Pro Tips for Sporting Clays: Episode 2
In Episode 2 of "Pro Tips for Sporting Clays", we are joined again by David Radulovich (FITASC World Champion), and Brad Kidd Jr. (National Champion). In this episode, they will be discussing their individual approaches to certain shots, answering some of our customer's frequently asked questions, giving their opinions on chokes and patterns, and much more. **INSERT VIDEO HERE* Springing Teal Tips From Brad Kidd Jr: When shooting a Springing Teal, Brad keeps the gun down in order to see the bird. His hold point is tight and right on the line. He lets the bird get by him by just a little bit, and then he chases it from the back side. Brad thinks about movement as: relaxed but reactive, immediate and direct. From David Radulovich: David's eye is higher off the gun, so he can see through the gun better (compared to Brad). SETTING UP RIGHT ABOVE THE TARGET, he looks through it, allowing the target to come up to him, then making a short connecting move by changing his posture and pulling the trigger as the target comes into his gun. Tips for a high, looping Chandelle: The line of this particular target is forever in transition. We can divide the FLIGHT? of this target up into three sections as illustrated below: When shooting a chandelle, David choses to shoot the target when it is on its way up. David simplifies this and says that if the target is going up, then that's the only move he'll be making on the target (moving up with the bird). In comparison, Brad will shoot a chandelle based on the feel of the specific target. He will shoot it on the way up, sometimes on the way down, or occasionally, he'll shoot it in the flat line (if the target does not look good on the way up). He keeps his gun in position in line with the target line, leading up to his chosen break zone. Frequently Asked Questions: Which chokes do you use? Brad uses the Rhino Choke in both barrels which have a constriction 25,000 (which is nearly an improved modified). Brad choses to use this choke, as this will handle the farthest shot he will see. David uses a fixed choke on his Perazzi, with a constriction of 28,000. David uses this mainly for the balance and the pointability. How important is the gun's pattern? In regards to gun pattern when shooting Sporting Clays, David believes and teaches that playing off hand eye coordination and pointability - he tells all his students that the gun shoots where your eyes are looking. Whether the pattern is 50/50, 60/40, or 70/30, this is not too important as a general rule, but David will check eye dominance to see how far the student's eye should be over the rib. David believes in influencing point-of-impact by separating eye and barrel, and not by changing fit or rib. Brad agrees that when shooting Sporting Clays, the gun's pattern is not the most important. Most Sporting Clay guns are made to shoot 60/40. Brad wants to ensure that his eye is on top of the gun and not restricting his vision. He also believes and teaches that this is a hands, eyes, feel, and vision based game. Our next episode of "Pro Tips for Sporting Clays", David and Brad will be discussing the difference between standard and international targets, answering more frequently asked questions, and more. The final episode of this series will be brought directly into your inbox next Thursday at 4:00 PM.
Pro Tips for Sporting Clays: Episode 1
Emily is accompanied by guests Brad Kidd, Jr. (National Champion), and David Radulovich (FITASC World Champion), who will be going over basic fundamentals and tips that every shooter should know. David and Brad are both asked to shoot the same hard crossing clay, and they talk us through their individual focal points, hold points, break points, and how they each approach this particular shot. Tips from David Radulovich David's chosen break point is right before the bird starts to fall. Once he's established his break point, he then chooses his hold point. To do this, David comes back 65% of the way on his line (comes back towards the trap), so he's not too close to where he gets beat by the target, but not too far out that he has to wait for it - David wants to make sure that he has enough time to establish a connection and maintain a consistent lead for a moment. His focal point will be as far back on the line as possible while still being able to see the bird. For this shot, David's eyes will be right on the trap. Pro tip from David: "If your eyes don't work this fast, then don't use the trap as your focal point. Instead, put your eyes in a spot where you can see the bird. Ensure that this is a spot where your eyes are comfortable picking up the target, so it does not go past." Upon review of his ShotKam video, we can see that David maintains the same lead throughout the whole shot (sustained lead). Setup from Brad Kidd, Jr. In comparison, Brad's focal point is further out from the trap, and his hold point is slightly closer to the trap because he likes to spend more time in the gun and with the bird. Brad's technique is based more on feel, so he chooses his break point by watching the bird and finding the spot where he feels as though the target slows down. Upon review of Brad's ShotKam video, we see that he matches the speed of the bird, and when the target feels slow to him, he "pulls away" and takes his shot. This all happens because he maintains "soft hands" with no tension in his move. Pro tips from Brad: "Set up your feet, stance, and ankle/toe line to the break point, and unwind during the shot. Keep your hands soft, and keep your eyes out in the field and on the bird (not on the gun)." Summary and Highlights Even though different methods of shooting were used by David and Brad (sustained lead and the pull away method, respectively), we are able to see that they both had the same exact lead at the time that their shots were taken. More pro tips: To setup your gun mount, place the gun into the pocket of your shoulder at a 45 degree angle, then bend down at your central point of balance. Keep your non-trigger hand "neutral" and directly under the forend when holding your gun. Having your hand directly underneath the forend will ensure that you are not "steering" the gun left or right when taking your shot, increasing your accuracy and precision. Don't let your hands be responsible for putting the gun where it needs to be. Instead, use all parts of your body together cohesively to make the big moves to the bird. Leave your hands with the job of making the small, precise motions. In regards to weight distribution in your stance, your weight should be 50/50 between your left and right foot. Additionally, your weight should be disbursed 50/50 between the front and back of each foot as well. In the next episode of "Pro Tips for Sporting Clays," David and Brad will cover which chokes they use, how guns pattern and why that is important, and more. Episode 2 will be coming to your inbox next Thursday at 4:00 PM. Want to book a private lesson with one of these instructors? David Radulovich: Schedule online at https://www.dradulovich.com/book-a-lesson/ Email: coaching@dradulovich.com Brad Kidd Jr.: Schedule online at https://bradkiddjr.com/contact-us/ Email: BradKiddCoaching@gmail.com