California Clays

David Dalu - 2025 U.S. National FITASC Champion

Today’s guest is someone who perfectly embodies the idea that it’s never too late to chase excellence.Dr. David Dalu is a retired emergency room physician who recently shocked himself and the competitive shooting world by winning the 2025 National FITASC Championship. He’s a member of Anthony Matarese’s A.I.M. Shooting Team, and while he might not be a household name — his performance this season proved he belongs among the very best.In this conversation, we talk about David’s journey from the ER to the clay shooting field. We explore how he trained under one of the game’s greatest minds, how he’s learned to manage pressure, and what it takes to rise to the top later in life.

Desi Edmunds - 2025 Sporting Clays Hall of Famer

Today I’m sitting down once again with one of the sport’s all-time greats, Desirae “Desi” Edmunds.If you follow sporting clays, you already know Desi’s résumé: multiple-time national and world champion, PSCA Tour Ladies Champion, Team USA shooter, and one of the most consistent and respected competitors to ever step on the clay course. This year marks an especially meaningful milestone as Desi was inducted into the Sporting Clays Hall of Fame.In this conversation, we talk about what that honor means to her, the moments and people who helped shape her journey, and how she’s continuing to grow as both a competitor and mentor in the sport. We’ll also get into her travel schedule, and a few stories from the road that remind us why we all love this game.

Greyson Ponder - 2025 All American & FLC All-Around Champion

On this episode, I’m joined by someone who represents the next generation of elite competitive shooters, his name is Greyson Ponder.Greyson’s journey began with hunting and fishing with his dad, long before he ever stepped onto a competition course. What started as a family passion turned into a lifelong pursuit behind the gun. He’s a Master Class competitor, instructor, and proud member of Team Kolar, with podium finishes at major state, regional, and national events across sporting clays, FITASC, and Helice.In this conversation, we talk about his training process, his recent shoots, what it’s like balancing work and competition, and how faith and mindset shape his approach to life and sport.

Macie Page - 2-Time Ladies World Helice Champion & 4-Time Ladies U.S. National Helice Champion

I sat down with one of the most dominant young athletes in the world of Helice shooting, Macie Page. She’s a 4-time Ladies U.S. National Helice Champion and now a two-time Ladies World Helice Champion, fresh off her win in Italy at the 2025 Worlds.What makes Macie’s rise even more impressive is not just her dominance in the Ladies division, but how competitive she is against the men. Not to mention she's only been shooting Helice for 6 years. She's young, driven, and razor-sharp in a sport that demands total focus and reaction-speed precision. Helice, also known as ZZs, is a discipline that’s very different from sporting clays, but just as intense. In this episode, we get into how she got started, how she uses her eyes and calms her mind for the chaos that is ZZ birds, and what it takes to stay consistent at the highest levels.

Dillon Epp - 2025 North Carolina State Champion & 2025 All-American 2nd Team

Today’s guest is Dillon Epp, a guy who’s been flying under the radar…until he started beating some of the pros. He’s not a household name (yet), and that’s exactly why I wanted to talk to him.He’s what I’d call an "Average Joe Pro", someone who built his skillset through time, reps, and a mindset that refuses to settle. In this episode, we talk about how he got started, the real work behind his climb, his training philosophy, how he handles pressure, what gear he uses, and how he balances his family, faith and work along with his competitive journey.Whether you're chasing M or AA class, or just looking to break your next personal best this one’s for the average joe who’s not here to stay average.

Theo Ribbs - 2025 Team USA - FITASC & 2024 North American FITASC Champion

Today’s guest is someone who brings a whole new level of perspective and purpose to the sport: Theo Ribbs III.Theo is the 2023 Browning Briley Champion, the 2024 North American FITASC Champion and a member of the 2025 Team USA for FITASC. In this episode, Theo shares some very personal experiences, including moments that touch on race and his path as the only Black professional in the sporting clays world. Some of what he shares may include direct references to situations.These are his experiences, in his own words. As always, the goal with this podcast is to create space for honest stories, thoughtful conversations, and growth within the sport we all care about. Thanks in advance for listening with an open mind.

Ed Solomons & Gary Fitzjarrell (UK and US)

On this episode I sat down with Gary Fitzjarrell and Ed Solomons. Gary, is an American shooter, target setter and operator of FLC Shooting Grounds in Whitehall, IL. Ed, is a well respected international shooting coach and world champion from the UK, they both bring a ton of experience and perspective to the table.We had a great conversation about the different shooting cultures in the UK and the US — we tackle some myths and common misconceptions as people get into the sports, and we even touched on cheating and how they think it should be handled.Gary and Ed were honest, insightful, and at times a little spicy — I'm sure you will enjoy the episode.

Dr. Ed Lyons - Sports Vision Consultant

Today’s guest is someone whose work is changing the way top shooters see the game—literally. Dr. Ed Lyons is a renowned sports vision consultant who works with elite athletes across a range of disciplines, including some of the best clay shooters in the world. With a background in optometry and a deep understanding of eye performance under pressure, Ed helps shooters unlock visual skills most of us didn’t even know could be trained.We’ll dive into what makes elite shooters visually different from the rest, explore some of the most common myths around eye dominance and target focus, and hear how vision training can be a game-changer in your shooting career.Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a serious competitor, get ready to learn how your eyes might be the most underdeveloped part of your game. This is going to be a fun and fascinating conversation—let’s get into it with Dr. Ed Lyons.Links for Dr. Ed Lyons:https://www.ed-lyons.com/https://www.edwardseyewear.com/

Dominic Grossi - 2025 U.S. FITASC Grand Prix & North American FITASC Champion

Dominic Grossi is a professional sporting clays and FITASC shooter and instructor based out of Houston, Texas. As a member of the U.S. Sporting Clays and FITASC Teams, for nine consecutive years, Dominic has won over a dozen medals in international competition, including the men's team gold medal in the 2023 World FITASC Championship in Budapest. In 2025, Dominic has already claimed the U.S. FITASC Grand Prix and North American FITASC Championship titles to lead the World Cup race going into the World FITASC Championship. Dominic attributes his success to his discipline and technique, and strives to implement the same qualities as a coach.

Anthony Matarese Jr. --- World Champion & Coach of Coaches

Anthony Matarese, Jr. is a 26-time NSCA All-American and 18-time Team USA Member that holds the honor of being the first American to win the World Sporting Clays Championship.Inducted into the NSCA Hall of Fame in 2014, Anthony is one of the most renowned shooters in the sporting clays world with a bevy of regional, national, and world titles under his belt. In 2020, Anthony became the first person to win all 4 major titles during his shooting career: The US Open, National Championship, World Sporting Clays Championship, and the World FITASC Championship. Alongside his father and brother, Anthony owns and operates M&M Hunting and Sporting Clays, one of the only full-service clay shooting and hunting operations in the United States.Aside from being one of the top clay shooters in the world, he is widely regarded and respected in the clay shooting sports. When the pros or other top competitors want to work on their mental or technical game, they go to Anthony. When target setters want to learn how to be better at target setting, they go to Anthony. Anthony has written one of the best clay shooting books currently out called "Straight Shooting". It's available on his website, www.clayshootinginstruction.com There you will also find a plethora of clay shooting tutorials and training videos from some of the best shooters to ever point a shotgun.Links for Anthony:clayshootinginstruction.comclaytargetinstruction.com@a.i.m.shooting