It was once said that 'If Mr. Holland is unable to teach a man to shoot then no-one can', a sentiment that is every bit as true today as it was 100 years ago and it is our policy at Holland & Holland to promote shooting in all its forms to the widest possible audience in the overall interest of the sport.

With a team of instructors boasting over 100 years of teaching experience between them, it is small wonder that shooters from all over the world head towards our grounds in Northwood when they feel in need of a coaching session.

For the Game Shot, simulated pheasant, partridge and wildfowl can be shown from a number of high towers, giving a wide variety of targets, so that any particular problem can be addressed. For the Grouse Shooter, our multi-trap grouse butt can be used to show individual birds or a sequence of 25 birds, which is not for the faint hearted. Clay Shooters are not forgotten, with over 50 different sporting stands set in realistic surroundings. The clay shooters will find themselves truly tested with an astounding array of speeds and angles rather than purely distance shots. Formal disciplines such as skeet and DTL are also available.

For many years a traditional male sport, shooting is undergoing something of a revolution. In increasing numbers, ladies are taking up the sport and proving that they are not only the equals of their male colleagues but in many cases better. In recognition of this, Holland & Holland introduced the 'Green Feathers Programme'. Started in 1995 with the intention of encouraging the lady shooter, the courses have introduced over 600 ladies with little or no experience to the pleasures of shotgun shooting. The course not only encourages the expansion of shooting within the female followers of the sport but also helps to promote a better awareness of country sports as a whole.

The future of shooting lies with the younger generation and it is incumbent upon organisations such as ours to ensure that shooting skills are passed down through future generations. To this end, we are leading the way in providing both the facilities and the courses for the young shooter and actively promoting their cause to a wider audience. As anyone in the teaching world knows, you are never too young to learn a new skill or technique, and in this instance the only initial barrier to learning shooting is a matter of size, rather than age. Early professional tuition not only gives youngsters of both sexes a good grounding in the art of shooting but also ensures that no bad habits are developed at an early age, something that can so easily happen without an expert's guiding hand. But tuition in shooting, as such, is only part of the learning process which we encourage and promote. Specific 'Young Shots' days are held at regular intervals during the year when youngsters are introduced to shooting by our highly qualified instructors, whose patience and skillful handling of the participants invariably brings positive results. Included in the Young Shots courses are sessions on gun safety, on which we place great importance, quarry identification and fieldcraft.