The “Eyes” Have It

Posted On: 09-29-2021

When I work with youth shooters, I often ask the question, “What are you seeing before you shoot?” Their response is typically, “The target!”  For them a silly question, but my purpose is to sort out how detailed their image of the target is right before pulling the trigger. 

My argument here is can they differentiate between the “target” and right edge, left edge, bottom and top.  This line of instruction helps to better understand where the eyes are focused and engages the youth shooter and instructor in understanding if the target is being led and in what direction.  You see simply seeing that 108mm (4.25”) clay target is not enough and without sorting out what your youth shooter sees it is difficult to understand misses. 

I have an exercise I use in at my annual trap academy that helps kids and adults understand what I am asking when I ask that question, “What do you see?”  Take three or four tennis balls and on each one using a dark marker, draw a square, triangle, circle, and dashed line.  Draw these in only one area of the ball. 

Now position your shooter between two people that will throw the ball back and forth at a distance of about ten yards.  Start by throwing the ball back and forth (it helps to make sure both players don’t show the symbol overtly).  Now the subject should be where they can watch the ball go back and forth and be about five yards back from the throwing line. 

As the ball is going back and forth ask the question, “What do you see?”  Be persistent and require a response that will likely be, “A tennis ball.”  Push for more and keep asking the question until finally they might respond, “I see something written on ball.”  Keep pushing and eventually they will respond that they see a symbol and they will also provide the correct symbol. 

What you are driving for with this exercise it to relate the tennis ball symbols to the leading edge, bottom, or top of the target.  You are asking them to see more detail that I assure you will help them become better shooters and most important better at visualizing and seeing the correct portion of the target before shooting.

Work on this drill often with your entire team to improve shooting.

David R. Vaught, Ph.D.

Executive Director