Slow crossers can lull you into shooting deliberately which kills your swing. You can not measure and maintain lead on a crosser if it is at the same time going slightly in or out or dropping and slowing down as it goes. Your lead may look right but will be wrong by the time your shoot and your shot reaches where the target is. Think of it as a bird with three or four different leads, in, out, right/left, slowing down and dropping down all at the same time. The longer you wait the worse it is for me. Pick a window to eliminate the speed changes and dropping changes as much as you can. That only leaves you with two variables instead of four. Peice of cake.
I shoot a bit more aggressively with a shorter swing. And I never let a crossing target get past my barrels if possible. Sometimes, in heavy woods, targets just seem to only have a couple clear windows. I take the first window. I find a short, quicker swing, with a hold point near where I want to break the bird. Where trap layout can get tricky is a slightly canted target which gives you a visual presentation which mask its real flight path. On those who are moving away from me I tend to shoot in front and those who are moving slightly closer I tend to shoot behind.
On real problem targets I go back to basics and start with very short leads and increase then a foot at a time until I start hitting the birds. Few fellow shooters can tell you where you are but that won’t stop them from trying.
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