High 2 - The Flash
High 2 - Begin Swing
High 2 - The Break
Harold Restel, John Karsnak and Todd Bender
Dave Meffert, Nunzio Littero, Howard Restel, John Karsnak & Todd Bender
Todd Bender coaching Rick Peters on Sta 3
Crystal Coast Skeet Club The Eyes Have It Excerpts from Todd Bender's article featured in Skeet Shooting Review. Ask any shooter about their best day shooting, or when they shot their best score, and in their description, you will always hear, "... and I was seeing targets great that day". But they view the event as if the fairy of visual focus granted them great vision for one day. To them the ability to see targets great is fleeting. This is because they have not defined what the eyes are doing, not only during the shot, but also before the shot. Therefore they cannot produce these performances on demand. When I am teaching and working with clients, the majority of the day is dominated by defining what the eyes are doing before and during a shot. That which is definable, is reproducible. Number one, you need to identify and define what the eyes should be doing before and during the action. Know where you need to look on every shot, and why. These "directional look points" have a significant impact on the game, but they change from shot to shot, based not only on the individual, but the angle of target presentation and background. These look points tend to be standard, and are outlined in my DVD, "Championship Skeet" and listed on my website at toddbenderintl.com. Nevertheless, it may be advisable to seek out someone who is knowledgeable, understands this subject well, and can assist you in getting your eyes set up correctly to maximize your ability to focus on a target well. Then you need to control the application of these visual setup points. Few shooters are disciplined enough to consistently apply visual set up from shot to shot. Their approaches vary. And having a random and variable approach in a game of constants is not a very good plan. When I'm competing the majority of my effort is directed toward what my eyes are doing and trying to control their focus correctly. Everything else is secondary. Although I pay attention to the other elements of a shot, form, hold point, shot placement, etc., my primary focus is on what my eyes are doing, and that will dictate the success of my shot. |