California Clays

How does someone go from a relatively new competitive shooter to one of the best sporting clays shooters in the world in just a handful of years? That’s what I wanted to understand in this episode. Todd Hitch is a back-to-back U.S. Open Champion, former Junior World FITASC Champion, Spanish King’s Cup Champion, Team USA shooter, and one of the most dangerous competitors in both Sporting Clays and FITASC. But Todd’s résumé is only part of the story. What makes his rise so interesting is how quickly it happened. In this conversation, we go back to the beginning and break down how Todd developed his game, how he practiced, what he learned from other great shooters, and how his approach evolved as he moved from a developing competitor to someone expected to win major championships. Todd has accomplished in less than a decade what takes many shooters a lifetime to achieve, so this episode isn't just about how a champion shoots. It's about how a champion gets built. If you're trying to improve your sporting clays or FITASC game, there is a lot to take away from this conversation regardless of what class you're currently shooting. And if you enjoy the podcast, hit like, subscribe, and please leave a comment. Thanks for watching. #SportingClays #FITASC #ToddHitch #ClayShooting #ShotgunSports #SportingClaysTraining #CompetitiveShooting #CaliforniaClays

In this episode of Winchester Life, Winchester athletes Kim Rhode and Desirae Edmonds share what it takes to compete at the highest level of clay target shooting. From the pressure of national competition to the routines that build confidence, they reveal how preparation, mental focus, and years of dedication lead to success. Both Kim and Desi emphasize that managing pressure is a learned skill, supported by consistent routines and trust in dependable equipment like Winchester AA shotshells. As the two champions train, mentor the next generation, and reflect on the journeys that shaped their careers, the episode celebrates more than trophies. With Kim's Olympic legacy and Desi's Hall of Fame induction, the passion, perseverance, and commitment to excellence that continue to inspire shooters across the country.

What can a world-record trick shooter teach clay shooters about vision, timing, and hand-eye coordination? In this episode of the CA Clays Podcast, I sit down with James Jean of JamesJeanTrickShots, a multiple world record holder known for making seemingly impossible shots with bows, firearms, and other projectiles. But the real story isn’t the trick shots. It’s what’s happening behind them. James has spent years developing an extraordinary combination of visual perception, timing, proprioception, prediction, and subconscious motor control. We talk about what he actually sees when tracking a moving target, how he uses central and peripheral vision, why smaller and faster targets can sometimes be easier for him, and how years of repetition have built a mental library that allows him to adapt across completely different shooting disciplines. For clay shooters, the parallels are fascinating. We get into target focus, quiet eye, barrel awareness, instinct versus conscious thought, learning from misses, performance anxiety, visualization, and the idea that elite shooting may be less about “aiming” and more about learning how to intercept a moving object without getting in your own way. James also shares stories about his Guinness World Records, creating new trick shots, using slow-motion video to improve, and even training actors including Matt Damon and Tom Holland for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Can hand-eye coordination actually be trained? Can we improve our ability to predict moving targets? And are great shooters seeing something the rest of us aren’t? This was one of the most unique conversations I’ve had on the podcast. Check out JamesJeanTrickShots on YouTube and Instagram to see the incredible shots we’re discussing. https://www.youtube.com/@UCyC1eYjghNQn1aaoM7TP0Ng https://www.instagram.com/jamesjeantrickshots/ If you enjoy the episode, please LIKE the video, SUBSCRIBE to the channel, and leave a COMMENT below. I’d especially like to hear from clay shooters: how much of your shooting do you believe is conscious technique, and how much is your eyes and brain solving the shot automatically? #SportingClays #ClayShooting #HandEyeCoordination #TrickShots #JamesJeanTrickShots #Archery #ShootingSports #VisionTraining #SportPsychology #CaliforniaClays

World Champion, international coach and one of clay shooting’s most polarizing personalities, Ben Husthwaite joins me for a wide-ranging conversation about winning, coaching, controversy, gun fit, shooting myths, personal growth and his goals for another World Championship.

Nine-time California State Champion. CA Sporting Clays Hall of Famer. Team USA shooter. Coach. And more than three decades competing at a high level in sporting clays. In this episode, I sit down with Tom John to talk about his incredible career in clay shooting and the evolution of sporting clays in California. Tom won his first California State Championship back in 1993 and has had a front-row seat to the growth and changes in the sport ever since. We talk about the shooters, clubs and personalities from the early days, how targets and competition have evolved, and what it takes to remain competitive for more than 30 years. We also get deep into Tom’s shooting and coaching philosophy, including how he uses his eyes, how he reads targets, how he trains and what he looks for when working with other shooters. Outside of shooting, he’s spent years working behind the scenes in Hollywood, including driving and transportation work on major film and television productions. This is a conversation about shooting, coaching, California sporting clays history and a lifetime spent learning how to break targets. If you enjoy the episode, please SUBSCRIBE to California Clays for more conversations with the shooters, coaches and personalities who make up the clay target shooting world.