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not happy

3K views 42 replies 23 participants last post by  MarvC 
#1 ·
I started to shoot skeet 2-3 month and got stuck on low scores - 11-14. No improvements...
Have confidence in positions 1;7, sometimes brake in 2;6.
Reading forums, watching videos I suspect my problem are correct lead and stopping gun.
Also I think I see clays to late, play catch up and shoot too late.
Need some ideas how to work on these problems?
How long in average takes for a newbie to brake through 20?
 
#2 ·
It's often hard to diagnose your own ills and too often those looking over your shoulder can't really convey how to help. If you haven't check out OSP, Gil and Vickie have a great place (they travel giving lessons also) and I'm sure, they can get you headed in the right direction.

http://www.ospschool.com/
 
#3 ·
Every one progress at their own rate,have you thought about or checked into getting a couple of lessons :?: That would save you a lot of time and frustration.

Video's are helpful to a point but a good instructor who can watch you and be able to tell you why you're missing,someone just saying you're behind/above/etc but can't expound past that isn't helping IMO.
 
#4 ·
Have you attempted to determine your master or dominant eye? If you have cross dominance some times or all of the time, it would cause serious problems, very possibly involving your swings and leads.
 
#7 ·
As mentioned, get some lessons. Ask at your club for recommendations as to a good local instructor from who to take some initial lessons. You don't have anything in the way of technique to work on, so while I fully sympathize with limited shooting budget, your practice budget is pretty much being wasted blowing holes in the sky. Also, the earlier you get lessons, the less bad habits you will form and need to relearn.

This is a bit like a person taking a lift to the top of Vail and hoping that somehow on the way down he will intuitively learn how to ski (ok, it wasn't a big mountain like Vail, but I did do this when much younger...most folks couldn't believe that I actually got up the lift chair without knowing the first thing about skiing...it was a looooong trip back down the hill LOL).

Get some lessons which will then give you some fundamentals that you can then work on during your practice sessions.
 
#9 ·
Baron23 said:
As mentioned, get some lessons. Ask at your club for recommendations as to a good local instructor from who to take some initial lessons. You don't have anything in the way of technique to work on, so while I fully sympathize with limited shooting budget, your practice budget is pretty much being wasted blowing holes in the sky. Also, the earlier you get lessons, the less bad habits you will form and need to relearn.

This is a bit like a person taking a lift to the top of Vail and hoping that somehow on the way down he will intuitively learn how to ski (ok, it wasn't a big mountain like Vail, but I did do this when much younger...most folks couldn't believe that I actually got up the lift chair without knowing the first thing about skiing...it was a looooong trip back down the hill LOL).

Get some lessons which will then give you some fundamentals that you can then work on during your practice sessions.
+1 on lessons. strobes....even in the pretty short haul, lessons are cheaper than shells and targets.

Baron...your ski experience sounds like mine! Germany, 1974, the ski "instructor" took us to the top of a mountain and showed us how to snap our boots to the skis. Then he said turn around and face down hill. That was the last time I ever saw that son of *%^%$#! It was a very long, cold, hard trip back down that mountain. Ever since I have stuck to sand, sun, surf, and scuba....much better than snow, ski, snot, and shiver!

Strobes...a good instructor actually SAVES you money. BTW, I know a lot of good gunsmiths...most don't jack about gun fit.
 
#10 ·
yeap......lessons lessons lessons..........

I thought that was the stupidest thing I had ever heard at one time.........get someone to help you with gun fit also.

I wasted a lot of ammo doing things the wrong way. I still do them wrong when I am not in to the game like I should be but at least I know what is right and wrong.
 
#11 ·
the ski "instructor" took us to the top of a mountain and showed us how to snap our boots to the skis. Then he said turn around and face down hill. That was the last time I ever saw that son of *%^%$#!
Mismost - now that is funny! The next year after my experience I went to a place in Quebec province called Grey Rocks which was a full service lodge and everybody was in ski school class at from beginner to expert levels. Lessons turned a miserable experience into one of the greatest pleasures of my younger years.
 
#12 ·
+1 on lessons. The NSSA website has a list of all the NSSA certified coaches in your area. Even with that though, If you can find some of the registered shooters in the area and get one to mentor you, you'd be way ahead of trying to figure it out for yourself. You have to have someone that knows what they are doing to watch your form, movements, eye positions, hold points, breakpoints, etc and get you doing everything consistently. A little bit of coaching can save you hundreds of targets trying to figure it our for yourself.

If you shoot to much without some decent coaching you'll build muscle memory - of the wrong darn thing. That is really hard to break. I've seen that too often. There is a guy at our club that bought a clay delay voice release so he can shoot practice by himself - great, but he has so ingrained his bad habits that even with a bit coaching he goes back to doing it his way- and complaining about his scores.
 
#13 ·
here comes stu's standard post, frequent flyers>divert your eyes..

Have you taken your shotgun to a pattern board yet?
A very basic thing that turned out to be huge for me. After finding out mine was shooting way left-adjustments added about 5 more clays the very next round.

Ok, everyone can look again.
 
#14 ·
stubeeef said:
here comes stu's standard post, frequent flyers>divert your eyes..

Have you taken your shotgun to a pattern board yet?
A very basic thing that turned out to be huge for me. After finding out mine was shooting way left-adjustments added about 5 more clays the very next round.

Ok, everyone can look again.
Yes, it has been tested, looks like it shoots 80/20 from both barrels.

And by the way I trust this guys telling me that the gun fits me OK.
Dallas Gallery
41 Highland ParkVillage
Dallas, TX 75205
Phone: 214.559.9800
www.dallas.berettagallery.com
 
#15 ·
Baron23 said:
As mentioned, get some lessons. Ask at your club for recommendations as to a good local instructor from who to take some initial lessons. You don't have anything in the way of technique to work on, so while I fully sympathize with limited shooting budget, your practice budget is pretty much being wasted blowing holes in the sky. Also, the earlier you get lessons, the less bad habits you will form and need to relearn.

This is a bit like a person taking a lift to the top of Vail and hoping that somehow on the way down he will intuitively learn how to ski (ok, it wasn't a big mountain like Vail, but I did do this when much younger...most folks couldn't believe that I actually got up the lift chair without knowing the first thing about skiing...it was a looooong trip back down the hill LOL).

Get some lessons which will then give you some fundamentals that you can then work on during your practice sessions.
Funny you mentioned this - back in USSR mid 60's this is how kids including me been though how to swim - thrown in dip water. And I found to be a good swimmer than and skier later - no fears and "can do" attitude....Still I think, yes it's time to take lessons. And join a good squad.
 
#16 ·
I would find a good coach. Your first statement regarding leads and stopping the gun, go hand in hand. Stopping the gun is classic result of looking at the target than at the last moment checking the lead by looking back at the barrel, the gun stops.

Find a good coach, not to be confused with the local hot-shot or gun club experts.

You probably need to address a skeet gun that shoots 80/20, that is trap gun territory. 50/50 to maybe 65/35 is more in line.

Oh yeah, like others have suggested find a good coach.
 
#17 ·
It took me about a year, shooting 3-4 times per month, to break through 20. I have been stuck in the 15-20 range for the past 6 months, but yesterday, shot a 21 finally. I was using my new 20 ga Beretta 391 and it shot very smooth. Stations 3-5 high house are the toughest shots for me.
 
#18 ·
godawgs82 said:
It took me about a year, shooting 3-4 times per month, to break through 20. I have been stuck in the 15-20 range for the past 6 months, but yesterday, shot a 21 finally. I was using my new 20 ga Beretta 391 and it shot very smooth. Stations 3-5 high house are the toughest shots for me.
Thank you, This is what I was looking for. Compare my experience with other shooter's knowledge.
Strobes
 
#19 ·
My shooting partner went out to the club for the first time about a year before I went out there. He took his Benelli M2 jamb-o-matic and went to the front desk - they hooked him up with one of the registered guys to walk him through a round. He ran them. 25/25. first time on a skeet field.

Been downhill ever since.
 
#20 ·
I started with lessons, didn't want to get too many bad habits.
Shot my first 25 at about 6 months. Been shooting for 10 months get 92-96/100.

Get the lessons, saves money in the long run.
 
#21 ·
you already got your lessons.
get a coach.
get someone who will stand behind you and correct your errors WHEN they happen.
 
#23 ·
bobski said:
you already got your lessons.
get a coach.
get someone who will stand behind you and correct your errors WHEN they happen.
Got that with my lessons....potato potatoe
 
#24 ·
+1 with the lessons. I do disagree about seeking ou registered shooters & asking their opinion because unless you are a really experienced shooter you won't know if what they are telling you is a load of crap or not. When I was a begginner (as a woman for some reason men you don't know can't resist telling you where they think you are going wrong :roll: ) after a few months of shooting great (75 straight after 4months) it all went pear shaped & it took one lesson to be told I was having eye dominance issues. I started off fine,my right eye was dominant,but then all of a sudden my other eye started taking over. If I'd have listened to those guys though I would have altered my comb,given more lead,less lead,shot further over/under, stayed in the gun longer & sung yankee doodle :lol:
Yes it costs to get a lesson but you won't regret it-it would be worth stopping shooting for a month for because you are only reinforcing bad habits until you find out what you are doing wrong ;)
 
#26 ·
I'm clawing my way up the same way you are and it has been a slow trip, and I fully understand how miserable it is getting stuck in the low numbers, or inexplicably returning to them after you've made an improvement. I've been shooting skeet about two years, I'm currently shooting in the low 20s, my best is a 23, and my hat is still in one piece. I agree with some of the other commentators, when you are stuck, go take a lesson. Think of it like you aren't feeling well so you go to a medical diagnostician who runs you through the tests and helps you figure out what is wrong. It will be the best money you will spend as a skeet shooter. MAJ
 
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