Core Drills vs Tests. A PF exclusive on improving your practice/training sessions.

@GJM made this comment on a training journal:

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A few thoughts. Much of your shooting seems to be “tests,” and oriented around did I do better or worse today than last time. You might consider shifting your shooting to core fundamentals, and leave aside tests for a long enough period that you have improved your fundamentals. Otherwise, you become like the USPSA shooter who does not practice and just goes to matches, and wonders why their performance bobs around a bit but really doesn’t change. As I am driving to the range, I am incredibly excited about what I might learn that day. Maybe just show up and try to be open to learning something new, have fun, and see where it goes. Finally, you probably need something external, whether that be a class or competition to get you out of the “what you already know place.” My wife and I signed up for the two day Tim Herron class in Prescott in May, which is nearby.

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What are your “Core Drills” that you use in your training regimen? What tests do you use to confirm your skills?

Thanks to @GJM for suggesting this thread. Let’s hear your thoughts everyone!

For me, it's the five-yard roundup. Easy setup and I see where I am on different skills.

This is also used as a test. A lot of the stuff we shoot seems to be useable as either.

(D1 = draw fire one
etc etc)

D1 to a 3x5 at 7 yards
D1 to a 4x6 or 5x8 at 7 and 10 yards
D2 to a 3x5 at 7 yards
D2 to a 4x6 or 5x8 at 7 and 10 yards

Stages from the 700 Aggregate/Humbler
D5 strings to a B8 at 25 yards in 20 sec, ditto with 10 second pars

Another favorite is the 25 yard stage of the LAPD SWAT qual which is a D2 with a 4.5 sec par. Target can be the full A zone but I generally use the reduced target of the VTAC chest box or the upper half of the USPSA lower alpha.

I tend to shoot a lot of F2S for 7 and 10 yards for reps. Partly because I have a LOT of results logged and it gives me a bearing on progress and consistency.

I've recently noted that it's been a long time since I put any work into transitions between targets other than the transition up in the F2S so I just started working on that sort of thing.

I enjoy slowfire on B8s and such and usually spend ~20-30 rounds on those each time out.

Mix of Freestyle 85%, SHO 10% WHO 5% - rough approximation.

Every so often, but not really often enough probably I incorporate movement.

Mostly movement into a shooting position. Favorite is using two racks of 6 plates each, start on the far left end, shoot one plate, run the max distance to the farthest plate to the right, shoot it, then start moving shooting my way back to the left. Sort of similar to the "Mad Half Minute".
Looks something like this https://www.flickr.com/photos/780361...posted-public/

This is because I saw some match and other video of me and was shocked at how pokey I was. This Mad Half Minute style seemed like the most training reps for the pound.

I THINK the point he’s trying to make to break the tests down into component parts based on identified weaknesses.

For instance. FAST can be broken down to Draw 1 and Draw 2 to a head box, 1R1, 1R2 and other smaller skills. Whatever else you can imagine. Another example. I really need to work on SHO and WHO in isolation. Leaving it buried in Dot Torture is a inefficient use of time and ammo.

Range was open at work today.....damp, drizzle, soaky conditions. Basically means I had it to myself. Ran all the following in full duty gear (outter carrier/belt)

Cold drill: 25 yard FS on a B8 no time limit. 94-1X

Drug out the timer and did several drills from the duty rig. Draw and fire 1,2, or 3 on timer: B8 target

1 reload 1 from the duty rig: B8

1 reload 3 from the duty rig: B8

Failure drills at the 7 yard line: Q target

Movement from ten and in head shots only: Q targets

50y-3y walk forward drill. Five rounds each yard line (50/25/15/10/7/5/3) on shot timer increasing cadence with each line. 50y the center of the Q, 25 and in head shots only

WHO shooting walk back drill to the 25. Five rounds per yard line (3/5/7/10/15/25) B8 target

SHO walking forward same lines/rounds/B8

Then patrol rifle stuff. I am trying to run more and more left hand only stuff on timer this year. I'm doing a lot more dry fire left hand only and I'm seeing fast results. I've never shot left hand only as well as I did today. I need to shave more time on the first shot from the draw with the duty rig. I'm ranging 1.25-1.50 currently on live fire. Brand new holster though and the hood is pretty stiff. Balancing going faster with staying safe. Splits are nice and fast and with this new G45, I seem to be able to really pour the coal to it and remain tracking the sights. Wasn't happy about transitioning away from my G17.4 but I can run this gun better. Kind of shocked how much flatter it runs.

Regards.

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Originally Posted by David S.

I THINK the point he’s trying to make is to break the tests down into component parts.

For instance. FAST can be broken down to Draw 1 and Draw 2 to a head box, 1R1, 1R2 and other smaller skills. Whatever else you can imagine. Another example. I really need to work on SHO and WHO in isolation. Leaving it buried in Dot Torture is a inefficient use of time and ammo.

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I suppose you could take it that way. But that's like rehearsing a particular test in segments instead of building core skills that apply to any test.

The problem with tactical drills/tests is that they are always the same, when you choose which ones they are. You know what you're going to be tested on ahead of time. It's great from the statistical results POV, not so good for other reasons.

One of the things I really like about practical pistol competition is that not only do you not know what the tests will be like, with the exception of classifiers it's almost guaranteed you'll never take the same test twice. And there are so many classifiers that you'd have to shoot for a couple of decades before you saw the same ones more than a few times.

My core training exercises are doubles, cadence, transitions, and distance change up. I'm lucky that I have access to a range where I can incorporate movement with any of them. Even with that short list, I constantly add variations within each. Doubles at several different distances. Distance change up and accelerator starting from near to far then far to near, etc.

I'm more interested in how I perform when the problem is one I've never seen before than I am in how I perform on a set of standard tests.

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Originally Posted by Alpha Sierra

I suppose you could take it that way. But that's like rehearsing a particular test in segments instead of building core skills that apply to any test.

. . .

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And I agree with you, depending on the context.

To clarify my reply, I don't know what the context was for GJM's quote in the OP, but I have followed Guinnessman's training journal. In his journal, he tends to list his results for standardized tests (Gabe White Standards, 5 yard Roundup, etc), not in USPSA, IDPA or any other competition. Therefore I suggested he break down standardized tests to component parts.

As you said, one could do the same for USPSA or IDPA stages and classifiers. Ben Stoeger, Steve Anderson and Mike Seeklander have all published books doing just that.

I guess my core drills are:

25 yard B8 cold
random drills for the day
1 shot, slide lock reload, 1 shot, slide lock reload, repeat...
random drills for the day
Finish up with 7 yard 2" dot

Quote:

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Originally Posted by David S.

And I agree with you, depending on the context.

To clarify my reply, I don't know what the context was for GJM's quote in the OP, but I have followed Guinnessman's training journal. In his journal, he tends to list his results for standardized tests (Gabe White Standards, 5 yard Roundup, etc), not in USPSA, IDPA or any other competition. Therefore I suggested he break down standardized tests to component parts.

As you said, one could do the same for USPSA or IDPA stages and classifiers. Ben Stoeger, Steve Anderson and Mike Seeklander have all published books doing just that.

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I am really bad about posting core drills in my journal. This has been my typical range routine the past couple of weeks:

Draw 2 to B8 at 3 to 10 yards. Draw 1 to a 3x5 head at 3-10 yards. Failure Drills at 3-10 yards. If my 10 yard work is solid, I then press for 15. If 15 is consistent I push for 20 yards. I always stop at the range where I hit a wall and dial it back from there.

I note the times for 100 percent accuracy on my core drills, then I push my limits to see where the wheels fall off (it doesn’t take much for the wheels to fall off) Ken H’s comfort zone drill is what I have been using as a benchmark.

When the outdoor range finally reopens, I can run a lot of my core drills on steel. I really like the mix of feedback between paper and steel.

Mr. Langdon's target is my main thing, but I've been starting to put in Mr. White's drills of the week as my cold start.

Bottom B8: 25 yards, 10 D1s on the timer, or D10 for 20 second par.
Dot torture at five yards. For the transitions I go across to the other side and alternate rather than engaging up and down in numerical order.
5x5 on the two 5" circles/1" squares.
Top B8: 7 yards, rotates between D1s, 1reload1s, 2reload2s, Bill Drills, 10 yard The Tests. I will occasionally go back to 25 yards again depending on how I did with the bottom B8 at the beginning.

Since I recently got some Trident Concepts photo targets, I have been finishing each session with Citizen Defense Research's 4-second par at 3/5/7/10/15 from the draw to three rounds each distance.