Shooting a shotgun is really as much mental warfare as it is fundamentals. Last Saturday my cousin, dad, my two oldest sons, i went along to the skeet range. We made a decision to shoot a round of trap considering that the skeet range was packed. Most of us, except Dad, had not shot trap before. It looked easy enough, actually I was thinking I’d be great in internet marketing. WRONG, I hit website and missed the next 10. My brother, who shoots sporting clay tournaments, shot 12 away from 25. I ended up tied with my 14 years old at 6 of 25. Embarrassing, understandably. Once I started missing it had been over, I began riding the targets, closing one eye and absolutely fell apart. I had created changed chokes from improved to modified before we started, so over the internet that has been the situation. I changed back after going 2 of 15 and 4 of 10 with an improved cylinder, very little better. It had not been the choke, it turned out my brain that got inside my way. It occurs on the skeet range as well as in the dove fields, and it is hard to overcome. Here are some ideas to prevent a mental breakdown.

Bring your mind off of missing. Remember the show Tin Cup? Kevin Costner was starting to warm up to learn inside the biggest golf tournament he had ever took part. The normally calm Costner couldn’t hit an upright shot to avoid wasting his life. He kept shanking the ball down the line of other golfers and the more he did it, the worse it got. His caddy and number of years friend made him turn his hat around backwards, pull his pockets thoroughly etc. etc., and then made him hit the ball again. After a little resistance, Costner achieved it and low and behold he hit his next drive perfect. Of course this would have been a movie, there is certainly some truth there. If you possibly could make a move that can your brain off of missing you might have greater possibility of overcoming it. Turn your hat around, take the glasses off, take action different simply to bring your mind away from the fact you’re sucking up. Keep positive, negativity could be the enemy.

Why don’t you where. When analyzing the miss, pay attention to why your fundamentals eradicated. Don’t obsess with in which you missed, let’s face it you had been almost certainly behind it or over it. Instead answer these questions: Have you hold the right focus as you shot? Were you at risk in the target? Was your move and mount smooth? Would you possess the right muzzle speed? One of these brilliant will answer why you missed.
Make contact with fundamentals. Okay, you’ve turned you hat around backwards, worked out the reasons you missed and now it’s your turn again or a dove is arriving by. Shoulder your gun correctly, use good footwork, and execute your shot. Don’t target not the bird, ignore the last station, the final dove, or bill you forgot to pay. ONLY THE BIRD! Thankfully it takes only one good shot to erase 10 bad ones.
Like a good shooter in basketball, you have to keep shooting and being consistent. As soon as you start to doubt yourself, your accuracy will drop. Keep the confidence high , nor start trying to modify your form or how you normally shoot your shotgun.

A side note towards the skeet outing is my 120 month old made fantastic progress for only his 2nd time shooting. He only shot 2 the very first time, in support of hit one shooting trap so his confidence was in the bathroom .. As they did start to shoot skeet I had been worried, but he hit 1 away from 4 about the first station and that was each of the confidence he needed. He shot 10 for 25 (which has a 410), including each of them about the last station (the toughest station).

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