Every year, I see a lot of shooters on the range. Many of them I see on a regular basis whether it’s in classes, at NRA Headquarters where I usually practice, or elsewhere. Some of them put real effort into what they’re doing and over time see demonstrable improvement. I’ve watched quite a few go from rank beginners to winning F.A.S.T. pins in just a couple years’ time.
Others, however, are essentially treading water. Whether it’s the student who only shoots a few times a year when he’s in a class or the regular range-goer who never actually practices, these guys spend a lot of time and money sending lead downrange with no productivity.
If that’s what they want — to have fun and nothing more — than so be it. I believe everyone has a right to approach range time as he pleases and there’s nothing wrong with doing it purely for recreational purposes so long as safety remains paramount. But I admit, I have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that someone would spend hundreds or thousands of dollars a year on guns, ammo, range fees, class tuition, travel… all just to make loud noises and giggle.
More often than not, the guy treading water doesn’t even realize he’s doing it. He shoots drills. He tries to go faster. He tries to shoot tighter groups. But he’s not actually getting better. Why?
Not to beat a dead horse, but it all comes down to things that we’ve discussed here at pistol-training.com before: having a plan and performance tracking.
Before I step foot on the range, I have an approximate plan of what I’m going to do that day. Think of it from the standpoint of being a student. Have you ever attended a class in which the instructor seemed to be picking the next drill randomly from memory? You know the guys I’m talking about, the ones with no lesson plan who just fly by the seat of their pants and make it up as they go along.
Well, when you go to the range to practice, you are your instructor. You are the one who has a responsibility to have a plan in place. Otherwise, you’re letting your student — you — down in a big way. And your shooting will reflect it.
Figure out what you need to work on. If your first thought is, “Well… everything!” that’s ok. Start working on the most important stuff — like marksmanship — first. Build on that.
And keep track of your progress. You know where you want to go. Create a roadmap and see if you’re actually getting there. The best motivator for getting better is seeing whether you’re actually getting better! Think about performance tracking. Better yet, take it a step further and keep an online training journal. But however you do it, make sure you know whether your practice is turning in results. If you’re not getting better, you need to change how you practice.
You’re putting forth effort to shoot. Make it count.
Train hard & stay safe! ToddG
I’ve actually been wondering what drills and times people use to quantitatively track their performance.
my improvement has been obvious enough up till now that tracking it seemed unneccessary…but at this point it really like a good idea to start collecting data.
I needed to read this right now. Since peaking last Dec I’ve been aimlessly applying the “muscle confusion” principle of Joe Weiders to my shooting lately. Thanks.
“You know the guys I’m talking about, the ones with no lesson plan who just fly by the seat of their pants and make it up as they go along.”
YES I DO.
I agree Todd. I see it similar to a physical training program. Some people just show up at the gym, wander around doing random exercises with random weight for random repetitions. And then they wonder why they dont look/feel/perform better.
A lot of people shoot, very few practice. The same for most sports people participate in.
Todd, care to elaborate on how to write out a program? What diagnostic tests to use. Then what drills to use depending on what weaknesses identified.
I’d rate “I’d Hit It” and “Treading Water” as the best back-to-back posts on PT. Thanks for the insight!
“…Wrapping my head around the idea that someone would spend hundreds or thousands of dollars a year on guns, ammo, range fees, class tuition, travel… all just to make loud noises and giggle.”
You’ve just described golf without the loud noises.
@johnkard…. drills like press six, dot torture, 3×5 walkback, FAST, bullseye 300 are what I use as trackers. Certainly there are many others
Very good post! Something good to think about every time you go to the range.
Shot timer in range bag? …CHECK!
Dann in Ohio
The very lowest form of performance tracking would be to join one of the pistol sports and use the rankings and time to measure your progress.
For instance I’m working on marksmanship right now. The first goal is to have no penalties, the second is to have the highest raw score no matter the time on each stage (USPSA). I shoot matches every month so I get pretty regular updates on my performance.
Do you really have to look right at me when you’re typing like that? 😮
I’ll be right back. I need to go put a notebook in my range bag.
My ears are burning…
Yep, all very valid points. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. It needed to be said.
But…you know, (playing devil’s advocate here so bear with me), sometimes we engage in the sport (hobby, pastime, liesure activity, whatever you prefer to call it) of shooting just for fun. Not everyone with a handgun is hoping to be an “operator” when he grows up or dreaming of shooting for Team Glock. That doesn’t mean I’m either unsafe or wasting my time by shooting the way I do. Honestly, there’s no requirement that we have some sort of dire, last ditch self-defense scenario running through our minds every time we pull the trigger.
I run a couple times a week too. I don’t race. I don’t compete. I don’t keep a running log. I don’t track my progress. I don’t even wear a watch. Running is therapeutic in that it clears the mind. It’s “me time.” I enjoy it for that reason. And only for that reason. Shooting can be the same.
If I want to spend money on ammo and range fees to relax after another 12 hour shift at work I figure it’s my money to spend, my time to do as I please and I don’t have to live up to anyone else’s standard of marksmanship or skill progression in order to enjoy my hobby of choice, so long as I do so in a manner that is safe…and don’t leave litter on the range when I’m done.
We all have our own reasons for doing what we do. You’re a professional. I get that and respect it. You’ve improved the shooting sports for all of us through what you do.
I on the other hand, am just an old guy who likes to be left alone to put holes in empty Coke cans. I’m not asking for either respect or understanding. These things do not require justification.
Sure, journals and shot timers and classes and what-not would help me hit those cans that much better, but for me, it would also take much of the fun out of my all too infrequent range visits. Not everyone wants to compete.
Some will disagree with my assessment. That’s why it’s so wonderful that we live in a relatively free country.
We don’t have to justify our choices to each other. Thanks.
“Todd, care to elaborate on how to write out a program? What diagnostic tests to use. Then what drills to use depending on what weaknesses identified.”
ford.304 did a fine job of answering my question in this thread.
http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?3592-ToddG-for-Beginners
I happily printed out the Dot Torture drill because of this post. Ran it for the first time today and now I finally know what marksmanship fundamentals I need to concentrate on.