If you go out and shoot the whole course, you are not making yourself a better shot; you are just burning powder.
There are times when you will go and do that, of course – like when you go shoot with your friends. But if you really want to make your practice sessions helpful, work only on one thing.
“Today, I’m going to go out and shoot 150 right-to-left quartering targets. I will shoot them where they were ‘sweet,’ then I will change my breakpoint and shoot them in several different places. The goal is to break each target ten times in a row, then change the breakpoint again.”
You want to stay with easy targets and get to where each time you change the breakpoint, you shoot it until you have shot it ten times in a row.
Get comfortable with breaking that target in different places ten times in a row. Why? This is sporting clays. You need to know how to hit targets in all different places. Shooting it ten times in a row makes you practice staying focused for that length of time. In a tournament, you will need to do this. So practice it until it becomes natural. When you see it on a station, your first thought is “great, I’ve seen this target break ten times.” The confidence level you have going into this stand is high and you will become more relaxed. The tension will not be a hindrance to your performance.
You will need to keep the targets simple and build up your ability level and your confidence. Most targets on a sporting course are all between you and 30 yards. What is the one target most people practice before a tournament? It’s that long 45-50 yard crosser that you will only have to shoot five times. Everything between you and 30 yards must be hit. Make that your goal. Then your scores will improve.
Confidence that you can hit each of these targets in any place will relax you. Being relaxed will enable your body to react to each target. That’s what you must do as a shotgun shooter.
