Imagine knowing exactly why each shot connects—or misses. Muzzle Awareness (MA) unlocks this critical insight for shooters of all levels.
Finding the Right Balance
In the simplest of terms, muzzle awareness (MA) means keeping the gun muzzle in our “peripheral” vision, before and during our swing. Seeing this target/barrel “relationship” allows us to a) know where our gun is actually pointing and b) intentionally guide our gun movements with XX precision.
Each shooter’s MA will differ slightly. Most are comfortable with 95% or more of their visual focus on the target and a small but important percent peripherally on the muzzle. While these are rough guidelines, the key is to maintain enough MA to establish some harmony between the muzzle and target without detracting from our focus on the target.
Training to Improve MA
For those who have been told and adopted the total focus method (no MA—see ONLY the target), will inevitably struggle to understand why they hit or missed the target. The following MA exercise allows us to see both the bird and the barrel simultaneously, helping to visually create an X swing more consistently.
If I may, please be patient and allow me a quick sidenote here. Instructors, parents, and helping husbands, bear with me for a moment as I regularly do this drill with inexperienced young folks and women who are visually “glancing at their barrel” during their swing. When they do, they’ll lose sight of the target and then try to find it again. Their swing stops and starts, out of control, miss following miss.
Asking them not to do that? Here’s a better way to correct this. Ask our shooter to call for the target and follow it across the sky with his/her finger. They will. Precisely. The "finger awareness" in their peripheral vision that we’re all comfortable with—muzzle pointing at the target—same, same. For all shooters using MA—whether pointing correctly or incorrectly—now we know where our gun is pointing. This is where swing precision, consistency, and XXXXXX all come from.
The Value of MA in Shooting
Top shooters understand the critical role MA plays when the target is broken and when it is missed. Every shell, every target, every swing, depends on that visual information to shoot the high scores they do. When a target is missed, seeing the mistake and knowing where the muzzle was during the swing and at the trigger pull is required to make the correction. Without MA, the cause of the miss will be a mystery, leaving us no choice but to guess with the next shell.
On the other hand, when the target breaks using MA, we’ll see the “sight picture,” the bird/barrel relationship that led to the break. This visual image can now be intentionally repeated successfully, building both X consistency and confidence.
The Bottom Line
A hard focus on the target—not a “total” focus—is key to unlocking consistency in Sporting Clays, Trap, and Skeet. As multiple-time champion, Jon Kruger aptly stated, “Peripheral vision MA allows us to confirm the muzzle placement in every swing, from start to trigger pull.” Shooters using MA can not only break targets but do so intentionally, shot after shot. MA allows us to track, adjust when needed, and duplicate the X swing. Intentionally. No more guessing about why the target was hit or missed. With good technique, of course, say goodbye to mysterious inconsistencies and hello to consistency.
In my 30+ years of teaching, I’ve seen shooters transform their game by mastering MA, turning frustration into precision and confidence.
Final Thought: As President Reagan once said, “Trust but verify.” In Sporting Clays, Skeet, Trap and Wingshooting, MA is the verification that puts trust in our swing.
Let us always remember and cherish the many blessings of this great land we love, the United States of America, as well as the camaraderie of the wingshooting and clay target sports that bring shooters together from around the world. May God bless us all and guide us as we continue to pray for peace—both in our world and in our hearts. Thank you for spending time with us. Cheryl and I look forward to the day we meet on the course and share moments together.
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About Dan Schindler
Dan Schindler is one of only 60 worldwide members of the Guild of Shooting Instructors (UK) and is one of the most highly respected Sporting Clays and Wingshooting Instructors in the US. Dan is an NSCA Level III Instructor (since 1995) and founded the Paragon School of Sporting with one goal in mind. Whether it be for the advanced competitor or providing the basics to the entry-level shooter, Paragon provides the simplest, most practical and most effective Instruction, Coaching and Mental Training for the Sporting Clays & Wingshooting enthusiast. Dan Schindler helps shooters alleviate a lot of their frustration by taking the mystery out of breaking targets, calling their own misses, and make their own corrections. Lessons are fun, enlightening and our clients learn to shoot better in minutes!
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. It is filled with valuable information and clay target truths. It is entertaining and a culmination of three decades of Dan's life's work as a teacher, competitor, published writer, and much more.
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