Edition #3
as edited by Roisin O'Neill                                                                                                                                   

Pre Shot Routines, How Having One Will Help Your Scores!

Hello and thanks for taking the time to check out F.V.C.T.C’s website! For this latest article I felt I should address the subject of pre-shooting routines and why developing one can lead to better scores. First off let me say that everyone can focus at different speeds but I do recommend taking the time to go thru a pre-shot routine slowly at first till it becomes second nature and can be done every time without being distracted. I’m going to describe to you the pre-shot routine that I use. I start from post 1 so there are a couple of things I pay attention to that are a little different than starting from other posts. These are mainly procedure things and a shooter does not have to focus on these except when starting a round.

 If you are shooting post 1, make sure you have your score sheet. Make sure that all info is correct and that all the shooters listed are present, from that point give it to the score keeper. I usually ask the score keeper if the trap is turned on and if there is anybody in the trap house and if they are staying in as a loader till the round is completed. Always check for the orange cone on the top of trap house. This normally indicates that there is someone in the trap house. Once the score-keeper indicates the trap is ready to shoot I will ask the squad if they are ready, if they are I will then call for a target. This target is important, I see a lot of squad leaders call for this target and not even look. This target is normally called for to see if they are coming out of the house correctly, and also to be observed for how high or low the targets are flying. Don’t ignore this target, checking this target should be the first part of you focusing on the target presentations to be shot at. This would be a good time to check and see how the wind is affecting the flight path or the target.

The following is the shot sequence that I use, it might not work for everyone but if you develop a pre-shot sequence that works for you it will help you focus and your scores will go up. Remember a big part of this game is mental focus.

1. Once you’re on the shooting pad get into your stance and align with the trap to allow for proper vision and movement from the post you are shooting from.
2. Load your shotgun and close your action. Make sure your gun is pointing downrange and your finger is off the trigger.
3. Mount your shotgun and find the proper hold point from the post you are shooting. (If you are unsure of hold points or have questions about them feel free to ask me) If you are not comfortable with the gun mount take it down and then remount the gun until you get the feel you are looking for.
4. Focus your vision slightly beyond the trap house so that you will catch the movement of the target. Hard focusing on one small part of the trap will often lead to not seeing the target until much later in its flight time and put you at a disadvantage on getting the correct lead.
5. Call for the bird, have a good strong call, but not so aggressive that you move your face from its proper position on the comb or that you move the barrel up and down from its alignment in your vision.
6. After you have made the correct move to the target and broken the bird, unload your gun. Keep your stance on the pad and keep your eyes forward. If you are able to observe the flights of some of the other shooters birds it will help you gauge the targets angle, especially if it is windy and there is some target movement. When the fifth shot is fired and you’re ready to change posts, wait for the scorekeeper to give the command to change. Listen for your score from the post from which you just shot, this is important as once you leave that post and the score is marked you cannot dispute or correct your score.

Hopefully this gives you some things to work on this week. Next time we will break the pre-shot sequence down a little more so that you can fine tune what you are doing. Thanks for supporting F.V.C.T.C

George Miletich Jr.