Almost had a Trap Breakthrough...

Musketeer · October 15, 2007, 09:34 AM

As I have already posted I am just getting into trap. I shoot two rounds each weekend at a range 5 minutes from my home, time does not really allow more. I have been working hard to get foot position, posture and gun positioning down to an ingrained action and am doing all right.

A week ago there was a shooter on the line with me who took forever to get ready for his next shot. I found it frustrating and it started to put me off until I had a mini breakthrough. I said to myself "Who cares? What's the race?" As soon as I relaxed I started doing better. My thanks to the slow shooter who helped me put myself into the right frame of mind. For midset I have also tried very hard not to keep count of lost birds. All that matters is the one in front of me now, not the last and not the next.

I have been holding at 14 to 15 birds for a couple weeks. Typically I loose about 2 a station. This weekend I shot at a one of the fields that is not used too often for my second round; it was pretty busy that day so they openned it up. I stated in the second position. In second, third and forth position I nailed 4 birds each! As I said I try NOT to count the birds in my head but I knew I was on and at each change the puller called out the score. I thne hit the fifth position...

The box seemed small and I realized it was right at the edge of the pavement. The blacktop was also uneven in that position and sloped dramatically down at the side inside the box. I found myself completely unbalanced and as a result nothing lined up. Then I got myself flusterred with the aggravation of it... Position five yeilded four lost birds! That was aggravating but what happenned next was worse! I couls at least rationalize my horrible performance at five with the lousy conditions present. When I moved to one though to finish the game I was so flusterred with blowing my good game at five that I missed four more birds! ARRRGGGGG!!!!!

Guess I need to keep working at the mental game. Missing on fove was bad but understandable in my opinion. Missing on one was 100% my own fault and purely bad attitude! That is frustrating.

Oh well, there is always next weekend. I just have to keep my head in the game, don't sweat the little stuff, and... avoid field #7!

JWT · October 15, 2007, 12:34 PM

Don't get discouraged. Improvement often comes slowly and in spurts.

Take your time before each shot, concentrate, concentrate, concentrate and equally important keep your head on the gun (stock).

Keep your thoughts positive, thinking only about the target your about to break. You can't do anything about the last target or the next target - only the one you're about to shoot, so think only about that and how you're going to nail it. Don't focus on how many targets you've broken or want to break - just the target you're shooting at.

BigJimP · October 15, 2007, 06:45 PM

Like the other response - be patient. I've shot Trap for 35 years - and it took awhile to get everything just right - before I was consistent in that 23 - 25 range. The experts say the average casual trap shooter typically scores about a 16 - and it's all about the fundamentals to make the incremental steps up to an 18 average / then a 20 average. You need to be patient and honest with yourself and keep good notes on how you do each day you go to the club.

Dropping 4 targets on a station is never good - but if you let it get into your head / it'll get worse. You almost have to laugh it off - and just go back and get them another day.

Really look over your fundamentals - like you said, work on the gun mount, foot position, staring a hole in the leading edge of the target and making a smooth move and follow thru on the target. Not to preach too much - but vision and follow-thru are a real big deal. Vision - see the leading edge, don't look at the whole target, or the butt of the target. Focus on the leading edge - feel the lead - and remember pulling the trigger is about in the "middle of the shot" it is not the end of the shot. Pulling the trigger - keeping your eyes focused on the target -and making a smooth follow-thru and not getting out of the gun for a good solid second - is how you should finish the shot. Shooting in an experienced squad - that has a rythum is a good thing - and a slow shooter puts me off as well - but just like wind, you have to deal with it. A friend tells me, kill em like you have to eat em ......make them all pay.....its you or the target, don't let those commies fly away ....(they laugh when they do you know ...). Kill em like you have to eat em .....one at a time.

October 15, 2007, 09:34 AM	#1
Musketeer Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2005 Posts: 3,733	Almost had a Trap Breakthrough... As I have already posted I am just getting into trap. I shoot two rounds each weekend at a range 5 minutes from my home, time does not really allow more. I have been working hard to get foot position, posture and gun positioning down to an ingrained action and am doing all right. A week ago there was a shooter on the line with me who took forever to get ready for his next shot. I found it frustrating and it started to put me off until I had a mini breakthrough. I said to myself "Who cares? What's the race?" As soon as I relaxed I started doing better. My thanks to the slow shooter who helped me put myself into the right frame of mind. For midset I have also tried very hard not to keep count of lost birds. All that matters is the one in front of me now, not the last and not the next. I have been holding at 14 to 15 birds for a couple weeks. Typically I loose about 2 a station. This weekend I shot at a one of the fields that is not used too often for my second round; it was pretty busy that day so they openned it up. I stated in the second position. In second, third and forth position I nailed 4 birds each! As I said I try NOT to count the birds in my head but I knew I was on and at each change the puller called out the score. I thne hit the fifth position... The box seemed small and I realized it was right at the edge of the pavement. The blacktop was also uneven in that position and sloped dramatically down at the side inside the box. I found myself completely unbalanced and as a result nothing lined up. Then I got myself flusterred with the aggravation of it... Position five yeilded four lost birds! That was aggravating but what happenned next was worse! I couls at least rationalize my horrible performance at five with the lousy conditions present. When I moved to one though to finish the game I was so flusterred with blowing my good game at five that I missed four more birds! ARRRGGGGG!!!!! Guess I need to keep working at the mental game. Missing on fove was bad but understandable in my opinion. Missing on one was 100% my own fault and purely bad attitude! That is frustrating. Oh well, there is always next weekend. I just have to keep my head in the game, don't sweat the little stuff, and... avoid field #7! __________________ "Religions are all alike - founded upon fables and mythologies." Thomas Jefferson "The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason." Benjamin Franklin

October 15, 2007, 12:34 PM	#2
JWT Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 2007 Location: Southern Arizona Posts: 3,888	Don't get discouraged. Improvement often comes slowly and in spurts. Take your time before each shot, concentrate, concentrate, concentrate and equally important keep your head on the gun (stock). Keep your thoughts positive, thinking only about the target your about to break. You can't do anything about the last target or the next target - only the one you're about to shoot, so think only about that and how you're going to nail it. Don't focus on how many targets you've broken or want to break - just the target you're shooting at. Last edited by JWT; October 15, 2007 at 08:05 PM.

October 15, 2007, 06:45 PM	#3
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Like the other response - be patient. I've shot Trap for 35 years - and it took awhile to get everything just right - before I was consistent in that 23 - 25 range. The experts say the average casual trap shooter typically scores about a 16 - and it's all about the fundamentals to make the incremental steps up to an 18 average / then a 20 average. You need to be patient and honest with yourself and keep good notes on how you do each day you go to the club. Dropping 4 targets on a station is never good - but if you let it get into your head / it'll get worse. You almost have to laugh it off - and just go back and get them another day. Really look over your fundamentals - like you said, work on the gun mount, foot position, staring a hole in the leading edge of the target and making a smooth move and follow thru on the target. Not to preach too much - but vision and follow-thru are a real big deal. Vision - see the leading edge, don't look at the whole target, or the butt of the target. Focus on the leading edge - feel the lead - and remember pulling the trigger is about in the "middle of the shot" it is not the end of the shot. Pulling the trigger - keeping your eyes focused on the target -and making a smooth follow-thru and not getting out of the gun for a good solid second - is how you should finish the shot. Shooting in an experienced squad - that has a rythum is a good thing - and a slow shooter puts me off as well - but just like wind, you have to deal with it. A friend tells me, kill em like you have to eat em ......make them all pay.....its you or the target, don't let those commies fly away ....(they laugh when they do you know ...). Kill em like you have to eat em .....one at a time.