Coaching on the stand

If my dad gives me advice at a clay shooting competition, does it class as coaching on the stand? Steve Lovatt of the Clay Shooting Co replies!

Q: I shoot with my dad at competitions, and he also taught me to shoot. The other day, someone had a go at us because dad was giving me some advice on how to tackle the targets. I had stepped onto the stand, but I hadn’t actually started shooting yet. Were they right to be annoyed? Did we break a rule?

STEVE LOVATT replies: At a CPSA-registered event it is breaking the rules, yes. They clearly state that there should be no coaching on the stand. The simple solution is to stand well back and watch others shoot the targets, and at this point your dad can give you some pointers/advice on hold points, lead etc. Just make sure that when you do step onto the stand, you do so alone and he doesn’t give you any more advice until you’ve stepped off it again.