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Thomas Grice on Olympic Trap Shooting, Focus & the Mental Game– Clay Mastermind with Dawn Grant: Mental Excellence and Industry Insight
Description
Thomas Grice joins Dawn Grant on Clay Mastermind: Mental Excellence and Industry Insights for a conversation focused on clay target shooting, Olympic trap, Sporting Clays comparisons, and the mental training required to perform at a high level. Thomas is an Australian IWSF trap shooter who represented Australia at the Tokyo Olympics and has competed in World Cups and World Championships. His achievements include winning gold in the mixed pairs event at the 2017 World Championships, earning bronze in the same event in 2019, and continuing to compete internationally for Australia.
In this episode, Thomas shares how his shooting career began at age twelve through the influence of his grandfather, who introduced him to clay target shooting and remained a major source of support throughout his early development. He discusses starting in DTL trap, the strong family culture around shooting in Australia, and the role his parents, brother, and grandfather played in helping him travel, train, and compete. Thomas also explains how he transitioned from domestic trap events into IWSF trap and began pursuing international competition.
Dawn and Thomas discuss the progression from junior competition into open-level shooting, including the challenge of competing against Australia’s top Olympic-level trap shooters. Thomas explains how he learned to set realistic performance goals, focus on personal bests, and build consistency over time rather than becoming discouraged by the gap between himself and more experienced competitors. He also shares how his early international experience in Germany became a turning point that confirmed his desire to pursue the sport at a higher level.
A central focus of the episode is the mental side of clay target shooting. Thomas discusses the importance of staying present, focusing on the process instead of the score, and trusting the work already done in training. Dawn and Thomas explore why trap shooters may recognize the mental game more quickly than some Sporting Clays shooters, because trap requires near-perfect execution and offers fewer external variables to blame when targets are missed.
The conversation also compares trap, Sporting Clays, and FITASC from a mental training perspective. Dawn explains how repetitive target presentations can challenge the conscious mind, making presence and focus essential. They discuss how Sporting Clays shooters may sometimes attribute misses to target difficulty, variety, or mechanics, while trap shooters are often forced to examine focus, pressure, confidence, and mental consistency more directly once their technique is established.
Thomas also reflects on competing at the Tokyo Olympics during COVID restrictions, including the unusual environment, limited social interaction, and the motivation it gave him to pursue another Olympic opportunity. He discusses continuing to train while working full-time, qualifying for World Championship teams, and staying committed to the next Olympic cycle.
This episode offers useful insight for Sporting Clays shooters, trap shooters, coaches, and competitive athletes who want to better understand the connection between technical skill, confidence, focus, repetition, process, and mental discipline. Thomas Grice’s experience provides a clear look at how elite competitors develop consistency, manage pressure, and keep improving over time.Top of Form
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Thomas Grice Links
*No relevant links provided*
Dawn Grant Links
https://ameliashotgunsports.com/