Do you know the four basics for competent shooting?
Dr Malcolm Plant, chairman of the Institute of Clay Shooting Instructors, gives a masterclass in target practice
![Skeet layout target practice](https://www.shootinguk.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/1-5.jpg)
The single targets on a skeet layout are the closest you can get to recreating the flight of a pigeon
There are four basic building blocks for shotgun competence in clay and gameshooting.
- Stance and balance.
- Gun-mount and the avoidance of head lifting.
- Gun-swing and an understanding of the gun and target movement.
- Lead or forward allowance.
Target practice
The best place to rehearse and train these competencies is on the clayground and you don’t necessarily need sporting targets to do it – everything can be practised on the skeet and trap layouts at your local club. This can be particularly improved if you have a good coach to advise you!
A guide to the different clay shooting disciplines
New to clayshooting? This is what English Sporting, English Skeet and Trap shooting involve