Our "In The Hoop" articles are interviews with major FITASC personalities.  This time we bring you David Brian Radulovich or DBR as I like to call him.  Though he has had major accomplishments in FITASC, make no mistake, this kid is an all around sporting shot.  In 2009 he made headlines as the youngest ever competitor to win the NSCA U.S. Open at Elk Creek Hunt Club in Owenton, Kentucky.

International Sporting Clays:  For those that don’t know you, tell us about yourself and some of your accomplishments as a shooter.

David Brian Radulovich:  My name is David Radulovich; I am 18 years old and currently attending John Carroll University in Ohio majoring in Economics, Finance, and Management with a minor in Entrepreneurship. When I’m not shooting or studying I love to play golf. I have been golfing for about 6 years now and I use it as a way to test out some of my new mental game strategies (which gives me a good excuse to get my parents to pay for a good round of golf at a challenging golf course, which is generally the more expensive ones). Other than that I am about the biggest Pittsburgh Steelers and Penguins fan around. Shooting and school take up most of my time though so I’m not able to do much else. I really enjoy a business environment, as you can obviously tell by my majors and minors. When I am stuck inside at college with nothing to do I will generally take out my acoustic guitar and start playing and trying to learn new things. My shooting coach is Wendell Cherry and for those of you who don’t know, he was once a great guitarist in Nashville. So my next goal is to become as good as him at playing guitar, and from watching him play – it is never going to happen.

As far as my shooting accomplishments go, I have won every major shoot multiple times in my concurrent. I am the youngest person to ever win a major FITASC title at age 11 at the Gamaliel Cup and also the youngest to shoot a perfect 100 score at a registered tournament at age 14. I was also the youngest person to be named onto Team USA at age 14. In 2009, I won the US Open in Kentucky and have been back to back Ohio State Champion, not just In-State, for the past 4 years. As far as FITASC goes, I have won the Grand Prix, RU at the North American, and HOA for the North American Cup for this year.

ISC:  How is your year panning out so far?

DBR:  So far this has been the absolute best shooting year of my life. I somewhat stumbled onto a breakthrough in my mental game and physical technique at the beginning of the year that has really improved my game. I have won a bunch of HOA’s and RU’s this year at various tournaments and am currently leading both the Team USA FITASC and Sporting Open teams. Although due to an unfortunate death in the family, I wasn’t able to attend the most recent qualification shoots for both teams so that position may slip, until Nationals at the end of this month when I make those points back.

ISC:  Tell us about your win at the North American FITASC Grand Prix?

DBR:  The Grand Prix went beautifully. I was so happy I had won it, although I will admit that while I was shooting I had absolutely no idea that my score was going to be tied for HOA. In fact, all three of us (Wendell Cherry, Anthony Matarese, and I) thought that somebody was going to beat us. I felt like I was shooting absolutely horrible throughout the event, and when you think about it a 179/200 is pretty poor. But actually all of the FITASC shoots have been around that score. The North-American was at 181/200 and the latest National FITASC Championship was 183/200. So I guess it was about right.

Anyway, it never really hit me how important of a shoot the Grand Prix was until I was actually in the shoot-off with Wendell and Anthony. This was really my first year that I started shooting the FITASC World Cup events, so I didn’t really know much about the whole thing. But during the shoot-off I just ran my normal routine and eventually got out of there with a 23/25 for the parcour, and that got me the win. It may seem weird but a lot of the pressure was off during that shoot-off just because I felt so comfortable with both Wendell and Anthony. We are all really good friends, which made it all the better being able to shoot off against the people I respect most in the sport.

ISC:  How was the North American Championship at Caribou and how were the targets?

DBR:  The targets at Caribou were so much fun! That was the first time I had ever been there, it’s crazy because as I was pulling up into the club I kept thinking, “This is it? This is where they are having the 2012 US Open? There isn’t even a hill within 5 miles! This is horrible terrain!” Man was I wrong! I don’t know how, but they really are a hidden gem! The terrain on that course is literally as hilly and extreme as Elk Creek in Kentucky. It was awesome! Not to mention the beautiful club house and awesome people. The targets were honestly world class. They hugged the terrain perfectly and made for some excellent challenging birds. They had this parcour there that was literally set up so that five feet in front of you was a drop-off cliff about forty feet high. It was the best parcour I’ve ever shot.

ISC:  How was your experience at the World FITASC?

DBR:  I would definitely have to say that it was not at all as I expected. I heard stories about how horrible the people are in France and how the French referees cheat Americans out of targets and all this other horrible stuff that really made me not want to go. When we got to France, the people everywhere were so pleasant, the food was AWESOME and the referees could not have been better, at least that was my experience. I did hear some stuff about a certain incident involving a tree that I really was appalled with. I had a wonderful squad of guys from all over the place; England, Ukraine, France, and Belgium. By the end of the tournament, we were all really good friends. One of the coolest things about the whole shoot was how important it is to them. That was my very first World FITASC Championship, and compared to the World Sporting Championship it literally blows it out of the water. I felt like I was in a miniature Olympic Games. It was such an honor to represent my country in a sport that is actually shot all around the world, unlike Sporting Clays. Just that shoot alone really switched my interest from Sporting Clays to FITASC. I would recommend that everybody sign up for the 2012 World Championship at Northbrook. And even if you can’t shoot it, just come to watch. It will be worth it.

As far as my performance goes, I was actually really disappointed in the FITASC organization. I shot really well at the World Championship. Well enough to win my concurrent and place in the top five overall, beating both Digweed and Faulds. It was great to be able to finally whoop those guys. The thing that really bothered me though is the whole situation with the World Cup. Many people don’t actually know, but the World Cup is about the most prestigious thing you can win in FITASC. It is a combination of points from one Grand Prix Championship, one Continental Championship, and the World Championship. Being from the United States, it is extremely hard to win a World Cup medal because we can really only go to one Grand Prix and Continental. All the European shooters have a huge advantage from that because they have Grand Prix and Continental shoots what seems like every month. I shot well enough to win the North American Cup, which is a combination of the Grand Prix and North American Championship. However, after the World Championship, I should have won RU in the World Cup but unfortunately if you are a Junior you are not eligible to win it. I really do hope that they change that rule! I did however win the World Cup for the Junior concurrent.

ISC:  Seems like senior Team USA (and to some extent the juniors) had some difficulty at the World FITASC, what’s your take on that?

DBR:  I can’t really speak for anybody’s performance other than mine. I did speak with all of the members of the Senior team and can say with confidence that they all put their best effort into the match, unfortunately you just can’t shoot your best all the time. Everybody has bad days, it is what each person decides to do with those bad days that makes them a champion or just an average Joe. I really do respect each and every shooter that was on our team, I just can’t wait until we sweep the whole thing next year. The one thing that you have to realize though is that the World Championship really was just a pure American race. If you look at the top of the list, other than the first two guys who are French, there was a huge cluster of American shooters. And I will put money on the fact that you will not see those top two guys on the top of the list in 2012. America is going to become a powerhouse.

ISC:  You set targets at an event in Ohio this year.  How did that work out for you?

DBR:  Yes, I ran a shoot at South Cuyahoga Sportsman’s Association called the Iron Clay 150. It was great, and is going to be even better in 2012! The shoot ran perfectly! I started setting targets for it about two weeks before the actual thing; I wasn’t able to do anything during the day though because of school. I could not have done it without the help of my friends Tommy Hugney, Kevin Coombes, and Ed Coyne who all came after I was done with school to help me move stuff around and give valuable input for targets. I would also like to thank Chuck Frazier, my all-time favorite target setter, for taking a day out of his work schedule after the East Coast and Grand Prix to give me some advice and show me some tricks out on his course. My plan was to set a course the way Chuck does, I’ve always enjoyed shooting targets that are close but somehow make you miss. I really feel like I accomplished that. I have fallen in love with setting targets and all of the work involved with it. I had an absolute blast setting it all up.

I felt so blessed to have such a great opportunity to be able to design my own course and bring some of my favorite international style targets to my home club to give the guys that don’t get to travel as much as I do a chance to shoot targets that they throw in tournaments internationally. I guess you could say that I have adapted a very technical style of setting targets. I have never and will never throw a target that causes a miss because of fast speed or long distance. I also have never and will never throw a straight line target. Every single target that I threw had a curl to it. I’ve always thought that it takes absolutely no skill to set a course where you pull the traps out and crank the springs up to get people to miss. The art in target setting is being able to beat the shooter at his or her own game.

I got so many wonderful comments about targets for the shoot. I will admit though, until you throw your own tournament, you will never realize how much heart and soul goes into doing it. I have a whole extra level of respect for gun club owners now. And as far as the 2012 Iron Clay goes, it is going to be a can’t miss. Two day event, the main event will be a one day 150 target course, prelim on Saturday with a FITASC event as well. I am going to try to emulate some World Championship FITASC targets. The payout is going to be pretty nice too, you can never argue with that! I would love to see some more out of state shooters!

ISC:  Have you been practicing for the Nationals?  Do you have a regimen before a major competition like that?

DBR:  Because of school and everything else I haven’t really gotten a lot of good practice in yet. I have been pretty busy coaching and when I do that, I think it is important not to take my gun because I want to be fully focused on my client. I have however scheduled some alone time for the two weekends before the National Championship, giving me six days of solid practice before hand. That should be more than enough if I can do what I plan on doing. As far as a regiment goes, I have a whole pre-event routine that I do mentally to get prepared for tournaments, but being a student, it is always hard to get to physically practice very much.

ISC:  How do you handle school and your practice and competition time?

DBR:  Basically my whole shooting career I have been a high school student. I have never gotten to practice during the week days out on the range during the school year. My practice would be from tournament to tournament during the school year, during the summer is a different story though. Generally during the whole summer I am home a handful of days at most, which is why I have always shot my best during the summer. Other than that I always have to schedule all my tournaments around school. I very rarely get to shoot preliminary events, it’s usually just show up, shoot the main event, and leave before the awards ceremony. The hardest part for me is keeping up with All-American points; I gave up on those a long time ago. Being where I am from and also trying to juggle school and practice and golf, it’s literally impossible to make the first team.

ISC:  You’ve started coaching now.  What can people expect when they take a lesson from you?

DBR:  Yes, I have actually been coaching for about five years now; I have only been coaching adults for the past three years though. It is only just recently that I have decided to start taking it to a much bigger level. I have found that I am really starting to develop an awesome coaching technique and I have fallen in even more love with it, and all the people I meet through it. Now that I am in college, I decided to take it up as an actual job rather than a hobby, and I can say that I am already more than happy with the success I have had with it. It has been amazing to see the amount of help I have received and suggestions that I have gotten on how to improve my business from my friends and shooting buddies, it has been great!

I have even been using my business as a project in my entrepreneurship class in college, my professor has been feeding me awesome ideas that I am planning on implementing in the near future once I get a larger concrete client base. My goal is to change the way people look at coaching. I really do believe that there are so many more resources out there that other coaches don’t even think about using. I have also started doing mental game coaching as well, which is a huge success! It is really convenient for the client because they don’t even have to leave their house. I’ve coached two guys on it so far, both were done over the phone after work. It’s a continuous process of phone calls for each person, slowly fine tuning and developing new mental processes but it has been working extremely well. It is also much cheaper than those mental game clinics that people put on.

As far as what people can expect, it is pretty simple. I will promise you that I am not, and I repeat; not, going to be an instructor, I am a coach. I want to develop a relationship with my clients so that I can use that to better improve their shooting. I want them to call me after their tournament and tell me how it went, or let me know how their practice was. I feel like that’s the best way to coach somebody; truly know them. I have no problem with my students calling me at night with a question that they just couldn’t figure out during practice. I want to help them. I guess you could say that I’m the kind of coach who wants his students to beat him. I’m not going to let anybody beat me, but if it happens, I would love it! I will also never waste anybody’s time by telling them if they are in front or behind the target. That is useless information. It’s essentially like giving the answers to a multiple choice test to a college student, of course he will ace the test but is he going to know anything? No. I stress the importance of process before product. I will teach you the technique that you will need to break each target, that way when I am not there you can take that information and apply it in different degrees in order to break the target. I am not going to lie; one lesson is not going to get you to have perfect form. I have been getting lessons from my coach Wendell Cherry for 8 years and I am still learning new things. There is no “quick fix” that everybody seems to be looking for in order to be the best, it takes practice and the correct techniques. I will guarantee, and I truly mean it, that if you take a lesson with me and you actually go home and work on what I tell you to work on, your scores will go up. But it takes work, like anything else.

ISC:  Where do you give lessons and do you plan to travel around and do clinics?

DBR:  I don’t have a home club for giving lessons, that is I am not contracted out with any club in my area. I don’t want to be. The closest gun club to me that is open during the week is Hill’n Dale Club in Medina, Ohio. However, I have no problem traveling to any other club within a couple hours of where I am located. I don’t mind driving, if anything it will improve my business by expanding my client area. So if you are interested in lessons, I encourage you to give me a call just to see what we can work out.

As far as clinics go, I am in the process of putting together a few at some nice resorts around my area. I have already been contacted by the management there, but in interest of not wanting to put anything out before they start advertising, I don’t want to name any place in particular. But it will be out soon! I am also looking at putting together a few various weekend clinics at clubs. Within the next few months I am going to start scheduling some clinics down in Texas during some of my breaks off of school. Hopefully they will work out, I surely am pretty excited!

ISC:  How can people contact you?

DBR:  If you are interested in talking to me about lessons, the fastest and easiest way to get in contact with me is my cell phone. Either a call or text message is fine. My cell phone number is (440) 829-7598. My email is another great way to catch me, that is radulovichf3@gmail.com. Lastly, which is probably the most important, my website is www.radulovichcoaching.com. That has all the up to date information as far as where I will be and when I am coaching, shooting, or practicing. All of my contact information as well as testimonials and online forums can be found there. I look forward to talking to you!

Photos courtesy of Lynne Green @ GreenGirlPhotos.com

This month we go In the Hoop with 2009 World FITASC Champion Damien Birgan.  Australian native Birgan won the event by one target over perennial front runner George Digweed.  He did it in front of his home crowd too, which surely made the win all the more sweet.  Damien is also an avid diver and fisherman who was hard to chase down for this Q&A being that it’s summer in Australia, so we thank him for taking the time to answer our questions.

International Sporting Clays:  Congratulations on the win, it must have been unbelievable to win on your home grounds and Digweed was as strong as ever and you still got him, how does that feel?

Damien Birgan:  George being the most successful sporting clays shooter in the World, it was a privilege to just keep up with him for four days let alone come home with it. It was a pretty amazing feeling when the last bird broke.  To win a World Fitasc in any country is an achievement, however winning it at home made it all the more special.

ISC:  For those that don’t know you, tell us about yourself.  I read that your sister also shoots…

DB:  Well I’m 31 years old and I operate an excavator for a living. I followed my Dad around to shoots and when I was strong enough to hold a gun I started shooting and the rest is history. Shooting is a bit of a family affair. Dad bought Mum a Winchester Water Fowl for a wedding anniversary present, so Mum started shooting and my sister had no choice. It was either start shooting or get left behind!
   
ISC:  I read that you have competed in every world champs since, I believe ’94, that’s a lot of dedication and experience.  How did that help you in this years comp?

DB:  Yeah, myself and many others from Oz have done a lot of travel over the years and Australia being so far away from anything makes just getting to the World Fitasc a massive hurdle before you even arrive to the shoot! I think having not have travelled 27-30 hours to Europe made it a bit easier to shoot well. I have made top 10 top 20 plenty of times but never been in the position to win so I was going into uncharted territory.

ISC:  How were the targets at the event?  Anything stand out in your mind as being particularly difficult or unusual?

DB:  I thought that the targets were world class and the Warnambool club did a fantastic job with the terrain and the trajectories. Every year the targets are different no matter which country you shoot in and I have enjoyed every World Fitasc I have attended. I thought that all the parcours had pretty much the same degree of difficulty.  Although no particular target comes to mind, if I had to choose a whole layout I would say Winchester was slightly more challenging in my view.

ISC:  How did you like the format of 5 targets over 5 pegs on a parcour?  Was it even more difficult because you hardly saw the same one twice?

DB:  I found the 5 targets over 5 pegs enjoyable but not more difficult, but whether 4 pegs or 5 it’s all good fun.

ISC:  Tell us about your gun and ammo choices…

DB:  I have used a Beretta DT10 for the last 6 years and have been very happy with it. I’ve found it to be very reliable. I shoot Winchester AA Super Sporting No 8 with the odd 7.5 put in for good measure. But anything that makes a noise will do! 

ISC:  What style of shooting do you use?  Move mount shoot, pull-away, etc…

DB:  I use all styles of shooting and apply different methods depending on the style, speed, angle and distance of the target. I feel that all techniques of shooting need to be applied when shooting a round of 25 as all targets are different and no parcour is the same.

ISC:  Did you undertake any special training regimen leading up to the event?

DB:  No nothing in particular, maybe a little skeet and trap shooting, but my main focus was building my body’s immunity to handling copious amounts of alcohol on the nights during the competition…..But seriously, no animals were harmed during my training regime!

ISC:  I’ve heard that sporting in Australia is more similar to FITASC than English sporting, Australian rules sporting if you will.  Is that the case?

DB:  Yes our format is usually three singles and one pair on each peg. This is pretty much the norm here.  However we do still shoot old style Fitasc events throughout the year.

ISC:  Does Peter Garrett have what it takes to be PM or should he quit and tour with Midnight Oil again?

DB:  In my view Peter Garrett should retire from all professions, get a haircut, acquire dancing skills and apply for a real job, like a judge on American Idol!

 2009 World FITASC scores

 Photo courtesy: Katrina Sezun and Mark Cain

This month we go In The Hoop with Mo Parsons well known FITASC and chief NSCA referee and target setter to learn a little bit about the game from the ref’s perspective.  The referees are the cogs that make the wheels of our game run around.  This is evidenced in the debate that rages over improper rules application in club shoots across the country that have abandoned refs in favor of the score your own shoot.  In a sporting clay shoot of any real size and particularly a FITASC shoot we would be lost without them.  The rules of FITASC sporting can be found here.

International Sporting Clays:  So what’s the life of a referee like?

Mo Parsons:  Life of a referee is a lot of travel.  Looking ahead to plan out the year to see where we can be of help. We are independent contractors so we have to arrange whatever work we get.  I myself have a great bunch of referees that we travel together from shoot to shoot.  We are professional and courteous to the shooters.

ISC:  How long have you been a referee?

MP:  I have been a FITASC referee since 1998.

ISC:  Tell us a little bit about what goes on behind the scenes of a shoot where the ref’s are concerned?

MP:  FITASC referees meet the day before competition and go over the parcours that they will be judging.  We look over things like the limits that the target setters have set, the menus to make sure they are correct, how they will bring shooters into the Parcour from the staging areas.  When the shoot starts the relief ref will be sure to choose times that will benefit the referees on the parcours.  The chief ref will handle all score cards checking to make sure the score sheets are correct before putting them in chronological order before they are turned in to scoring personnel.  After each day of shooting we meet to discuss the daily events to see if we need to address any problems.

ISC:  Do you find that most FITASC competitors are familiar with the rules?

MP:  Most competitors know most of the rules; very few know all the rules.

ISC:  What is the most common rule violation at FITASC shoots?

MP:  The most violated rule would surely be the ready position.  Once the shooter is in position and calls for the bird they sometimes will address or move before the bird is visible.

ISC:  How do you feel about referee’s also being the trapper?  Does it take away from the quality of the refereeing?

MP:  The referee has enough on their minds that I feel they should not have to trap as well.  In major shoots where time is of the essence referees can’t pick up the parcour and load it properly with the referee doing all the work.  It could take away some of the quality.

ISC:  Are there enough internationally qualified ref’s in the U.S?

MP:  There are probably not enough internationally certified referees.  But it is not easy to get the credential.  A referee has to ref two world cup or international events and to be evaluated at such events.  The clubs hosting these events usually train for them and it is usually too long between shoots at their club to get certified so the refs won’t do it.  I ended up going all the way to Germany to get my certification.

ISC:  What’s your take on the dress code issues that have popped up such as Croc’s shoes?

MP:  Dress code should be adhered to just like any other rule.  As far as crocs with holes in the toes, no they should not be worn.

ISC:  There have been a few instances of less than ideal behavior from some top shooters in the game.  Do the ref’s have any real power to effectively control this?  And does it in fact fall to them or to the national association?

MP:  As far as the behavior of the competitors I have not seen anyone get out of hand.  I have heard of some shoots who have had uncertified referees where this has happened.  We as referees have the ability to stop it and will.  The National Sporting Clays Association has given us the regulation along with FITASC to regulate the sport.  So first and foremost it is the referee’s job to enforce the rules.

ISC:  If a shooter disagrees with a ref’s call or needs a rule clarification, what is the proper way to do it?

MP:  If a shooter disagrees with the refs call or rule clarification the shooter should raise their hand and ask their question after they have made their firearm safe.  After the ref has explained the rule or finding, if the shooter still disagrees with the ref, the ref will see that the shooter will shoot the bird or birds that are being questioned and record those.  A jury will be able to sort out the findings and at no time should the shooter stop the proceeding.

ISC:  What draws shooters to FITASC?

MP:  The ever changing target presentations that FITASC offers from peg to peg is a big draw for most shooters.  What maybe an incomer on peg 1 might be crosser from peg 3.  Most targets will never be shot the same from peg to peg.  FITASC offers a less repetitious but more thought provoking mental game.

ISC:  What are the requirements when staffing a FITASC event?

MP:  For instance a Four Parcour FITASC event should have a certified referee on each parcour , a relief referee for the four parcours and a chief referee to oversee the event.

ISC:  Do you prefer old style or new style?

MP:  I enjoy both styles.  If it is a large event and warrants more shooters to be able to shoot it, new style can be very entertaining and exciting because every 12 minutes you move from peg to peg.  In old style 6 people would shoot a parcour in 50 minutes, where as in new style , each peg would have a squad of 6 shooters shooting each peg simultaneously at the same time.  Although new style takes a lot more equipment and is more labor intensive, if the number of competitors  justifies new style, it can be a very rewarding experience.

ISC:  What do you like about international events?

MP:  I truly like the fact that you are squaded with competitors from around the world.  You come away from the shoot with friends that you would normally never have met.  Through shooting, I feel we can strengthen our relationship with shooters from abroad.  It is fun to visit other countries to see all the pomp and circumstance that surround the shoot.  In international competition the rules are more strictly enforced.

ISC:  What is the craziest thing you have ever seen in FITASC?

MP:  While at a U.S. Open, I once saw a feathered bird fly in front of a target and when the target was shot, the feathered bird took the whole impact of the pattern, prohibiting the shot to reach the target, so the competitor was granted another shot because of interference.

In Germany, I was refereeing a parcour that had a machine on top of the mountain and as I told the trapper that we needed to reload he told me that it was ok and picked up another button because they had two traps throwing the same bird off the top of the mountain, knowing that the clay targets in one machine would not be enough to finish the day.

ISC:  Why do you enjoy refereeing FITASC?

MP:  I feel that the game is very entertaining and of all of the shooting disciplines, FITASC makes the referee feel like they are a part of every squad.  I enjoy visiting the different gun clubs and seeing the different terrain to work with.

International Sporting Clays thanks Mr. Mo Parsons for his cooperation with this article.  Mo can be reached at 210-559-1320 or mo.parsons@gmail.com he can provide a whole crew of ref’s and fine target setting.

 Photos by: www.GreenGirlPhotos.com and www.ShotsBySherri.com

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To start the year off right I thought it would be good to get some tips from Anthony Matarese Jr. (USA) who had an absolutely stunning 2008 season scooping the win at several big blasts, the National FITASC, the U.S. Open, the National Championships and silver in Cyprus.

I’m trying to recall a shooter who might have equaled that feat in the past and I can’t. Not only is he a top competitor he does it with tons of unique style too. Think we can learn a thing or two from him?

In FITASC sporting while standing in the hoop viewing targets, a lot more than just a target is being thrown. In fact there is a huge amount of information being thrown and in a short period of time. How well a shooter is able to process this information can be the difference between success and well….

International Sporting Clays: So you are on the parcour, in the hoop, viewing targets what do you do? 

Anthony Matarese Jr: I determine where I first see the target, where my break point will be, the line of the target and where my hold point will be. My break point is determined by where I see the target the clearest, or where it looks the biggest. I always acquire the target visually as soon as possible, and often mark a tree or object in the background to use as a reference.

ISC: What’s the most important thing to look for?

AM: The most important thing that I look for is where I see the target the clearest. More specifically, I will determine what part of the target I will FOCUS on as the target enters my break point.

ISC: I’ve seen some shooters get lost in the menu while shooting. What are they to do?

AM: I have done the same myself but I try to draw a mental image of each targets flight path during the show birds. When in doubt, I will ask the referee: " The A bird is a teal correct?"

ISC: When it’s your turn at the doubles how do you set up for report pairs? True Pairs?

AM: Being right handed I normally position my left toe between the two break points or there about. Specifically, I make sure my upper body is free of restriction when going from one target to the next. If your feet are wrong, your upper body will hinder the natural movement of the gun. The result is gun movement that is done with the arms, not the body. On report pairs that have break points that are really far apart I may even move my feet for the second shot.

ISC: If it is a true pair what do you look for to know which to shoot first?

AM: I always shoot true pairs in a way that gives me the best visual advantage on both shots. I think that being able to shoot dropping targets well is a big advantage when it comes to shooting true pairs.

ISC: Considering that you shoot an auto and the diverse set of targets found on a parcour how do you go about choke selection?

AM: I shoot LT MOD 95% of the time regardless of the targets. My LT MOD is a bit tight so it would be equivalent to most peoples Modified. During the World FITASC, World Sporting, US Open & Nationals I only shot Improved Modified on 2 sporting stations and 1 FITASC Peg. Read that again folks, there are some real pearls of wisdom hidden in there. Anthony is available for lessons at various clubs around the country. Go and improve your shooting and possibly get some style into your stiff old game. Check his website below for more details.

http://www.clayshootinginstruction.com/

The International Sporting Clays blog thanks Mr. Anthony Matarese Jr. for his cooperation. Photo courtesy of Mr. Henry S.F. Nachaj at www.sportingphotosshop.com.