Testimonials

Gil,

I wrote you a while back on the ShotgunWorld forums, and here is what I wrote:

Have followed your site, and have many of your videos, and am now really confused on this issue. Went shooting yesterday at SC range and towards end of round started missing pretty consistently. This was after warm up and initial round, 225 rounds,. Went in clubhouse and was sitting around and discussion of eye dominance came up. I have been doing gun mounts for the last month, 100 a day at least, flashlight , mirror drills etc. I am left eye dominant with a patch on left eye, and sitting in clubhouse did a test, because we were discussing with a newbie, did finger out straight and then triangle to demo to guy. Well my eye at that moment was right eye dominant , I almost fell over . I was overjoyed cause thought I had beat this dam thing. 

Well, go home have dinner watch tv and get on computer, then sitting I did eye test again, left eye dominant again. WTH? I am 64, have fought this for years, tried shooting left handed and it was horrendous, so not switching shoulder. Question, can you have eyes who change dominance back and forth? I am ok with Left eye dominant have accepted it, but then this switching around is crazy. Am I crazy, your thoughts on this.
thanks Gil 

Spoke with you on the phone while you were cooking, and it was the best time I have spent going over shooting. I did the 3 bullet drill until my arms fell off, left to rights are no longer a problem, and I picked up, Match the speed of the target and pull the trigger. Well this past weekend I shot the Gamaliel Cup in Nashville with the big boys.

I won the prelim in my class, 20 gauge in my class, won Prelim 5 stand, nerves got to me and I missed the first 4 shots, and finished  in 2nd in the main event. 11 punches, not a bad weekend. Realized I shot way too many events, worn out. Still missed some easy shots I should have hit, just brain farts, but gonna keep practicing and goal is to win my class at Nationals in San Antonio.

Just a word of thanks, I still do the drills and watch the videos, Thanks for your support.

Hello Gil! 

Your "sustained lead" method works marvelous!! Could hardly miss the long ones today....even a 70 yarder!

Many Thanks 

BTW. Bullet drill is da bomb!!

Gill,

I wanted to thank you for the terrific videos and personal coaching you have given me over the past few weeks. I have shot trap and skeet since 2001 and have always been a 18 average shooter in both disciplines. My motivation for shooting both disciplines was to be a better shooting in the upland fields and duck marshes. I decided in Feb 2021 that what I have been doing wasn’t good enough and I needed to get some help. After researching various coaches, I reached out to OSP and you called the same day I sent an email. It was ironic that you were able to diagnose several of my issues with a few questions. I signed up for the Knowledge Vault and started reviewing some of the content. 

On the 21st of March 21, I shot my very 1st trap registered shoot which consisted of 100 targets on the 16 yard line and 100 targets on the 20 yard line. By practicing the gun mount drills in the Shotgun 101 videos and using the techniques you describe in the trap shooting videos I was able to break 89 targets on the 16 yard line and 94 from the 20 yard line. My scores on the 16 yd were 17 (remembered ½ way thru to keep my head down), 22, 25, 25. I shot 24, 25, 21, 24 from the 20yd line (my 1st ever 25 from the 20 yd line). 

I didn’t suddenly become a great shooter, I just applied what you show in the videos and have become much more consistent. Since we 1st talked, I have been averaging 22 birds across all of my rounds of shooting. Thanks again for all of your help and I look forward to the in person class in April 21. 

Respectfully,

Randy

Merry Christmas and happy New Year. I just renewed my subscription to the KV for another year. IMHO this is the best value and the best "one-stop place" anywhere to learn how to be successful in getting better at shooting a shotgun.

I spent more time in the KV this year and also actually practiced rather than just playing around on the course with my wife and friends. The results have been great. I used to struggle to hit 60 targets out of 100 at my home course on what many would consider soft targets. Now I easily hit 80% plus, and I do it with a plan and great confidence. I used to cringe at some presentations and now I approach them knowing I can hit them or fix the problem if it I miss.

You took the time to call me a couple of months ago and we discussed confidence, the mental game, practice and gun fit. You recommended a group of Coaching Hours that dealt with these problems. I've listened to about half of them and they put me on the right track. Thanks for taking that time with me. 

I told you on the phone that my goal was to shoot some registered events this year. I expect and hope to visit your school in Houston and do your clinic.

It's a hell of a lot more fun hitting targets than missing them and not knowing how to fix the problem. The sport is far more enjoyable for me now. Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks. 

Gil and Brian Ash,

Just wanted to send you some information regarding the recent accomplishments of the Oskaloosa Shooting Team. Most of the kids attended OSP clinic for Trap, Skeet and Sporting Clays held in Oskaloosa, IA recently. Oskaloosa won $17500.00 for our team endowment with Midway USA Foundation. In large part this was made possible because of OSP clinic. I hear from some coaches that it will not work. Here's the proof it will work.

Oskaloosa Shooting Team: HOA team in Iowa, $5000.00
Oskaloosa Shooting Team: 13th of 152  American Trap after 1 week of practice with OSP.
Oskaloosa Shooting Team: Sporting Clays 1,2,3,6 State Champs and 4 of top 6 squads in Iowa
All State Team Captain Mens and Women: 6 of top 9 men in state
Oskaloosa Shooting Team: Skeet 1,2,4,7 State Champs and 4 of top 7 squads in Iowa
All State Team Captain Mens and Women 5 of top 7 individuals
Oskaloosa Shooting Team:  Int Skeet State Champs, top 2 squads in Iowa
Oskaloosa Shooting Team: Bunker Trap,  4th Place team

I am sending you these results to show others that want to go to the top it works! 

Iowa SCTP Inc. was very happy, as your clinic was the first one filled for both days. The board received many thank you letters for hosting OSP. Will be in touch to schedule more clinics.

Thanks,
Larry Gay
Oskaloosa Shooting Team
Iowa SCTP Inc.

                                                                                                                           

Gil,

I had my first registered shoot today since taking the OSP course in December. Those new tools worked very well. I shot 3 events and my scores were 9 to 12 targets better than the same events in November and December here at my home club. I am confident my scores will increase even more as I get in more practice with the new method.

I am continuing to work at applying your technique and it is really making my shooting more consistent with much less gun movement.

Many thanks for all the hard work you did with me that weekend. I am more confident and believe there is no target I cannot break as long as I engage early and keep that hard focus. My shooting buddies could only say "Wow" when they saw me crush some really long shots.

Again, thanks for all you did for me.

Dear Gil and Vicki,

Just wanted to send you note about my life here in Billings the last two weeks since the course. Perhaps surprisingly to me, it is not just about my shooting.

When Vicki and I had lunch together on the first day, she told me how one of the best parts of her job was to hear of the influence that training a shooter has on that individual’s everyday life. As you both know, I am a vascular surgeon and since the course I have noticed a few positive changes in myself.

I no longer become impatient or upset in the operating room when I have to wait for an instrument, suture, etc. Instead, I use the time to quietly practice working on focusing my eyes for a count of ten seconds on a tiny reflection in the surgical field. My daily outlook also seems brighter. I look at the weeklong stress of being on ER call as practicing for the future “grind” of a competition. I avoid the downspiraling conversations about today’s healthcare challenges and focus on the positivity of taking care of patients. Positivity in life = positivity in the stand, correct? I haven’t shot a single registered target yet, however, I can already see how this sport can influence a shooter’s life.

I also returned from the December course with the realization that I needed to start over. I had been practicing the flashlight drill for 2 months prior to the course, read both your books (twice), watched all the online video in addition to practicing only single targets. However, as I realized during and after the course, my mount was still quite flawed. The tip of John Woolley that Mike Lupold told me to turn my nose into the stock was being way, way overdone. 

Although I only had a few minutes of direct interaction with you, Gil, those two minutes combined with the foot positioning Vicki showed me has made all the difference. (The stock of my gun has been hidden in a kitchen cabinet and I have been practicing bringing it to my cheek multiple times daily. Kids at home, you know.) My gun now comes to my cheek with my head still. My eyes are up and the gun shoots flat at the patterning board. I believe this speaks to the value of not only reading your resources but also attending the course and having direct coaching.

I just wanted to share your influence over the last two weeks. It actually started this fall when I decided to take this sport on as my next personal challenge. 

Dear Gil and Vicki;

On behalf of me and my son Anthony, I extend my thanks to you for your time and expertise in teaching us how to shoot yesterday. For my part, I have to tell you, I have never in my life shot that well before. Ever. It was truly a transforming experience for me. I am not sure what happened to me - hypnosis, something in the Kool Aid, epiphany? But it clicked.

If I had to give advice to someone about to take your class I would say:

1. Leave any preconceived notions at home.
2. Surrender your mind (and ego) and accept what you are being told as valid.
3. Don’t try to outsmart Gil and Vicki. If you could, you would be giving the class instead of taking it.
4. Trust their experience and then trust that your gun will be where it needs to be.
5. Don’t try to figure out why their information works. Accept that it does. Trying to figure it out only makes your head hurt.

I hope that I can continue to get better and use what you taught me. I hope that it will eventually click for Anthony, too. But as you said, we all learn at different rates.

Again, thank you for your kindness, your willingness to share your expertise and for your encouragement along the journey. I wish you the best in all things and continued success.

I was recently at the 7 Springs classes and wanted to provide some feedback.

I left thinking same speed, 75-yard line, and PA were the holy grails. And they very well maybe in a bit. The two concepts are to me an extension of the previous material. What I believe will be of greater short-term help to me was your observation of my pre-shot tension (shoulders tensed and would like a spring, kept missing the 3rd pair) routine, including the suggestion to eliminate it.

Two weeks ago, I went to a shoot that was an hour and a half drive with a friend. I first stopped at the ATM to get a few dollars for options and games. Even though I knew I had money, the ATM receipt printed out "no cash"! I made up my mind there was nothing to be done until Monday. Got to my buddy's place, loaded up the truck and trailer and off we went. A half hour into the trip we began smelling a burnt aroma. We stopped and the transmission was leaking its way to empty. Of course, on the turnpike one cannot U-turn. We proceeded to the next exit to go back to the home exit. We loaded our gear in my truck and once again were off to the shoot. I called the club and was able to get a cart on standby.

Station 1: Looked at the targets, made a plan, relaxed the shoulders, ran the station, and congratulated myself for the effort.

Off we went to station 2. I followed the same routine; ink spotted the first pair, called for the second pair... click! After wrestling with gun, I was finally able to open it and found a broken firing pin.

My buddy shoots a longish AL390. I have tried to shoot this gun in the past and it was difficult at best. Thankfully, you suggested that I lengthen my stock last year. I used his gun, not only to run out the station with solid hits, but also the remainder of the shoot.

I stuck to my goals for the shoot - staying relaxed and sticking to a post-shot routine. Of course, I had to add keeping the unexpected distractions out as well. 

It was one of the best shoots I have had. I know where I made presentation assessment errors, I know when I was not in sync with the target, I stayed relaxed, and I shot an acceptable score.

Gil & Vicki

I just want to tell you how happy I was about coming to your clinic. My only regrets was not signing up for both days. I wish I had attended one of your clinics before I started sporting clays five years ago. I learned more in one day than i have over the past years last Friday. 

I just shoot for fun but i like to break targets, and that wasn’t happening to my liking. I do a lot of bird hunting - some wild and some at the Otter Creek Hunting Club with my dogs. I also guide hunts. 

Being in the retail food business, I really hadn’t had the time to do much except work. But now the third generation has taken over and I am 72, I hope to be able to do more shooting. Now my only hope is that what I think I learned wasn’t only a dream!

I have taken the Writer’s Clinics, or what I call “The Ash Clays Seminars” this year and last at Seven Springs Mountain Resort in PA. At the completion of each “hands-on clinic,” I come away stunned as to why I had not thought about whatever aspects were presented for consistently breaking clays. Now when I shoot, it even seems easier to be consistent due to real pros pointing out what I had missed in my quest to shoot well. 

The genius of Gil and Vicki is that they can impress upon the student why their tried and true techniques will make you a better shooter. They do this through their unique teaching styles, which works. And unconsciously, due to the repetition, you become much better with the shotgun for clays or when hunting. 

This is just some of why such a course is invaluable to becoming a better shotgunner. My wife was also there to take photos, and just by listening to what Gil and Vicki had stated to the students, she can quote them. When we went back a week later to shoot at Seven Springs, she also applied what was taught and we both broke targets.

I took a class with Gil and Vicki at Comanche Hills recently. Just wanted to say that I had a good time and appreciated all the help. I was in Gil’s group and as he might have mentioned to me once or twice throughout the day, I have been working on my mount and slowing things down. 

I am a retired fireman and all day long I kept thinking how much Gil’s sense of humor and the way he presented things reminded me of the guys I spent 25 years with. He could have fit right in at the firehouse. 

I hope you will be back next year because if you are I will be, hopefully with some friends. Thank you for the informative and fun day.

‘The most eye-opening piece of shotgun instruction I’ve ever had. I learned more in one day than I have in 20 years of trying to become better by myself.’

Just would like to pass along a compliment to Mr. and Mrs. Ash. I am 60 years old and have been shooting a shotgun for 16 years, intermediate. 

On Monday, I had some steroid/cortisone shots in my left neck, so being at home, I read your Tips and Articles section on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday, I went to my local sporting clays range. I shot 170 birds and hit 152 by using the "Focus on the Target Until You Break It." That was the last thing I thought about before I said "pull" - which, by reading further on Friday, I found out that is the first thing that will happen. 

My wife pulled for me and she had never seen me shoot like that. There were some stations I felt I could have shot 100 straight!

A sincere thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Ash.

Hello Gil and Vicki,

It’s been a rocky start to learning a fun and challenging new sport. I’ve been through numerous gun changes, tried different methods for dealing with intermittent left/right eye dominance, been coach by several instructors (some who taught dramatically different techniques), and dealth with the transition between summer clothes and heavy winter jackets. I was afraid that either new information simply wouldn’t stick in my brain, or I’d be unable to maintain the improvement from your weekend clinic. Neither was the case.

I headed out to Seven Springs this morning hoping I’d be able to hit as wellas I had before (I’ve always heard that changing anything in any aport often leads to regression). Well, surprise, surprise!!! I practiced left to right crossers, right to lefts, teals, true pairs that I’d have though were beyond my capabilites, and some other really ugly shots. I didn’t hit them all, but I improved quite noticably from where I was before my weekend with you. What astonished me most was my new ability to slow the targets down. Some of those screaming corssers that were impossibly fast were slowed down by simply keeping my barrel moving in front of them…just like magic! (and just as you and Gil promised!)

When I did exactly what you taught me, I was able to either hit the targets on my first attempt, or figure out the secret and hit them within a few attempts. (Of course, there is one teal that has to be 100 yards out…I haven’t unlocked that key, but I will…). It really is a matter of focusing on the target…yes, F-O-C-U-S-I-N-G on the target…in the right part of the target and letting instinct take over…’trust’ as you call it.

I’m looking forward to my next adventure in Texas in December!

Thanks so much, Gil and Vicki!

“Vicki & Gil:

Really enjoyed your instruction this weekend. I have not been shooting in many years and recently decided to take it up again. I never had any real instruction and I heard you and Gil were the best. “They” were right. I came to your school with my life long habit of; aim, lead, shoot, and pray you hit the target. Day one was a struggle, but, day 2, when I started to let your principles take over, it was like magic. Thanks for your patience and I look forward to seeing you again. The Pro Ears Gold Predator hearing protectiong is amazing. Amplifying normal conversation while blanking out gun shot concussion, beats the heck out of me how it work, but it does.

Thanks again.”

“It was a fabulous event that impacted me as well. Several times already I’ve been thinking about Gil Ash’s lessons and how they apply to me and my daughters too. I’ve talked to my husband about Gil’s message and we’ve talked about his methods of speaking to kids and how we can use that to be better parents. He’s very inspiring. I’m building more myelin!!”

“Vicki and Gil, I had a wonderful time with you both at Mitchell’s in Oregon. You both made learning the “Big Ash OSP System” so much fun. Two days was a real key to improving and driving home some aspects to work on. I learned and confirmed so much information and have since read most of “Fix It!” You have given me a system to work within that makes me better. I have worked with other coaches and read much on shooting and was heading in you but without your direction I now realize I was never going to get there without the help and structure you provided.

I also wanted to thank you for the Pro Ears Predator Gold Electronic Ear Muffs. You were so right, I LOVE THEM! I have used a lot of ‘In the Ear’ protection, suffered with the discomfort and inability to hear voices or anything really. I have tried ear muffs always having trouble with gun bump or to[o] much pressure on the ears. To my surprise, the Pro Ears worked great! No stock bump, no excess pressure and they cut the sharp gun noise to a dull thump, all while being able to hear my coaches, competitors and friends’ regular speaking voice clearly. Wow, again I need to just trust what you’re saying. You told me ‘They’re Great’ and wouldn’t you know it, just like your system, you weren’t wrong.”

“OSP makes you [a] lethal dove hunter! Just got finished limiting out in my first dove hunt since shooting your system. Wow, makes dove hunting a whole new experience.”

“Hi Gil and Vicki, I am just having a moment of guilt for all the great information that I have received from your many OSP Shooting Tips and Articles…I have had some wonderful lessons years ago from both of you that kept a fire under this wonderful addiction in spite of cross dominance and physically unable to switch shoulder. I recently had to undergo a brain operation that required putting a shunt that would be located just under and back of my right ear. I don’t think the good lord wants me to put a shotgun on the right side of my face but as I have been stubborn about retiring from work (now 74) the main question to my doctors when recovering was “Can and When can I go back to shooting Sporting Clays??” It’s just too much fun to quit and last week I went shooting after missing 18 months. I did very well and credit a lot it to the reading and video’s I did during the 18 months. I have all your books and video’s.

Thank you again and “Congratulations” on all your success and may it continue for man years.”

“Gil and Vicki, The more I read other and all sorts of articles written by a slew of accomplished shooters the more I admire, respect and realize who you two are.

You and Vicki are true pioneers in the shooting sporting clays field. By yourselves you are most impressive and accomplished.

You truly are the pioneers in this sporting clays sport and you are 5 or 6 (for sure) or maybe hundreds of light years ahead of all the rest.

What you have been teaching about hard focus, eye-hand combination and especially the subconscious for the past 5 or 6 years, others are now catching on to your teaching and in their articles they are mentioning the same.

Seems like everyone of these writers is trying to get on board the Gil/Vicki Ash sporting clays shooting train. Problem is that they are so far behind, that we who take lessons from you might be the only ones who truly know and appreciate how exceedingly far out and ahead you two are.

All these articles make me realize how unique and cutting edge you two pioneers are in this sport. Always pushing the envelop a little further ahead. And, since the others are not doing the extensive research that you are doing, they have no idea where the train is going.

Just my thoughts on how much more I appreciate all that you two bring to this sport.

Thanks for letting me be a very small part on your pioneer, light-years-ahead train.”

“Too many focus too much on eye dominance. With Gil and Vicki’s method of concentrating focus on the bird – eye dominance is less of an issue.”

“I attended a writer’s seminar on sporting clays with Gil and Vicki Ash this past July (2010) at Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania. Although I have won state recognition in the past in skeet, clays is a whole new approach to shooting the shotgun, one that best applies to hunting. If considering shooting clays, I would recommend you first read the book, IF IT AIN’T BROKE, FIX IT, then watching their DVD’s and do the drills they recommend at home. I found that by doing the flash light drill daily for about a week at home, then due to Gil’s instruction on the range, concepts learned were turned into broken birds. What a great course by professionals who temselves are exceptional shots yet can instill concepts in their sutdents of how to consistently break those clays and their methods work.”

“Dear Gil and Vicki, I took your class again on Friday at Western Wings in Roberts, Idaho and enjoyed it enormously. On Saturday and Sunday after your class, I shot the main event at Cedar Hills Gun Club nearby and won B class by a more than 10 bird margin and punched into A class. The pre-shot routine to quiet the lambs was of enormous benefit. I had a 9 shot lead after the first 100 birds Saturday and had a million voices going thru my head Saturday night, all night. But on Sunday morning all was quiet as I never varied the pre shot routine, focused hard on each target and won going away. I would have won A class had I shot it, too. Thank you folks so much. What a difference it made and will make in the future. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your efforts.”

“Gil, I just wanted to let you know how much I learned at school with you in Roberts, Idaho. I made notes of my bigger problems and have started to return to scaring the neighbors with my flashlight drills. I am set up for Peck, Idaho but I booked the 17th and 19th so I have a day off to recover. I probably shot a half to a third of all my life’s shotgun shells over the 2 days with you at Western Wings. If I can get my gun mount to an appropriate level, I think I might actually get fit for a proper clays shotgun. I could not believe how much fun sporting clays was.

I also wanted to mention that I was concerned that this school would not be the best fit for a hunter. That turned out to be a waste of my quality worry time. I would advise all serious bird hunters and even weekend warriors that this school kills birds.”

“Their shooting technique is so simple and effective that by my fifth shot Gil had me hitting falling clays with my eyes closed.”

“Gil and Vicki,

Well, we’ve done lots of practice, but due to conflicts haven’t shot any tournaments since Seven Springs. I’m getting some good feel on getting to the BP early. Really able to see it on incomers. Patty is really coming along since the day she shot the Seven Springs course – her confidence has gone up considerably. We are heading over to Tim Hayes’ place to shoot his ‘course’ on Sunday.

The approach of dove season brought in some students. I did a little special – an hour of instruction on dove-type targets witha free dove stool giveaway – had five groups come through one Saturday and a total of 11 students over a seven hour period. I was worn slam out and really have a new appreciation for how grueling your schedules must be!! Had four seasoned wingshooters all together in a session last week, I was a little nervous about it, but just said to myself ‘Gil and Vicki do this all the time, so put your big girl panties on and go learnt them something!’ I let them all shoot a few targets to see where they were. After the first guy shot four times, I turned to the group and said, ‘I can help this guy – who’s next?’ It was fun. They were all moving too fast and not focusing on the target, piece of cake.

Now to the ‘great compliment’ – In the movie, ‘As Good As It Gets’, Jack Nicholson says to Helen Hunt, ‘You make me want to be a better man.’ Well, the compliment I got today was almost that good. I’ve been on three dove hunts since Saturday, and got a lot of compliments on my shooting. Today topped the cake. I happened to be on the peg next to one of my students who was shooting with a friend of his that I don’t know. The birds were scarce and spooky and the wind was howling, so what few shots we had were tough, and most of them long. As luck would have it I had a good day. (Long shots require an even slower move – where have I heard that?) Anyway, I took them as they came, bagged seven out of ten attempts and several of those downed stepped off over 50 paces.

So at the end, I went over to chat with the two guys – my student and his buddy. The friend looks at me and shakes his head and says, ‘All I can say is, I turned to Matt and told him you were nothing less than a certified kick butt shot, and you really put on a clinic today.”

Of course, you guys can share in that compliment because in no small part has my improvement been a result of your guidance and inspiration. So ‘Thank You’ to both of you, ya’ll are some certified butt kicker shooting coaches!!!!!!

Best wishes, and look forward to seeing you again soon.”

“Yes, OSP has it right. Yes, abandon all ‘tips’ for now. Yes, you must be open to change. Yes, you must start with ‘all’ basics. Yes, you must understand what OSP is saying. Start with the two books If It Ain’t Broke, Fix It! and You Gotta Be Out of Your Mind! by Gil and Vicki Ash. Read and reread these books. I will assure you things will change for the better, ‘if’ you apply what they teach.”

“The OSP method emphasizes instinctive shooting and doesn’t bog one down with worrying about lead. Your brain will figure it out for you if you don’t try to over-think things. If you follow the simple techniques of the method you can easily bring it all together on the range and dramatically improve what you do on the range.

Not only can the method help you in sporting clays, but it can easily be applied to other sports as well. Shooting a recurve bow comes to mind.

I highly recommend the Ash’s books, videos, and personal instruction to improve your shotgun game.”

“Gil & Vicki,

I wanted to share my excitement and success with you. After suffering heat and fatigue at your class, I went out this morning with my wife Nora. We set up the clays trap she bought me for my birthday a couple of years ago. We have a beautiful, secluded little valley in the mountains where I like shoot. She operated the machine while I shot with my Browning Superposed 20 gauge, no pad. I set up for left to right crossers. Hit the first four. Missed two. I realized that I couldn’t pick up the clay visually until it rose above the green-tree background of the hillside and broke into the blue, clear sky. I readjusted my focus point, hold point and break point and ran about 8 straight report pairs. Then I moved about halfway back to the trap and broke another 8 quartering. Then back to crossers. I broke about 8 birds pulled as repeat pairs. Then did it again. I shot a few going away, hit a few then missed 4. Changed guns to a 12 gauge SKB double that I had restocked for myself. I broke about 4, 8-bird sets of report pairs. Sweet spot, beyond sweet spot and closer than sweet spot. Yes, Vicki, believe it or not, I was selecting and performing pretty well at my repetitive break point. Thank you for continuing to reinforce that instruction. I quit at about 100 shells, having connected on 75% to 80% of my shots. Oh, I did appreciate the pad on my 12 gauge, even though I was only shooting 7/8 ounce. I do intend to put one on the 20.

After the frustration of the effect of fatigue on my ability to execute at your school, I was delighted to get such fulfilling feedback from my first time out after your school, a week ago. I felt encouraged that I can develop competence at least, if not mastery.

Great bit of technique you are teaching. Thank you for sharing.”

“I very much enjoyed the Selwood writers’ conference and I learned a lot from Gil and Vicki. The Ashes and the Hills at Selwood are most congenial people and made me feel very welcome.”

“I really enjoyed the shotgun clinic, we broke up into groups and I spent the day with Vicki. Bless her heart for being so patient with me; I struggled with the shooting a little bit. It was an excellent learning experience and I would recommend their instruction, DVDs and teaching methods to anyone who wants to improve their shooting.”

“We were divided into groups….we spent the entire day perfecting our timing and engulfing ourselves in Vicki’s wisdom in our efforts of becoming better shooters. We had the best time as a group being able to laugh and be serious all at the same time. I ingested so many tidbits of information that at one point it became a driving force in my performance. Practicing the Ash Flashlight Drill before the trip to the event helped in learning the proper way to mount my gun; not bringing my face to the gun-but the gun to my face. We worked on proper stance, gun placement, the three important points in a shot: focal point, hold point and break point. Not only did I walk away from this experience with a renewed confidence in my ability to perform better on the sporting clays range or in the field; I walked away with the knowledge of knowing why whenever one fails in performance, they yearn to succeed. ”

“I used to think the concept of seeing lead was the foundation of shotgun shooting. It’s what I applied to my skeet shooting. What I learned from Gil and Vicki was that my ‘concept’ did nothing more than complicate the shot and clutter my conscious mind with unneeded input. Their clinic made shotgun shooting simple for me again. I no longer shoot skeet as a game of established leads. I have learned to better focus on the target and let my subconscious side apply the lead. Now, instead of seeing leads, I see only fat, slow targets and watch them break. My breaks are stronger, too. There aren’t chips and pieces, there’s dust. And in just two practices since the clinic, I managed to out-shoot my 20 gauge average of 93 by about four targets. That’s a difference of a couple of classes. My advice is to sign up so you can experience the OSP system, then take part with an open mind. Like Gil told me, go into it with an empty cup. I did, and Gil and Vicki helped me start filling it back up the right way.”

“Vicki and Gil,

At the end of the day on Saturday it was kind of hectic and everyone wanted to get on the road, but I wanted to thank you again for a great 2 days. You gave us a lot of information and enough practice to be dangerous. I am anxious to get out and devote some real time to developing the skills we discussed. Who knows I may even go out and actually shoot Sporting Clays instead of viewing it solely as “target practice”. It was a great investment of my time.

I look forward to crossing paths in the future. Thanks again.”

“The 74 Ranch was generally excellent, breakfast and lunches were all great. The housekeeping was good and the sporting clays venue is excellent. I like the Advanced Course and I find it useful. That is why I have attended twice and plan to attend next year. I appreciated the patience and thoughtfulness with which I was treated. One instructor for four students provided a good balance between shooting and watching, overall a very good experience.”

“In spite of my vast three month experience and expertise Gil and Vicki were able to make a dramatic difference. They have an amazing ability to communicate with very diverse unique personalities. Learning to let go and trust my innate subconscious ability to hit that bird is a fascinating experience. When I trust myself and perform as Gil and Vicki have shown me…the results are almost magic. I really enjoyed the time I spent at 74 Ranch. The facility and the food are fantastic, it simply could not have been better. Everyone on the staff made us feel like an honored guest in their home. The actual shooting was great. Based on my ability and experience I was apprehensive about attending an “advanced clinic”. The targets were great. With that many stations, that many traps, and that terrain there was something for everyone. I faced targets that were totally new to me. Out here in West Texas I don’t get to shoot a bird way below my feet, I’ve never shot a flying rabbit, a distant battue into a stiff wind, etc. Here I got to see them, shoot them, and learn that they are all just targets.”

“The instruction from Gil and Vicki was great for both my wife and I. The venue was unbelievably good, very cool place.”

“The advanced course was most enjoyable in several ways, Gil was his usual high energy self. With his suggestion for a change in my stance, I was able to consistently break the right to left rabbit targets that I have been struggling with for the past year. The course and facilities were all first class.”

“Is there any other method other than the OSP method? Other instructors that I have had lessons from only work on one or two problem targets with specific recommendations for those targets. Many times they neglect some very basic fundamentals. The OSP method truly is a method that can be applied to all targets at any course by any shooter who wants to improve. The method is absolutely great, but the real secret is in the application of the method by instructors. Their experience on picking up small details for individual shooters is extraordinary. These details are what make the method work. Anyone could go to one of the OSP clinics and parrot back the original information, but the instructors, Gil and Vicki Ash, know how to apply it to all shooters of varying knowledge and ability so that it works for everyone. The Advanced School is where the OSP method really comes into focus. It is three and a half days of total immersion in OSP. The shooters shoot together, eat together, and socialize together. The instructors are always there with the shooters and are available to answer questions at any time; on the range, at meals, or after the shooting day. Each shooter contributes to the learning as well, either by discussing their problems or by observing them as they learn and work out these problems. Another difference in the Advanced School from the three day clinics held at various locations is the classroom time that covers subjects like vision and how the brain functions and how training and practice rewire the brain to perform in a better matter. After attending the Advanced School, you know that the instructors have done their job and how it is up to you to do yours by putting what was learned into practice.”

“Gil and Vicki, Here’s a little note to wish all of y’all a truly Merry Christmas. It has truly been a unique year like none other in my 59 on this planet. Had it not been for looking forward to shooting sporting clays or skeet or the new pyramid each weekend the year would have been much more difficult. I DID manage to continue in the positive direction on my 5 year plan (journey) to reach my best. I earned a lot of respect from the shooters in our little club, which has held its own in this difficult economy. I kicked the top shooter’s ass a number of times. I broke 90 consistently. I still have all my passion to excel in this wonderful sport and I found the “zone”.

Tomorrow I will have surgery on my right hand for carpal tunnel which has deteriorated the use of both hands considerably in the last month or so. Hopefully it will go well enough for me to have the courage to have my left one fixed soon. I told the doctor he has to do a good job because I had a championship trigger finger. We shall see. Thanks for all the good work you do. You make people better shooters and you give people insights so they can make their lives better. Not a day goes by that I don’t enjoy something from you. Keep up the good work. Maybe we can get down there this year so I can work on the still weak points of my game. Call or e mail if you need something from me. Merry Christmas.”

“Dear Vicki and Gil, Just wanted to say how much I appreciate your training books and CD’s—-I started this game about 10 years ago, and have come a long way, I’m 61 years young —so I don’t see myself spending the money to do all the practice for tournament shooting, but I’m really amazed at what you say in Out Of Your Mind–never realizing what I was doing or how to improve on what I was doing Thank You. Although I won’t be doing the tournament thing I will definitely be a promoter of what you are doing, I have always been at a lose when someone asks how far did you lead that target, now I have an answer Thank You. I do intend to keep shooting as long as I can, and will definitely send people your way. Respectfully Yours.”

“Vicki and Gil,

Was fortunate enough to meet Gil at an instructor training facility in Wisconsin with John Higgins way back when, the year after Gil`s shoulder surgery. It was apparent to all attendees that Gil was destined to be an outstanding instructor, and he was enjoyed by all of us. I am now 78 years old, and shoot weekly, often 3 times and enjoy all aspects of the shooting clay bird sports. Shoot trap, skeet, and sporting. Often rotate in a manner to allow me to shoot all three in a week, so really shoot a lot of shells. Am one of the true nuts who shoot all winter long, when most courses in Illinois are wide open with no shooters. I have reloaded, and continue to do so after more than 50 years, and have for two years manufactured my own shot with the Littleton shotmaker and have suffered no loss of broken targets. You are the greatest, and shooting certainly needs more people like yourself as we will exist only if the young pursue the shooting game. Thanks for your service to the shooting sports.”

“Dear Vicki and Gil, I have all your DVD's and Books, and I would like to thank you both again for the huge input that your coaching and guidance has had on my enjoyment and on my scores in this wonderfull, even though at times frustrateing game I concentrate on the COMPAK discipline of clay target shooting , in the Veteran category,and am at that difficult level where I need to improve my score percentages upward from 80% of the winning score to 89%, and my ambition is to do this with CONSISTANCY. The FITASC Pan African Championship is being held here in South Africa not far from Johannesburg at the superbly prepared Hippo Creek Shooting Centre, in February 2010. My plan is to re visit your programs, re read ” You Gotta Be Out of Your Mind” with particular referance to Craig Hill's article on Complete Practise, thank you Craig, I have taken the advise and regularly shoot 2 x or 3x rounds of 50 to 75 targets, and then make a point of re shooting those targets I have struggled with, particularly some of the tricky, on report and true pairs. Between now and the Pan African I will make the effort to enter competitions at other Clubs so as not to be lulled into a false sence of security, or comfort zone of shooting higher scores on one's home club ranges where one knows the course set up well eventually.I intend to practise fundamentals intently and getting them into my subconcious. I also re read your articles and re veiw the DVD`s, its amazeing there is always something new one learns ,or some problem one sees from a differant angle and then goes out there to fix it. Have a great day, and great week,chat again soon, best regards.”

“Hello Gil,

I wanted to share an experience with you. In your book you talk about “trust” and “feel”. Since working with your material I believe I am slowly developing both. For the last month I have been working very hard at this game. If I’m not shooting, I’m doing flashlight drills, reviewing your materials,etc. The other day I decided to just go have fun and “monkey around” as you call it. I called a friend and arranged to shoot skeet. I haven’t really taken skeet seriously. Don’t misunderstand me I believe its a great game, it’s just that I use it as a break from sporting clays and as a way to just have fun. A friend and I shot two rounds and I was doing about usual for me on the skeet field (usually miss a few each round and station 3,4, 5 are the hardest for me and I did have a breakpoint picked out for all of my shots which was apx 2/3 the distance of the flight of the target. I also was somewhat conscious about the mechanics of my move and mount but again this was not practice this was just about having fun and blowing off steam. Later on another gentleman joined us and while I approached station 4 he started talking about a professional skeet shooter he knew that made a habit of breaking all targets over the center stake and all of his doubles in the same spot and how he looked at the house door and swung through and followed through and….buy this time I stopped listening because I immediately changed modes from having fun to practice mode and the practice was going to be “move the breakpoint to the center stake”. High house came out and broke over the center stake. Low house broke over the center stake. Next station…same thing. I finished the round and shot two more and it was the best skeet shooting I ever have done. In looking back, I realized that “without realizing it at the time” I didn’t even think about swing mechanics, lead, my score, or where the 2nd bird would be on doubles. My concentration was centered on only one thing…breaking the target at the center stake. It was an amazing experience to be shooting so well and be so calm and focused at the same time. The odd thing about it was that it happened by accident. I don’t think I ever could have made the conscious choice to go out and work on being totally focused and calm and have it work out as it had…it happened because the only thing I cared about was breaking the target in an exact spot and no where else. This trust and feel stuff is great. Now that I have felt it I really want more.”

“Gil and Vicki are outstanding teachers. They teach techniques that any shooter can use to improve his or her ability. After many lessons with Gil he continues to push my ability with techniques for me to improve.”

“Gil I attended your clinic on April 5 at Desert Lake Shooting Club. Yesterday, April 25, was the first time I was able to utilize what I learned from you in competition. The results were just as you said they would be. My scores have gone up along with my confidence. The winning score was 89, I shot an 85, which put me third overall. I had a great time at your clinic. I learned alot and it was worth every penny. I feel that you have a real passion for what you do in your teaching. I am not sure who had more fun, me learning from you, or you teaching us. I am reading your book, You Gotta Be Out of Your Mind and reviewing the notes I wrote from the April 5 clinic. My shooting continues to improve as your instructions become a more natural part of the shooting process/routine. Thank you very much for your help. I hope to be able to attend your clinic at Desert Lake later in the year to learn more from you. I know you said to give you a call every two weeks for updates on our progress, but with my work schedule, there a times I don’t get to shoot for a bit. Thanks again and I will send more feedback in the future.”

“Having attended another shooting school last year, I was able to make a comparison and as I mentioned to you, I got much more out of your school. Both schools taught the same theory. However, you not only offered corrective measures, but you went into much more detail as to the reasons and detail of the corrective measures, i.e. focusing on only a portion of the target and what results when one focuses on the entire target. Thank you, Vicki.”

“Gil and Vicki Ash take teaching to a new level…The return for their students is better than 90%….they have one of the largest followings of any instructors. We are usually booked up 3 weeks in advance with a waiting list…I don’t know of any instructors that can consistently fill their clinics. These are the first instructors I have encountered in 12 years of being a range owner, that are an asset to, and truly care about the ranges where they teach.”

“In our recent conversation I mentioned to you my goal of winning the AA class at the Louisiana State Championship. I am very happy to be able to tell you that with your help I have achieved that goal. For your inspiration and guidance I am very grateful.”

“Want to thank you again for the excellent instructions you gave us in Sun Valley. You are both very ‘up’ people and that made the day that much more enjoyable and interesting.”

“Gil Ash has enabled me through quality instruction to bring much more consistency in my shooting. Correcting problems comes much quicker by understanding both the mechanics and metal approach to shooting. Gil has truly helped me manage better both of these elements and bring pleasure back into the sport for me.”

“Over the last one and one-half years, I have taken a number of lessons. These have been at resorts, at local shooting clubs, and at courses far away from Chattanooga. Some of these instructors have been nationally recognized instructors with big reputations, and some have just been low-profile local instructors.

For my time and money, none of these instructors hold a candle to you and Vicki. You seem to combine an uncanny ability to diagnose a shooting problem with a common sense method to fix it, together with a sense of humor allows your suggestions to be taken in a non-condescending way. Every suggestion you have offered me has been precise and accurate, and every time I have taken a lesson from you, I have improved my overall shooting score about 5-8 targets.

One other feature I have grown to enjoy is the opportunity to call you in Houston about decisions as big as how to spend $6000-$8000 on a shotgun. You have always been staunch supporters of Briley and Beretta, and because of your advice on Beretta, I am now the proud owner of an ASE-90 shotgun. And, based on your additional recommendations on Briley, I will be sending all of my guns there if I need any future modifications. I’m not sure I could stand the criticism if I didn’t.

In all sincerity, you both are a wonderful team and you do a tremendous job. I have really enjoyed getting to know you, and I promise that I will get together with you for my fourth lesson in the next year. Do you offer quantity discounts?”

“I went to Gil looking for someone to show me how to shoot springing teal. What I got was much more. I have been involved in many athletic sports in high school and college. I have had many coaches, but no teachers. Gil and Vicki developed a very simple way of teaching someone to shoot or improve their shooting capabilities. How much you want to improve is up to you, but Gil and Vicki can help you get there. They are able to look at your current level of shooting and help map out a plan to get you to the next level of your potential. It will not happen overnight, but if you stick with their simple approach, you see improvement which, in turn, helps one’s confidence.

The mental game becomes so important after you develop the skills to execute a shot at the time when you need it most. Gil and Vicki’s teaching talents are equally impressive with this part of the game. They are the consummate teachers. You may not realize it, but you could be eating dinner with them and they are taking the opportunity to teach you something about the mental side. When you walk away and think back, you realize you just learned something. It’s great.

Their system is easy to remember. You do not need a three-page checklist. This comes in very handy when shooting a tournament and you miss a shot to help you get back on track quickly!

Gil and Vicki helped me start hitting targets consistently, when before I thought there was no way I could even hit one of the targets. I have worked with Gil and Vicki on several occasions with a cross section of other shooters. No matter the group, I have always learned something new or reinforced skills that Gil and Vicki had taught me.

ATTITUDE! Gil and Vicki are always positive and enjoyable to be around. Whether it’s mechanics or the mental side f the game, Gil and Vicki can help!”

Gil,

I shot my first tournament since working with you in mid-December at American last Sunday. The 525 front sight was changed to white and was used for the tournament. My previous best score at American was topped by 17 targets on the red course. I easily won my class and would have won “C” class, had I been in it. I would have tied for 5th in “A” class if I was in it.

There is still quite a ways to go, but using the techniques we worked on in December made a huge difference. I never really felt rushed by the target except on a handful of presentations and I never felt more at ease during a tournament. I can’t remember ever really looking at the barrel during pre-shot and my shooting partners, who I shoot many tournaments with, remarked how I looked different in the box and how I shot. One is an “A” class shooter and the other is a “D” class. I beat them both by 15 and 29 targets, respectively. Thank you very much and I will be in touch for our next session.

Regards,