Our most trustworthy truths come from our hands-on experiences. Over and over again… my returning students have said: “The shooting methods and techniques I’ve learned from you, Dan, have been invaluable. However, the number one most important lesson you taught me was about where to hold my attention.” 

In the shooting box, an overly aggressive swing can generate a loss of control. Loss of control = loss of swing precision. It's the home of inconsistent performances. The following true story focuses on what happens when our attention is in the wrong place.

Many (many) years ago, I went to the golf driving range to explore my theory that slowing my swing down by a substantial margin would give me a better golf shot.

After buying a bucket of balls, I didn’t have my clubs, so the manager looked under his mower in the tool shed and found a 7 iron, a 3 wood, and a driver. The clubs were bent a little, but…what the hey. Lifting the bucket off the counter, I walked to the driving range with a confident, easy stride. Once there, I did my he-man stretches and a push-up. No doubt impressing the young’uns beside me.

Warm-up swings with the 7 iron had my lower back on fire. When the spasms subsided, I kept chipping the ball a few yards in front of me. Embarrassed? Nope. Each and every time…fighting the charley-horse in both legs…I walked out and picked up my ball. I got better value from my bucket than those other guys. 

OK, it's time to get serious. Knowing only sissies use 3 woods, I picked up the Big Dawg Driver and told myself slow, slow and slower. Be graceful. Think smoooooth. I went into a nice, slowwww wind-up and CUT IT LOOSE! Missed the ball completely, and my follow-through had me facing the parking lot. OK, strike one. Old baseball swing habits die hard. Time out. Hard to admit it, but it did seem there may have been a tiny bit of room for improvement here. And, my bucket was still full.

OK, Dan, tempo. Pace yourself. EEEEEssssssy now,............up nice and slow, RRRRRRRippppp. My left hip outran the downswing by just a tad as I went for the left-field bleachers. The ball went hard left across the driving range, over the fairway on hole number 7 and rolled under the neighbor’s dog box. Except for that, it was a spectacular shot. Lying face down on the turf, the guy behind me asked if I was OK. Told him, “Of course. Just looking for my tee.” Uhhh. Every swing so far at warp speed.

OK, this one will be right. You sure? I’m sure. A smooth back-swing and down it went, GRACEFULLY. Lasered down the middle, the ball bounced off the 250-yard sign. And these dead-range balls had been dredged up out of a swamp somewhere. Nonchalantly now, I only did two fist-pumping celebration laps around the practice area, to more sounds of admiration. I think. They did get a little obnoxious when I walked out and got that ball. You’d think they could have been a little more respectful!! 

And so it went. 3 NASCAR downswings for every slow one. Each time I focused on pacing myself, it went dead down the middle. Conclusion? Maybe…SLOWER GIVES YOU BETTER CONTROL? Hey, I might be on to something there!

With a half-speed downswing, I hit some of the purest golf shots I’d ever hit. Ever. I never dreamed I could do that with a golf club. I don’t know if I can do it tomorrow, but I got to touch the magic by slowing down and focusing on my technique.

Please understand that none of this suggests we micromanage our shotgun swing. Our training program at Paragon strongly encourages trusting your swing. But, there’s no getting around it, learning how and then building / reinforcing a good swing must come first.  

To summarize on swing control. When the target leaves the machine, each of us has a fixed amount of time to move and shoot. No less, no more. During that brief time period, those who put their attention on building the correct “sight pictures” (bird / barrel relationships) in their swing, with the least amount of random movement, will break the most targets.

Wonder why the top shooters look so smooth? They’re deliberate. They won’t compromise swing control. Their attention? On building the X swing for this target.

And BTW before closing …we men…want to see a beautiful swing? Watch a woman’s swing. Not kidding.

As we explore breaking more targets and shooting consistently, Dan Schindler's trilogy—Take Your Best Shot, To The Target and Beyond The Target—offer invaluable insights, serving as a roadmap for shooters of all levels. Available on the Paragon School of Sporting website, along with a wealth of blog posts, these 3 books greatly simplify and uncomplicate shooting, providing a foundation for consistently higher scores.

Thanks for visiting. Hope to see you again soon.

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About Dan Schindler

Tired of being frustrated over missing targets or birds?

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

Shoot better than you ever imagined.

Schedule a lesson with the esteemed Dan Schindler. As one of the exclusive 44 worldwide members of the Guild of Shooting Instructors (UK), Dan stands as a beacon of expertise in Sporting Clays Skeet, Trap and Wingshooting Instruction in the US.

Embark on a transformative journey with Dan, an NSCA Level III Instructor since 1995 and the visionary founder of the Paragon School of Sporting. His singular goal is to provide ultra simple, step-by-step, Premier  Instruction, Coaching, and Mental Training for enthusiasts of Sporting Clays, Skeet, Trap, and Wingshooting of all skill levels.

Dan Schindler is a maestro at alleviating the frustrations that haunt shooters. By unraveling the mysteries of breaking targets, enabling self-awareness in calling misses, and empowering individuals to make their corrections, Dan ensures that lessons are not only enlightening but also immensely enjoyable. Clients at Paragon School of Sporting witness significant improvements in their shooting skills within minutes.

Bid farewell to the vexation of missed targets and soar towards consistent excellence in shooting. Whether you're an advanced competitor or an entry-level enthusiast, Dan Schindler's wealth of experience spanning over three decades has empowered thousands of shooters to propel their game forward.

Having certified over 274 instructors, authored three exceptional books, and contributed to numerous articles and blog posts, Dan Schindler is a luminary in the field. In your very FIRST lesson with Dan, you will unlock the secrets of the Paragon System, ensuring that you break targets consistently, confidently call your misses, and adeptly make corrections, setting the stage for a remarkable journey of shooting mastery. Contact Dan Schindler now and witness the transformative power of his expertise in action.

In your very FIRST lesson with Dan Schindler, you'll learn the Paragon System so YOU can break targets consistently, call your misses & make corrections so your next target breaks!

"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)