Quiet Head

Question:

My question is in regard to the pickup point. Assuming sporting clays with a low gun, is it recommended the eyes alone shift when moving from the hold point to the pickup point? Or should the head move so the nose is pointing at the pickup point and the eyes remained centered in their sockets? Thanks!

Answer:

Proper shot execution requires acute visual focus and a head and muzzle that are synchronized with the target through the breakpoint.  Movement to a target must include an acute visual “fix” on the target together with a brief period, prior to shot execution, when the head is quiet and synchronized relative to the target.  There is plenty of science behind this statement, chief among them being Joan Vickers text “Perception Cognition – The Quiet Eye in Action.” In this text, Vickars chronicles how the eyes of elite athletes operate during sports activities in which they must “intercept” a moving object.  A summary can be found on my website at:  http://www.doncurrie.com/book-notes-the-quiet-eye-in-action-j-vickars

So, what does this mean for the clay target shooter? If possible, use only the eye muscles to move the eyes to the visual pick-up point. Your peripheral vision is exponentially more effective at initially acquiring targets than your direct vision. Turn the head only to the extent necessary to settle your eyes on your chosen visual pick-up point.  If it becomes necessary to move the head to position the eyes on the visual pick-up point, keep your head as synchronized as possible with the body and target throughout the move and execution of the shot. One of the most destructive errors I see committed by shooters is a move of the head down to the gun at the end of the “stroke.” This upsets and interrupts the flow of high-definition information about the target to the brain. Acute focus, a quiet head and a quiet muzzle will “feed the brain” the high-definition imagery it needs to break the target.  I always say, “If the camera is quiet, the brain is seeing a clear image.” Minimize the move of the head. If the head and gun are synchronized with the target at the breakpoint, the quality of the image will be sufficient to break the target.