Sporting Clays Instruction and Instructors
Northbrook Sports Club has many NSCA Certified Sporting Clays instructors. If you are new shooter or even an experienced shooter having troubles then these are terrific resources for you to utilize. Most of our instructors are Kid Friendly and can assist with almost any shooting needs required. Lessons can be arranged by the hour, multiple sessions or whatever is needed.
NSC does have gun rentals available – check with the Cashier when you get to the club.
Our current instructors: Phil Puckorius, Rod Vetter, Mark Freeman, Kerry Luft, Bruce Dragoon , John J Miller, Brett Seibert, Athena Butler and Leslie Mueller-Grady
Check back often. Throughout the year many guest instructors visit NSC.
Phil Puckorius: Level III NSCA Certified Instructor
As an NSCA Level III Certified Instructor, Phil brings over twenty-five years’ experience in coaching at all levels of NSCA certification.
After nearly thirty years of shooting registered sporting clays, rising through the classes up to Master Class in 2004 and making over twenty All-American and State teams, Phil also knows what physical and mental skills are necessary to excel in the clay target sports. As an avid hunter, Phil understands how building certain field-oriented techniques and skills on the clay target range can help hunters and recreational shooters have more fun and success when in the field.
Phil also combines his over fifty years of shotgunning experience with his professional background in continuing education to create effective lessons, designed to help students quickly advance their shooting skills. This blending of knowledge about wingshooting and how people best learn provides a solid foundation for assisting a wide variety of shooters in reaching their goals.
In addition to giving individual lessons, Phil also regularly leads youth and women's shooting clinics, working to ensure that new shooters have a positive and safe exposure to clay target shooting.
Arranging and hosting high quality corporate shotgunning outings is another service offered. As Chief Instructor of the Heartland Clay Target Academy, Phil has access to multiple certified instructors who have the knowledge and ability to make sure that corporate staff and clients have fun and successful experiences. A partial list of clients includes: American Century Investments, A.T. Kearney Consulting, ExactData, Krenzien, Krenzien& Associates, Molex Corporation, Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company, Old Elk Distillery, UBS Financial Services, and University Club of Chicago.
For more information or to schedule an appointment,
Email Phil Puckorius or call him at (312) 925-5842.
Rod Vetter: Level II NSCA Certified Instructor
Rod is currently an NSCA Level II, an NSSA Skeet Level I Instructor & Master Class shooter. His main goals are to make sure all "students" have an excellent understanding of gun safety and that they can reach their goal's for shooting. Whether you are an experienced shooter that wants to improve, if you've just been away from shooting sports (Skeet, Trap or Sporting clays) for a while, or even if you're a new member to NSC, his private lessons are just what you need to feel at home at NSC. He does private lessons and you can email him by clicking on the link below where it states "Email Rod Vetter." Rod specializes in Sporting Clays, 5-Stand, Parcours de Chasse (FITASC). He's quite capable of providing basic instructions in skeet and trap as well as preparation for wing shooting. You do not need to be a member of NSC to take lessons with him - in fact Non-Member or Guests are encouraged. Please contact him for additional information.
Email Rod Vetter
Mark Freeman: Level II NSCA Certified Instructor
20+ Years of Clays Shooting & wing shooting experience.
Instruction & coaching for beginning sporting clays shooters to NSCA competitors & wing shooters with a focus on fundamentals. I teach how to shoot a shotgun, not how to break a specific target. Following all instruction detailed recap and recommended practice points are provided.
Reasonable Hourly Rate & Family Rates
References from current & previous clients provided upon request.
Available Wednesday Thru Sunday
Rental Guns Available
If You Don't Improve, The Lesson Is On Me!
Mark Freeman - (847)650-5719
email: free46911@gmail.com
Kerry Luft: NSCA Level I instructor and certified NRA shotgun instructor.
He works primarily with beginning and intermediate shooters to provide them with a solid grounding in safety and fundamentals. Although he mostly shoots sporting clays, he also can provide basic instruction in skeet and can help bird hunters and waterfowlers as well. Over the years, he has benefited from lessons from Hall of Fame skeet shooters Ed Scherer and Phil Murray as well as sporting clays instructors such as Jack Mitchell, Dave Fiedler and Anthony Matarese, Jr. He also is co-author of Matarese's book, "Straight Shooting: A World Champion's Guide to Shotgunning," released in 2022. He is available mostly on weekends but can arrange to meet you at other times at NSC.
(224) 343-5790
Bruce Dragoon: NSCA Level 1
Bruce has been an active member of Northbrook Sports Club since 1994. Since then, he has shared trap and sporting clay fields with thousands of members and guests with a heavy concentration on educating safety and ability techniques while promoting youth-to-intermediate level shooters at the club. Bruce has earned and maintained Master Class status for many years. Bruce is an NSCA Level 1 instructor who, having seen 30,000+ registered targets, can confidently coach all Sporting Clays formats, F.I.T.A.S.C., and 5-stand.
Bruce is available Wednesday – Sundays for instruction.
Phone: 847-682-8155
John J. Miller: NSSA Associate Instructor and NSCA Level 1 Certified Instructor
Born in the first half of the last century. Bronze Star recipient as an Army sniper in Vietnam. Started shooting shotguns in 1961 at Lincoln Park Traps. Competed and won in most venues including Northbrook Gun club in Northbrook, Lincoln Park Traps, Illinois Police Olympics and Senior Olympics. Life member in NSSA and NSCA. Became certified as an Associate Skeet Instructor in 2018. Specialize in teaching new shooters safety and the breaking of clay pigeons.
312-505-4696
Athena Butler Level I NSCA Instructor Certified Instructor
"My mission is to build my student's confidence in their shooting abilities".
A Northbrook Sports Club member since 2016, Athena enjoys sharing her passion for the sport through teaching. She is excited to share the many positive qualities of the sport through instruction and coaching.
Working with new and experienced shotgunners alike, Athena specializes in the instruction of her female peers. As a designated Annie Oakley Group instructor, she especially enjoys helping women have a positive and safe introduction to clay target sports.
Athenabutler@me.com
Leslie Mueller-Grady: NSCA Level 1 Certified Instructor
Leslie is a life-long resident of Wisconsin and a member of Northbrook Sports Club with broad exposure to various clubs, targets, and events. She’s been shooting sporting clays since 2010 and achieved recognition on multiple NSCA ladies All-American teams. Through over 70,000 registered targets and a devotion to the sport, she has accumulated extensive sporting clays experience that she is happy to share with others. She has a special interest in guiding women in their first steps toward learning and enjoying the shotgun sports; and is actively involved with the “Annie Oakley Shooters of Northern Illinois.”
Brett Seibert: Level III NSCA Certified Instructor
Email Brett Seibert