In the drill you care about shooting as many Alphas as possible, at the fastest splits you can manage, at the chosen distance.
My interpretation (and I’ve done this in class). Yes - eliminate variables. Set up in a solid, wide stance. Get a great grip. Cock the hammer for the first shot. Get a good sight picture using the appropriate focal point (target, front sight). Start the timer. When you are ready, shoot 4 splits, ignoring the time before the first split and between splits. Review the hits and the split times ONLY.
Ben publishes some goal split times and accuracy expectations in the Skills & Drills book. Before reading that, I was shocked at what was possible with a little practice, even at distance.