We can't "slap leather/kydex" fast enough to be competitive. Like a drag racer who's slow off the line, we are constantly in catchup mode.
After three days at Gunsite Academy last week, I'm now convinced that I'm dead wrong when it comes to "the draw". It isn't one smooth motion, it's a combination of motions that, when executed naturally, will eventually become fast. But it has to be accurate, too.
As an old gunfighter observed: "speed is good, but accuracy ends gunfights."
Each of these great competitive shooters draws like lightning, but they never break a shot until their sights are solidly on the target. They move their parts at a speed most of us can't approach. That's partially due to their great hand/eye coordination, but it's also attributable to tens of thousands of repetitions.
Last week, I asked my friend Ed Head to help me with my draw by breaking it down into fundamental elements I could take from Gunsite's gunfighting approach and apply to being faster as a competitive shooter.
What he shared with me was five simple steps that enable a shooter to get their sights onto the target faster. Remember, fast is good, but fast and accurate is darn near unbeatable.
No one ever won a match by missing their targets quickly. You win on hits.
"You have to get a solid grip on the gun," Head began, "the first step as we teach it is to move both hands simultaneously. The off-hand (left on a rightie) goes to the center of the chest, the gun hand grabs the gun in a solid grip."
Step One, off-hand on the chest, gun hand gripping firmly. Straight up, not at an angle is the key to getting on target faster. Rotate the gun toward the target. The off-hand is still off the gun, but positioned for step number four. The "SLAP" when both hands unite along the way to the extended shooting position. Eyes downrange for a shooter, not on the students. The end of the draw...solid position, eyes and sights aligned and ready to fire. |
At this point, Gunsite's doctrinal gunfighting technique gives a competition shooter what I think will be a competitive advantage - and keep them safe at the same time.
In the third step, Head says to rotate the gun up and toward the target. It's the "guard" or "retention" position in gunfighting or tactical situations like room clearing.
In a tactical situation you're able to either push someone away from you with the off-hand, or quickly fire a one-handed shot from that low rotational position. In competition, it means the gun is already headed toward the target -if you're keeping your eyes up and downrange. It takes some practice, but is worth the work. If you've ever seen fast-draw shooters, you know they can break shots accurately from that position.
At that point, Head coached me to "slap" my hand together as I pushed the gun out and toward the target. All along the way, the bore of the weapon is headed downrange toward the target. Your eyes are there as well, and it's only fractions of a second from the time they come together in a full shooting position.
From there, you're in the strong - and accurate- firing position. Front sight on the target, press, realign, reacquire and repeat as necessary.
OK, it's not exactly a revelation for most really good shooters, but the realization that a "draw stroke" is not a single step might enable you to break your shaky draw down into repeatable and natural actions. When that happens, you'll find yourself smoothly drawing your weapon and putting an accurate shot on target.
Several thousand draws later, you might find yourself among that group of elite shooters who "make it look so simple."
Shooting, like gymnastics, isn't so simple as it looks. But it can be learned.
--Jim Shepherd