Eyes Still and Hands Relaxed

I want to begin the shot (i.e., closing the gun and addressing the bird) in the same physiological position every single time. It doesn’t matter if there are no clouds. I may look at the clouds just to the right of the first breakpoint. I just want my eyes to be still.

I didn’t realize until fairly recently how much my eyes were moving. And then I had to concentrate when I went to the focal point and the hold point to make my eyes still. But if my eyes are still and I make them still before I start closing the gun, I go from still quiet eyes and soft hands to closing the gun, and my eyes are on the trap.

I release the gun, I call “pull” and my eyes are on that bird just as sharp and easy as they can be. But I’m not having to make myself be still in the focal point because being still in the focal point comes from being still out there in my quiet eye time.

This is an excerpt from the September 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.