The Difference between Good Practice and Great Practice

Vicki and I were practicing on a range in Montana in a pretty good shifting wind and were both shooting well. Targets were inkballing in the altitude with mod chokes.

On a quick quartering bird from the left with the trap about 8 yards left and 5 yards forward, I called for the bird and hit it, but not solid. I called again. Same result. And once again, the same result.

I then stopped and, in my mind, saw a different picture of the bird coming in a straight line to the end of the muzzle. For an instant it stabilized and then the bird smoked.

On each subsequent bird, I began to see this enhanced vivid picture that was a movie of what was about to happen. It was then that I noticed what was happening.

While I was visualizing what I wanted to do before I called “pull,” due to my attitude, the pictures were not as vivid in the beginning as they were now.

It was as if the more vivid the movie start to finish, the easier it was to make the shot, and the more exact the breakpoint and the more confidence I had. This would be the difference between a great practice and a good one leading me to this conclusion.

Make every shot count. Begin to visualize at a different level exactly what you are about to ask your brain to do. See the movie happen perfectly through the end.

The better and more exact the movie becomes in practice, the easier it is on game day. This is why practice quality is so important. In your practice, learn to turn it on and turn it off when not in the cage.

There will be more of this coming in the next few days. Cheers from Montana, where there’s a high of 64 today.

Oh, and on another note, our field at American Shooting Center finally is clear of floodwater. I can’t wait to get out there and shoot some more ShotKam shots.