Posted on

Hartmann’s Hint #75: COVID-19 and The Mental Game

COVID-19 and the Mental Game

While my wife and I have been staying home and away from people that may have COVID-19 and be contagious, we’ve fortunately been able to keep in touch with friends and family electronically. We’re able to deal with this self-imposed social distancing better than some of our friends because we enjoy each other’s company, and we have a large enough area where we can  do many things. My wife has her arts room, and I have my shop. We also have our Labrador retrievers that I spend time with. They love swimming in our pond.

The hint I have is for those skeet shooters who are in a similar quarantine situation but may not have the distractions I have.  Those of you who want to keep your competitive edge in skeet shooting can work on the mental aspects of the game.

The mental part of our game is arguably the most important part of skeet shooting. The physical aspect is important, too, but it is much easier to learn and to master than the mental part. We have to keep our focus on what we’re doing at the specific time we’re doing it; we can’t think about how we miss a certain target or how we just hit a target that has always been our nemesis. We have to concentrate on the target we’re about to shoot, and only that target.

During the period of time when most of us are unable, for one reason or another, to be physically practicing our sport, we can work on our mental game. We can visualize each move we would make and see the targets breaking in our mind. Visualization is a tool used by athletes in most sports who want to gain and keep skills they’ve already developed or are in the process of developing.

I try to visualize getting on the station, putting my feet where I want them, mounting my shotgun properly at my hold point for the shot, looking at my “look point,” and telling myself, look at and see the target. I then see the target turn to dust as I execute the shot.

I continue this exercise until I’ve gone through at least one round, sometimes several rounds. I have two other positive pre-shot thoughts that I’ll also use: I tell myself, “It’s like me to hit this target,” and also, when shooting doubles, “one target at a time.”

During this stressful period for mankind, practice mentally what you can’t do physically.

Stay healthy and Stay safe,

Barry Hartmann

Barry Hartmann is an NSSA Master Level and NRA Certified shotgun instructor who teaches American skeet and wingshooting. You can contact Barry at threeat8@aol.com or 918-803-2393.

Posted on

Hartmann’s Hints: Skeet Instructors

Skeet Instructors

During the last several years I’ve had the honor and privilege of being one of the NSSA Zone Instructors.

I was able to work with and learn many of the finer nuances of coaching shooters from the NSSA Chief Instructor, Ralph Aaron, as well as from the many other instructors of all levels that I met and worked with in San Antonio and in the classes I taught here in the NSSA Zone 6. I’ve lost count of how many Level 1 instructors I helped certify, but the total number is close to 75.

I recently resigned from being the Zone 6 Chief Instructor, due primarily to my age and the stress of traveling.

I spent a few days in early March on a trip to Barksdale Air Force Base’s Red Chute Shotgun Sports Club in Bossier City, Louisiana, where I trained seven new Level 1 instructors. One of these was Doug Frey, the publisher of Red Chute Gazette, a fantastic newsletter devoted to all things related to skeet shooting. Google it; I think you’ll like it.

The Red Chute club is a nice place to shoot with some really nice people shooting and running the facility. Because the club is on Barksdale Air Force Base, you have to get with the club prior to attending a shoot in order to get cleared to enter the base. Doug Frey is a good contact to use to gain access to the base.

As I’ve written before, I have really enjoyed my years as the Zone Instructor, and I’ve learned from all of the people that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and instructing.

If you think you’d like to become a instructor, go to MyNSSA.com and check out the Instructor section. You’ll learn a lot and have a little fun, too.

Stay safe,

Barry Hartmann

Barry Hartmann is an NSSA Master Level and NRA Certified shotgun instructor who teaches American skeet and wingshooting. You can contact Barry at threeat8@aol.com or 918-803-2393.

Posted on

Hartmann’s Hints: Pattern Percentage

Pattern Percentage

 

I was just looking at pictures of some of the young shooters I’ve had the privilege of helping learn the shotgun sports. I have a “Rogues’ Gallery” in my shop where I have these pictures, so I see them often.

During the time I worked with them and others, we developed methods that have helped most of my students learn more about shotgun sports. One of these methods is simple and obvious if you just think about it.

I explain to students that the shot pattern as it comes out of the muzzle is the diameter of the inner barrel and the further it moves away from the barrel, the larger the pattern becomes. I use the analogy of a funnel to describe it.

I use this example when students are waiting until the target is next to or past them to shoot it. Shoot the target too far away and you can have holes in your pattern, too close and your pattern may be too small, but if you put it in the “Goldilocks zone,” the pattern is just right.

This description lets me explain why it’s better to shoot the target in front of you rather than next to you at most skeet stations. Your pattern is bigger, and it gives the shooter a small, but still greater opportunity to hit the target since they’re shooting it at an intersecting angle rather than at 90 degrees.

A visual aid I use to further explain this is a small piece of dowel, where one end is cut at 90 degrees and the other is cut on an angle. This aid allows them to physically see what I’m trying to get across to them.

I like to see my students play the percentages and hit the target in or near the break zone. Several of the young people I’ve taught have learned to play the percentages and have become superior skeet shooters.

Playing the percentages may help your skeet shooting, too.

Shoot often, shoot well, and stay safe,

Barry Hartmann

Barry Hartmann is an NSSA Master Level and NRA Certified shotgun instructor who teaches American skeet and wingshooting. You can contact Barry at threeat8@aol.com or 918-803-2393.

 

 

Posted on

Hartmann’s Hints: Persistence and Determination

Persistence and Determination

 

Recently I was reading one of the periodicals I get, and found a quote credited to Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States of America.

It read:

      “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.
      Talent will not. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
      Genius will not. Un-rewarded genius is almost a proverb.
      Education will not. The world is full of educated derelicts.
      Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

I believe this quote to be mostly accurate, but it fails to state that Talent, Genius and Education complement persistence and determination. Persistence and determination without education, and some level of talent, may not allow you to meet your goals.

We, as clay target shooters, have to have some talent in order to attain the level of shooting we desire.

I’m not quite sure how genius affects us as clay target shooters, but watch some of the greats in our sport and genius becomes evident.

Few, if any, competitive clay target shooters attained any level of skill without education. Someone either told them or showed them how to mount their shotgun, how to stand, where to look for the target, and most everything else associated with their skill level.

The application of Persistence and Determination is where we practice what we’ve learned through education, exhibiting our genius and showing our talent. Persistence with determination should become the driving forces in your practice regime. Learn and practice. Your talent will show as well as your genius.

Stay safe,

Barry Hartmann