Todd Louis Green and the modern approach to using your sights

[JCN]

When I meet any student or help anyone online for shooting.

My first question is: “what are your goals”

The second question is: “how much time do you anticipate budgeting to that endeavor.”

That contextualizes the scope, breadth and pace at which we go.



I use this example a lot.

Sharks and tigers don’t use words or complex analogies to learn how to be deadly and accurate.

But they get specific feedback on what they’re doing.

Even if I don’t explain anything technical at all, I know the technical shooting to a high level and I can design drills to get them shark / tiger knowledge without explaining a darn thing.

If I could use shock collars to the genitalia, it would go even faster…

Plus I have the luxury of firing stubborn students that don’t listen.

[JCN]

@TCinVA

I had time to read through your statements a little more carefully and I don’t think we are far apart.

How about this:

If using a phrase like “see what you need to see, nothing less and nothing more,” the instructor better damn well understand what that means themselves.

In implementing teaching, that phrase should NOT be a standalone statement and should be reserved for the follow up summary of a drill that SHOWS and helps PRACTICE the concept of under versus over confirmation.

I agree on both of those.


If I were enrolling for a class philosophically, I would assign homework and drills in the one week leading up to the physical class as a “prerequisite.” This homework would be a “do” assignment and not a “talk” assignment.

Then at class build on the basic neutral trigger press and sight picture and start working max speed up close, mid range and distance at different paces.

I would set basic par times to help them contextualize.


Basically what’s old is new again. The Bakersfield 10 shot drill was very effective in training because it encompasses hit factor scoring with close and far targets.

It’s basically 4 distance range finding drills.

There doesn’t have to be a lot of talk if the drills are appropriately selected and the objectives are clear.

[LOKNLOD]

How about this:

If using a phrase like “see what you need to see, nothing less and nothing more,” the instructor better damn well understand what that means themselves.

In implementing teaching, that phrase should NOT be a standalone statement and should be reserved for the follow up summary of a drill that SHOWS and helps PRACTICE the concept of under versus over confirmation.

I agree on both of those.

It is a potentially helpful mnemonic to condense a broad set of principles into a quick reminder for those who have the instruction/experience enough to understand but not practiced enough to ingrain to the point of subconscious default.


Old saying about sermon structure - "3 points and a poem". All these phrases are great "poems" but they're not the meat of the sermon.

[Warped Mindless]

So, for reference, I can pass the original federal Air Marshals pistol test cold. I’m not a novice shooter but I still have a lot of progress I wish to make. So with that said; When I completely target focus my gun disappears from my vision entirely. Ive done it today both dry and live and I’m confused. I get that I’m supposed to see “blurry” sights but I see nothing, zip, natta. The gun becomes “transparent” and I see NOTHING except the target as if I’m holding air.

I would like to get this down as there are several advantages to being able to target focus with irons but I’m clearly missing something here. I have 20/20 vision so I doubt its a vision problem.

What gives?

[Mr_White]

Like many things, "see what you need to see" is great, if accompanied by understanding, and pretty lame when reduced to a bumper-sticker level cliche and nothing more.

[Caballoflaco]

So, for reference, I can pass the original federal Air Marshals pistol test cold. I’m not a novice shooter but I still have a lot of progress I wish to make. So with that said; When I completely target focus my gun disappears from my vision entirely. Ive done it today both dry and live and I’m confused. I get that I’m supposed to see “blurry” sights but I see nothing, zip, natta. The gun becomes “transparent” and I see NOTHING except the target as if I’m holding air.

I would like to get this down as there are several advantages to being able to target focus with irons but I’m clearly missing something here. I have 20/20 vision so I doubt its a vision problem.

What gives?

Have you tried it with a target that’s 6” from your muzzle? If it works there keep moving the target out until the gun disappears.

Can you see the target and gun with one eye closed. This should tell you if you’re switching eye dominance when you go to a hard target focus.

This is a common thing in traditional archery where people say they can’t see the 2 1/2 foot long arrow that is right under their eye.

[Warped Mindless]

Have you tried it with a target that’s 6” from your muzzle? If it works there keep moving the target out until the gun disappears.

Can you see the target and gun with one eye closed. This should tell you if you’re switching eye dominance when you go to a hard target focus.

This is a common thing in traditional archery where people say they can’t see the 2 1/2 foot long arrow that is right under their eye.

Not in a place where I can pull out my gun and dryfire right now but IF that’s the case about switching eye dominance, how is it fixed?

[Caballoflaco]

Not in a place where I can pull out my gun and dryfire right now but IF that’s the case about switching eye dominance, how is it fixed?

If it’s an eye dominance thing the standard solution in other shooting sports is to obscure the lens of the non shooting eye (there are lots of schools of thought on how opaque or big or little of a sticker etc.). I don’t know if there are specific eye exercises that can help solve the problem.

One more question. If you try to point at an object with no gun in your hand does your finger disappear too?

Maybe @Mr_White has some ideas, he’s put time into studying vision.

[Noah]

Not in a place where I can pull out my gun and dryfire right now but IF that’s the case about switching eye dominance, how is it fixed?

Put a patch over the eye you don't want to use for a few hours a day. I had to do this as a kid to strengthen my non dominant eye as there was such a disparity between the 2. Not positive it works on adults but something to look into

[Bergeron]

So I took some of the thoughts from this thread to range for a test drive.

I was shooting at target dots off on the side of one of those “image” targets at 10 yards- and sure enough, “full send with red anywhere on target dot” produced a hole that was literally the same size as the dot right over it.

This forum delivers!