Fennell Shooting School

Fennell Shooting School specializes in shotgun education that spans from absolute beginners through master-class competitors. Will Fennell brings years of coaching experience and teaches everything from basic gun safety and etiquette to advanced competitive technique and mental training.

• •Basic gun safety and handling for new shooters
• •Sporting clay technique (report pairs, true pairs, 5-stand)
• •Wing shooting and field hunting preparation
• •Competitive coaching for tournament shooters
• •Mental training and routine development (pre-shot, post-shot, planning routines)
• •Gun fitting and equipment selection
• •Corporate team building and client entertainment
• •Eye dominance assessment and solutions

Primary instruction takes place at Blue Branch Farm in Sharon, South Carolina. Will travels for instruction upon request for corporate groups or specialized clinics.

Fennell places heavy emphasis on the mental side of shooting. Students learn structured routines that cover:

Planning Routine → Pre-Shot Routine → Post-Shot Analysis

This framework, developed with Henry Hopkins of the Brain Training Company, helps shooters maintain consistency and eliminate the "measuring" that derails performance under pressure.

Will and his team work with sports vision specialist Dr. Richard Colo on eye dominance issues. They understand:

• •Degrees of dominance (not just left or right)
• •Cross-dominance solutions (tape spots, shooting style adjustments)
• •Visual hold points vs. physical hold points
• •Why vision is more important than equipment

For beginners and recreational shooters, Fennell recommends:

For new shooters, secondary ammunition lines (like Fiocchi Shooting Dynamics instead of Exacta) offer excellent value without compromising performance.

Will emphasizes that serious shooters shouldn't go dark during the off-season. His blog covers:

• •Eye care and vision correction (most important first step)
• •Shotgun maintenance and gunsmithing (preventative care before next season)
• •Ammunition planning (buying in bulk during holiday sales to avoid shortages)
• •Staying sharp with occasional club rounds or 5-stand practice

To perform your best on the course:

1. Hydrate heavily the day before and during—your eye focus depends on it 2. Eat properly—food in your stomach, snacks in your range bag (grapes, nuts, bars) 3. Get adequate sleep—at least your normal amount, with 3+ hours awake before competing 4. Get corrective lenses on early if you wear contacts or glasses

Fennell teaches that most shooters feel rushed because they waste time early:

Wrong approach: Late start → Quick shot → Slow transition → Quick shot

Right approach: Quick start → Slow shot → Fast transition → Slow shot

The key: Start moving on the "flash" of the bird, beat the trapper to the second trap on report pairs, and use your eyes to find the second bird while your gun handles itself.

Will appears on the Behind the Break podcast (competitive sporting clays focused), where he discusses shooting technique, mental game, and the competitive clay scene.

Lessons can be scheduled through their website. Will customizes instruction based on student goals—whether that's casual weekend shooting, tournament preparation, or corporate events.

Email: [email protected]