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The Clay Lab Network Podcast

The Clay Lab Network Podcast

By: Will Fennell Dawn Grant Cody Matson & Cade Faetche
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The Clay Lab brings you a collaborative podcast platform with many hosts about clay target sports including trap, skeet, sporting clays, and FITASC. Hosts like Will Fennell as a multi-time World and National Champion in FITASC. Also, Dawn Grant a renowned Mental Trainer for shooters and PGA Tour Professionals and other great hosts from around the sport. We explore techniques, methods, and mindsets in this sport. We bring you some of the best in the industry, from champion shooters, target setters, and industry leaders. Also join us on YouTube at "The Clay Lab" where we produce 4k quality videos about shotgun sports. The Clay Lab proud to be Fueled by FIOCCHI.

The Clay Lab Network -Will Fennell, Dawn Grant, Cody Matson & Cade Faetche

© 2026 The Clay Lab Network Podcast Art Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • Dean Blanchard on Confidence, Target Reading & Sporting Clays Success – Clay Mastermind with Dawn Grant: Mental Excellence and Industry Insight

    Dean Blanchard on Confidence, Target Reading & Sporting Clays Success – Clay Mastermind with Dawn Grant: Mental Excellence and Industry Insight
    Jun 15 2026
    Send us Fan MailDean 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 LinksFacebook: 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/ Free webinar here: https://f.mtr.cool/wehmqlchqhSupport the show10% OFF ShotKam Coupon Code “TheClayLab”: https://bit.ly/TheClayLab-ShotKamVisit Us at www.claylabusa.com for videos, podcasts, and articles about Sporting Clays. Join as a Channel Member for early access to Videos & Podcasts and to support The Clay LabFind us on Social MediaYouTubeInstagramFacebook
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Will Van Dusen on Confidence, Focus & Competitive Sporting Clays – Clay Mastermind with Dawn Grant: Mental Excellence and Industry Insight

    Will Van Dusen on Confidence, Focus & Competitive Sporting Clays – Clay Mastermind with Dawn Grant: Mental Excellence and Industry Insight
    Jun 8 2026
    Send us Fan Mail Will Van Dusen joins Dawn Grant on Clay Mastermind: Mental Excellence and Industry Insights for a conversation on Sporting Clays, college shooting, instruction, confidence, focus, and the mental side of performance. Will began shooting through the Texas 4-H shotgun program and became active in registered Sporting Clays as a young teenager. He went on to earn spots on Sub-Junior and Junior All-American teams and later competed for the Texas A&M Trap and Skeet team, where he served as team president and helped push the program toward Division I national success.In this episode, Will shares how shooting became a family-centered sport for him, beginning with his brother, parents, and the Texas 4-H program. He discusses growing up around competitive shooting, developing through youth programs, and eventually choosing Texas A&M partly because of its strong shooting team. Will explains the intensity of college shotgun competition, where athletes must perform across trap, doubles trap, skeet, super sporting, and Sporting Clays. He also reflects on the rivalry between Texas A&M, Lindenwood, Schreiner, and the University of Texas, as well as the pride of helping build strong collegiate programs.A major focus of the conversation is the connection between trap, skeet, Sporting Clays, and mental training. Will explains why Sporting Clays is his favorite discipline and why trap and skeet do not always transfer easily into Sporting Clays because of the repetition and more predictable target presentations. Dawn and Will discuss how repetitive targets can cause the conscious mind to wander, while Sporting Clays and FITASC require different levels of target awareness, focus, and adaptability.The episode also explores why trap shooters often have a strong awareness of the mental game. Dawn shares her experience speaking to a room of trap shooters who fully understood the importance of mental training, and Will explains why shooting long runs in trap requires strong focus, emotional control, and the ability to stay mentally committed through repetitive shots.Will also discusses his work as an instructor and assistant coach for the University of Texas Trap and Skeet team. He shares what he enjoys about helping new shooters build confidence, overcome hesitation, learn how to mount the gun, use their eyes, and trust the target. He also talks about coaching more advanced shooters through hold points, target connection, visual detail, and learning to stop being overly careful.Dawn and Will go deeper into pre-shot and post-shot routines, fear of missing, anxiety, overthinking, staying present, and why one miss can easily turn into several without the right mental reset. Will also shares his involvement with the University of Texas team and the Aggie Clay Target Foundation, which supports Texas A&M Trap and Skeet through fundraising, resources, and future scholarship opportunities.This episode offers valuable insight for Sporting Clays shooters, college athletes, coaches, instructors, and anyone interested in confidence, mental discipline, youth shooting, and the development of competitive clay target athletes. Bottom of FormWill Van Dusen LinksInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/willvandusen/University of Texas Trap & Skeet Team: https://www.instagram.com/uttrapandskeet/Aggie Clay Target Foundation: https://www.instagram.com/aggieclaytargetfoundation/Capital City Clays Instructor Page: https://capitalcityclays.com/Phone: (903) 203-2468 Dawn Grant Links https://dawngrant.com/ https://mindmastered.com/ https://ameliashotgunsports.com/ Free webinar here: https://dawngrant.com/pages/clay-shooters-mind-game-mastery Support the show10% OFF ShotKam Coupon Code “TheClayLab”: https://bit.ly/TheClayLab-ShotKamVisit Us at www.claylabusa.com for videos, podcasts, and articles about Sporting Clays. Join as a Channel Member for early access to Videos & Podcasts and to support The Clay LabFind us on Social MediaYouTubeInstagramFacebook
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    59 mins
  • Tom Fiumarello on Confidence, Coaching & Sporting Clays Performance– Clay Mastermind with Dawn Grant: Mental Excellence and Industry Insight

    Tom Fiumarello on Confidence, Coaching & Sporting Clays Performance– Clay Mastermind with Dawn Grant: Mental Excellence and Industry Insight
    Jun 4 2026

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    Tom Fiumarello joins Dawn Grant on Clay Mastermind: Mental Excellence and Industry Insights for a detailed conversation on Sporting Clays instruction, teaching, coaching, mental performance, and the difference between being a great shooter and being a great instructor. Tom is the founder of Excel Shooting Sports and brings a lifetime of teaching and coaching experience to the shooting industry. Before becoming a Sporting Clays instructor, he spent 35 years as a physical education teacher, coached high school and collegiate athletics at a high level, played professional baseball, and earned a master’s degree in human performance and sports psychology.

    In this episode, Tom shares how his journey into Sporting Clays began after a difficult period in his personal life, when a friend invited him to shoot and he broke only 11 out of 100 targets. Instead of walking away, that experience lit a fire in him. He pursued certifications, studied the game, trained through the Guild of Sporting Clay Instructors in the United Kingdom, and began transferring decades of teaching knowledge into the clay target world.

    A major focus of the conversation is the difference between shooting ability and teaching ability. Tom and Dawn discuss why not every top shooter is automatically a strong instructor, and why a true teacher must be able to assess each student’s experience, age, confidence, physical ability, learning style, and mental state. They compare Sporting Clays instruction to coaching in other sports, emphasizing that elite performers often rely on specialized coaches, trainers, and mental experts rather than assuming performance alone creates teaching skill.

    Dawn and Tom also explore the mental game in Sporting Clays, including confidence, failure, frustration, scorecard interpretation, pressure, focus, and the importance of recognizing progress. Tom explains how he helps students view missed targets as information rather than defeat, and Dawn expands on the value of a neutral post-shot or post-station routine that allows shooters to acknowledge what went well while identifying what still needs improvement.

    The episode also addresses the role of target setters, competition pressure, and the tendency many shooters have to focus on what went wrong rather than celebrating meaningful progress. Tom shares how he reviews scorecards with students to highlight bright spots, helping them build confidence instead of mentally defeating themselves after a round.

    Dawn and Tom also discuss the connection between clothing, identity, confidence, and performance; how outside distractions affect focus; and why the conscious mind must be trained to stay present during competition. This episode offers valuable insight for Sporting Clays shooters, instructors, coaches, and competitors who want to better understand how teaching, mechanics, confidence, mindset, and mental discipline all work together to improve performance.Top of Form

    Bottom of Form

    Tom Fiumarello Links

    Website:
    https://excelshooting.com/

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

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

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

    Phone:
    (315) 447-2557

    Email:
    tom@excelshooting.com

    Dawn Grant Links

    https://dawngrant.com/

    https://mindmastered.com/

    https://ameliashotgunsports.com/

    Free webinar here: https://dawngrant.com/pages/clay-shooters-mind-game-mastery

    Support the show


    10% OFF ShotKam Coupon Code “TheClayLab”: https://bit.ly/TheClayLab-ShotKam

    Visit Us at www.claylabusa.com for videos, podcasts, and articles about Sporting Clays.

    Join as a Channel Member for early access to Videos & Podcasts and to support The Clay Lab

    Find us on Social Media
    YouTube
    Instagram
    Facebook
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    1 hr and 17 mins
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