Clay Shooting Masterclass with World Champion Zach Kienbaum!

Published on April 13, 2025
Duration: 55:52

World Champion Zach Kienbaum shares insights on mastering clay shooting, emphasizing the mental game and the necessity of embracing failure. He details the importance of visual discipline, using a hard focus on target details just before the shot, and timing this focus to the kill point. Kienbaum also explains lead, angle, and speed dynamics, advocating for matching gun speed to target speed and using a 'pull away' technique. He discusses gun mount strategies, equipment confidence with the Beretta DT11, and specific techniques for challenging targets like rabbits.

Quick Summary

World Champion Zach Kienbaum stresses visual discipline in clay shooting, advising shooters to use a hard focus on target details timed to the 'kill point.' He also recommends matching gun speed to target speed and using a 'pull away' technique for lead, while embracing failure as key to long-term improvement.

Chapters

  1. 00:00Intro: Zach Kienbaum Masterclass
  2. 01:36The Mental Game: Embracing Failure
  3. 04:46Visual Discipline: Hard Focus Technique
  4. 06:00Timing Your Focus for the Kill Point
  5. 09:12Lead, Angle, and Speed Explained
  6. 13:03Mastering Rabbit Targets
  7. 15:50Gun Mount: Pre-mount vs. Low Gun
  8. 18:16Equipment Confidence: Beretta DT11

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the key to success in clay shooting according to Zach Kienbaum?

World Champion Zach Kienbaum emphasizes that success in clay shooting is cumulative over decades. It requires a deep hunger to improve, consistent extra work, and crucially, being comfortable with failure, as it's a 'game of missing'.

How should shooters approach visual focus when shooting clays?

Zach Kienbaum advises 'visual discipline,' shooting with two eyes open and transitioning to a hard focus on specific target details like rings or shadows just before firing. This intense focus should be timed precisely to the target's 'kill point'.

What is Zach Kienbaum's recommended technique for lead on clay targets?

Kienbaum suggests matching gun speed to target speed for repeatable shots. He uses a 'pull away' style, inserting the gun on the front edge of the target and accelerating slightly to create the necessary lead gap.

How do you effectively shoot rabbit targets in clay shooting?

For rabbit targets, Zach Kienbaum recommends starting behind or on the target to read its hops. Then, move into the lead, adopting a reactive approach that adjusts to the target's erratic ground movement rather than pre-determining a lead.

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