At the risk of rehashing the old tome about the basics I'm going to muse a bit about one of the most overlooked and necessary ingredients critical for winning and/or performing well in the shotgun sports. Whether it's trap, skeet, sporting clays or any of the international clay target games, having complete confidence in your basic fundamentals is so very important and cannot be overlooked or over stressed. 

If your conviction about the strength of your shooting fundamentals is not 100% you run the risk of doubt and fear. These are the killers of good scores and winning trophies. Its the reason so many professional athletes work so hard on the basics. Coaches know that if you make the basics so ingrained in your mind and body you will do them automatically in stressful situations and tough games. Why would this be different in the clay target sports? It isn't! 

Over the past 58 years of shooting trap, skeet and sporting clays I have spent a lot of time observing some of the greatest shooters of our time. Dan Bonillas, Ray Stafford, Leo Harrison in ATA Trap. Wayne Mayes, Chip Youngblood and John Shima shooting NSSA skeet. Matt Dryke shooting International Skeet. Kim Rhode (who is unbelievably good at anything shotgun related!) George Digweed, Desirae Edmonds and David Radulovich in sporting clays. 

All of the above demonstrate a conviction in their fundamentals. Regardless of the level of the competition the truly believe in their ability because they work hard at the basics. One can't build a good structure without a good foundation and neither can one be a championship shooter without the basics being automatic. Knowing this will give you control over your emotions. Emotional control 

is essential for shooting your best score.

If you get away from your emotional "comfort zone" you are done. Hammering the basics so you shoot without a lot of thinking and hoping is the way to victory. Just like driving your car...you don't think too much about the mechanics of driving...you visualize where you want the car to go and your hundreds of hours of practice allows your body to drive the car automatically! Same with shooting, the hours spent working on the basics give you confidence to trust yourself. Visualizing the shot, just like driving the car, puts you in control and in the winners circle. 

Shoot well and often!

Bob