Keep your eye in

Tony Bracci gives some training tips during this enforced absence from the clay ground

- Tony Bracci

None of us at the moment can get out and shoot as we normally would. There are, however, a few things that we can do to keep our eye in. Hopefully, by the time you read this we will be back out shooting again but, regardless, this advice could still prove beneficial in between trips to the shooting ground.

“You will shoot better if you are fitter”

You will shoot better if you are fitter and I am sure everyone is going out for some sort of exercise. I am not going to say thatwe should all be going out for a five-mile run but if you are fit and well you should be pushing yourself a little. Even going out for a walk does not simulate what we are doing on the shooting ground. The big difference is that when we are shooting, we are carrying a bit of weight – gun, cartridges, and kit – around with us. I am not suggesting that you take your shooting kit out for a walk but you can replicate this weight with suitable alternatives to your shooting kit next time you go out for a hike.

Also, while you are out, pick your pace up to a marker and then return to a normal walking pace. On a set distance or route walk, try and do it in a shorter time each day.

I have carried a bag on my shoulder in my years coaching and on most days it contained hundreds of cartridges and other kit. I found I was getting a bad back but after changing to a kit bag I carry in my hand, this has been resolved. I still carry the same amount of kit, just in a different way. This will not be the same for everybody; it is just to show that when you do something excessively it highlights any physical issues you may have.