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Unlock the secrets behind becoming a top-tier shooting instructor as Philip Puckorius—NSCA's new chief instructor—shares insights from his 30+ years of experience. Discover how continuous learning, effective teaching frameworks, and mastering the art of diagnostics can elevate your coaching game and help shooters reach their highest potential.

This episode dives deep into the evolution of instructor education, emphasizing the importance of practical experience—like logging hours and taking lessons—to truly master the craft. Phil reveals innovative strategies for delivering effective, engaging training through seminars, digital modules, and community-driven solutions that are affordable and sustainable. You'll learn how to diagnose the root causes of misses, communicate effectively, and instill confidence in your students, transforming not only their skills but your reputation as a coach.

We break down the core components of the NSCA instructor pathway—what it takes to move from novice to elite—and explore the criteria, qualifications, and mindset keys needed to achieve level three certification. Phil also shares how the program is continuously evolving to meet modern coaching demands, aiming for a culture of excellence, safety, and shared knowledge that benefits shooters at all levels.

Perfect for aspiring instructors, experienced coaches, and serious competitors alike—if you're committed to making a real impact in the sport, this episode will equip you with the mindset, tools, and frameworks to thrive. Whether you're looking to elevate your coaching credentials or simply want insights on how top performers learn and improve, this conversation is a must-listen.

Philip Puckorius is the chief instructor at NSCA, a 30-year veteran of shotgun coaching, and a dedicated educator passionate about advancing shooting instruction through proven methods and ongoing professional development. His work bridges the gap between theory and practice, helping coaches and athletes unlock their true potential.

Don't miss the lessons that can reshape your coaching approach and propel your shooters to new heights. Hit play now and start your journey toward mastery.

Cody Matson: (770) 293-8820

Matson Shooting Academy: https://www.matsonshootingacademy.com/

MSA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matsonshootingacademy/

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Jared Wolfe joins Dawn Grant on Clay Mastermind: Mental Excellence and Industry Insights for a thoughtful conversation on Sporting Clays, creativity, competition mindset, flow state performance, craftsmanship, and the mental side of peak performance. Jared is a competitive Sporting Clays shooter, instructor, craftsman, and lifelong outdoorsman based in Denver, Colorado. 

In this episode, Jared shares how his love for shooting began at an early age through family hunting trips, cap guns, hand-thrown clay targets, and recreational shooting with his father, brother, and grandfather. Although he briefly experimented with trap shooting as a child, he quickly became drawn toward more creative and dynamic target presentations. Jared explains how the variety and artistic nature of Sporting Clays immediately captured his attention once he discovered the sport competitively years later.

Dawn and Jared discuss the similarities between Sporting Clays, art, masonry, and other forms of human performance. Jared shares his background studying fine art and sculpture before eventually returning to work in his family masonry business. Throughout the conversation, they explore how creativity, craftsmanship, and instinctive execution apply both to building structures and breaking targets.

A major focus of the episode centers around flow state and the zone. Jared explains how he experiences the zone regularly not only while shooting, but also during masonry work and other focused activities that require complete presence and concentration. Dawn and Jared discuss how the zone is not exclusive to sports but is instead a human performance state that can appear in art, construction, theater, music, business, and everyday life.

The conversation also explores the balance between analytical thinking and instinctive performance. Jared explains how some shooters rely heavily on measurements, calculations, and conscious analysis, while others operate more from feel, rhythm, trust, and subconscious awareness. He describes how his artistic and creative background helped him develop a more intuitive relationship with movement, timing, and target connection.

Dawn and Jared also discuss the importance of practicing mental discipline outside of competition. Jared emphasizes that being present while driving, working, spending time with family, or handling stressful situations becomes part of training the mind for performance under pressure. He explains that shooters who only practice focus during tournaments often struggle because they have not developed those habits consistently throughout daily life.

The episode also covers gratitude, emotional control, and personal responsibility during competition. Jared shares why negativity, complaining, and fixation on external circumstances can quickly pull shooters out of the zone. Dawn and Jared discuss how gratitude, positivity, and appreciation for the sport, target setters, volunteers, and venues help competitors remain grounded and mentally present.

Jared also shares his experiences with competition shooting, instruction, target setting, and his time working with respected target setters including Joe Scull. The conversation highlights the creativity behind Sporting Clays target presentation and the challenge of balancing fun, fairness, difficulty, and artistic design.

This episode offers valuable insight for Sporting Clays shooters, instructors, competitors, artists, craftsmen, and anyone interested in flow state, instinctive performance, mindset, creativity, and the mental side of success.

Jared Wolfe Links

Website:
 https://jaredwolfe.com/

Instagram:
 https://www.instagram.com/jaredwolfeshooting/

Facebook:
 https://www.facebook.com/jaredwolfeshooting/

Phone & Email:
 Available through the website contact page:
 https://jaredwolfe.com/contact/

Location:
 Denver, Colorado

Dawn Grant Links  

https://dawngrant.com/ 

https://mindmastered.com/  

https://ameliashotgunsports.com/ 

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Fred Ferraro joins Dawn Grant on Clay Mastermind: Mental Excellence and Industry Insights for an in-depth conversation on Sporting Clays, coaching, competition mindset, pressure management, and developing champion shooters. Fred is a resident instructor at the Dallas Gun Club, an NSCA-certified instructor, competitive clay shooter, CrossFit coach, and lifelong student of performance and human behavior. 

In this episode, Fred shares his journey from growing up in Texas after moving from New York City as a child to eventually building a successful career in information technology and networking before transitioning into full-time coaching. Fred explains how his highly analytical personality shaped his early approach to shooting sports, including measuring lead distances, building spreadsheets, and trying to calculate every variable before eventually discovering the importance of target focus, instinctive shooting, and visual connection.

Dawn and Fred discuss the major turning points that transformed his shooting career, including working with respected instructors such as Brad Kidd Jr., Scott Robertson, Steve Liberto, Dan Carlisle, and longtime mentor Ronnie Williams. Fred explains how learning to truly “look at the bird” changed everything for both him and his son and became one of the foundational principles of his coaching philosophy.

A major focus of the episode centers around the mental game and how competitors handle pressure. Fred openly discusses his own struggles with emotional reactions during competition and how he worked to become more emotionally stable and mentally consistent under pressure. He shares observations from coaching youth athletes, explaining how some shooters need to become more energized while others perform best when calm, controlled, and emotionally neutral.

The conversation also explores Fred’s highly intentional coaching methods. Dawn and Fred discuss how pressure cannot fully be recreated in practice, but how coaches can deliberately expose students to distractions, interruptions, emotional triggers, and competitive situations to help them build stronger mental habits. Fred shares examples of intentionally distracting students, creating pressure scenarios, and teaching athletes how to reset mentally and return to their process after interruptions.

Dawn and Fred also discuss confidence, self-image, and helping athletes believe they are capable of becoming champion-level competitors. Fred explains how strong shooters often plateau until they develop the belief that they truly belong at a higher level of competition. He shares how building confidence, emotional resilience, and trust in a process becomes just as important as mechanics and repetition.

The episode also covers pre-shot routines, visualization, emotional control, preparation habits, hydration, tournament routines, and learning to control the variables that can be controlled before competition begins. Fred explains how he eliminates unnecessary stress by organizing equipment, food, timing, and routines so that all his focus can remain on execution.

Throughout the conversation, Dawn and Fred bridge the gap between mechanics, mindset, repetition, subconscious programming, and peak performance under pressure. This episode offers valuable insight for Sporting Clays shooters, instructors, youth athletes, coaches, and competitors who want to improve both their technical skills and mental game.

Fred Ferraro Links

Email:
 [email protected]

Dallas Gun Club Instructor Page:
 Dallas Gun Club

Dawn Grant Links  

https://dawngrant.com/ 

https://mindmastered.com/  

https://ameliashotgunsports.com/ 

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Brady Laramie joins Dawn Grant on Clay Mastermind: Mental Excellence and Industry Insights for a conversation on collegiate shooting, Sporting Clays, Helice, mental focus, athletic discipline, and the importance of building a complete performance system. Brady is a competitive clay target and Helice shooter, a member of the Texas A&M Trap and Skeet Team, and a young coach helping middle school and high school shooters develop in the sport. 

In this episode, Brady shares how he first became involved in shooting after moving to the Prosper and Frisco area near Dallas and discovering that his private Christian high school had a clay target team. Although he grew up hunting, clay target competition opened a new level of opportunity, challenge, and excitement. He began shooting skeet, trap, and Sporting Clays, quickly developing his skills during the COVID years when he had more time to practice.

Dawn and Brady discuss how his athletic background in baseball, track, running, and fitness helped shape his competitive mindset. Brady explains how running taught him to push past mental limits, quiet internal chatter, and stay focused through discomfort. He shares how those same skills transferred into clay shooting, where distractions, pressure, background noise, side-by-sides, and internal doubt can interfere with performance.

A major focus of the episode is the mental game across different clay target disciplines. Brady explains how skeet and trap become highly mental once the mechanics are established because the targets are predictable and success depends on focus, consistency, and emotional control. Sporting Clays, by contrast, requires planning, preparation, target reading, and then the ability to let go and execute instinctively.

Brady also shares his growing passion for Helice, explaining how the unpredictability of the target forces complete presence, reaction, and trust. He discusses why Helice appealed to him after reaching Master Class in Sporting Clays and how the discipline creates a different competitive opportunity where strong mental focus can narrow the gap between developing shooters and top-level competitors.

Dawn and Brady also explore the broader elements of peak performance, including hydration, nutrition, fitness, sleep, travel preparation, and controlling the variables that can be controlled before competition. Brady shares how hydration became especially important after dealing with kidney stones and how he now treats preparation as part of his competitive routine.

The episode also covers collegiate shooting at Texas A&M, including the team structure, tryout process, regional and national competitions, and the multiple disciplines athletes must compete in across the ACUI format. Brady explains how shooting for Texas A&M has helped him grow as both a competitor and a person.

This episode offers valuable insight for Sporting Clays shooters, Helice competitors, collegiate athletes, young shooters, coaches, and anyone interested in mental discipline, preparation, athletic development, and long-term improvement in clay target sports.

Brady Laramie Links

Email:
 [email protected]

Texas A&M Trap and Skeet Team:
 https://www.instagram.com/tamutrapandskeet/

Dawn Grant Links  

https://dawngrant.com/ 

https://mindmastered.com/  

https://ameliashotgunsports.com/ 

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Russ McElyea joins Dawn Grant on Clay Mastermind: Mental Excellence and Industry Insights for a deep conversation on Sporting Clays, mental discipline, flow state performance, instruction, competition mindset, and the evolution of one of Montana’s premier shooting facilities. Russ is a longtime competitive shooter, instructor, outdoorsman, former judge, and board member at Gallatin Sporting Clays near Bozeman, Montana. 

In this episode, Russ shares how his shooting journey originally began through bird hunting and a desire to become a better shot for his English Setter and hunting companions. After starting in skeet more than 35 years ago, Russ and a small group of dedicated shooters pooled their resources together to create what eventually became Gallatin Sporting Clays. What started with two traps on a small piece of land eventually evolved into a major facility featuring multiple Sporting Clays courses, FITASC layouts, five stands, and more than 150 traps, all operated through volunteer passion and community support.

Dawn and Russ discuss the unique culture surrounding the Montana shooting community, the importance of preserving quality facilities, and the dedication required to build and maintain a successful club. Russ explains how every dollar generated by the club is reinvested directly into improving the facility, creating a strong sense of ownership and pride among members and volunteers.

A major focus of the episode centers around the mental game and how Russ developed an awareness of flow state performance through years of participating in outdoor sports including mountain biking, dirt biking, skiing, hunting, rifle competition, handgun competition, and Sporting Clays. Russ explains how many high-speed sports demand a complete absence of conscious thought and how that same subconscious flow state becomes critical in shotgun sports as well.

Dawn and Russ explore the concept of the zone, the importance of letting go, trust, confidence, emotional control, and the challenge of quieting the conscious mind under pressure. Russ discusses how over-analysis, excessive control, and attachment to outcomes can interfere with performance, while belief, trust, positivity, and emotional discipline help shooters access peak performance states more consistently.

The conversation also explores the similarities between life and Sporting Clays. Russ shares how adversity, frustration, setbacks, and struggle often become the greatest teachers in both competition and personal growth. Dawn and Russ discuss why confidence with humility creates a stronger competitor than arrogance, why many elite shooters possess exceptional self-discipline, and how true growth often comes through learning to release self-imposed limitations.

Russ also shares stories from his professional background as an attorney, ski resort executive, and judge, explaining how those experiences shaped his perspective on discipline, objectivity, self-awareness, leadership, and personal accountability. He explains how those same traits later carried over into coaching, instruction, and competition shooting.

This episode offers valuable insight for Sporting Clays shooters, instructors, competitors, club owners, and anyone interested in mental performance, flow state, emotional discipline, and the connection between mindset, sport, and life itself.

Russ McElyea Links

Gallatin Sporting Clays Website:
 https://gallatinsportingclays.com/

Facebook:
 https://www.facebook.com/GallatinSportingClays/

Instagram:
 I could not find an official public Instagram account for Gallatin Sporting Clays or Russ McElyea.

Phone:
 406-209-2144

Location:
 Gallatin Sporting Clays
 Bozeman, Montana

Contact Page:
 https://gallatinsportingclays.com/contact-us/

Dawn Grant Links  

https://dawngrant.com/ 

https://mindmastered.com/  

https://ameliashotgunsports.com/ 

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Jon Parrish joins Dawn Grant on Clay Mastermind: Mental Excellence and Industry Insights for a conversation on Sporting Clays, instruction, mental focus, competition shooting, coaching, and the process of developing consistency in shotgun sports. Jon is an NSCA Level III Instructor, founder of Shady Cove Shooting School, competitive shooter, course setter, and homeschool shooting team coach based in the mountains of western North Carolina. 

In this episode, Jon shares how he grew up in rural Tennessee hunting and shooting from an early age before eventually discovering Sporting Clays in his mid-40s. Although his first 100-target outing resulted in a score of only 38, he immediately fell in love with the sport and knew it would become a lifelong passion. Dawn and Jon discuss the exhilaration of breaking difficult targets, the camaraderie found within the shooting community, and why Sporting Clays became an escape from the analytical demands of Jon’s professional career in the insurance industry.

A major focus of the episode is the mental game and the balance between conscious preparation and instinctive execution. Jon explains how shooters must carefully plan their break points, hold points, visual pickup points, and stance before calling for the target, but once the target appears, they must stop analyzing and trust instinct, vision, and subconscious movement. Dawn and Jon discuss the zone, intuitive shooting, overthinking, confidence, and how excessive analysis can interfere with performance.

Jon also shares one of the most difficult periods of his competitive shooting journey when his eye dominance shifted from right-eye dominant to left-eye dominant later in life. He explains the confusion and frustration that came with missing targets that visually appeared correct and how eventually learning to manage the issue through proper visual techniques helped him return to competition and continue progressing toward Master Class status.

The conversation also explores coaching and instruction. Jon explains why he moved from primarily competing to focusing more heavily on teaching and mentoring shooters. He discusses his philosophy that success in Sporting Clays comes from mastering a small number of core fundamentals and then learning to execute them subconsciously under pressure.

Dawn and Jon also discuss the importance of belief, confidence, persistence, and patience in skill development. Jon shares why many shooters become discouraged too quickly and how progress in Sporting Clays requires a long-term mindset rather than instant gratification. He emphasizes the importance of enjoying the journey, staying committed during plateaus, and continuing to trust the process even during difficult stretches.

The episode also highlights Jon’s work coaching the Haywood Homeschool Bobcats shotgun team, including their surprising district championship victory against much larger schools. Jon shares how meaningful it has been to mentor young shooters and help them grow both competitively and personally.

This episode offers valuable insight for Sporting Clays shooters, instructors, coaches, competitors, and anyone interested in the connection between mindset, instinctive shooting, confidence, perseverance, and long-term development in shotgun sports.

Jon Parrish Links: 

Website:
 https://shadycovess.com/

NSCA Instructor Profile:
 https://nsca.nssa-nsca.org/instructor/jon-parrish/

Iron Mountain Sporting Clays:
 https://ironmountainclays.com/

Fowler Farms Sporting Clays:
 https://fowlerfarmsportingclays.com/

Dawn Grant Links  

https://dawngrant.com/ 

https://mindmastered.com/  

https://ameliashotgunsports.com/ 

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Cindi Hubbard joins Dawn Grant on Clay Mastermind: Mental Excellence and Industry Insights for an honest and inspiring conversation on Sporting Clays, women in shooting sports, confidence, instruction, competition pressure, and the mental side of performance. Cindi is an NSCA Level III Instructor, founder of She Shoots Clays, and an instructor certification coach who has spent years helping women and new shooters gain confidence in the sport while developing practical shooting skills and mental resilience. 

In this episode, Cindi shares her unusual path into shooting sports. Raised in Southern California in a home where guns were viewed with fear and avoided entirely, she did not pull the trigger on a shotgun until age 40. Initially terrified, she quickly discovered a passion for shooting after breaking her first targets in skeet. What began as a way to manage stress during a difficult season of life soon developed into a deep involvement in Sporting Clays, hunting, long-range rifle shooting, pistol shooting, and instruction.

Dawn and Cindi discuss how fear, upbringing, and mental programming can shape a shooter’s confidence and comfort around firearms. Cindi explains how years of negative messaging about guns created anxiety and fear before she ever stepped onto a range, and how overcoming those internal beliefs became part of her journey into the sport.

A major focus of the episode is the mental game, especially as it relates to women shooters. Cindi openly shares her experiences with performance anxiety, fear of judgment, overthinking, confidence struggles, and emotional pressure during competition. She describes how difficult it was early in her shooting career to manage the constant mental chatter during tournaments and how she often felt intensely aware of being one of the few women competing at events.

Dawn and Cindi also explore the connection between instinctive shooting, conscious thought, and the zone. They compare shooting to dance, piano, and other repetitive skills that transition from conscious effort into subconscious execution through repetition and trust. Cindi explains how she uses surprise targets, report pairs, and instinctive shooting exercises to help students stop overthinking and begin trusting their natural movement and visual focus.

The conversation also covers the challenges women face balancing family responsibilities, work, motherhood, and competition shooting. Cindi shares how these realities inspired her to create She Shoots Clays, a supportive environment where women could practice together, build confidence, and feel welcomed into the sport without intimidation or pressure.

Dawn and Cindi also discuss instruction, learning through struggle, coaching methods, and why many great teachers are developed through personal hardship and persistence. Cindi explains how years of trial and error, including shooting with one eye closed for nearly a decade, ultimately helped shape her approach to coaching and instruction.

This episode offers valuable insight for Sporting Clays shooters, instructors, women competitors, and anyone interested in confidence, mindset, instinctive shooting, emotional control, and the mental side of improvement in shotgun sports.

Cindi Hubbard Links

Facebook:
 https://www.facebook.com/SheShootsClays/

Instagram:
 https://www.instagram.com/sheshootsclays/

Email:
 [email protected]

NSCA Instructor Page:
 https://nsca.nssa-nsca.org/instructor/cindi-hubbard/

Dawn Grant Links  

https://dawngrant.com/ 

https://mindmastered.com/  

https://ameliashotgunsports.com/ 

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Scott Barnett joins Dawn Grant on Clay Mastermind: Mental Excellence and Industry Insights for an international conversation on Sporting Clays, competition shooting, gun clubs, mental training, and the differences between the shooting culture in the United Kingdom and the United States. Scott is the owner of Mickley Hall Shooting School in Cheshire, England, where he and his family have built one of the country’s respected shooting facilities. Scott began shooting at nine years old, competed for England and Great Britain in multiple shotgun disciplines, and later transitioned into English Sporting competition and instruction. 

In this episode, Scott shares the story of how his family transformed their farm into a full shooting school and sporting business. What started as a small operation running limited events eventually expanded into a large shooting facility with dozens of traps, a clubhouse, gun room, instructors, retail sales, and commercial business rentals. Scott explains the unique planning laws in the UK, the challenges of obtaining permission to operate a shooting ground, and the increasing pressure from anti-gun attitudes and regulations.

Dawn and Scott also discuss the major differences between clay target competition in the UK and the US. Scott explains how many British shooters historically traveled around the country shooting multiple registered events in a single weekend, while American competitions are often centralized at one large venue over several days. They also discuss how target presentations, club culture, and competition structures differ internationally.

A major focus of the conversation is the mental side of competitive shooting. Scott shares how distractions from business responsibilities, customers, phones, social media, and score updates can negatively affect focus during major events. Dawn and Scott discuss the importance of being mentally present, setting boundaries, leaving phones behind, and protecting concentration during competition.

Scott also gives valuable insight into his own experience with mental coaching. He explains how he began working with sports psychology programs as a junior shooter on Great Britain teams and how mental training has helped him throughout different stages of his career. Dawn and Scott discuss confidence, breathing, accountability, pressure management, repetitive thinking, and why many elite competitors quietly work with mental coaches even if they do not publicly discuss it.

The episode also explores how shooters develop confidence over time, why lower-level shooters are often influenced too heavily by others around them, and how instructors can help new competitors gradually become comfortable in competition settings. Scott explains how building trust in your own technique and staying committed to your process is critical for long-term success.

Dawn and Scott also discuss the growing level of competition in Sporting Clays, the influence of high scores on competitors’ psychology, and how preparation, repetition, and mindset all contribute to elite performance. This episode offers valuable insight for Sporting Clays shooters, instructors, competitors, and gun club owners interested in mental discipline, international shooting culture, and the evolving mindset of today’s clay target athletes.

Scott Barnett Links

Website:
 https://www.mickleyhall.com/

Facebook:
 https://www.facebook.com/mickleyhallshootingschool/

Instagram:
 https://www.instagram.com/mickleyhallshootingschool/

YouTube:
 https://www.youtube.com/@mickleyhallshootingschool

Email:
 [email protected]

Phone:
 +44 1270 522422

Location:
 Mickley Hall Shooting School
 Cheshire, England

Dawn Grant Links  

https://dawngrant.com/ 

https://mindmastered.com/  

https://ameliashotgunsports.com/ 

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Marty Fischer joins Dawn Grant on Clay Mastermind: Mental Excellence and Industry Insights for a conversation on Sporting Clays, wing shooting, course design, target setting, instruction, mental focus, and the growth of the clay target industry. Marty is one of the most experienced voices in shotgun sports, with decades of work as a Sporting Clays course designer, shooting instructor, television host, outdoor writer, and consultant. He is the founder of SportShooting Consultants, Ltd., has designed clay target facilities across the country, and has contributed to many well-known clubs and shooting destinations, including Cherokee Rose, Quail Creek Ranch, Covey Rise, Greater Houston Gun Club, and Clark County Shooting Park.

In this episode, Marty shares how his career began in the shooting industry after a background in resort real estate and marketing. His work at Cherokee Rose helped shape his understanding that Sporting Clays facilities are not just shooting ranges, but entertainment businesses built around customer experience, hospitality, clean grounds, reliable targets, and well-designed events. He explains how that early success led to decades of consulting, facility design, marketing plans, and course development for public, private, corporate, and resort-based shooting properties.

Dawn and Marty discuss the business side of Sporting Clays, including why events are so important for gun clubs, how charity shoots can replace or enhance traditional golf fundraisers, and why clay target events create strong camaraderie among participants. Marty explains how successful clubs must understand their everyday customers while also building event opportunities that support long-term revenue and growth.

The conversation also explores target setting and course design from a practical and mental perspective. Marty shares insight on wind, sun position, terrain, target height, and how target setters must balance fairness, challenge, and fun. He explains why target setters need to understand how weather affects presentations and why course layout matters, especially during large events where shooters may face different conditions throughout the day.

A major focus of the episode is mental training and consistency. Marty talks about coaching the Georgia Southern Clay Target Team, teaching collegiate courses in wing shooting and clay target theory, and helping shooters understand that performance depends on vision, mindset, process, and preparation. Dawn and Marty discuss the importance of respecting every target, including the easy ones, and why top shooters separate themselves by following a consistent pre-shot routine every time.

Marty also shares practical advice about trigger words, visual focus, front-edge awareness, and being fully ready before calling “pull.” This episode offers valuable insight for Sporting Clays shooters, instructors, coaches, club owners, target setters, and anyone interested in the connection between mental discipline, facility design, customer experience, and long-term success in shotgun sports.

Website:
 https://martyfischer.com/

Facebook:
 https://www.facebook.com/marty.fischer.5/

Marty Fischer Outdoors Facebook:
 https://www.facebook.com/MartyFischerOutdoors/

Wing & Clay Nation Facebook:
 https://www.facebook.com/wingandclayradio/

YouTube Search / Channel Content:
 https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Marty+Fischer+Wing+and+Clay+Nation

LinkedIn:
 https://www.linkedin.com/in/marty-fischer-5201524a

Phone:
 912-657-7532

Email:
 [email protected]

Dawn Grant Links  

https://dawngrant.com/ 

https://mindmastered.com/  

https://ameliashotgunsports.com/ 

Free webinar here: https://f.mtr.cool/wehmqlchqh

Support the show

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Dean Blanchard joins Dawn Grant on Clay Mastermind: Mental Excellence and Industry Insights for a focused conversation on Sporting Clays instruction, target reading, visual connection, confidence, and the mental side of improvement. Dean is a Sporting Clays instructor, target setter, YouTube educator, and Master Class shooter whose path into the sport began with struggle rather than natural talent. After starting as one of the weakest shooters at a charity shoot, Dean worked his way through the game, eventually reaching Master Class and winning smaller events along the way. His experience gives him a practical understanding of what shooters struggle with because he has personally worked through many of the same problems.

In this episode, Dean shares how his outdoor background shaped his interest in shooting, hunting, fishing, and time in nature. Growing up in Virginia, he began with rifle shooting, spent time in 4-H, served in the Army Reserves, and developed a strong foundation in marksmanship before realizing that shotgun shooting required a very different skill set. He explains how looking at the gun, aiming, and using rifle habits made the transition to shotgun sports difficult, and how learning to trust the eyes, see the target, and move the gun efficiently became central to his progress.

Dawn and Dean discuss how instruction should go beyond simply telling a shooter they were in front of or behind a target. Dean explains his teaching approach through three primary questions: did you see the target well, did you move the gun well, and did you break the target. He also shares how he uses simple drills, stationary objects, and target presentations to help shooters understand why they must look at the target instead of the barrel and how they can still be aware of the gun through peripheral vision.

A major focus of the episode is the mental game in Sporting Clays. Dean and Dawn explore confidence, belief, self-talk, fear of longer targets, and the importance of helping shooters believe, “I can do this.” Dean shares how he uses small progressions, such as stepping back gradually on crossing targets, to help students build belief and extend their comfort zone without overwhelming them. Dawn expands on how repeated thoughts form beliefs and why shifting a shooter’s inner dialogue can directly affect performance.

The conversation also covers the differences between trap and Sporting Clays, including why trap shooters often recognize the mental game more quickly because they shoot repeated targets and must stay focused through long runs. Dean shares his own experience running 100 straight in trap while battling intense nerves, and Dawn explains how repetitive sports demand disciplined conscious focus.

This episode offers valuable insight for Sporting Clays shooters, instructors, and competitors who want to improve their target reading, visual focus, confidence, post-shot routine, and ability to self-coach. Dean’s practical teaching style and mental awareness make this a useful conversation for anyone working to become more consistent and efficient in the game.

Dean Blanchard Links

Facebook:
 https://www.facebook.com/dean.blanchard.963/

Instagram:
 https://www.instagram.com/deanblanchardshooting/

YouTube:
 https://www.youtube.com/@deanblanchardshooting

Dawn Grant Links  

https://dawngrant.com/ 

https://mindmastered.com/  

https://ameliashotgunsports.com/ 

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