The Quiet Eye Sequence

When I’m in the zone (whether it’s teaching or competing) my conscious plan has to be taken care of before I ever load the gun.

I have to know what it’s going to look like. I have to know where I want it to happen and how I want it to come together before I even load the gun so that when I get in the cage and I load it, that’s the last time I have to look at the gun. I don’t have to see it any other time.

Once I’ve loaded the gun, I visit breakpoint one and see the shot. I look at the break at the second shot. And then I go back to the breakpoint on the first target. And I’m just sitting there with my shoulders forward. Knees bent, just looking at it, making my eyes still. And I’m not thinking of anything; I’m just making my eyes be still. Because if you don’t make your eyes still, they’re going to be wandering all over everywhere.

So, I’m in breakpoint one. But understand that my visual program of how each shot is going to come together happens when I see the pair and I commit to how I’m going to do it. It happens long before I load the gun. I already know what’s going to happen.

I already know how I’m going to shoot it, and what’s going to come together. And so, once I get into the cage to shoot my four pair, I get in the cage. I check my feet based on looking at each breakpoint. I’ve dropped two shells in the gun, look at the focal point, bird to the first breakpoint, pick up the second bird, second breakpoint. Challenge the first bird, stroll-catch the second bird. I’m ready.

At that point in time, I don’t need to look at the gun. All I have to do is put my eyes in the first breakpoint and just keep them still. I want them to be still.

I was shocked at how much I was moving my eyes because the pressure will make several things happen to you. It will increase your heart rate and shorten your breathing. It will make your moves jerky. And it’ll make your eyes jump all over the sky.

Now, what I’ve learned is that I can eliminate all of those by making sure my breathing is deep. Deep breath as I’m looking at the breakpoint. Relax. Once my eyes are still and I know they’re still, I’m thinking about nothing.

I start closing the gun. My eyes go to the trap or the entry point of the target. My brain sets the gun. Once the gun is still, I release the gun, I call “pull,” and I match the speed. I see the second bird, I match the speed, I send it and the shot’s over. And it’s that sequence for me.

 

This is an excerpt from the August 2021 Coaching Hour podcast. You can listen to it and read a written transcript, along with more than 20 years of archived episodes with your Knowledge Vault membership.