Focus and lead

[madmax81]

Hi!

I have a question about technique and focus.

When you shoot a clay you should focus the target and nothing else as the target. Neither the barrel nor the bead. But when I focus really hard on the target, I don't see where my barrel is. So how do I know about the right lead?  If want to shoot Maintained lead, how do I see the lead? Or if I'm shooting Swing through, how do I know when to pull the trigger?  You often hear shooters talking about how much lead you need to hit different birds. But that is no help for me, because I don't see the lead when my focus is on the bird. Is it really all about training and subconscious reaction?

Thank's in advance!

Regards,

Markus

 

[Will Hewland]

No. Something odd there. Sure you focus on the target, but I can't believe that you don't have a good secondary picture of where the barrel is. If you watch your golf ball land, you can still tell there are trees around!

 

[madmax81]

Thank you for your reply!

So I should see the barrel in peripheral vision, right? And if I maintain lead I should so to say look back at the target with my eyes staying focused on it while seeing the barrel in front of it in peripheral vision.

 

[no.1topdog]

Sounds like you're at the perfect stage to be taught by a good coach before any faults develop.

My advice is find a good coach and let him/her put you on the right path from the offset. it's easier to show you how to do it than to explain it in text.

Good Luck madmax81  :biggrin:

 

[madmax81]

That's a good advice no.1topdog but that's easier said than done here in Austria. Finding a good coach in England I think is probably much easier because the shooting sport is more popular there.

Regards

 

[EdLyons]

Exactly!

So I should see the barrel in peripheral vision, right? And if I maintain lead I should so to say look back at the target with my eyes staying focused on it while seeing the barrel in front of it in peripheral vision.

 

[ExSCA]

That's a good advice no.1topdog but that's easier said than done here in Austria. Finding a good coach in England I think is probably much easier because the shooting sport is more popular there.

Regards

MadMax - where do you shoot?  I met a great guy, and a pretty good shot in Madrid who was from Austria - near Linz I think, he might be a good contact t help you find a coach.  I will see if I can find his email address.

 

[no.1topdog]

That's a good advice no.1topdog but that's easier said than done here in Austria. Finding a good coach in England I think is probably much easier because the shooting sport is more popular there.

Regards

Ah! One small drawback there then. Sorry madmax81.

Seeing the message above, there's always someone on here to help. Best of luck whichever way you find the answer. Just a shame you're not over here at this stage.  :biggrin:

 

[Les53]

No. Something odd there. Sure you focus on the target, but I can't believe that you don't have a good secondary picture of where the barrel is. If you watch your golf ball land, you can still tell there are trees around!

Strange that Will. If I consciously see any part of the gun I will miss, or have already missed. I only consciously see the target, nothing else, nor do I give any lead, gun speed does it all. It's quite a common scenario with some trap shooters, so on a good day it seems as though you just look at the target and it breaks, I don't even consciously pull the trigger or move the gun either, everything is done by relex and the subconscious brain. On a bad day I see the barrels, the bead, the sparrow flying over the banking and god only knows what AND I have to actually pull that trigger and move the gun!

 

[Will Hewland]

May be a trap/ sporting thing. When a target needs 12 feet of lead, you have to know where the gun is and not just for a fraction of a second either..

 

[Les53]

May be a trap/ sporting thing. When a target needs 12 feet of lead, you have to know where the gun is and not just for a fraction of a second either..

 Yes Will, herein is the difference, a trap target would normally already be killed.......or missed in less than a second, well certainly that fast in fast trap.  There is simply not enough time at something such OT for example, to be able to measure out lead, it has to be done on reflex and swing speed. Trap shooting is a funny old game mate!  :dancer:

 

[Hamster]

Hi!

I have a question about technique and focus.

When you shoot a clay you should focus the target and nothing else as the target. Neither the barrel nor the bead. But when I focus really hard on the target, I don't see where my barrel is. So how do I know about the right lead?  If want to shoot Maintained lead, how do I see the lead? Or if I'm shooting Swing through, how do I know when to pull the trigger?  You often hear shooters talking about how much lead you need to hit different birds. But that is no help for me, because I don't see the lead when my focus is on the bird. Is it really all about training and subconscious reaction?

Thank's in advance!

Regards,

Markus

Two things, no need to focus really hard, you need to learn to use peripherals and perspective of target to subconcious awareness of barrels position.

 

[madmax81]

Thank you for all the replies!

It's a really interesting discussion.

Ok so it seems that there are different approaches depending on the game you shoot. When I started shooting, I began with Trap because the range had no other capabilities. After 2 month or so, I already reached a highscore of 18 out of 25. What I did at that time was just looking at the bird and shoot. Never seeing the barrels and never thinking of how to do it right. Then someday I gave another range a try and they had Sporting Clays. I tried to shoot the clays as I had done when shooting Trap but I missed almost every clay. I started talking with other shooters and they adviced me to give more lead. I then asked myself, how should I apply that lead correctly, when I don't see the barrels? SoI started experimenting with the focus trying to see the barrels. Since my hits went down at all. Maybe it was a fault to mix Trap and Sporting Clays at that stage.

 

[jake.keeling]

What others have said is good, especially see a coach if possible. My question to you is if you put your finger up and point at something, are you not looking at the something with your finger in peripheral? So this would be a trappy picture. Now look at the something and point to one side of it while keeping eyes on it, that's your lead.


http://www.tirovesti.co.uk/

 

[Les53]

I'm a trap shooter and shooting fast trap is a different game to sporting! Fast trap is all about reflexes and instinct, sporting seems generally more calculated and less spontaneous as far as I can see it! But I have little knowledge or experience of sporting I'm afraid!

 

[Simonix]

A coach told me a few months ago when I first started, that a good way to give lead is to focus on the "space" in front of the clay's trajectory. That way, you're firing not at the clay, but almost at an imaginary target just in front of it. As you are "aiming" at this space, subconsciously the barrels point that way if you're mounting it right.

None of that probably makes sense! Hahaha, but I know what I mean, and it seems to work for me?!

 

[Will Hewland]

I'm a trap shooter and shooting fast trap is a different game to sporting! Fast trap is all about reflexes and instinct, sporting seems generally more calculated and less spontaneous as far as I can see it! But I have little knowledge or experience of sporting I'm afraid!

Yes it a different art Les. With sporting it is usual to watch a target fly for some time before even putting the muzzle into action (depends on the target of course, but this could be up to three or four seconds).
Some targets definitely would benefit from some trap skills of course!

 

[Docterduck]

Hand Eye cooridination is a beautiful thing...learn to trust it.

[SIZE=10pt]http://www.nssa-nsca.org/index.php/2013/08/shooting-tip-trust-yourself/[/SIZE]