Trapshooting tips for the new target year. Rick and Zach reset for next season: practice with a purpose, planning your shoots, getting your gun set up right and setting goals that stack.

No guest this week, just hosts Richard Marshall Jr. and Zach Nannini on getting more out of next season than you got out of the last one.

They start with the reset. Rick on not dwelling on a bad season, and Zach on how putting the shotgun down for three or four months can fix problems like moving on the call. From there it's practice with a purpose: set the trap on one angle until you feel good, then go back to oscillation so you don't pick up anticipation. And footwork in doubles, where Zach says the feet matter as much as almost anything.

Then the planning talk. Book your shoots, flights and hotels early, and squad with people who are committed to going. Rick's shameless plug: all the shoots are on the SOS Clays app. Plus getting your gun set up right, making small tweaks instead of big ones, and Rick's three kinds of goals: short term, long term for the year, and the bucket list.

The back half is goals that stack. Five straight, then 10, 15, 20 and 25, then four 25s together. Keep a journal, write your goals down, and when a shoot doesn't go your way, reflect on it instead of getting mad. You get out of it what you put in.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:28 The reset, practice, footwork and trip planning
24:35 Off-season prep, gun setup and goals
43:49 Journals, effort and what's next

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From stepping away from competitive trapshooting to becoming a Southwestern Grand Handicap Champion and earning his first ATA Open All-American Team selection, Samuel "Sam" Leiendecker has a story built on determination, perseverance, and a genuine love for the sport.

In Episode 194 of Trap Talk, hosts Richard Marshall Jr. and Zach Nannini sit down with Sam to talk about his journey from growing up in Arizona to shooting collegiate national championships at Lindenwood University, serving as a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer, and returning to competitive trapshooting stronger than ever.

Sam recently captured the Southwestern Grand Handicap Championship, breaking a 98 and winning a pressure-packed shootoff against Jason Crowsey. With multiple 200 straights in singles, impressive handicap performances, and his first All-American Team selection, Sam is proving that hard work and persistence pay off.

But there's much more to his story than trophies.

Sam shares how joining the U.S. Customs and Border Protection National Marksmanship Unit helped reignite his competitive shooting career. He also talks about representing the United States at the World Police and Fire Games, where he won High Overall gold in 2023 and returned to earn silver in 2025.

The conversation takes a few fun turns, including Sam's unforgettable trip to the Hawaii State Shoot, where he swept the nonresident trophies and broke a 200 straight!

In this episode:

• Winning the Southwestern Grand Handicap Championship
• Making the ATA Open All-American Team for the first time
• From Lindenwood collegiate shooter to national-level competitor
• Balancing a career in law enforcement with competitive trapshooting
• Representing the USA at the World Police and Fire Games
• Shooting the Hawaii State Shoot and sweeping the nonresident trophies
• The mental game: focusing on the process instead of the outcome
• Handicap shooting techniques, hold points, foot positioning, and gun setup
• Why having fun and surrounding yourself with good people can improve your scores
• The friendships and community that make trapshooting special

Sam also shares some valuable technical advice for handicap shooters, including how he sets up his Perazzi, adjusts his comb, establishes his natural point of aim, and positions himself for hard-angle targets.

Whether you're chasing your first 25 straight, working toward an All-American Team selection, or just love spending time on the trapline, this episode is packed with great stories, shooting advice, and a reminder of why we all love this sport.

Don't give up. Keep shooting. And remember to enjoy the journey.

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The 2026 season is done but Zach Nannini and Richard Marshall Jr. still have plenty to talk about.

In Episode 193 of Trap Talk, Zach and Ricky recap the 2026 Cardinal Classic at the Cardinal Shooting Center and break down what made this year's shoot stand out. With more than $73,000 in trophies, prizes and giveaways, gold and silver on the line, flats of shells, unique trophies, youth prizes and a DT11 giveaway, the Cardinal Classic made a serious investment in giving shooters more value.

Ricky walks through the major championship results, including a huge week from Joey Charnigo, Austin Jacob's Handicap Championship win, Richard's runner-up finish in the Overall, and standout performances across the classes and categories.

The guys also get into a bigger conversation about the future of major trapshooting events. With shooters having more choices than ever about where to spend their time and money, what makes a shoot worth traveling to? Gold and silver, added prizes, free meals, special events and a great overall experience are becoming a bigger part of that equation.

They also discuss whether the ATA target year should end immediately after the Grand American and what that could mean for major shoots like the Cardinal Classic and Heartland Grand.

Plus, Ricky and Zach look ahead to the Nevada State Shoot, the Autumn Grand, the upcoming 2027 season and maybe even finding a little time to put the trap guns away and chase some birds.

Whether you were at the Cardinal Classic or missed it this year, this episode gives you an inside look at one of the biggest shoots following the Grand American and a bigger discussion about where competitive trapshooting is headed.

**Trap Talk From the Back Fence**
Hosted by Richard Marshall Jr. and Zach Nannini.

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