide members of the Guild of Shooting Instructors (UK) and is one of the most highly respected Sporting Clays and Wingshooting Instructors in the US. Dan is an NSCA Level III Instructor (since 1995) and founded the Paragon School of Sporting with one goal in mind. Whether it be for the advanced competitor or providing the basics to the entry-level shooter, Paragon provides the simplest, most practical and most effective Instruction, Coaching and Mental Training for the Sporting Clays, Skeet, Trap & Wingshooting enthusiast. Dan Schindler helps shooters alleviate a lot of their frustration by taking the mystery out of breaking targets, calling their own misses, and making their own corrections. Lessons are fun, enlightening and our clients learn to shoot better in minutes!  

Tired of being frustrated over missing targets or birds?

Ready to move your shooting forward and shoot consistently higher scores?

"Folks fly from around the world to take lessons with Schindler at River Bend Sportsman’s Resort, his home course in Inman, South Carolina. Clients have included Bush staffers to NASCAR drivers to the U.S. Ambassador to Belgium. The approachable teacher has spent 25 years on “gentleman’s coaching” (with social and corporate shooters) and formal instruction (with individuals, groups, and competitors). Schindler has even certified more than 230 instructors using his handcrafted curriculum—a system that signaled his qualification as the first American admitted to the British Guild of Shooting Instructors... “Shooting, like golf, or anything like that, is a mental sport, and he has the mental game down so well.” To find out how he calibrated mind with metal, we head to Japan."

Dan Schindler's Books

"Recommended for shooters of all skill levels, Coaches, Instructors

and parents of youth shooters."

Take Your Best Shot (Book I), 3rd Edition is THE Gold Standard Primer It's all about the fundamentals, a requirement for good shooting. This book is used by high school and college shooting teams, recreational and competitive shooters from around the world. Solid, valuable, concise information that has helped thousands of shooters shoot more consistently with higher scores.

To The Target (Book II) Builds on the steps outlined in Book I. Emphasises Gun Management skills when the trap fires, creating a consistent, reliable, trustworthy swing.

Beyond the Target (Book III) is for shooters of all levels, filled with valuable information, clay target truths. Entertaining and a culmination of 3 decades of Dan's life's work as a teacher, competitor, published writer, and much more.

Here's what Shooters, Coaches and Clay Shooting USA saying...

Take Your Best Shot (Book I), 3rd Edition

THE TRUSTED PRIMER

To The Target (Book II)

Beyond The Target (Book III)