Training Value 2
What is training value? It is the worth of a certain activity of training to the individual or team. This training has many factors. Time, cost, difficulty, terms of what the training actually teaches. In this series we’ll explore the many different training avenues available and talk about their worth.
Number 2 is Drills. A drill is simply an exercise that should repetitively work a technical skill until it is ingrained. The important question is not what drill to do, but rather what skill to build.
Drills can be shooting or non-shooting. These are all shooting drills.
Drill One: Five Shot Group Drill
Purpose: To verify the gun is zeroed, ammunition hits point of aim/impact, and that the shooter has the ability to fire the gun without moving it.
Actions: With a two-handed grip, extend the handgun and fire five shots as accurately as possible. There is not a time limit, and the goal is specifically the most accurate group you can fire. Repeat as many times as needed.
Why I do this drill: My first goal as an instructor, as well as shooter when I am practicing, is to verify that the gun is zeroed, and that the ammunition shoots well in it. This automatically sets me up for success for the next drills. If I or the student know the gun/ammunition combination is good, then there are no excuses for shots that do not land where they should.
Drill Two: One Shot Extend, Prep, or Press Drill
Purpose: This drill is a grip building exercise. It allows the shooter to work on building and testing hand placement and pressure on the gun, one shot at a time.
Actions: Starting position is with an unbuilt grip but with the support hand index finger touching the underside of the trigger guard. Extend the handgun, prep the trigger and fire a shot. Make sure to reset the trigger quickly even though you are not firing the second shot.
Why I do this drill: It is critical that shooters know how to build a consistent drip on handgun. This drill allows for the repetitive practice of building a perfect grip, then watching the gun in recoil to see how it worked.
Drill Three: Five Shot Pace Drill (body)
Purpose: This drill adds to the previous one by allowing the shooter to continue to test their grip.
Actions: Starting position is with an unbuilt grip but with the support hand index finger touching the underside of the trigger guard. Extend the handgun, build a perfect grip, and fire five shots to the body scoring zone.
Why I do this drill: Maintaining grip pressure is the KEY to shooting multiple shots fast. This drill tests that skill at a fast pace (fired on the body).
Drill Four: Five Shot Pace Drill (head)
Purpose: A second grip testing drill, but this one emphasizes harder shots. Start position and everything else is the same.
Actions: Starting position is with an unbuilt grip but with the support hand index finger touching the underside of the trigger guard. Extend the handgun, build a perfect grip, and fire five shots to the head scoring zone.
Why I do this drill: As with the last pace drill, maintaining pressure is the key. This drill gives me the ability to see if a shooter is maintaining pressure at a slower pace. Most shooters relax when they slow down. It also allows me to see if the shooter understands how to reset and prep the trigger repeatedly.
Drill Five: 3/2 Alternating Pace Drill (body/head)
Purpose: This drill is once again a five shot drill that allows continued work on the grip mechanics but adds the element of having to apply different trigger mechanics and sighting to hit two varying target areas.
Actions: Starting position is with an unbuilt grip but with the support hand index finger touching the underside of the trigger guard. Extend the handgun, build a perfect grip, and fire three shots to the body, and two shots to the head scoring zone. Then repeat reversing that pattern. Why three/two? Simply because most students have at least 10 round magazines in class.
Why I do this drill: This critical drill is all about putting it all together. Is the grip perfect and pressure maintained through the fast and slow shots? Is the trigger manipulated as needed to ensure hits on the two different target areas? Is the shooter varying what they need to vary to properly verify gun alignment (soft focus versus hard focus)?
Firearm shooting drills can be a terrific training tool for new and experienced shooters alike. They help build and evaluate skills and set a guided training standard for your time at the range. They are great, but they are just one piece of the puzzle. So, use drills, get some quality training, and keep improving — because competency with a firearm is more than just shooting straight.
Using a shooting range is an important part of training. It’s as close as you can come to the real deal. With drills you can use the range more efficiently. Use it to your advantage as much as you can.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
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