How important is a fast draw and a timer?
We see articles, like the one referenced below, pretty often and have conversations with people about the "fast draw" or "first round on target" mentality/methodology. DON'T misunderstand what we are saying here. We DO advocate for a good skill set and continual training (in context). We DO advocate for stress inoculation in training (again in context).
The issue at hand is this: Being able to put a round on target sub 1 or 2 seconds isn't the problem solver most people think it is. Why? Anticipation. We define anticipation as "What did you know about what you needed to do just before you needed to do it?". Quick draw with a timer doesn't equate to being able to cognitively process the data you need to process in order to make the decision you need to make about addressing the threat that you need (or don't need) to address.
Using a timer on a square range with zero anticipation to get an idea of your ability to respond is far from realistic (you know the timer is going to go off, you know what your target is, you know the distance to your target, you know what shot or shots you are going to take, you know when you are going to quit shooting, you know what is between you and the target, etc., etc, the list could go on and on). In your timer reality, you already know everything about what is going to happen. Neurologically, you are already primed to make this happen physiologically.
Real world is counter ambush. Real world requires information processing. Real world doesn't get a walk through to see when to shoot, where to shoot, when to reload, and a real world encounter doesn't have a predefined "finish".
Again, work on your skillset, but you need to realize that just because you can make a sub 2 second draw and print a round on a target under extremely controlled conditions on the range, doesn't mean that's going to even remotely happen in the real world. In a dark parking lot at a convenience store with your kid sitting in the car, or some similar event, it will be different.
On the range you know what's going to happen. If we knew we were going to be involved in a life threatening incident in the real world, we wouldn't have stopped there, gone there, done that thing, or whatever.
Keep training (in the context of real life possibilities), but don't kid yourself that a fast draw under a timer with good split times is the be all, end all, do all, answer to a real life counter ambush event.
For more on this topic, come train with us and/or read Rob Pincus' writings on Counter Ambush Training and Intuitive Defensive Shooting.
Here is the article referenced.
https://www.thearmorylife.com/can-you-make-a-sub-1-second-shot/?utm_campaign=The%20Armory%20Life&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=104253815&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8xX_1sjR8CgZpDN_cUAgk-rfA6V9BZQTokRcleejk4n2EZ3LSqvmLuO1xbopFH5iCLUnRn8JqMKGHQU0-HihCtCAsIuQ&utm_content=104253815&utm_source=hs_email
Using a timer on a square range with zero anticipation to get an idea of your ability to respond is far from realistic (you know the timer is going to go off, you know what your target is, you know the distance to your target, you know what shot or shots you are going to take, you know when you are going to quit shooting, you know what is between you and the target, etc., etc, the list could go on and on). In your timer reality, you already know everything about what is going to happen. Neurologically, you are already primed to make this happen physiologically.
Real world is counter ambush. Real world requires information processing. Real world doesn't get a walk through to see when to shoot, where to shoot, when to reload, and a real world encounter doesn't have a predefined "finish".
Again, work on your skillset, but you need to realize that just because you can make a sub 2 second draw and print a round on a target under extremely controlled conditions on the range, doesn't mean that's going to even remotely happen in the real world. In a dark parking lot at a convenience store with your kid sitting in the car, or some similar event, it will be different.
On the range you know what's going to happen. If we knew we were going to be involved in a life threatening incident in the real world, we wouldn't have stopped there, gone there, done that thing, or whatever.
Keep training (in the context of real life possibilities), but don't kid yourself that a fast draw under a timer with good split times is the be all, end all, do all, answer to a real life counter ambush event.
For more on this topic, come train with us and/or read Rob Pincus' writings on Counter Ambush Training and Intuitive Defensive Shooting.
Here is the article referenced.
https://www.thearmorylife.com/can-you-make-a-sub-1-second-shot/?utm_campaign=The%20Armory%20Life&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=104253815&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8xX_1sjR8CgZpDN_cUAgk-rfA6V9BZQTokRcleejk4n2EZ3LSqvmLuO1xbopFH5iCLUnRn8JqMKGHQU0-HihCtCAsIuQ&utm_content=104253815&utm_source=hs_email