Getting a good coach right at the start of your shooting career is probably the one single investment which will save you a lot of money whilst ensuring quicker progress and better scores. I have found that there is benefit to be gained from the different viewpoints, and approaches to training by using a few different coaches.
Before you commence range training and start smoking those targets, your coach will need to check and record a few things about you. He will check your gun and it's stock measurements along with your gun fit, any eye dominance issues, the trigger pull resistance, choke measurements, the general condition of your gun, and the cartridges you're using.
He will also have a chat with you to find out where you are at in your shooting, what you want to achieve, and what you think your problem area(s) are. This is important because a problem you have in one area may be attributed to an overlooked subtlety such as stance, hold points, or even an incorrect gun mount.
Where should I look and Focus?
According to most shooting coaches, this is probably one of the most common questions asked by the Olympic Trap novice. I am going to explain the basic technique on where to focus when calling for the target, but first of all I would like to point out that the aim of this advice is to provide the novice with a baseline from which he/she can work from. Of course there are some shooters out there who have slight variations on this technique, and indeed there are one or two out there who have a completely different technique and are very successful in their own self styled way, but this technique probably works for most.
Basic
Olympic Trap Technique
So now that I have got that out of the way lets get back to the question of "Where should I be looking when calling for the target?" Depending on who you ask you may get an answer of "about ten yards out", or "two foot above the marker" The main problem of course is that there's no precise answer, because we all have different shooting styles, and some eyes and brains are quicker than others.
A clearer explanation of "two foot above the marker" or "ten yards out" is to get a plastic rule and measure on your computer screen approximately 1cm up from the bottom of the yellow trench marker on the picture below. Alternatively if you're on a range then use your index finger and thumb and make a gap of about half an inch, put your thumb at the top of the trench marker and the top of the gap defined by your index finger is where you should be focussing when you call for the target. Your hold point should be at the base of the marker because if it is too high, you may have problems with target lock on the low angled targets.
You should use this technique as a start point in your first training session and adjust as required either by changing your hold points (i.e. - where you point your gun wrt the marker), and your look point (how far out you look wrt the top of the trench apron) It is important to spend some time and record this for every shooting ground that you will compete at.
So now that I have got that out of the way lets get back to the question of "Where should I be looking when calling for the target?" Depending on who you ask you may get an answer of "about ten yards out", or "two foot above the marker" The main problem of course is that there's no precise answer, because we all have different shooting styles, and some eyes and brains are quicker than others.
A clearer explanation of "two foot above the marker" or "ten yards out" is to get a plastic rule and measure on your computer screen approximately 1cm up from the bottom of the yellow trench marker on the picture below. Alternatively if you're on a range then use your index finger and thumb and make a gap of about half an inch, put your thumb at the top of the trench marker and the top of the gap defined by your index finger is where you should be focussing when you call for the target. Your hold point should be at the base of the marker because if it is too high, you may have problems with target lock on the low angled targets.
You should use this technique as a start point in your first training session and adjust as required either by changing your hold points (i.e. - where you point your gun wrt the marker), and your look point (how far out you look wrt the top of the trench apron) It is important to spend some time and record this for every shooting ground that you will compete at.
Stance
First of all let's assume you're stance allows you to maintain easy lateral movement through 45 degrees either side of the central axis. You mount your gun with the front bead positioned at the base of the yellow trench marker. At this point your eyes should be hard focussed at your look point as defined by the method explained earlier. With your eyes hard focussed on your look point you open up your eyes in universal vision. The Universal vision must be wide enough to take in the area along the trench front edge so that you achieve target lock on the low 45 degree targets. Keeping a good level of cheek pressure on the comb of your gun prior to calling for the target will help keep your head on the stock if you need your second barrel during your shot.
On your call you get a right handed low 45 degree target
You call "Pull" and your target is released. As your eyes are hard focussed on your chosen point you will not react to the orange blur that leaves the trench, instead your universal vision picks up the target trajectory and your eyes move to the target (because you will be looking for it), and because your eyes have been hard focussed at a distance, target lock is quickly achieved. Only when you can clearly see the target should you move your gun (using your trunk not your arms) to shoot the target in a controlled and deliberate manner - this comes with the self confidence and trust in your technique.
First of all let's assume you're stance allows you to maintain easy lateral movement through 45 degrees either side of the central axis. You mount your gun with the front bead positioned at the base of the yellow trench marker. At this point your eyes should be hard focussed at your look point as defined by the method explained earlier. With your eyes hard focussed on your look point you open up your eyes in universal vision. The Universal vision must be wide enough to take in the area along the trench front edge so that you achieve target lock on the low 45 degree targets. Keeping a good level of cheek pressure on the comb of your gun prior to calling for the target will help keep your head on the stock if you need your second barrel during your shot.
On your call you get a right handed low 45 degree target
You call "Pull" and your target is released. As your eyes are hard focussed on your chosen point you will not react to the orange blur that leaves the trench, instead your universal vision picks up the target trajectory and your eyes move to the target (because you will be looking for it), and because your eyes have been hard focussed at a distance, target lock is quickly achieved. Only when you can clearly see the target should you move your gun (using your trunk not your arms) to shoot the target in a controlled and deliberate manner - this comes with the self confidence and trust in your technique.
Also consider that your look point may vary at different shooting grounds. This could be due to a number reasons including the make of traps used, their distance from the front of the trench, the distance from the rear of the trench to the tip of the apron, how well lit the range shed is, or the light conditions on the day, and how tired you may be. So it is probably a good idea to make some notes of this in your training diary, at least until you have gained enough experience to remember.
These are very basic tips for shooting Olympic Trap and are aimed at the beginner. For those who would require more personal advice I recommend that you contact a professional shooting coach who specialises in Olympic Trap.