I have been reading a lot of posts in some recent threads on PF where folks are suggesting the classic "slow down and get your hits" when faced with shooting under time pressure.
I am of the camp that is very much against this ideology for the following reasons:
The mind works like a machine. Give it an input, it provides an output (Ben Stoeger). Giving a shooter on the range the input "slow down" usually results in an output of everything slowing down: the draw, transition, reload, movement, not just the careful shooting desired.
Hit factor scoring and defensive shooting are both successfully executed as fast as possible, emphasis on FAST. The answer to these challenges are never to purposely slow down, EVER! Any slowing down is a gift to your opponent/competition.
Human perception of speed is inaccurate. What feels and looks fast can be slow, what feels and looks slow can be fast.
Fast is a relative term. What is fast for some is slow for others.
So what do we replace "slow down and get your hits" with?
Instead of a vague notions of fast and slow, we decide, based on experience and experimentation to shoot using VISUAL cues.
We decide to shoot based on sight confirmation (Hwansik Kim) or seeing what you need to see (I believe @JCN mentioned this in a thread or three).
I understand sight confirmation so I'll put it here (there is a corresponding level of confirmation for irons that I'm too lazy to type out):
Confirmation 0: Body index, outline of slide in front of your face
Confirmation 1: Streak of red dot over the intended target
Confirmation 2: Moving circular dot over intended target
Confirmation 3: Steady circular dot over intended target
For example, a shooter experiments with different confirmation levels at varying target difficulties and learns they can shoot a 3 yard full size USPSA target with Confirmation 0 but needs Confirmation 3 at a 25 yard head box.
What is important here is that never at any point is the word "slow" employed.
Our training efforts should be spent on driving good technique at the limit of human function (Steve Anderson) into our subconscious so that the gun handling is perfect and consistent when called upon. It should be spent on learning the sight confirmation required to get the hit we want and executing the shot(s) as soon as possible. The more we master these elements the more brain power we can bring to bear on the important decisions of when to shoot, the rate of fire, and when we decide to stop shooting.
Hopefully this sparks some ideas and discussion about why we really need to drop the "slow" stuff and point people in the right direction.