Got a coach!

[JohnRov]

I started shooting trap and shotguns in general recently and the guys at the club are pretty helpful but it's limited as to how much they can teach in that environment. I hooked up with a guy to take a few private lessons. I think this is really going to help. I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

[WonderNine]

Ooohhhh....

I thought you meant you got a coach gun.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Good move, John. Please keep all of us posted. You may help some of us who are stuck to get help and improve.

Thanks...

 

[Al Thompson]

Smart move..

 

[JohnRov]

Had my lesson yesterday. Several things he told me really helped. First, I need a stock fitting, I'm 6'3" with long arms and a long neck. I had suspected this anyway. We worked on my foot position (for trap), keeping my right elbow up, left hand holding the forearm with the fingers and having my index finger pointing parallel to the barrel. The biggest thing was me tensing up. I would mount the gun, sit there making sure everything was set, and then call for the bird. But we did an exercise where he called pull the instant I got the gun mounted. I didn't even know he was going to do this but I ended up smoking the birds before they were barely out of the house. It was like, mount, "pull!", bang! I didn't even think about trying to shoot it, I just did. Plus, he didn't charge me a dime, said "Aw, the bull****'s free!" This from a guy I never met before. I highly recommend working with a coach if you are starting shotgunning.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Thanks for getting back to us, JohnRov. Good idea.

A coupla things.....

Stock fit is essential for your best shooting. And at 6'3" and lanky,you need more length than the average shotgunner. Trouble is, except for specialized parallel comb target stocks, the longer the stock the more the drop. On a repeater we can can the drop by shimming, but then pitch changes thereby.

Still,it's not rocket science or brain surgery. Take it one step at a rime, and give things time for the changes to groove in.

Also, thinking is the last thing to be doing at launch. Let your muscle memory and stereoscopic vision do what they do best. It's all reaction, but trained, practiced reaction.

HTH....

 

[JohnRov]

I have an appointment with a stock fitter this coming weekend. He came highly recommended from this coach and several other people I talked to.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Great, next groove in your form. That's a fun part, plenty of shooting. BA/UU/R.

Please keep posting. I'm sure you're helping some of the folks here...