Improving at Trap

[BigFatGuy]

Thank you. I know. But I'm still hoping to make the Olympics in Rio.

There's an olympic skeet shooter (name escapes me) who practices at 3-B sometimes. She shoots ammo by the multiple flats on a regular basis.

Assuming you are being serious, it's an admirable goal, but you'll want a coach, a very expensive gun, and all the ammo you can get in exchange for your house and car.

[MFortie]

1. Trap is 90% a mental game.
2. Get a good coach.
3. Get the fundamentals.
4. Invest in a good gun.

I'm a Level 1 shotgun coach, which means I know enough to know I don't know enough. (My youngest shot SCTP and I was an asst. coach).

Go to P2K and talk with Susan Sledge - she's an Olympic level shooter and might share more info about finding a coach if you are indeed serious.

Pacific Sporting Arms up in Azusa would be a place to shop for a fitted gun - I bought my C.G. there and at 5k it is on the low end of their offerings.

Hope this helps.

[midlife]

I'll ask for Susan. I was just kidding bout Olympics. Kind of. I'd love to be that good and would put in time and money if I thought I had a chance.

[Ritchie8719]

As far as unrealized perfection goes, trap is better than golf, worse than bowling.

[Iskra]

"Its a poor carpenter who blames his tools"

22-24 is solid. Get your head in the game. If you can hit 22, your gun isn't the problem. Focus on every bird. A different gun won't change your talent.

[midlife]

Not sure what you mean by focus on every bird. I try to remind myself to just look at bird. But sometimes over thinking leads to misses.

[midlife]

Also. For the better shots out there. How quickly do you call for bird after shouldering gun? Same every time. Or do you wait till you feel ready.

[bigred1]

I don't think you need a coach at all. I say spend the money on shells and trap time.

I don't know if I comprehended your OP correctly. Are you shooting with a modified now and think you should practice with a full or are shooting full now and think it's better practice? Run a modified if your not already.

as far as calling for a bird:
shooting like most things is about ritual. I usually take my position, due a mock run, drop to low ready, take a breath, shoulder, load shell(pump),take another breath, then call.

[midlife]

I'm practicing with modified. Though full might help in practice so I need to to be right on to hit clays.

[midlife]

I did order a high end set of eye wear. Hope it helps see bird better. Using a cheep set now.

[bigred1]

Using a full choke isn't going to help you as much as you think. The tighter group helps when a bird gets farther out but you won't notice much a hit percentage change on stuff close in.

I'm guessing here that your really just having problems with shots that are 1/4'n away from you or lateral movement. I can tell you it just takes practice to know leads and remember to fallow through.

It will all come to you it just takes practice. Maybe you should just work on shotgun work in a general sense. Have you tried sporting clays? Sporting clays is a great way to get out of the rigidity of trap.

Also, don't worry about needing different equipment until you decide to take up skeet.

[midlife]

I wish we had skeet down here in San Diego. It's the easy shots I miss. Not hard ones off station one and five.

[Newshooter]

That is a heck of an average after only shooting for 3 months.

It sounds like it's mostly mental at this time. Lenny Basham does a good job for the mental game. Also check out the book "an insight to sports". Not specifically shooting literature but give some insight to how your eyes work during sporting events.

In regards to a new gun...the biggest mistake is thinking a gun is going to fix your problem. Typically, a new gun will cause your scores to DROP instead of improve. One of the biggest mistakes shooters make is thinking I got this gun mastered, I should get a new one to shoot better. So not true!!!

After all, it is the Indian not the arrow.

[Revoman]

I agree, talk with Susan Sledge at P2K. She should at least be able to lead you in the right direction for a local coach if nothing else.

She's a super nice lady too!