Claybuster, going from your O/U to a SxS is a step in the wrong direction. You have two problems, maybe three that I can see just from your post. First, shooting clays once a month is fun but it isn't going to get you much improvement. Second, your "professional" lesson may have been a waste of money. I've seen "professional" instructors who have no idea of what they're talking about, and in fact aren't even very good shooters themselves. If the instructor you had didn't check you for gun fit he did a disservice to you. Even if he did check, that doesn't mean he knows what he's looking for. There are a lot of these "pros" out there looking to pick up a few extra bucks from new shooters. I'd guess you have a gun that doesn't fit quite right (that's not even determined yet until you get a real pro to check it). I'm almost positive that your shooting technique is wrong. I'd suggest you find another "pro" to give you a lesson, preferably someone who has a good reputation, wins a lot of bigger shoots, and checks gun fit. I shot a lot of clays for years and was a decent shooter. I won B class in my state shoot and also won it at our regional shoot. After taking a lesson from a very noted pro shooter and following his advice, I moved to AA class within a year and have a foot in Master Class. I'm still using the same gun. A SxS is designed for field shooting, not clays shooting. Find another pro, a real one, and try again. Your shooting will improve by leaps and bounds once you start shooting correctly and find out if your gun fits or not. Did you ever try your gun at a pattern board....one of the steel ones that is covered with grease? You mount and shoot without aiming in one smooth motion. It will tell you after a couple of trys whether or not your gun is close to fitting you properly. If it isn't, it can be made to fit by a decent stock fitter and it's a lot cheaper than buying another gun. Look into this some more. Good luck.