Skill-Building

In our travels shooting, coaching, and speaking about our passion for the smoothbore, we still are amazed at the perceptions that each shooter brings to what they do when they shoot a shotgun.

We’ve spent most of the last 30 years of our lives confused, constantly searching for a deeper understanding of how talent and skill are really developed. That definition has changed several times in our life so far and no doubt it will change again a few more times. But like Vicki says, “it’s not what you know that makes you better; it’s what you are willing to learn!” and “unless you try something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow!”

We have learned that always playing at the edges of your ability, being willing to fail, and learning from your failure and moving on is a lesson in skill development that we have been writing about for a long long time. And science has now proven once again that what we have observed in our research is scientifically true. Keeping up with the science of skill development and the most recent developments in brain-based research has kept us on our toes and has really influenced the way we teach and coach building skill with a shotgun, basketball, golf clubs, fishing rods, or in the business fields.

It is all the same process – just with a different tool. All skill is stored in the subconscious brain and we live 90 percent of our lives in our habits and developing a habit is about three things: cue, response, and reward. Building skill is about creating habits and a habit is a neurologically programmed response.