Yesterday Dick Mann and I had the pleasure of spending 3 hours of instruction with shooting phenom Anthony Matarese Jr. (he was teaching us!)  We traveled to Mid Hudson Sporting Grounds for this opportunity, and I thought I'd share my impressions with fellow Travelers.

First of all, Anthony is a very grounded and likable guy. At age 26 he's mature beyond his years and he made us feel welcome and comfortable from the moment we met. I never felt intimidated or self conscious.

Secondly, he spent the entire session observing and teaching. All business, with a little friendly conversation between stations only. I absolutely had the impression that he appreciated that we were investing in time well spent, and he was determined to give us good value.

He first observed our shooting for 4 or 5 pair of birds. Then he offered a couple of tips on the basics; "Hold your finger here" , "Move this foot here", etc. Every pointer made a difference. This guy knows what he's talking about!

We then spent 2 1/2 hours moving around the Mid Hudson stations working primarily on FOCUS; seeing every bird clearly and in detail. If you've seen his video you know what I mean. When we had difficulty with a particular target he'd show us several different techniques to break it, and he made sure we understood and could execute what he wanted us to do.  I've always been intimidated by what I call "diagonal teal"; high rising targets that slice upwards at an angle. After 10 minutes and some hard concentration I was crushing targets that used to beat me before I got into the box. Yahoo!

In the final 10 minutes of our session Antrhony sat down with each of us, gave us a written synopsis of what he'd covered and then he GAVE US HOMEWORK! Damn! But I recognize that it would be foolish to slip back into old habits without practicing what I'd learned. If homework is what it takes, then homework I'll do.

My bottom line is if you are interested in advancing your understanding and success in the shotgun sports a Matarese lesson is a great investment. Buy or borrow his video before you book him. It will give you a heads up on what he'll cover.

The proof is in the pudding, and I am interested tin seeing how I shoot in several upcoming events. But I know that if I do my part, I'll shott better than I would have previously, just by virtue of FOCUS. And Dick and I have already booked another session with Anthony. It's kind of like a great restaurant experience; I can't wait to go back!

Ed Davies