Accleration Drill from Pistol Training.com

[Ga Shooter]

I went to the range yesterday and decided to work on Todd's Acceleration Drill from Pistol Training.com. It did help me to move faster with my pressout and speed, but it helped me more to diagnose my problem. I can shoot accurate (50 yard hits are no problem for me if I take time) or I can move fast but I cannot do both. I learned that when I go fast (all fast work for me is at 7 yds.) I watch my taget and adjust my accuracy from the holes I am putting on paper. My 2nd or 3rd shots are good but my 1st shot sucks. Does anyone have any suggestion on how to train my mind and eyes to watch my sights when moving fast instead of the target? When I use my sights going slow I am well pleased with the results but for some reason when moving faster I instinctively ignore my sights.:confused:

[David Thomas]

I think F.A.S.T and 3-two-1 should be good drills for you from the same website.
Doing Bill drills correctly should also help you incoporate speed and the ability to focus on your sights and watch them lift.

[misanthropist]

I have the opportunity to take one of these courses coming up in a few months. I'd like to do both, but I can only get two of the days in that block off, so I need to maximize my training benefit.

I'm trying to assess which course is more appropriate for my skill level. I do shoot regularly, and spend nearly 100% of my pistol time running drills with a coach, but this would be my first actual training course.

Ordinarily that would make me inclined to go for the FF course, but looking over the prerequisites for Aim Fast Hit Fast, they are all well within my reach:

3x5" cards at 5 yards...not a big problem

Draw, 1 round on an 8" circle, reload, 2 on the circle in 8 seconds...no issue there either.

I am just wondering, though...are those "absolute bare minimum skills" and what I REALLY need is an 8-second FAST drill time, clean, to actually benefit from the course? That is what one source has told me but I'm not sure if he is correct or what. Going in with an 8-second FAST time clean would be nice and I think I would be close, but I couldn't guarantee it, particularly running the G20.

Anyway I figured people here would know. So what do you all figure? Can anyone give me a good frame of reference for appropriate skill level on entering the Aim Fast Hit Fast course?

[David Thomas]

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT look at the target. The goal is to maintain complete visual focus on the sights and to learn to track them during recoil. It's possible you will not be able to see the sight through the full arc of it's travel, but you should at least be able to see it lift and then see it come back into the notch. Once it is back in the notch, that is essentially your "green light" to take the next shot. Take the next shot when you have that "green light".





all good advice and very well worded.

[luxor]

I would recomend Todd's class to anyone. I have included some of Todd's drills in just about every one of my range sessions.

The aim fast hit fast course will make you a better shooter.

[Ga Shooter]

Thanks for the tips guys. JW thanks for all the details. Have you overcome the problem yet? If so how long did it take?

[John_Wayne777]

No, I have not completely overcome the problem yet. I'm much better than I used to be, however. I use the term "my pace" to refer to the speed at which I am comfortable that I can make acceptable hits using a proper aiming reference.

"My pace" has increased dramatically over the last several months that I've been working on deliberately increasing my speed. I still sometimes ignore my sights, but I'm getting better and better at seeing them for every shot.

[Ga Shooter]

Thanks again for all the help. I will start trying to incorporate some of those drills into my practice sessions to increase "my pace". I will try to keep you posted. If I come across anything else I will also let you know. It is comforting to know I am not the only one dealing with this problem; although I do wonder what caused it.

[misanthropist]

Not sure I entirely understand why these threads were merged but it does have the interesting effect of making me look like a hard-core thread jacker!

[JSantoro]

No, I have not completely overcome the problem yet. I'm much better than I used to be, however.

This is about the best way to word where I see myself, as well. Work in progress, though I don't really mind the work.

[David Thomas]

In my opinion sometimes shooting these drills can perhaps cause you to start watching your target in an effort to "keep score" as you shoot. However, that will likely have a negative impact on both speed and accuracy.

[YammyMonkey]

The first time I think I really "got" the watch the front sight in recoil bit was when I was testing out my wife's (then) new M&P. I was going to dump a bunch of rounds through it- probably 3 or 4 mags worth, to really heat the thing up & get it a little dirty, then run a bunch of carry ammo through it.

When I was running those first mags as fast as I could I was really focused (in the Brian Enos sense) on the front sight & the repetition of those 17 shots per mag finally got it to click with me.

To boil it down- Shoot multiple mags as fast as possible. Just aim in at the berm- no target needed for this drill.

[Redhat]

This sounds like calling the shot and follow through?

[Robb Jensen]

I'm not the best handgun shooter in the world...I do okay, well I at least think so.

When I find myself looking at the target and not the sights the first thing I KNOW TO DO is to make the target smaller or further away. This is your mind telling you need to improve, to improve you need a smaller target or it needs to be further away so that you have to see your sights. Your brain will automatically go to the sights when the target is harder to see.

Very recently had an issue where I was focusing on the target and not the sights. I haven't shot much this year vs. last year with handguns. However I was at the range last week putting some rounds down range with my M&P Pro I was shooting out a downsized Transitions target and noticed that I was focusing on the target at 15yds, still making great hits and going pretty fast but my focus was on the target....100% the wrong thing. I then moved the target to 30yds and I then kept my focus on the front sight where it should be sure the my speed slowed a little by my accuracy was the same.