Warm weather blossoms an entire new garden of enjoyable outdoor activities. Many avid outdoor enthusiasts jump into the fresh wonders of wildlife to seek the infamous headgear of whitetail, search for the prized morel mushroom, or plop a bobber into a lake. The rising temperatures inspire many new activities that take place in the woods, water, or as I can attest, my backyard!
Last week my close friends and I broke out the shotguns, my trap-thrower, and a few boxes of clay pigeons. We spent an entire afternoon shattering the fragile orange disks they call clay pigeons. I dedicated a few hours to hone in my skills, practice shooting habits, and get my head back into the game of hunting after a cold wintery lull. My friends and I busted through hundreds of disks for fun. No scoring. No competitions. Just good, clean fun.
My great friend Jenn Geissler is a beginner when it comes to the shooting world. My hope was to show her a great time, increase her shooting skills, and enhance her ability to pulverize clay pigeons. My main goal was to provide her a great time to participate in a sport that I so dearly love. I was very careful to work with her on shooting stance first. Stance is one of the most critical fundamentals to pinpoint before shooting. The art of shooting sports revolves around a few basic ground rules that will essentially improve individuals’ shooting talents. Below you will find a few that have worked for me.
Stance:
The simple mannerisms of proper stance reflect your ability to balance your center of gravity. Your stance has such an important value nestled into the way your body performs. I’ve learned and took notes from several Olympic trap-shooters that have made a competitive gaming career out of it.
You must be sure to lean into the shot with a semi-open stance shoulder-width apart. This will provide an adequate balance and foundation for your upper body to swing into the shot. Balance is such a key factor in accuracy and the outcome of your performance.
Follow Through:
I’ve learned that over the years “following through” is one of the most central items that revolve around life. We must follow through within our career, in sports, and throughout our existence. If we don’t take the extra step to follow through, there’s simply no guidance or direction.
As any basketball player would tell you, following through is a key aspect to their success. As trap-shooters will also tell you, it gives you a platform to reach consistency, which will ultimately improve your accuracy.
Confidence:
As any professional sports player, musician, or leadership speaker will tell you, confidence is key. At the end of they day you can have the best stance, form, technique, and follow through, but if you aren’t confident in your venture, you will fail. There’s an old quote that I always enjoy to reflect upon, “If you plan to fail, your plan will fail.”
Confidence is a mental awareness that is found deep in your soul. It’s a habitual feeling we have that comes with practice, practice, and more practice. As you walk up to your next job interviews, exam, or audience, you must grasp your mind with an “I can” attitude. This will show in more ways than one.
These are just a few simple tips that I’ve learned over the years from my many great mentors. They aren’t anything fancy, nothing unearthed that hasn’t been told before, but merely a recall to action.
At the end of the day, we must find time to showcase a proving ground for newbie’s. It’s truly a rewarding opportunity to enjoy and splendor for many years to come.
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