If It Ain't Broke, FIX IT! (Lessons in Shotgunning (and Life))

This is a great book for a beginner to intermediate shooter. It's not an encyclopedia that attempts to cover all aspects of the various clay shooting sports (for that, I recommend  Breaking Clays: Target Tactics, Tips & Techniques  which covers everything from equipment to tactics, rules, etc.). Gil Ash's book addresses the mental aspect of the clay sports - and that's the hardest part. The book is an easy read (I read it in one day), and I've gone back to it time and time again. Does it work? Well, after reading the book once and applying the principles as best I could, my scores increased by 60%. (That probably says more about how bad I was than how good I got.)Sporting Clays is the type of endeavor that many people may pick up and gain proficiency in over time, only to plateau and get stuck at particular level. There's a lot of advice here to get that type of shooter un-stuck. Sure, you might figure it out over time (like people who've been shooting for 50 years), but who has that much time these days? Buy this book and follow the advice with discipline and you'll see results, I am certain.Some people may complain about the author pushing his other (video) products, but it's foregivable. There are some things better demonstrated in a video than in a book and everyone has the option to view the wealth of free material that Gil provides through his YouTube videos.

This is a good, fun read for the novice clay shooter. It covers the basics and simplifies a number of complex issues when it comes to sporting clays. Gil Ash's focus on the fun and enjoyment of the sport is balanced with his encouragement to improve and be as good as you can at this particular skill, all the while keeping things in perspective and learning how to absorb the disciplines of clay shooting so as to apply them in other aspects of life. His "intuitive" approach has its critics, but I have found it workable in my own practice, and realize it is supported by the most recent sport psychology that explores brain function with complex hand-eye coordination. In other words, practice and analyze outside the shooting cage, but once you step in, "see bird, shoot bird." Having been an avid golfer in my younger years, I find the parallels between sporting clays and golf remarkably similar.A bit pricey, but this is a book I keep by the bed for some late-night reading and review.

This book is about Sporting Clays. If you only shoot skeet or trap its will help but Sporting Clahs is what its about . What I llike about the way Gil writes is he doesn't beat around the bush. You want to shoot better? Practice. Practice a lot. Practice your gun mount at home. Do the flashlight drill. He says it will take 2000 to 3000 shots to start really seeing results. Having come from an action pistol background I believe him. Repetition, repetition, repetition. And he also debunks any notion you have that pistol and rifle shooting experience will help you with a shotgun shooting at flying things. Its another discipline entirely. In fact I learned that Sporting Clays, Skeet, and Trap are 3 different disciplines in themselves. Some crossover but not always the same. I wish he had gotten more into chokes, gun fit and also patterning. That is why he only got 4 stars and not 5.

The Ashes are the end all when it comes to instructing anyone on how to shoot sporting clays. And what it takes to become a champion. This book only fault is its to short. The method are broken down and clear. I've shot for over 10 yrs and was amazed how much improvement I was able to achieve after putting steps into my normal routine. Clearly they have shot millions of shells and have perfected a system that is easy to learn and be successful with. The game is hard, and not many have the time to be champions. Yet learning a system that allows you to be successful and enjoy a course is much more fun way to spend a day on the "links" Would highly recommend any of the OSP books dvd to learn how to be successful and enjoy the golf game of shot gunning. Also helpful in skeet and hunting too. Mental training useful for archery and any other one against themselves experience

If you shoot recreational sporting clays, trust me you need this. This is a great introduction to the OSP method and if you use this method, you will improve. (Basically, this method takes all the focus off the gun and on the target where it belongs.). I would use this book in conjunction with "out of your mind" as this book covers the technique aspects, and out of your mind covers the mental aspect of the game. The rest is really kind of up to you, practicing the technique and having some faith in it will breakthrough to the next level in your shooting. The one downside to the Ash's books, they constantly plug their other products to a point where it gets a little annoying. Organizational wise I would save the plugs for the end of a chapter, not in the middle of them.

Very Quick and Entertaining and informative ( first 70 page read)--then you really start learning how much you really don't have down pat and what you need to do to put your Smooth-bore Ego back down and your clay crushing ability's up.Yes, this hardback book can get you think"in" better and clay bird plink"in" better..Yes- its worth a round at the Sporting Clays Course -for the price of this book!And Yes- you will go back and reread- Dang near all of the chapters over and over again and learn- all over again when the Birds don't get busted and your Brain was--out on the course!

I purchased this for my husband as he lost his and was very upset. He uses it all the time as a reference/refresher. The guys he sport shoots clays with all agree that this is a great book.

Being new to Sporting Clays, I had seen many videos from Mr Ash. This book is a great read - easy to read, concise, good pointers, and easy explanations. I enjoyed it and feel it helped improve my scores.