Don Currie's Shooting Tips...
 Sept. 14, 2021
At a certain point in your technical development, you will reach a point where very few targets are beyond your ability to break. At this point, the mental process you follow while in the stand, and just prior to calling for the target, has a much greater impact on your score.
Some, who don’t really understand how the conscious mind works, will tell you that you need to “clear your mind” prior to calling for a target. The reality is, our conscious mind is never quiet and must occupy itself with something constantly.
As your conscious mind tends to wander, it can fall victim to boredom, fear or other emotions during competition and can contribute to inconsistencies in your performance if not controlled. A number of years ago, at the peak of my competitive activity, I did some independent research on the pre-shot routine of elite athletes outside our sport. What I found it was fascinating.
There are three elements common to most pre-shot routines of athletes at the elite level: 1) deep breathing, 2) visualization, and 3) a trigger thought or mental cue (like “focus”). So, as you step into the shooting stand, having conducted your pre-shot planning process, you should visualize the pair you are about to attempt. Simultaneously take at least two deep breaths. Lastly, as you move to your ready position and prepare to call for the target, use a trigger word or thought to remind yourself to focus acutely on the target as you execute the shot. Concentrating on this pre-shot process at each stand, instead of allowing your mind to wander or worrying about your score, will indeed improve your consistency and performance.
Don Currie is the chief instructor of the National Sporting Clays Association and one of the most sought-after shooting coaches and gunfitter in our sport. Competing in the shooting sports since age 8 and instructing as an apprentice at age 16, Don is that rare combination of Champion, Instructor, Coach and Gunfitter Don regularly propels shotgun enthusiasts of all ages and experience levels to breakthrough performance whether in the field or in competition. He also fits and equips shooters for custom shotguns. His instructional DVD “Focus – Movement – Faith” is the #1 rated sporting clays DVD on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3jEtt1u. For more about Don, visit his web site at https://doncurrie.com.
Don Currie is one of North America’s most respected gunfitters, shotgun coaches and an award-winning author. In his new book “Gunfitting: Achieving the Ideal Fit for the Game and Clay Shot, “Don delivers a groundbreaking reference work on the proper fit of a shotgun based on a lifetime of experience as a shooter, coach, and gunfitter. He takes the reader far beyond the pattern plate, to a detailed description of how the proper point-of-impact is evaluated on moving targets and how the shooter’s stance, mount, shooting discipline, and level of experience all factor into the final dimensions of the properly fitted shotgun. Don leads us on an informative journey into the stock maker’s workshop, the engraver’s studio, and the gunfitter’s kit bag to round out our understanding of the detail required to achieve the perfect gunfit. Gunfitting will prove to be a highly valued resource and a welcome addition to the book shelf of any shotgun enthusiast, instructor, gunfitter or gunmaker for many years to come.
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Sporting Sentinel
Sept. 14, 2021
