Last month we talked about the transitions in shooting pairs and how important it was to see the target before you move the gun on the first or second bird of a pair. This month we’re going to talk about focal points and how everyone’s focal points are not the same.
As we go on our journey of vision and how the brain reacts to visual stimuli, we find that, depending on whether you’re right or left-handed, right or left-eyed, right or left-brained, your focal points will change on targets coming from the left and/or the right. If you weren’t aware of this before, you need to go to the range and look at some targets. See which focal points work for you on targets coming from either direction.
Our research shows that for most of you, it will be different in this way. Some of you will get sharp focus quicker on left-to-right targets by focusing out in front of the trap on something beyond the path of the target. Others will get sharp focus quicker by looking at or behind the trap. The same will be true on right-to-left targets.
If your optimal focal point is in front of the trap on left-to-right, chances are good that your optimal focal point on right-to-left will be at or behind the trap. If your optimal focal point is at the trap on left-to-right, then chances are good that your optimal focal point on right-to-left will be out from the trap, focused on something beyond the path of the target. For a small percentage of you there will be no difference, and picking an optimal focal point out in front of the trap focused on something beyond the path of the target will be best.
We suggest you go to the range and set up some tests to see what is optimal for you. A skeet range works well for this because the background is almost always perfect. That would be good for your research. Go to station 4 and view a high house target with two different focal points. First out in front of the house a few feet, on line, eyes focused in the distance and eyes still. Call for a few targets and see if your eyes grab or trap the target as it emerges, or if they chase it. Then look in the hole that the target emerges from and see what happens. Then do the same on the low house.
For most of you, there will be a difference. Gil has to look out from the trap on left-to-right targets in the distance and can see the target sooner looking at or behind the trap on a right-to-left. If he looks out in front of the trap on a right-to-left, he feels his eyes chase to the target to focus on it, and the same if he looks at the trap on a left-to-right target. Vicki is just the opposite. On a left-to-right, she looks at the trap, and on a right-to-left, she looks out from the trap. Go to the range and find out what is optimal for you.
On most of the targets you shoot, picking up the target as soon as possible is not essential because of the presentation and how long you have to break the first bird in the pair. This leads to a lazy attitude toward focal points, which will cause inconsistencies in your game. When time is of the essence, knowing what you have to do to optimize your reaction time to the target will give you an edge – and at our age, we’ll take every edge we can get. Remember, it won’t be the same for everyone, so our advice is to not ask for advice on focal points. Figure yours out and learn to depend on them.
Why all the fuss? Three reasons we think you should be aware of.
One, if you need to break the first target of a pair quickly, then you must see it quickly. In this situation, it will be of great importance to know exactly where to look to optimize your ability to get the target input as quickly and efficiently as you can. Two, if a target is hard to see because of background, lighting, color, or for any other reason, knowing where your eyes need to be to optimize your chances of seeing clearly as early as possible is a great advantage. Three, as we age, our ability to pick up targets doesn’t get any better. Knowing where you need to put your eyes to see the target the best you can keeps your head in the game.
Knowing where you need to fix your eyes before calling pull will help you keep from making the most frequent mistake we see shooters make when calling for the target. For whatever reason, when calling for the target, eye movement will cause you to sporadically miss targets. It’s almost impossible to detect or self-diagnose. In fact, we’ve said in our DVDs and books that this is the number one reason intermediate to advanced shooters miss. Keeping your eyes still and in the correct focal point for you, when calling “pull,” will improve your consistency and proficiency.
This is all well and good when you can see the trap. But how does it change when the trap is hidden? When shooting targets that emerge from obstructions or background and the trap is not visible, perhaps the most important thing is to know exactly where on the obstruction the target emerges. Whether it’s a branch on a tree or a spot on the horizon, the more precise you can be with the target entry point, it will allow you to optimize your focal point based on your research into how your eyes see best. Now treat the entry point of the target like it was the trap, and things should work out just fine.
Your eyes must not be over the flight line of the target. And again, we will remind you to keep your eyes still until the target emerges into the field of view. The longer it takes for the target to emerge into your view, the more you will tend to want to move your eyes and look for the target. If you give in to this urge, when you see the target, it will appear twice as fast as it really is. You will tend to jump the target, making it hard to be smooth and consistent.
The best way to determine where you need to look when calling for a target is to go to the range and see. Once you have determined what is optimal for you on different targets, write it down in your log and practice looking in the correct spot so it happens correctly on every target you call for. Picking specific focal points in the planning phase of your pre-shot routine will assure that you see the target in the same place every time, regardless of distance, direction, or speed.
The thing we love about the game we play is the diversity of the courses, and how you never see the same thing, regardless of where you go. Everyone we meet wants to be more consistent, but most are trying to get there by just shooting more often. Eventually, you’ll come to the conclusion we have: this is a game of focus. The more consistent your focus on the targets is, the better you will shoot.
Questions to ask when you enter the cage:
– When you can see the trap
– When you can’t see the trap
– Look between the targets
– Watch them till they hit the ground
