Understanding clay target disciplines can be very simple. In reality, there are just a handful of basic target presentations and corresponding shooting methods that consistently handle each one. The apparent complexity arises from a lack of fundamental shooting knowledge.To cut through the confusion, let's focus on a concise list of required insights for success in clay target sports. Emphasizing the term "required" is crucial for a reason.In the pursuit of greater consistency in the shooting box, there is often an emphasis on "trusting" one's actions with the shotgun. While this sounds appealing, trust alone does not guarantee consistent success. Achieving X consistency demands mastering ...

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 ...

Happy New Year everyone. New Year’s resolutions are top of mind for many, which may include more consistent XXXXXs. If this is true for you, may I respectfully offer you a way to meet that goal and end inconsistent shooting? Seriously. No misleading advertising, no magic, just some common sense thinking that can literally open a whole new world in your shooting.The first change in thinking is a major one. In the shooting box, understandably, most folks are “trying hard to break the target.” Here’s what actually puts our shotstring on (or off) the target. Please take a moment and consider this very carefully. Putting our attention “out there,” trying ...

When Xs and scores come first, fancy wood and engraving take a back seat to what actually creates more broken targets. Allow me to preface what follows with some background.Common beliefs and advertising may very well differ from hands-on experience. What follows comes from decades of experience in the shooting box, in intense competition and behind my thousands of students. Those hard-earned experiences have been a tough teacher, all too often overturning long-held beliefs about what works and why. That is IF viewed with an open mind and a willingness to accept what those experiences show us. Emphasis on the word “show.” Gun in hand…if we know what to look ...