Recommendation for shooting coach north / north west London

Well, just purchased my first gun and despite having had a few lessons at a certain North London ground, realise that I can’t hit a barn door when I go out by myself.  No doubt this is mostly down to my own limitations, but I think that the lessons I’ve had so far haven’t been great, frankly. Very little discussion of good technique. I would really appreciate recommendations for a good coach in the North or Northwest London or Home Counties area, please. Thank you all in advance.

Hi there.

Which North London ground was it? Do they not have a coach?

Do you have a budget?

https://www.edsolomons.com/

http://beckymckenzie.co.uk/

Both excellent, championship winning clay shooters and coaches.

They also, both publish their prices, unlike some others.

Thanks Skeet, much appreciated. I will check them out. No budget in mind just yet ... need to find out the going rate. Obviously more important to find a good instructor rather than the cheapest one. 

Bit late to this, but I really like the coaching at Holland and Holland, I previously (some years back) was coached by a well known coach, H&H have really put me in the right direction much more.

So maybe check out other schools like Holland and Holland/West London etc.?

Some coaches are good, some are bad, some are not right for you right now - I've found that the H&H coaches looking at my feet and mount and Ben H's video 'courses' have absolutely put me where I want to me, much more than previous coaching over months with a very well respected 'name'. There was nothing against that coach, it just wasn't the right coaching for me at that time. That's as much me as them - meaning I wasn't getting across what I was seeing, how I was thinking to them accurately enough for them to work on.

Hope this makes sense

OrangeGrouse said:

Thanks Skeet, much appreciated. I will check them out. No budget in mind just yet ... need to find out the going rate. Obviously more important to find a good instructor rather than the cheapest one. 

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If you can, try to find a coach that specialises in the discipline that you shoot. There are a lot of very good coaches out there. First lessons normally concentrate on instilling safety and good practice. Once that is learnt it’s time to start learning how to hit targets properly. To be fair, it isn’t the quick process that many people assume it is. It’s a gradual process in fact, it must be done one step at a time. If your coach gave you fairly easy targets and you then went out on your own, the targets may have been much more difficult than those at the shooting school. So don’t beat yourself up, take your time.

OrangeGrouse said:

Thanks Skeet, much appreciated. I will check them out. No budget in mind just yet ... need to find out the going rate. Obviously more important to find a good instructor rather than the cheapest one. 

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TGS just done a video with Ed Solomons.

First bit is some fun on a compak layout, after that Ed gives some coaching.

https://youtu.be/7YpjR2SafiM

Skeet UK said:

TGS just done a video with Ed Solomons.

First bit is some fun on a compak layout, after that Ed gives some coaching.

https://youtu.be/7YpjR2SafiM

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And a great vid it is too!

Just out of interest, could I ask how many lessons the OP has had and over what time period? We’re the lessons with his own gun or an instructors gun? 

Dear All, thanks for comments, all very helpful.
In answer to Les’ question, I had 5 lessons over about 15 months (A bit disjointed due to lockdown). All lessons done with guns provided by the club. 

I appreciate the comment about taking my time; no sport has ever come naturally to me and I guess it would be irrational to think that shooting clays will be any different! Not afraid of putting in the graft; just want to have the right foundation to start with.

OrangeGrouse said:

Dear All, thanks for comments, all very helpful.
In answer to Les’ question, I had 5 lessons over about 15 months (A bit disjointed due to lockdown). All lessons done with guns provided by the club. 

I appreciate the comment about taking my time; no sport has ever come naturally to me and I guess it would be irrational to think that shooting clays will be any different! Not afraid of putting in the graft; just want to have the right foundation to start with.

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It easy to think that a lesson will instantly transform you. In the end, shooting is a practice sport, so what the lesson needs to do is give you a solid set of guidelines and practices that you can take away and develop. If you walk away from a lesson and there aren’t a bunch of new things learned that you can’t wait to go off and practice then it was a useless lesson. Somebody standing next to you saying “you’re behind it/ above it” isn’t a lesson. 

OrangeGrouse said:

Dear All, thanks for comments, all very helpful.
In answer to Les’ question, I had 5 lessons over about 15 months (A bit disjointed due to lockdown). All lessons done with guns provided by the club. 

I appreciate the comment about taking my time; no sport has ever come naturally to me and I guess it would be irrational to think that shooting clays will be any different! Not afraid of putting in the graft; just want to have the right foundation to start with.

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Well basically I guess we are looking at about five hours, not actually a very long time at all, especially as it’s spread over a long period of time. 
IMO I reckon you just need to start again, this time take your own gun to the lessons. That way the instructor will be able to tell you if it fits you correctly, or near enough. 
In my early days I used West London and Holland and Holland, however these days there seem to be far more independent instructors around, including one or two on this forum, although I don’t know if they work in the area where you live. I think Ed Solomon’s lives in the midlands, but have a word. 

You have a lot of options from North London

I live in North London and you can get to and have options for lessons at a number of shooting grounds and shooting schools

as others have said and in no particular order I shoot at 

West London which is a school so you will always be accompanied either with a coach or caddy and is near Northolt - I did my early training there - good qualified coaches more leaning to sporting and game 

AGL up at Markyate just off the M1 at J9 - not sure about the standard of coaching but they do lessons

sporting Targets at Riseley north of Bedford - if you do want coaching at the higher end Ed Solomon’s does come of his coaching there - great guy

Bisley isn’t that far round the North Circular and M25 - they have some great coaches - I have not been since the legal dispute so nit completely c,ear how it all has shaken out but they definitely have some strong coaches working there or at least they did  - also a lovely place 

EJ Churchill is also across on the north circular and a short way down the M4 at West Wycombe - great place - lots of top coaches - there are a lot of big fans of that place and it’s a lovely place to spend some time 

for some reason I have never been to H&H also at Northolt - maybe I need to make a trip after we get out of this covid business !!

Royal Berks at Pangbourne is another great school - further for you to drive but another really string school and situated in a lovely valley

I would lean towards EJC or Ed S at Sporting Targets but your money your choice - have fun 

Ian 

I would recommend Stuart Clarke, he is based in Essex but like many of the independent instructors works at various grounds. I had a lesson with him at Fennes which may not be that far for you?

FlyingTrotter, Jon1, many thanks to you both for the detailed responses; really helpful advice all around and exactly what I was after. Cheers 

Thanks to all of you who kindly took the time to respond and offer advice. Had an excellent morning with Will Hewland at EJ Churchill's ground and learnt loads in a really good 2 hour lesson. Feel like that I at least know something about the basics now and have some reference points to practice from. Cheers Will. 

Well done Karl, you’re certainly somebody who takes things on board. Rewarding for us both I think. And I reckon you have the best value gun I’ve ever seen!

Will Hewland said:

Well done Karl, you’re certainly somebody who takes things on board. Rewarding for us both I think. And I reckon you have the best value gun I’ve ever seen!

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You can’t leave it on that cliff-edge!

Now we all want to know what gun you have Karl !

Excellent update. Never been coached by Will myself so good to hear a recommendation.

Sporting coaches I am willing to recommend that work in locations relevant to the OP:

Becky MacKenzie - http://beckymckenzie.co.uk/
Becky impressed me when I had her as a coach at an Eriswell Lodge event. I had a group coaching session and a FITASC masterclass with her this year and she was excellent across the board both times. Everyone improved, no one was the idiot of the class. Becky just makes stuff feel easy.

Richard Weller - https://www.fieldandclay.co.uk/instructor/
I was coached by Richard several times at West London. I appreciate his keen eye and his no-nonsense style. If I lived closer I would have liked to have worked with Richard more. 

Julian Watson - https://www.agl-uk.com/about-agl/meet-the-team
Julian transformed me into a gun down game shooter. He suggested my gun was slightly too long, and he was right, a fraction on an inch made a mega difference. Also caught a gun mount error that left me shooting down the side of things. 

Ed Solomons - https://www.edsolomons.com/
Good luck getting an appointment with Coach Solomons! Currently not taking on new clients. The man to see if you want to compete at English Sporting. When working with Ed I looked much better than I actually was as a shooter because I would straight stands of easy stuff. No doubt if I had continued to work with him I would have been able to build up with the more technical birds. 

Fred Flintstone said:

You can’t leave it on that cliff-edge!

Now we all want to know what gun you have Karl !

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You beat me to it Fred!  Wonder what it is? Pics Please Karl!!!!