by: Tom Migdalski
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Book Description:
Book Description -- No book has explored shotgunning games as completely as The Complete Book of Shotgunning Games. Divided into four parts, all of your questions are answered here. Part I: The Clay Target Games covers standard games, competitions, novelty clay games, portable trap games, trap field novelty games, skeet field novelty games, and special facility games. Part II: Body and Mind delves into the intangibles that affect shooting such as sport psychology, fitness and conditioning, nutrition, vision and sighting, fatigue, and flinching. Part III: Mastering the Techniques shares the author's lifetime of shooting and coaching experiences in the areas of safety and etiquete, learning to shoot, shooting gear and attire, keeping a shooting diary, methods of instruction, how to coach, and fundamentals of skeet, trap and sporting clays. Part IV: The Equipment is full of useful information about the guns themselves, shells, reloading, targets and facilities. Whether you just started shooting or you've been at it all your life, The Complete Book of Shotgunning Games is a necessity. Shooting enthusiasts of all levels will come to rely on this indispensable reference that is soon to be a classic!
About the Author -- Since 1984, Tom Midgalski has been an assistant athletic director at Yale University, and their director of outdoor education, club sports and the fitness center. He is also the head coach of the trap and skeet team, the chief instructor of the Yale physical education shotgun shooting class, and teaches weight training. A former intercollegiate shotgun champion and coach of two women's national collegiate gold medalists, Migdalski has authored articles for various outdoor publications.
Excellent, Systematic Approach to Shotgun Sports -- Written by the coach of Yale's Skeet and Trap teams, the style of this book should appeal to past and present athletes who are used to a regimented approach to a sport. Migdalski's book is especially suitable for anyone just starting out, but would be a useful reference for those seeking to improve. The books strong points were its systematic approach to developing good technique and practicing effectively. I would have given this book 5 stars, but I did not find the chapters on fitness/conditioning, nutrition, and psychology very relevant (at least to me, maybe those with Olympian aspirations might feel differently). That said, I'd say this would be an excellent choice for the beginner buying just one book on the subject. If you're less interested in how to shoot the different games and more interested in developing your technique, I'd have to give the nod to Yardley's "Positive Shooting." But why not buy them both?
Reviews:
Great Read -- his book has quite a bit of info on common games, some of the less common games, equipment selection, history, basic instruction, etc. It is an easy read with a ton of good info. I think it is a great starting point.
A Book in Search of a Purpose -- I am torn with this book. I am new to Skeet and Trap and bought this book for help with the finer points of shooting. Well, I got that. So, I guess the book was worth the purchase. However, I found this book to be vague and wandering and almost completely lacking in a destination or purpose. Nothing seems to be where you think it is or where it should be. Very frustrating reading. If you want to know the name and order of every clay / shotgun game there is this is your book. If you are looking for a definitive text on shotgunning methods, there must be something out there better.