The reality behind "Slow is smooth and smooth is fast."

[PPGMD]

Been saying this for a while myself, but it is nice to nice to have confirmation.

http://modernserviceweapons.com/?p=12670

One of the most overheard phrases in firearms training is the old adage of “slow is smooth and smooth is fast.” In my career as a trainer and shooter, I seem to recall it most often told to me by people who were slow and maybe smooth and honestly had little business telling me what actually was fast. Words have powerful meaning, and as an instructor, it is important for us to use the correct ones when trying to impart skills and knowledge to our students.

Let’s start by examining the root of the adage. It has been told to generations of shooters that “slow is smooth and smooth is fast.” Some trainers apparently got tired of uttering the entire phrase, which has its own flaws, and had skipped right to “slow is fast.” NO IT IS NOT. What relevance the full phrase had is erased by shortening it.

[ASH556]

Been saying this for a while myself, but it is nice to nice to have confirmation.

http://modernserviceweapons.com/?p=12670

I get the point, but I think it's splitting hairs. Words for the sake of words and yet another attempt at "uniqueness" by a trainer. Those who understand the meaning behind the phrase will progress beyond it. Those who care more about regurgitating phrases than improving personal skill will still be lost despite the wording of the phrase or the meaning behind it.

[Mr_White]

I've not really liked the phrase for a while now.

It's fine insofar as being a statement about economy of motion being desirable, though there are probably clearer ways to say that.

Even as a statement of economy of motion, the phrase will eventually have to be abandoned once a person has that economy of motion and wants to improve from there.

I think Hilton Yam is pretty much right on on this.

[rob_s]

I've not really liked the phrase for a while now.

It's fine insofar as being a statement about economy of motion being desirable, though there are probably clearer ways to say that.

Even as a statement of economy of motion, the phrase will eventually have to be abandoned once a person has that economy of motion and wants to improve from there.

I think Hilton Yam is pretty much right on on this.

I think it's only right for the people it's right for.

Having been involved in competition shooting before I ever got any decent formal training, the tendency is to go fast, early, reinforcing bad habits before you even know you have them. The idea of getting someone to understand that they should work on the repetition slowly, to possibly un-learn those bad habits, is a good one.

There is a major trend in the shooting world for the various talking heads to forget where they came from, or what it was like to be a new(er) shooter, or just making that transition from dirt-shooter to purposeful-shooter, or whatever.

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

Seems pretty straightforward, and on-point, to me.

But, then, we live in a world where people also want to re-write the four rules, so go figure. I guess everyone needs a niche, whether it's useful, applicable, or not. Controversy seems to breed followers, and that seems to be what most people are after, so...

[Failure2Stop]

The only place I find relevance for the term is team-based enclosure clearing with regard to movement.

I abhor its utterance with regard to firearms unless properly explained to a degree that pretty much makes the original sentence irrelevant.

[Mr_White]

I think it's only right for the people it's right for.

Having been involved in competition shooting before I ever got any decent formal training, the tendency is to go fast, early, reinforcing bad habits before you even know you have them. The idea of getting someone to understand that they should work on the repetition slowly, to possibly un-learn those bad habits, is a good one.

There is a major trend in the shooting world for the various talking heads to forget where they came from, or what it was like to be a new(er) shooter, or just making that transition from dirt-shooter to purposeful-shooter, or whatever.

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

Seems pretty straightforward, and on-point, to me.

But, then, we live in a world where people also want to re-write the four rules, so go figure. I guess everyone needs a niche, whether it's useful, applicable, or not. Controversy seems to breed followers, and that seems to be what most people are after, so...

Well, I guess it does depend on where you come from.

I didn't start with competition, I started with lots of defensive/tactical training. 'Slow is smooth, smooth is fast' was a phrase used frequently in that environment, and for a bunch of us the effect was to eschew timers, build smooth technique, never mind how fast it was or wasn't, and never attempt to make that technique faster since we were already smooth and thus 'fast.' Even though we weren't.

[Kimura]

Is there another way other than to learn and perfect technique at a relatively slow speed, then push it to faster speeds? No one can learn and perfect a technique running at the their ragged edge of speed. The statement is being taken out of context. It's a part of training, not an entire philosophy. As such I don't really see the issue with it.

[GJM]

"Slow is smooth and smooth is fast."

It is a NON training scar, and part of the timmie's creed:

1) I DON'T compete because it will reinforce habits that will get me killed on the street.

2) I DON'T do the FAST, El Prez, Bill drills, etc., because it will reinforce habits that will get me killed on the street.

3) I DON'T use a timer because there are no timers in a gunfight.

4) I DO strive to always be smooth and tactically correct.

5) I DID took a tactical course 25 years ago, and learned all I need to know about fighting with a gun.

6) I DO carry a .45 1911, and between that, my tactical visualization, my innate fighting skills, and what I learned 25 years ago, I know all I need to know.

[orionz06]

Slow is smooth and smooth is fast...


Until slow is slow....

[ASH556]

"Slow is smooth and smooth is fast."

It is a NON training scar, and part of the timmie's creed:

1) I DON'T compete because it will reinforce habits that will get me killed on the street.

2) I DON'T do the FAST, El Prez, Bill drills, etc., because it will reinforce habits that will get me killed on the street.

3) I DON'T use a timer because there are no timers in a gunfight.

4) I DO strive to always be smooth and tactically correct.

5) I DID took a tactical course 25 years ago, and learned all I need to know about fighting with a gun.

6) I DO carry a .45 1911, and between that, my tactical visualization, my innate fighting skills, and what I learned 25 years ago, I know all I need to know.

Funny how many of these guys I run into (all dressed out in head to toe camo) at the local 3-gun match.

Slow is slow. Fast is fast. Accurate is accurate, and a miss is a miss, whether you go fast or slow. Fumbling a reload is still fumbling whether you do it fast or slow.

I believe the phrase is applicable in that it basically communicates "Develop the fundamentals before worrying about speed. Then, speed them up." In this practice or application of the phrase, slow becomes smooth and smooth becomes fast.

But, then, we live in a world where people also want to re-write the four rules, so go figure. I guess everyone needs a niche, whether it's useful, applicable, or not. Controversy seems to breed followers, and that seems to be what most people are after, so...

and I believe this is also true and applicable to the article.