You Can’t Practice Confidence
Consistency and confidence cannot be practiced; they are what is left over from practicing, which is why you must bring your practice game to higher and higher levels. There is a myth out there that you can talk yourself into becoming a better shooter. But...
No Shortcut to Proficiency in Shotgunning
One big thing we have been emphasizing is that skill resides in a person’s memory. A person cannot visualize something they have never seen, so there is no shortcut to becoming proficient with a shotgun - especially in hunting situations. In addition, our brain has...
Desirable Difficulty
In our 31 years now as professional coaches, we have seen thousands of performers who have had differing degrees of skill with a shotgun, fishing rod, golf club, tennis racket, public speaking and many more activities. The ones who eventually end up being really good...
Gun Fit: Adjustable Combs and Cheek Pressure
Gun fit is a fairly broad topic that encompasses many different facets, starting with how consistent the shooter can mount the gun. Of course, this comes from repetition, repetition, repetition. We are sure you have been told or have read that gun fit is important and...
The Sun Will Still Rise
The ability to take disappointment out of a situation is a full-time job for a coach. It also needs to be a full-time job for a competitor if they really want to be good. Our brains will take the negative road in a heartbeat. You must...
Keep Process-Oriented
The one trait that seems to be common among all successful competitors is the ability to stay calm under pressure, which leads to the ability to think clearly and act according to a plan - to stay process-oriented instead of outcome-oriented. We use the phrase “process-oriented”...
Do You Need More Cheek Pressure?
Have you ever heard this phrase? “That gun fits you but to shoot it well, you will have to either use a little more cheek pressure or just float the bird a little” Our 30 years of research has shown us that if you must...
Knowledge and Understanding – Consider the Railroad Tracks
“I wonder where in the learning process the unlearning of bad habits comes in. Maybe you don’t unlearn at all. Maybe the process of learning anew writes over the old habits in the brain!” Look at skill as a set of railroad tracks that are all...
Are You Making it Stable?
I had a lesson with a fellow, and we worked on a station had trouble with at a tournament. I had him shoot them as a true pair, which was a pretty tough one. The wind was at our back and it was blowing the...
Practicing with Just One Flat of Ammo
I was working with Craig Hill after he had gone to the world shoot and finished eighth in the world. He came to me again and awked, “Okay, what do I have to do different?” “Describe your practice routine,” I said. Now, Craig is 6'6, a...