One of the fun things about writing this blog is that if I have a question, I can usually get an answer from someone very experienced on the subject. Recently I was thinking I spent a lot of time this year feeling negative after I missed a target. This cannot be a good thing especially in competition. Naturally I began to wonder what the top shots of the game do when they miss. I sent an email to every top shot and coach I could find and asked them this simple question, "How do YOU handle a miss?" Here are the replies I received.
Look harder at the next pair or target. After the 2nd miss if the shot felt perfect and I know I saw the bird clearly, I will insert my gun closer the to target to get more feel…
- Anthony Matarese Jr., Team USA, NSCA and World Champion
For myself, I first self diagnose immediately what kind of miss just happened. There are basically three different kinds of misses that I encounter on the field. The first, being the most common, would be one where I didn’t look (Focus/Stare) at the target as well as I should have. The next would be if something went wrong fundamentally or in my approach (Hold Point/Focal/Mental/etc). The third would be where I executed the shot exactly how I planned and resulted in a miss.
Once I have categorized that miss, I then go forward taking the necessary steps to not allow that mistake to happen again and as they say "Minimize the Bleeding," on that given stand or peg.
- Zachary Kienbaum, mulitple NSCA California State and Zone 7 Champion
I try not to do it again.
- Brad Kidd Jr., Team USA, 2009 World Sporting All-Around Champ
When I miss a target, the first thing I do is (as calmly as possible) ask myself if I saw the bird crisply and clearly when the gun went off? If the answer is “no”, and it usually is when I miss, I understand the lead is not the problem. It is important to get this issue squared away first. If I did not see the bird well when the gun exploded, then I need to understand why…..was the gun moving too fast? was I measuring? was the gun moving too slow?……these answers will help me much more in correcting the problem than getting wrapped around the axle about where the shot went.
Besides, if I saw the target crisp and clear when the gun went off, I’ll most likely know where I missed.
- Will Fennell, Team USA, multiple NSCA South Carolina state champ, Pan-Am FITASC gold medalist.
Learn from it and move on.
- Gil Ash, Level III Instructor
Firstly try to avoid missing full stop!! But, I treat it as say a hundred one bird competitions so hit or miss, that competition is over and that shot has no impact on the next. It’s hard to master but works very well!
- Ben Husthwaite, multiple ESP and FITASC Champion, 2008 Euro FITASC and World Cup Champion
If in a tournament, I try and make corrections while I’m in the box, you never want to miss in the same place twice. Once I walk out of the box and I’m headed to the next station I think of nothing but the targets I broke and forget about the ones I did not. If you ever read any of Lanny Bassham and his mental management system he teaches you to call them non-hits instead of misses. I agree 100% with his teachings. Once you’ve developed proper shooting fundamentals your mental game has to be honed to gain that razor sharp competive edge.
- Stephen Biello, Level II Instructor
I usually shake my head and try to forget.
- Theo Ribbs, 2009 Texas State FITASC Champ among many others.
"Nail it and press on!" I use this term that I learned in Athletes in Action. It refers to the Biblical principle of casting all your worries on to Jesus. So I nail a miss to the cross and press on.- Gebben Miles, 2009 NSCA National Champ.
Now I ask you reader, How do YOU handle a miss? Leave your comments below.
International Sporting Clays.com thanks the people who contributed to this post.
By weekday an experienced award winning Director of Photography and Gaffer. I have made films for clients such as NBC, Hallmark Channel, Atlantic Records/Fall Out Entertainment, ION, RHI, TLC and HighNoon Entertainment. By weekend I am a sporting clay Addict! I love the smell of nitrocellulose in the morning! 
I like Ben Husthwaites technique of making every bird a mini competition…it works.
Usually stating with,”Weelllllll…crap. Then think where I stopped swinging, trigger again and hit.