Point of Hold, Point of Focus and Balance

I have the DVDs of many of the top shooters; Kay, Leo, Harlan and Phil. It is interesting to note the different instructions you can get from these excellent shooters. I am just going to describe what is taught for two-eyed shooters by Harlan and Leo.

Harlan teaches that you must hold the gun where you first see the target clearly (not a streak) out of the house and your eye hold should be parallel to your rib with a soft focus about 10 to 13 yards out. He says your gun hold should move in the direction of the target height (higher for high targets and lower for low targets). Moreover, Harlan teaches that on bad visibility days you should hold higher. Finally, Harlan teaches that you should distribute your weight 55% on the front foot and 45% on the back and “flow” into the target.

Leo teaches that you must hold the gun at a constant height regardless of target height and look below the barrel to see the target coming right out of the house. Leo teaches that on bad visibility days you should hold lower. Leo also teaches that you should distribute your weight 50% on the front foot and 50% on the back and finish on that “balanced” stance.

To me, these two guys are undoubtedly among the best trap shooters ever, if not the best. Yet their instructions on point of hold, point of focus and balance vary greatly. This tells me to each his own; you have to find what’s the best for YOU. What works perfect for someone will not necessarily be the perfect solution for you.

I find that my point of hold and point of focus follow Harlan and my balance is like Leo’s. My visibility is not the best and I get confused trying to look below the barrel to see the target coming out of the house. I know a lot of top shooters who look below the barrel, but most of these guys have better than 20/20 eyesight.

Thought I would share this and see if anyone cares to comment.

By the way, buy all the DVDs available if you can afford it, you will learn at least one thing from each and they last a very long time so you can watch them over and over.

 

You forgot to mention shooting a gazillion targets to perfect it as they did ... I shot with Leo back in Mexico , Mo (Graff's ? ) when he was 12 or 13 years old, in a sleet storm ... He was about 4 1/2 tall and 4 1/2 wide shooting in a tee shirt, said if its to cold to shoot in a tee shirt , its to cold to shoot ... He was the man and in his absents he is still the man ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

Anyone here "looks below the barrel" and is your eyesight better than 20/20? I am just curious if you need to have better than average eyesight to look below the barrel.

 

Frank Little taught to hold high level and look below the barrel for the streak. Of course, that was before the days of voice pulling systems.

 

Harlan and I shoot the same style, it is my preferred style, has worked for years for me, even before Harlan became a trapshooter 50 years ago.

Gary Bryant...........................Dr.longshot

 

I have been criticized on my so called hold point in that I don't have a steady one !

When I mount my Gun it is about 30% high over a horizontal plane and then I slowly start bringing it down until I get to a hold point of approx. 2 feet above the house and then call for the target. At this moment I am moving my barrel slowly up so I do not have to look below the barrel to see the flash of the target because it is there above my barrel the split second I call for it. I am told that I shoot too fast and should take more time but that just doesn't work for me. I am currently an AA with a 97.2 for 2018 and working for a AAA by the end of the 2018 season. I am a SS Vet that is over the hill and picking up speed.

Yours in Trap,
Storeman Norman

 

Are you saying that you start moving your gun before you pick up the line of the target flight? So if a target is going to the right, your gun movement is up and then to the right? This is different from what is common, but it seems to work for you.

 

Yep ... it's a different way of getting on Target ... So much so that I draw an audience behind me to watch my style.

You should see my quick warm up on the practice field before I shoot registered. I have to shoot alone because I shoot two shells per post as I am walking, loading and shooting between shots as fast as I can. I have shot many 25 straights on warm up.

I will do a Video of all of this come warm weather. See Ya on you tube.

Storeman Norman

 

We have a Game that some of us play at the Kansas Club that I belong.
It's called Five Post Shoot Out. We use a Stop Watch and start out on Post one ... Just as soon as the gun goes off the stop watch starts with one shot per post walking, hopping, & loading between shots ending on post 5 with the sound of the last shot stopping the watch. The Club record so far is 5 straight in 13 seconds. and is limited to O/U's only - no autos.

This Game is performed with one shooter per event and is penalized with 7 seconds added to the time upon any miss.

Just for fun,
Storeman Norman

 

Split second moving Hold Point & chase the Bird.

 

There is no rule where to hold the gun. The hold point is related on how fast you react and where you look when you are waiting for the target. More than that, hold point can change if the speed of the target and the background changes. .Adjusting the hold point is one of the secrets that can make a difference.!

 

Please let use know with a post when your U-tube Video is up .-- sound very interesting -- Can.t wait to see it!!!!!!

 

I was shooting one of those Bob Taylors big money shoots out west and having trouuble with doubles and asked Dan Orlich if he could help me. He said that I was gripping the forend way too tight. He told me to just cradle the forend cause even if it does jump up, guess what, gravity will bring it right back down.
This helps out to smooth your swing. Smoothness is a big key in doubles.