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

[Dagga Boy]

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.



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

I did my own response to the article that will likely be unpopular as always. With that said.........I like the above.

[orionz06]

I did my own response to the article that will likely be unpopular as always. With that said.........I like the above.

Care to share said response?

[rob_s]

But the author explicitly made that point. Slow is to start learning the efficient method. But it does not equal fast.

Then why do we need an entire article about it?

[Dagga Boy]

Care to share said response?

"I guess it all depends what you are training for. Fast is Fast……..but at what? Fast at drills. That is good if you want to be fast at drills. What is the drill for? Should we shoot the same unevaluated skill test drill to the point of being “fast” at it, and thus we can now conquer any real world problem……except for the part where we mastered a non-real problem but are fast at a drill, yet not smooth at the process to get to the shoot part. Then we have those who are very good at solving problems and making decisions, yet do not have the skills to solve the problem. We have folks that suck at everything. We have folks who are amazingly efficient and smooth (watch a world class PPC shooter and they are very good at this), yet not particularly fast. Then you have some with amazingly fast twitch reflexes and mechanics that can run guns faster than they can think (and often display those skills while shooting a course or drill that was “pre thought” before the actual shooting part), which is an awesome skill set for some things.
In the world I live in, I like the idea of training to right. Right tactics, right target, right decision to shoot, right speed, right accuracy, right decision to stop, right decisions afterwards, right gun handling, etc. I have no real idea how to apply a defined speed, or smoothness, etc. to any of that as it is ever changing. So, I like the idea of balanced efficiency. Everybody and every situation will be a little different (or a lot different) at this. I think this is all way too complex for neat sayings."


Begin the "your just saying that because you are slow" in 3...2.....1.....go.

[Will_H]

This is interesting, since the first time I heard "slow is smooth, and smooth is fast" was in performance driving. Or was a reference to economy of motion. Like shooting, the stopwatch doesn't lie in racing. The meaning was to get the driver to slow down just a fraction and to focus more on solid technique than trying to wring out the lay fraction of a second, since sloppy technique costs more time than being smooth.

[JHC]

Maybe.

This past summer, out at our cabin, I was practicing draws to an 8 inch circle. at 7 yards. Not my preference, but a local guy, gun dude, hung around watching. My draws were pretty much in the .80's. His comment was I had tension, looked jerky in my hand movement, and should try to be smooth as "that was faster." My view is the timer doesn't lie, and assuming the same accuracy for both, I would rather have a jerky/tenser .85 draw, than a smooth 1.10 draw.

Did he run any on the timer?

[Bigguy]

I haven't shot competitively yet, and certainly don't have the skills and experience to have a valid opinion. However, this thread reminds me of something Jim Scoutten said on an episode of SHOOTING USA. "You can't miss fast enough to win."

[orionz06]

I think this is all way too complex for neat sayings.

You were apprehensive but the response is awesome and should be here. The quoted portion is especially good.

Begin the "your just saying that because you are slow" in 3...2.....1.....go.

This... oh well. Slow is all relative to the goal. I think anyone who who would proclaim you are saying that because you are slow is projecting their personal goals onto you. Call them a moron and drive on.

I haven't shot competitively yet, and certainly don't have the skills and experience to have a valid opinion. However, this thread reminds me of something Jim Scoutten said on an episode of SHOOTING USA. "You can't miss fast enough to win."

Very stale cliche, IMHO.

[Mr_White]

projecting their personal goals onto you

Projection sure confounds a lot of discussions.

[JHC]

Then why do we need an entire article about it?

I'm guessing that he was put off my the LCD element he may have bumped into oooozing along at the smooth is fast pace after much training, no improvement. IDK. Just a guess. And I also guess the blog is not about what we need per se. Just their soap box.