California Clays

About California Clays

Welcome to California Clays, your home for all things competitive shotgun sports. As an amateur competitor and passionate student of the game, Henning Mathew dives into the world of clay shooting through interviews with some of the best to ever point a shotgun. He interviews World, National, and State Champions, their coaches, and key figures across the industry. They explore the techniques, stories, and insights that fuel the sports we all love, from Sporting Clays to FITASC, Helice, Trap, Skeet, and the International disciplines. If you enjoy learning and celebrating the world of competitive shooting, make sure to Subscribe for new videos and conversations from California and beyond.

Publisher

Henning Mathew

Category

sports

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

11 Mar 2025

Latest episode

26 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

39 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   26 Sept 2026

   Todd Hitch - Back 2 Back US Open Champion

   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

2. 

   22 Sept 2026

   Winchester Life TV Season 5 - EP 7 - More Than a Medal

   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.

3. 

   23 Aug 2026

   James Jean - World Record Trickshooter

   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

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

102,190

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

7 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 38 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

43

Social presence

0

YouTube

82

Engagement

0

Contact California Clays

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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