There’s a reason that everybody in sporting clays gets stuck at 72 to 75. In skeet, you get stuck at 88 to 92, 93. It’s because they do not have a vivid movie in their head of where and how they want the shot to come together. They’re just going to pull it out of […]
What we have learned, especially on the birds that intimidate you, is that the lead is the most forgiving part of the equation. If you will just get the gun too far out in the front and match speed, your brain will correct it. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It seems that the more […]
Do you remember the first time you broke a target that was really out of your comfort zone? “Oh, I was a school bus in front,” some people say. You might have to be the school bus in front at first so your brain can get out there and put the gun far enough out […]
Imagine that you’re at a tennis match, seated in line with the net and higher up in the grandstand. Would you put your nose on the net and follow the ball with your eyes? Or would you keep your eyes on the ball by pointing your nose at it? In our travels, we see shooters watching […]
These days, it seems like target setters are giving shooters less time to hit the first target to make the second target consistently broken. This evolution has changed the game from a low gun to a high gun game. With distance comes a slower muzzle movement but with less time to keep the muzzle movement […]
The first thing we lose when we take any kind of time off is timing. As we preach, everything is routine, everything is sequence-oriented – and it all revolves around timing. So, when anybody takes any time off of anything, no matter what you do, you need to go back to the basics. Whenever I […]
When you finally get to a level where you have a focus ratio of 90-10 or 95-5, your routine’s automatic. You look at a target and instead of saying “Oh, what am I going to do with that?” it’s “I’ve seen that 100 times and broken it 99; I know exactly what to do, let’s […]
As your focus ratios improve, there is less and less confusion due to neurological suspension happening. You are actually performing better with less visual input, less conscious planning, which allows your brain to concentrate on fewer things when the target is in the air. In turn, this allows your brain to orchestrate fewer things at […]
At a focus ratio of 90-10, the leads seem very similar, with a few big ones still out there. But you’re beginning to control the bird from in front with good gun speed. Then 95-5 occurs and everything looks the same and slow and lead is no longer part of the process. Then you go […]
Skill is not transferable. This is why many shooters who are trying to get better are going to a good shooter they know, but quickly become frustrated with trying to see what the good shot sees. Everything we do when shooting a shotgun at a moving target happens in the periphery. Everything we perceive in […]
You will never rise to the level of your goals. You will always fall to the level of your systems in preparation. Now, when you can internalize that, then that means if you don’t do well, you need to improve your system of preparation. At the beginning of the 100-yard dash, everybody has the same […]
There’s a direct correlation between the way you practice and the way you perform. Most shooters’ evaluation of their ability is a little or (in some instances) a lot higher than reality, and their commitment to improve their ability is in the work they’re continuing to avoid. You must begin to accept nothing less than […]
Here’s another simple thing that shooters don’t do, and it’s a real game changer from the consistency standpoint. After breaking a target, they don’t stop to replay what they just saw happen so they can use that movie to preload the next shot. As we mentioned earlier, this is called the post-shot routine and it […]
Peak performance, regardless of level, is still peak performance. And in the beginning, performance in front of others with an unknown outcome brings about all sorts of fears of the unknown. This situation feeds your brain with phrases and feelings that make little sense away from the situation, but when you’re facing the situation for […]
The ability to visualize in detail and execute the preloaded visual process in practice to see if it was correct is where most shooters fail to really get better and develop the mental side of their games. How well you’re able to visualize how and where you want your brain to take the next shot […]
How well you understand that the gun must be to the right or left of the target has little to do with your ability to consistently do it. The number of times you have done it has everything to do with how consistently and successful you will be when actually at the range or in […]
We have discovered the most frequent mistake shooters make when practicing their mount at home in the garage or gun room. When they mount the gun, they are looking at something – a light switch or a duck’s head or a lampshade – and when they mount the gun to their face and shoulder, they […]
For most shooters, there is no rhyme or rhythm in their results when shooting a shotgun at a moving target – painted or feathered. If you shoot a shotgun enough, when you’re surprised by a target at the range or bird in the field, you look at the target, mount the gun, and pull the […]
Shooters can get so obsessed with breaking the target instead of the process. You can’t do anything unless you have a plan. This game is all about ego. And ego is all about breaking the bird. So, that evaluation part when you’re trying to learn makes it hard for everybody. They evaluate the day on […]
Less is important. The mistake that most people make in the beginning is they put way too many things in their pre-shot routine, which means they haven’t done enough of what they do in their routine to make it a habit. It’s eight things instead of only three things. Less is more. Less is important. […]
Leading up to a big event, we’re all excited to go to the Open or Nationals. But if I expect to do well, I need to have to time to practice, and for maybe months or weeks and days leading up to the event, I begin to repeat to myself and to others affirmations. They’ve […]
You need to be absolutely lethal within 25 yards. If you’re going to shoot tournaments, it’s not the long stuff that kills you. It’s the stuff that’s within the 20-to-25-yard mark. If you want to gain ground on a scorecard, that’s where it has to be done. It’s not the hard stuff; it’s the little […]
“I’ve been shooting for two years and should be shooting better than C class. I have too many unforced errors. Thoughts on my dilemma?” This shooter has been shooting for two years. He practices three times a week, but he’s got too many unforced errors, and he’s stuck between 68 and 75 in C […]
In working with a lot of the high school athletes and the high school coaches, we’ve learned that gun fit is a huge thing for them. There are no guns out there that are going to fit somebody that’s 5’6 and weighs 115 pounds. That’s just not out there. You need to do what I […]
A success or a failure without a prediction never makes its way to the long-term memory. It’s absolutely wasted. It’s the prediction and the execution of the prediction that allows you to commit to do a certain thing on that target. If you hit it, it’s filed in long-term memory because of the prediction. If […]
Your working memory is very limited in how many things it can handle at one time. It can’t handle more than three to four things synchronously at one time. When more things enter the workspace, it’s like having an iPhone with 33 apps that are open. It’s just overloaded and it stops working. The fewer […]
Let’s get back to the evolution of perceptions shooters go through as they gain more and more experience in deliberate practice and shooting tournaments. Everyone has a sequence in their brain that has been fired many times to point at something they are looking at. When a new shooter tries to look at the target […]
It is not so much what is in your routine that is important, but the rhythm of your routine that allows your brain to know exactly when you will be calling. This in turn allows the brain to begin doing its job before you call “pull” without you even knowing what it is doing. You […]
Consistently pointing ahead or in front of a steadily moving object is a new sequence in our brains. And like everything else we do, it must be repeated enough times so that it happens without us having to think about it. Your ability to consistently create this action is not tied to your desire for […]
We have discovered many things in our years of shooting and coaching, and one of the most startling ones is the direct link between the quality, frequency, and intensity of a shooter’s practice and how well they shoot when it counts. This discovery comes from our encounters with shooters who are looking for the magic […]
The instant the new shooter says something about the confusing picture, they are immediately misdiagnosed as “cross-dominant!” There is a perception out there that if you are right-handed and right-eye dominant that you can look at the target and look down the barrel and get the correct lead to hit a moving target with no […]
Eventually, your game will elevate to another level and your fellow shooters will begin to notice your scores are either becoming more consistent and/or higher. You will begin to be complimented on your game. The normal response to a compliment about your score is to be humble and say things like, “Well a blind hog […]
Something that must be considered is the amount of cheek pressure required to shoot the gun consistently. If the salesman says you will have to cheek the gun a little tighter, don’t buy the gun. Years of shooting and coaching has shown us that the greater amount of cheek pressure required to “make the gun […]
When shooting flushing birds, you can’t use shooting sticks and you can’t take a little extra time and aim. The target is always moving at an unknown speed and most of the time an unknown distance. In the instance of a flushing bird, after you are startled by the flushing of the bird, the bird […]
Skill building is a process that few really understand. And even fewer are willing to put in the time and repetitions necessary to really build skill in their shotgun game. There are so many shooters out there who, for various reasons, just will not make the time to really build a game. As a result, […]
You are going to miss. Accept it and move on. But knowing what missing does to your physiology can be very helpful. While we’ve observed that different shooters react in different ways, they all speed up. You lose control between the pairs and stations and you must get it back by first slowing down and […]
If you are competitive in skeet or sporting clays, eventually you’re going to have one of those days where you could not put a three-word sentence together and your game is as mixed up as a soccer game with six-year-olds with three balls on the field! The negative thoughts and comments will flow through your […]
Game shooting offers its own unique challenges when compared to clay shooting, not the least of which is that the game bird has a brain and can change its line, speed, and angle with a mere flick of a feather on a wing or tail. The clay target decelerates when it leaves the trap and […]
In sporting, the ability to visualize in detail the movie of the shots you are about to ask your brain to create is critical. But it’s increasingly more difficult due to presentation being different from shoot to shoot, day to day, and even morning to afternoon. We have walked the same course in the afternoon […]
Push yourself to the limit and make a commitment that when you get to the gun club, you’re going to go out and practice, and start working on specific issues. And if you can’t do it, you need to turn around and go home. You need to go there with a specific plan when you […]
Positive soundalikes: they sound positive, but they’re a way for your brain to say, “Hang on, now, be careful. You’re down three. Be careful. Come on now, be sure now. Be sure you see the target. Be sure you’re in front of it. Be sure…” All of those “be sures” and then up jumps the […]
I’m sure you’ve all experienced times when your synchronization and flow between your hands and body are gone. And try as you may, your body is all out of sync. Whenever you feel your body all out of sync, that’s a sign that you’ve probably sped up. The brain doesn’t know enough about when you’re […]
If you hear it, you must instantly turn the phrase around and make it a positive affirmation for you. This will take some real work on your behalf. But after a week or so, it will turn into a fun game and after 25 to 30 days it will become a powerful habit that you […]
You must become totally committed to how and where the shot you’re about to take will come together – both in practice, and on game day. But you’ve got to be committed to doing it like you planned, as opposed to committed to saying you’re going to do it one way, and then throwing the […]
Do you want to get out of the C-Class plateau? Then learn how to be absolutely lethal within 25 yards. If you’re going to shoot tournaments, it’s not the long stuff that kills you: it’s the stuff that’s within the 20-to-25-yard mark. If you want to gain ground on a scorecard, that’s where it has […]
People are afraid to try things that they perceive is out of their comfort zone. And your learning occurs at the edge of your comfort zone. If you’re comfortable, you’re not learning. You need to make yourself uncomfortable. If you’re going to shoot six boxes of shells, you need to have 15 shells that you […]
If you’re not forcing your brain to recall, and put together different circuits, you’re not preparing for game day. When you walk into a sporting station, you’ve never seen it before. You’ve seen things that are similar to it, but you’ve never seen it before. The working memory sees it, and hands it off to […]
How far you’re able to mount the gun in front of the bird is really determined by how many times you’ve mounted it out there. It’s more determined by how many times you’ve mounted it out there recently, because if you lay off and don’t shoot very much, the distance in front of the bird […]
Our study into skill building and mental processing reveals an interesting facet: our past heavily colors our perception and reaction to present experiences. Our brain develops filters based on our past, affecting how we respond to future events. This understanding is crucial in reshooting sports. The fear that grips many shooters is often rooted in […]
A common mistake among shotgunners is to mount the gun, chase the target, and hastily correct the shot at the end – often followed by a string of frustrated exclamations. However, this approach ignores a crucial aspect of learning: embracing failure. Realizing that missing the target is an integral part of skill development is the […]
Gun fit and visualization are two critical aspects of successful shooting, as demonstrated in a recent clinic. The OSP system, with its emphasis on understanding individual shooter needs, proved its worth yet again. One shooter in the clinic, using a Benelli over-and-under with 30” barrels, had an eye-opening experience with gun fit adjustments. After modifying […]
Achieving mastery in clay or wingshooting is about more than just accumulating hours of practice or mastering the technicalities of the sport. It involves a deep understanding of one’s own mental and emotional processes, as well as the discipline to refine and focus on the essential elements of shooting. This journey towards excellence requires a […]
A key observation from years of coaching is the impact of cheek pressure on consistency and improvement in shooting. Excessive cheek pressure, often believed to provide a more aggressive approach, can actually hinder potential. This becomes more evident in older shooters, where balance and less body movement are crucial for consistent performance. In sporting clays, due […]
All skills start as mere knowledge. However, the crux of mastery lies in understanding when and how to apply this knowledge. Let’s apply this to skeet. Identifying and correcting specific issues, such as problems with High 2 or Low 5 shots, requires not only knowledge of the technique but also an understanding of its application […]
Skeet and sporting clays both present unique challenges. Before you can even begin learning how to compete in skeet, you need to learn how to break targets in the same breakpoints on each station every time. It’s a more regimented game of the same targets over and over. Sporting is anything but that. So, the […]
We’ve learned that, in building a good mental game, you have to look at things for what they really are. Our brains are predisposed to not give successes nearly as much thought or emotion as we do failures. And it’s a real problem. It’s a real thing that you have to face. Once you understand it, […]
If I could find ten people that would give me a million dollars to have a AA game in sporting clays overnight, I’d make them all drink a pint of goat’s blood and then leave town with their money. They would be too sick for two days to find me, and I’d be gone by […]
Expectations should be about the time that you put in and being honest with yourself. Being honest with yourself is what it’s all about. When you’re in the cage, it’s just you and the target. These are some questions you can ask yourself: “Are you good enough to win? Have you put in your time? […]
If you’re competing to have a very open look at who you are and your abilities, then you have to admit to yourself that when you go to a competition you have to let go of caring about how you shoot. You’ve got to let go of caring about what your score is. You have […]
The very act of putting the gun in front of the target without seeing it makes the shooter want to look at it. When the target comes to the gun, the gun is part of the picture. This is significant because the target is the actuator, not the gun. Focus is enhanced and a fixed […]
Deciding what caused the errors is the most critical part of self-evaluation. That’s one of the unique things about our system. Once you start working on being really smooth, once you’re early in the breakpoint, you can better evaluate why you missed. When we show our students how to be early in the breakpoint, they […]
Hard skills are the skills that you have to have a hundred percent correct all the time. It would be a fisherman’s ability to drop a jig not only in the cup but have the jig go on a flight pattern so that it just barely touches the water as opposed to coming from four […]
We all have a problem letting that gun go, and it’s periphery acceptance. There’s no doubt about that. When you exceed your peripheral acceptance, your focus ratio goes straight down the hole. But it seems as though looking behind the gun and making and holding onto the shot until you feel like everything is locked […]
When you visualize what the shot will look like (not necessarily the lead but what the end picture is going to look like) you know you’re going to be looking at that bird away from that gun. Being able to visualize exactly what that shot is going to look like according to the techniques you’re […]
When you’re in the subconscious mode, the anticipation circuit is projecting forward. It is anticipating what’s going to happen and it is coordinating all of your movements to bring about the action you’re about to do or that you’re in the process of doing; but the instant you begin to think, the anticipation retreats back to behind […]
The thing that is least practiced is recall: looking at a target and letting the working memory go to the long-term memory. Then letting the long-term memory make the file and hand it off to the working memory. The working memory takes that shot where and exactly how I want the shot taken without ad-libbing. […]
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 […]
Getting instant feedback is critical because it tells your brain whether or not it’s doing what you want it to do. Typically, the only feedback that we see the average performers give to themselves is beating themselves up for their brain not doing what they hadn’t told it what they wanted it to do in […]
– Are you in sync and stabilizing every shot? – Are you staying in the shots long enough to have a post-visual routine confirming to your brain to do it again, which in turn becomes your pre-shot visual? – Are you controlling your pace after your quiet eye, keeping your eyes still, thinking of nothing? […]
Here’s a solution for the beginning shooter; someone who is shooting between 50 and 65 percent: – Do the three-bullet drill and the flashlight drill until your arms fall off. – Drill single targets over and over and a lot of times over and over on the same target. – Learn the difference in the two sight pictures. […]
You’ve got to stay in control of your expectations. Without expectation, it’s very easy to perceive the subtlety of what you do. With expectation, you will always perceive the boundary. Remember that setbacks always follow success. You never get there. You’ll think, “I’ve arrived.” No, you haven’t. You never get there. We’ve heard several people […]
If you’re shooting a cross-eyed target with a lot of lead, there’s a technique that can help you. This is especially useful for long, high tower shots, big, crossing belly chandelles, and shots that are 40, 50, or 60 yards away. As you mount the gun, your nose is back over on the right and […]
These are things that keep people from being able to self-correct: – Muzzle awareness. You need to begin to recognize when you look at the barrel in the setup, which leads to awareness in the shot. – Too much cheek pressure and too much grip pressure. Both of those things are bonded at the hip. You can’t […]
Imagine what your car would be doing if you merged in front of the car like your gun barrel merges in front of a target. When I tell people this and they finally get it, they begin laughing. But what we’re teaching you to do is to actually merge that gun in front of that […]
If you want to become a good competitive shooter, just like practicing your gun mount, you got to put a number on your back and get in the game. In your first year in master class, shoot every event at every tournament you can afford timewise and moneywise to go without worrying about your scores. […]
When you are determined to not move before you see the target, a lot of good things can happen. A lot of great things can line up and take place. We talk about focus so much, and God knows when you get a chance to go practice, you’re focused and you’re practicing focusing; but, man, […]
In shotgunning, planning and visualization are critical components to success. When faced with a challenging target, it’s essential to approach it with determination and a clear plan of action. One thing that experienced coaches understand is that demonstrating targets is key to improving your skills. When we demonstrate a challenging shot, we know precisely what […]
You can practice all you want to, but you’re going to have learn that from being in the game. You’re going to have to get in the game and you’re going to have learn that while you’re in the game – and it’s a mindset. Sooner or later, you’ve got to get to the point […]
What’s the solution for an intermediate shooter who’s shooting 65 to 79 or 80 percent? They’re looking at the gun in the setup. They’re trying to be perfect in the first 85% of the shot, especially in the hold point. There’s still too much muzzle awareness in the setup. They’re trying to fix the shot […]
You need a baseline target. This is a target that you always come back to in order to get your rhythm back. Because there will come a time, for whatever reason, that the wheels come off and you just can’t do anything. You need to have a baseline target that you always come back to. […]
Most shooters can’t hit a teal going up two-thirds or three-fourths of the way up the line. It’s the weakest target presentation for 90 percent of shooters. They’re going to wait until it stops and try to shoot it at the top. They can’t hit it going up. And they damn sure can’t hit it […]
Here’s a definition of stabilizing the picture. At the end of the shot, as the bird and the gun come together, you hold onto the shot just a fraction after you mount so that you’re sure that the gun speed and the bird speed are the same. If the gun is mounted too far in […]
Fear is only in the present or in the past. It cannot exist in the future. It takes you there, but it’s not there. It’s your choice. Fear is a conscious reaction to a perceived set of circumstances. Trying not to check is trying to change the result. Think about this. The result is a […]
Shooting at Nationals: Practice Pays Off The targets at Nationals were spot-on. There were no “gimmes.” Every target took work. Everything we shot, from the main to the K-Kup to super sporting, all had phenomenal targets. They were a lot more difficult than I anticipated, but hey, it’s a national championship. Overall, I think the scores […]
How I Got Ready for Nationals I got to practice a lot more than last year – about 500 targets before leaving for San Antonio. And man, did I learn a lot about what I’ll need to do to get ready next year! In my next post, I’ll talk more about Nationals and what I […]
There are two parts to every shot: sight picture and speed. It can be that simple at first. But, as you get more advanced, the routine you follow becomes more crucial. As you continue on your journey with this system, remember that the more you can visualize a shot coming together, the easier it is […]
Keep the barrel in the periphery! The barrel is always fuzzy – never in focus – as it has a place on the edge of your vision. A common problem I see all the time is the gun starts in the edge of vision, but as the target is coming to the gun, the vision shifts […]
It was amazing to watch the transformation of everyone that attended the Advance School the last two weeks. As a coach, it makes me so happy to push my students to the next level, even when they can be a little standoffish. It was exciting to watch how the brain makes everything look normal after […]
I will be available to give lessons at Able’s Gun Club in Huntsville, TX, and our home field at American Shooting Centers. I hope everyone is staying safe. We are all good here in Conroe, TX. We are getting a little stir crazy, but we will make it. So, if anyone wants to get out and […]
“I love OSP. In my first lesson, I took two shots and Brian wanted to know if I was a lawyer or engineer. I knew I was in the right place.” – Larry C.
Dear Brian, My son Louis and I took your novice course this summer in Houston. I had a camo Browning 12-gauge two-barrel with a stock that was too short. Since then, I have followed your advice and got a left-handed Browning 32-inch sporting Citori 725. I bought a battery-operated target thrower and started practicing. It […]
A letter from another satisfied customer. The OSP method works! Brian, I have video proof that your instruction has paid off for me in a big way. We were using 12-gauge #4 shot with a speed rating of 1330 feet per second. I count 16 frames between the time of the first shot and the […]
I teach novice clinics once a month, usually the second weekend, at our home field in Houston, Texas. Boy, have they taken off! It’s a great way to get started shooting a shotgun the correct way by building good habits rather than having to relearn them later. Students are so happy when they leave! They […]
It baffles me how complicated people make this game. Why can’t it be simple like 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock, same speed at the end? I had a guy yesterday who would call “pull” and as soon as he saw the target, he would jump 30 yards out in front and pull the trigger. After […]
I thought about this video after the September Coaching Hour. Pretty much sums it up!
I was at a shoot last Tuesday and hadn’t shot my gun in months. I shot great! I think I missed seven targets. I discovered I need to work on teal targets on the way up. And for some reason, I have the rabbit blues. I was most proud that I broke every last pair […]
