‘Just point and pull the trigger.’ This is what many believe to be as recreational shooting; however, James Lindmark, a competitive trapshooting conference champion, disagrees. Luckily, he has decided to take the time to share all of the small steps, techniques, and strategies that make his sport so much more.

To begin, one must grasp the idea of what trapshooting is. Trapshooting is the sport in which a single player uses his shotgun to shoot high-velocity clay targets. These targets are painted orange and made of ceramic that are easy to spot and shatter when hit.

When on the line with a shotgun in hand, there are a few key steps to know. Most importantly, firearms are dangerous, they must be treated as if they are always loaded, keeping fingers or loose objects away from the trigger until ready to shoot with the gun pointed away from people or things. As refined as shotguns can be, they are still dangerous and can have mishaps. Lindmark, on his first competition day, had his weapon go off unintentionally in his hands, out of his control. Luckily, no one was hurt, but this was because he followed the proper gun safety rules and attended a weapon safety course.

When ready to shoot, you must say “Pull” where the orange targets will then be launched to hit. In order to do well, train the mind and body's reaction time so that there is no hesitation. When the target is spotted, aim just ahead of where it will go, then imagine the clay breaking as the trigger is pulled. Lindmark established this as the best strategy he found when first learning the sport himself.

Occasionally, the clay can break while the machine launches it. “If this is the case, do not let it distract you, quiet your mind for the next target,” Lindmark shares. Start with slow, consistent movement, and muscle memory will soon take over when tracking the targets. Knowing what parts of the body should and shouldn’t move are crucial. Lindmark claims that focusing on movement in the hips allows him to be the most predictable and accurate, while still maintaining his speed and agility.

Trapshooting is much more than just pointing and shooting, and this is why Lindmark, as well as so many others, share the passion of breaking clay.