How to Shoot an Incomer
An incomer flies toward you. The straight version is the simplest target in the game — gun just under the line, soft focus between trap and gun, take it as it comes. The quartering incomers angle off to one side and need a touch more setup.
Straight incomer (either hand)
Toward you- Stance
- Pivoting leg (left, for a right-hander) oriented toward the trap.
- Gun position
- Just below the flying path of the bird.
- Waiting position
- ⅓ to ½ of the distance between trap and breaking spot.
- Head
- Parallel with the gun.
- Visual
- Between the trap and the gun (soft focus).
- Timing
- Low gun: start mounting once the bird leaves the trap. Premounted: start moving as the bird nears the gun.
Quartering incomer, Right-handed
Left → Right- Stance
- Pivoting leg oriented at the breaking spot.
- Gun position
- Just below the flying path of the bird.
- Waiting position
- ⅓ to ½ out from the trap (adjustable).
- Head
- Slightly turned left, or parallel to the gun.
- Visual
- Between the gun and the trap, close to the left side of the gun (soft focus).
- Timing
- Low gun: start mounting once the bird leaves the trap. Premounted: start moving as the bird nears the gun.
Quartering incomer, Right-handed
Right → Left- Stance
- Belly button toward the trap, pivoting leg (right) oriented ⅓ distance from the trap.
- Gun position
- Just below the flying path of the bird.
- Waiting position
- ⅓ to ½ out from the trap (adjustable).
- Head
- Natural.
- Visual
- Between the gun and the trap, close to the side of the gun (soft focus).
- Timing
- Low gun: start mounting once the bird leaves the trap. Premounted: start moving as the bird nears the gun.
Left-handed quartering incomers mirror these — pivoting leg to the breaking spot, soft focus close to the side the bird travels toward.
Set up right and you'll break more of these. The library has the same breakdown for every other target — crossers, incomers, going-aways, teal, rabbit and more. See all guides →
About the method. These guides come from the coaching system of Bill Erdőss, an Olympic clay shooting coach — built on the fundamentals that decide every shot: gun fit, mount, stance, vision, and timing, with a precise, repeatable setup for each target.