Breaking Through: The Path to Consistent Shooting

Shooters often come to me because they are serious about advancing their shooting skills. All are looking for a dependable shooting system that works. Many shooters arrive lost and confused…frustrated and discouraged after trial-and-error struggles.  The question I hear most often is, “Why am I so inconsistent?” Let’s talk about this, as the answers are enlightening.

After four decades of competing, studying every aspect of shooting, and teaching the clay target sports…I’ve learned what truly works, what doesn’t, and most importantly, why. If you have a few minutes, here are a few learned lessons shared with each of my thousands of students.

First and foremost, I wish to be abundantly clear on this point:

Improving your shooting in the clay target sports is simple. Truthfully, it is not complicated. Not easy, mind you, but the basics, the fundamentals, are not the least bit complicated. Please read those sentences again. Thanks. Every single person, regardless of current skill level, does indeed have the potential to significantly improve their shotgun shooting. This applies from ages 11 and up, both male and female. Some of my students are in their 70’s and 80’s. You should watch them shoot. You would be impressed. I know I am!

This past Wednesday and Friday, I worked with a seventy-year-old gentleman who was literally stepping into shooting clays. We completed the preliminary work in the clubhouse checking his eye dominance and covering important aspects that set him up for a successful lesson. With his new, unfired shotgun, he was adamant about getting started early with the correct basics. His gun fit. I checked. Arriving at the 5-Stand, I was doubtful about his knowing what to correctly see down the barrel. He didn’t. Getting the bird in focus, muzzle in peripheral vision, took us a few minutes to sort out but was soon accomplished. With a visual bird/barrel “relationship” now firmly in place, our attention shifted to pre-shot setup and swing steps. The non-negotiable basics. We’ll talk about that non-negotiable comment in a few minutes.

Target breakpoint established…feet set correctly…muzzle hold point (MHP) on the mark…he was ready to call for the target. That setup was carefully assembled so his swing could start and finish with the least amount of unwanted, random gun movement (RGM). As we moved on to more challenging targets, swing mistakes were quickly forgiven and corrected. This he learned to do, on his own, every shell, every target. Right on schedule, XXOXOXXX. Those X’s were not lucky breaks. Every target…every swing was intentional, purposefully built. He quickly learned that swing errors had consequences out at the target. And good swings were rewarded. Consistently.

Which brings us back to my “non-negotiable” comment. When Xs truly do matter and shooting improvement is the priority, swing precision is required. Why? Because a one, two, or three-INCH swing mistake at the shotgun muzzle promises a miss in FEET at the common distances of 25 to 35 yards and a lot more than that at 50 and 60 yards. That’s a mathematical Truth. Count on it. No mystery, no confusion whatsoever, unintentional setup and swing inconsistencies are the cause of inconsistent results. If performance consistency is the goal, swing precision is required. And why our pre-shot setup on a target is so important IF we are serious about building X consistency into our swing.

Simple steps…so we’ll know why we just missed…why the target broke. If we don’t know why…improvement will be very hard to come by.

At the end of a few short hours, as each of my students do, this gentleman clearly understood…specifically…what was required to break targets consistently. On all three target presentations, Crossing, Quartering, and Chandelles. Each and every time he missed a target, he knew why. Because he saw his error. Specifically. So, with the very next shell, he could (and did) intentionally correct that mistake. OXXXXX. When he broke the target, once again, he knew why it broke. He repeated/reinforced the same swing precision. Intentionally…XXXXX. Because he knew how.

If you are struggling and frustrated with your inconsistent performances, please do not believe you cannot improve. Trust me, you can. Confirmed countless times. Your struggling…your inconsistencies…very simply, come from not knowing what to do correctly. Once you accept what you don’t know and become motivated to ask…to learn…good things happen. Quickly. The only provision or condition here is…finding a source (a competent instructor) who can teach you what you don’t know…the fundamentals I keep referring to.

Please understand…during a lesson with your instructor…breaking targets is not the priority. Your learning how and why the target broke…or didn’t…should be your instructor’s #1 goal. A week later on your home course…OOXOXOOO. Lost and confused about why, with no instructor behind you to correct everything, measurable improvement will once again be very difficult. So…make your lesson intent very clear…to learn how to execute the non-negotiable basics…not just break targets. No more mystery, no more confusion; now you can improve. XXXXXX…consistently! Seriously.

As we explore breaking more targets and shooting consistently, Dan Schindler's trilogy —  Take Your Best Shot,   To The Target  and   Beyond The Target — offer invaluable insights, serving as a roadmap for shooters of all levels. These books are available on the Paragon School of Sporting website and shipped worldwide.  Dan Schindlr's 3 books offer a simplified and uncomplicated approach to shooting, laying a solid foundation for achieving consistently higher scores. There's a wealth of information and blog posts on the Paragon School of Sporting website.

Thanks for visiting. Hope to see you again soon.

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About Dan Schindler

Tired of being frustrated over missing targets or birds?

Ready to move your shooting forward and shoot consistently higher scores?

Shoot better than you ever imagined.

Schedule a lesson with the esteemed Dan Schindler. As one of the exclusive 44 worldwide members of the Guild of Shooting Instructors (UK), Dan stands as a beacon of expertise in Sporting Clays Skeet, Trap and Wingshooting Instruction in the US.

Embark on a transformative journey with Dan, an NSCA Level III Instructor since 1995 and the visionary founder of the Paragon School of Sporting. His singular goal is to provide ultra simple, step-by-step, Premier  Instruction, Coaching, and Mental Training for enthusiasts of Sporting Clays, Skeet, Trap, and Wingshooting of all skill levels.

Dan Schindler is a maestro at alleviating the frustrations that haunt shooters. By unraveling the mysteries of breaking targets, enabling self-awareness in calling misses, and empowering individuals to make their corrections, Dan ensures that lessons are not only enlightening but also immensely enjoyable. Clients at Paragon School of Sporting witness significant improvements in their shooting skills within minutes.

Bid farewell to the vexation of missed targets and soar towards consistent excellence in shooting. Whether you're an advanced competitor or an entry-level enthusiast, Dan Schindler's wealth of experience spanning over three decades has empowered thousands of shooters to propel their game forward.

Having certified over 274 instructors, authored three exceptional books, and contributed to numerous articles and blog posts, Dan Schindler is a luminary in the field. In your very FIRST lesson with Dan, you will unlock the secrets of the Paragon System, ensuring that you break targets consistently, confidently call your misses, and adeptly make corrections, setting the stage for a remarkable journey of shooting mastery. Contact Dan Schindler now and witness the transformative power of his expertise in action.

In your very FIRST lesson with Dan Schindler, you'll learn the Paragon System so YOU can break targets consistently, call your misses & make corrections so your next target breaks!

"Folks fly from around the world to take lessons with Schindler at River Bend Sportsman’s Resort, his home course in Inman, South Carolina. Clients have included Bush staffers to NASCAR drivers to the U.S. Ambassador to Belgium. The approachable teacher has spent 25 years on “gentleman’s coaching” (with social and corporate shooters) and formal instruction (with individuals, groups, and competitors). Schindler has even certified more than 230 instructors using his handcrafted curriculum—a system that signaled his qualification as the first American admitted to the British Guild of Shooting Instructors... “Shooting, like golf, or anything like that, is a mental sport, and he has the mental game down so well.” To find out how he calibrated mind with metal, we head to Japan."

Dan Schindler's Books

"Recommended for shooters of all skill levels, Coaches, Instructors

and parents of youth shooters."

Take Your Best Shot (Book I), 3rd Edition is THE Gold Standard Primer It's all about the fundamentals, a requirement for good shooting. This book is used by high school and college shooting teams, recreational and competitive shooters from around the world. Solid, valuable, concise information that has helped thousands of shooters shoot more consistently with higher scores.

To The Target (Book II) Builds on the steps outlined in Book I. Emphasises Gun Management skills when the trap fires, creating a consistent, reliable, trustworthy swing.

Beyond the Target (Book III) is for shooters of all levels, filled with valuable information, clay target truths. Entertaining and a culmination of 3 decades of Dan's life's work as a teacher, competitor, published writer, and much more.

Here's what Shooters, Coaches and Clay Shooting USA saying...

Take Your Best Shot (Book I), 3rd Edition

THE TRUSTED PRIMER

To The Target (Book II)

Beyond The Target (Book III)