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December 2009 Sporting Clay Shooting Tip : Sporting Clays Tips, Clay Target Techniques, Wing Shooting Preparation
The Jerk
Think about it. Balance a shotgun on a pin. Move the back end –> the front end moves. Hold that thought please.
First — I ask that we mentally focus on a specific block of time — when your gun starts moving — all the way to the trigger pull. During that specific block of time — using the second hand on your watch — notice how long 2 seconds is. Now 3 seconds. Now 4. Can we agree that this block of “swing and shot time” usually takes place somewhere between 2 to 4 seconds and — quite often – sooner? Seems right.
OK — now look hard at the first 1 to 1.5 seconds — the very first, critical movement of your gun. What’s happening in that first 1 second? Too often — the trigger hand is racing up to the face. The fore-end hand isn’t doing much of anything except supporting the gun. Now — and here’s the important part — still in that 1st second — with the trigger hand coming up quickly — the muzzle can only go one way: down. While that barrel is going down — the bird is going somewhere else — isn’t it? It didn’t go down. It went up — or across — or away from us. Everywhere but down. In slow motion now — the stock is now on your cheek but your muzzle took a dirt dive! I call that right hand upward snap “the jerk!”
1st second completed — we start second number 2. The left hand now has to “correct,” by lifting the muzzle up and chase after the target — wherever it went. With the barrel out of control and hunting for the target — not only is precious time lost — the advantage goes to the bird.
Title of my 2nd Book — To The Target <– that’s where your fore-end hand takes the muzzle. The critical first direction in the gun mount is MOVE — not mount. The fore-end hand leads this movement –> To The Target — directly. The hands must work in precise harmony — not allowing the trigger hand to “throw” the muzzle off course. Done correctly — when the stock touches your face the sight picture is the one you planned and you can finish the shot — X! No muss, no fuss.
Want to be more consistent? Have your hands work together in your gun mount.
The full, unabridged article is locate at http://www.paragonschool.com/sporting-clays-tip-12-2009.html
An Index of all The Paragon School of Sporting Sporting Tips is located at: http://www.paragonschool.com/sporting-clays-tips.html