[greasewd]

I've got a question: Me and my buddies were discussing instructors and our expectations the other day, most of us want an instructor who will not only give us technique lessons but also to be a "coach" and someone who will help us become better shooters. This isn't what we get. Our experience has been that we get a 1-hour lesson on whatever the pro wants to teach. It may not be what you told him that you needed to work on and he usually doesn't remember your last lesson and what was covered. Is it too much to ask for someone who not only helps you learn but has enough concern to help you develop? For example, I would expect my instructor to keep notes of our lesson so he can compare how I'm doing from lesson to lesson and what we've covered in previous lessons. Also, he should give me "homework" - training exercises to perform. We should set goals and how to work to achieve them. We've spent a lot of money on instruction and shoot a lot of targets yet none of us are satisfied with the local instructors. They seem to have the opposite approach - give an hour's lesson then forget about the student (or sucker) until the next lesson rolls around. Maybe we're a bit cynical but we do enjoy shooting and some of us work hard on becoming better shooters but don't see the progress we expect. Thanks for reading my diatribe!

 

[sera]

This has been my experience x10. And .....what is your goal ? To get better at a game where there is no $$$ ???

 

[SGalford]

How often are you taking lessons? If you’re only seeing your guy one hour every few months, it will be harder for him to remember what you were working on and how to help you. As with everything in life, you get what you pay for. Maybe your instructor is the right guy maybe he isn’t but keep searching till you find the right guy and then book a two hour lesson every other week until you’re getting the results that you’re looking for.

 

[sera]

In the past , sometimes I'd get the yips on teal. Mike McA taught me 3 different ways to get over them. Bobby F taught me to take a rabbit w/ a low hold and 45* angle attack. The rest of the lessons were a waste of money.

Sorry.

 

[oneounceload]

You should be calling any potential instructor and having a good in-depth conversation about where you are at, what you are trying to accomplish, what has and hasn't worked for you so far and how tht person does their teaching. A good teacher adapts their teaching style to your learning style, not the other way around.

 

[lt0026]

It takes time and $$ to get good. Stick with a really good local instructor if you can. The world champion that passes through every year isn't the answer for everyone. Everyone starts somewhere. You don't need a champion NASCAR driver to teach you on your learner's permit. For me, it's all about trigger time. YMMV.

 

[John CO]

You may have done this already, but I suggest going to the NSCA website & looking for a level 3 coach in your area. I am lucky to have an excellent one near me. If no one is available try a level 2 coach. If still no go, ask the better competitors in your area who they use. In my experience it’s a bit like finding a good doctor or auto mechanic. You just have to keep looking until you bingo.

I encourage you to keep your own notes & records of training. There’s a ton of reasons to do so, but it helps your coach if you are able to review previous notes & what you have been working on before you start your session. I am a bit (or a lot) OCD. I set down soon after each session & organize my notes on what subjects we covered, what my faults were that day & any new practice drills I learned.

Keep looking. If you find the correct coach for yourself good things will happen. Hope this helps.

 

[oneounceload]

You may have done this already, but I suggest going to the NSCA website & looking for a level 3 coach in your area. I am lucky to have an excellent one near me. If no one is available try a level 2 coach. If still no go, ask the better competitors in your area who they use. In my experience it’s a bit like finding a good doctor or auto mechanic. You just have to keep looking until you bingo.

I encourage you to keep your own notes & records of training. There’s a ton of reasons to do so, but it helps your coach if you are able to review previous notes & what you have been working on before you start your session. I am a bit (or a lot) OCD. I set down soon after each session & organize my notes on what subjects we covered, what my faults were that day & any new practice drills I learned.

Keep looking. If you find the correct coach for yourself good things will happen. Hope this helps.

Sorry, but someone who made it through Curry's course so he can say he is a Level III does not ensure quality teaching or instructing. Communicating with the prospective teacher is time well spent to see if the two personalities mesh.

 

[lt0026]

You may have done this already, but I suggest going to the NSCA website & looking for a level 3 coach in your area. I am lucky to have an excellent one near me. If no one is available try a level 2 coach. If still no go, ask the better competitors in your area who they use. In my experience it’s a bit like finding a good doctor or auto mechanic. You just have to keep looking until you bingo.

I encourage you to keep your own notes & records of training. There’s a ton of reasons to do so, but it helps your coach if you are able to review previous notes & what you have been working on before you start your session. I am a bit (or a lot) OCD. I set down soon after each session & organize my notes on what subjects we covered, what my faults were that day & any new practice drills I learned.

Keep looking. If you find the correct coach for yourself good things will happen. Hope this helps.

Some of the best instructors don't have the NSCA designation.

 

[kman0218]

I couldn't agree more with all of your statements. I've never had the luxury of having a family member or even a good friend that shoots to show me the basics. So I had to start from complete scratch. Instructor are good at the basics. Learn those and stop taking lessons. Develop your own style, swing, etc. If you run into problems on a presentation, etc and can't figure it out. Take a lesson to learn why. That way you have a purpose in mind and won't be learning whatever they want. Don't get caught up with all the minutia running around in your head. The game is simple. Best look point, best break point. Practice with your friends, provide constructive criticism and shoot with better shooters. Break away from your buddies and ask to join a squad. You'll be surprised what you can pickup from better shooters...

 

[AZ Dutch]

Instructor are good at the basics. Learn those and stop taking lessons. Develop your own style, swing, etc. Practice with your friends, provide constructive criticism.

And if you’re going to follow this advice, please play all the options when you shoot registered.

 

[Apexcars]

There is a difference between and instructor and a coach. If you set up a one-time lesson to get instructions from someone, that is an instructor. You tell them what you have been having trouble with and what you want to improve, and they try to give you pointers to help you with that. They don't know anything about you or how you shoot or why you are struggling. You make a long term plan with a coach. You set up to meet with them on a regular basis and they watch you shoot over time and see where you are having issues and where you can improve and work with you to reach your goals. Most people just take a lesson once in a while. People who want to become the very best in the sport hire a coach and work with them for years potentially. There really aren't that many poeple in this sport, especially once they have reached adulthood that will go to that expense just to get gret at a pastime.

 

[greasewd]

This has been my experience x10. And .....what is your goal ? To get better at a game where there is no $$$ ???

I've shot all my life. I started shooting clays in the 1990's (My NSCA life member number is lower than yours 538xxx, so we probably both joined around the same time.) I wasn't very serious over the next 20 or so years due to other demands - work & life. I'm lived in Midland, Texas during that time where we were fortunate to have 3 sporting clay facilities close to town with another one nearby in San Angelo. I've taken lessons from many - Mike McAlpine, Dan Carlisle & others. Always got something out of them but never had the time to pursue shooting seriously mainly sticking to charity shoots & bird hunting during those years. I retired about 5 years ago and decided to take up shooting more seriously. Since then I've shot 15,000 to 20,000 rds/yr. I worked on my game solo for the first year or so but didn't make the improvement I wanted so I've been taking lessons regularly over the last 3 years. Mostly from the same guy who is a Level 3 instructor not that I believe that makes someone a better instructor. He has helped but doesn't seem interested in doing more than give lessons which pay for his ammo to shoot. I've gone to Houston and attended a clinic with the Ashes which was okay. But it didn't live up to the hype I was given. As with you, Sera, I get something from most good instructors and shooters that I incorporate into my game. I don't expect them to make me into mini-me's. We all have our own style of shooting and the best we can do is find things which work for us. My goals - originally it was to work up to Master class but I'm beginning to think that isn't going to happen. My scores have leveled out in the 70's & low 80's and I'm stalling out in B class. I keep training & practicing and will continue because I love to shoot and make dust but may never reach Master level.

 

[greasewd]

You should be calling any potential instructor and having a good in-depth conversation about where you are at, what you are trying to accomplish, what has and hasn't worked for you so far and how tht person does their teaching. A good teacher adapts their teaching style to your learning style, not the other way around.

I'm usually very up-front about what I expect & my view of progress but it seems instructors have selective hearing.

 

[Wells5291]

I've got a question: Me and my buddies were discussing instructors and our expectations the other day, most of us want an instructor who will not only give us technique lessons but also to be a "coach" and someone who will help us become better shooters. This isn't what we get. Our experience has been that we get a 1-hour lesson on whatever the pro wants to teach. It may not be what you told him that you needed to work on and he usually doesn't remember your last lesson and what was covered. Is it too much to ask for someone who not only helps you learn but has enough concern to help you develop? For example, I would expect my instructor to keep notes of our lesson so he can compare how I'm doing from lesson to lesson and what we've covered in previous lessons. Also, he should give me "homework" - training exercises to perform. We should set goals and how to work to achieve them. We've spent a lot of money on instruction and shoot a lot of targets yet none of us are satisfied with the local instructors. They seem to have the opposite approach - give an hour's lesson then forget about the student (or sucker) until the next lesson rolls around. Maybe we're a bit cynical but we do enjoy shooting and some of us work hard on becoming better shooters but don't see the progress we expect. Thanks for reading my diatribe!

Where are you located?

 

[greasewd]

You may have done this already, but I suggest going to the NSCA website & looking for a level 3 coach in your area. I am lucky to have an excellent one near me. If no one is available try a level 2 coach. If still no go, ask the better competitors in your area who they use. In my experience it’s a bit like finding a good doctor or auto mechanic. You just have to keep looking until you bingo.

I encourage you to keep your own notes & records of training. There’s a ton of reasons to do so, but it helps your coach if you are able to review previous notes & what you have been working on before you start your session. I am a bit (or a lot) OCD. I set down soon after each session & organize my notes on what subjects we covered, what my faults were that day & any new practice drills I learned.

Keep looking. If you find the correct coach for yourself good things will happen. Hope this helps.

I keep a journal of all my practices & also good points from articles I read. I got this from an instructor several years ago. I've brought them with me several times but my instructor has shown little interest. He usually asks what I what to cover & I will tell him but then often goes off on a tangent never addressing my concerns until I really push it. I also keep notes on lessons.

 

[greasewd]

There is a difference between and instructor and a coach. If you set up a one-time lesson to get instructions from someone, that is an instructor. You tell them what you have been having trouble with and what you want to improve, and they try to give you pointers to help you with that. They don't know anything about you or how you shoot or why you are struggling. You make a long term plan with a coach. You set up to meet with them on a regular basis and they watch you shoot over time and see where you are having issues and where you can improve and work with you to reach your goals. Most people just take a lesson once in a while. People who want to become the very best in the sport hire a coach and work with them for years potentially. There really aren't that many poeple in this sport, especially once they have reached adulthood that will go to that expense just to get gret at a pastime.

That's the question - where are the coaches? It seems I can find instructors plenty. Guys willing to give one-hour lessons all day every week which can help but not long-term improvement towards becoming a better shooter.

 

[greasewd]

Where are you located?

Central Texas

 

[Apexcars]

OSP shooting school. They will act as a coach from what I heard. Also, there are coaches that work with some of the universities. Don’t know if they will take on non students though. I haven’t really looked into it because I am only a 1 to 2 time a week shooter.

 

[jacksonl17]

As someone with a bit of an unpredictable schedule, its tough for me to make regular time to get with an instructor. I get out to shoot a good bit, but its usually a last minute plan when work ends early. Because of that, I have to train myself as best I can. Like others have said, I try and read a lot to get tips and then when I go to the range I try to have a goal for that day. Maybe its working a particular drill or station, or focusing on one aspect of the game. I regularly intersperse normal rounds to keep the hands warm and act as a sanity check. Some things work, some don't, but I try to be as methodical as possible. When I do get the chance to work with or talk to a coach, I try and get as much as I can to take back and apply day to day. That's my thought process/methodology. Take it for what it's worth.