Written by Nicole Hood

Juggling school, team practice and three clay disciplines can be overwhelming. As a member of the Jacksonville University Clays, Skeet, and Trap Team, I don’t always get as much live practice as I’d like. That’s why I started looking for other ways to keep my skills up, and turned to simulators.

My first experience was with DryFire, a projector-based system my family bought for home. Living in the Northeast, I quickly realized how valuable it was to train indoors during those long winters when ranges were closed or the weather was too harsh. With DryFire, I could practice trap with my own shotgun, right in my house. It was a game-changer, but not a perfect solution. The setup took space, required calibration and once I left for college I couldn’t bring it with me.

The fully adjustable GPS stock with Meta Quest VR controller.

That pushed me toward virtual reality. When I discovered Clay Hunt VR, it felt like stepping into a whole new world. Suddenly, I was standing in 360 degrees of trap fields, skeet stations, and sporting clays courses. I could slow down or speed up targets, replay presentations, and even get instant video feedback on my swing and hold points. It was far more immersive than staring at a projector screen.

But I had a problem. That system relied on VR controllers either handheld or attached to a lightweight mock stock. And for me, that just didn’t work out. I’d spent years training with my Browning 725. I felt that practicing with anything else would make me an inconstant shooter. I wanted to practice with the gun I used in competition.

The author practicing with the Grip Plus stock.

So I called Sai Chiang, the founder of Grip Plus. I asked if he could find a way to let me train in VR using my own competition gun. He came back with something incredible: a stock with two interchangeable grips – one for live shooting and one designed to hold the Meta Quest controllers for VR.

An added benefit is that Grip Plus has a recoil absorption system that’s great in long tournaments. It helped reduce fatigue and muzzle jump especially when shooting the second shot of a pair.

Sai Chiang, Founder of Grip Plus.

That innovations of Grip Plus changed everything for me. Now, when I travel for competitions, I can train in my hotel room. If there’s a particular target presentation that’s giving me trouble, I can rehearse it virtually until I’m confident I’ll break it on the course. I can accomplish this in any weather and save money on practice sessions.

I’ll say that Grip Plus VR doesn’t replace live fire, but it expands the amount of meaningful practice I can fit into my life. Since I added virtual training to my routine, both my scores and my confidence have gone up.

Nicole Hood is a sophomore at Jacksonville University and shoots on the school’s Sporting Clays, Skeet and Trap Team. Nicole only started shooting in 2019 and has already racked up many impressive wins. She most recently competed at the 2025 ATA Grand American in Sparta, Illinois. and was crowned the Lady 1 World Doubles Champion and Lady 1 High All-Around Champion. Nicole is majoring in computer science with an eye towards software engineering. 

For more information visit https://www.gripplus.com

Nicole Hood

Nicole Hood is a sophomore at Jacksonville University and shoots on the school’s Sporting Clays, Skeet and Trap Team. Nicole only started shooting in 2019 and has already racked up many impressive wins. She most recently competed at the 2025 ATA Grand American in Sparta, Illinois. and was crowned the Lady 1 World Doubles Champion and Lady 1 High All-Around Champion. Nicole is majoring in computer science with an eye towards software engineering.