Worlds Collide: Competition Transitioning Drill
Rob LeathamDescription
Competition shooting drills measure both how quickly and how accurately the shooter can complete the task. In this video, Rob Leatham has set up a competition transitioning drill with one paper and three steel targets. The drill consists of a total of seven shots.
Firing Sequence
Whoever shoots fastest and most accurately will have the best score, as in other competition shooting drills. This drill requires the shooter to first hit the steel target once, then hit the paper target twice, next hit the second steel target for one shot, back to the paper for two shots, then the third steel target for one final shot.
Rob Leatham lets defensive shooting and handgun training instructor Rob Pincus define the value of accuracy on the targets in this drill. Rob Pincus decides it should be any hit in the C zone — which would be a solid hit in a defensive shooting. And it’s a failure if any shot is outside the C zone.
Shooting the Drill
Rob Pincus makes all the hits in a time of 5.05 seconds. Rob Leatham then shoots the drill in 3.33 seconds. Why can Rob L shoot the drill so much faster?
They conclude it is because Rob L does not doubt at any point that he is going to make every shot. He shoots this and all competition shooting drills with the mindset that he is never going to miss a target.
He expands on this by explaining that one of the techniques he uses when doing firearms training with students is to instill in them the idea that they know the result of the shot before they have fired it. Rob does not come back to see if he hit the target, or stay to see if he hit it. That’s the competition mindset at work.
In a gunfight, it doesn’t work that way. But in competition, there is no assessment. And that makes a big difference in how competitors and defensive shooters approach drills, and in the results they get.
All right, let's, what do you got? You're ready? Okay. We have a drill set up here. This is a transitioning drill. But it's a competition transitioning drill, which means I'm gonna care about how fast you do it. But guess what else I'm gonna measure? Whether or not I actually do the thing I'm supposed to do. I wanna know that how, not only how quick you can do it, how accurate you can do it. And it'll be the same thing, whoever shoots fastest and most accurately is gonna have the best score. But all you're gonna do is shoot a popper. You have to hit a popper first. If you go miss and go here, you still have to go back. Miss, two other paper. Miss- Sarah! Why do you always throw? That was a Freudian slip, I'm sorry. You're not going to miss. Steel, put two on the paper. Steel, two on the paper, steel. So it's ding, bang bang, ding, bang bang, ding. But we have to define from the competition standpoint the value of accuracy on the target, and I'll let you define it, any hit. Any hit... oh no, I see you're saying, so yeah, so I would go defensive, I would say anywhere inside of the C zone, and you're good to go. Perfect, and would you say it's a failure if you are outside of the C zone? Oh yeah. Okay. Then that, I'm going to say, I have absolutely no problem with that. All right. Right. So you understand what you're doing? I understand what you're doing. You're going to start from ready position, loaded up, ready to rock. Make sure I'm loaded here, just in case I have to cover for you. Whoa! Yeah? Are you calling me out? Yeah. Yeah. Oh my gosh. I have to go to another place. You get so angry. I have to go to another place. I don't know why, you're making me shoot on a timer! Here you go. As soon as ready. Hit the popper once. One popper, two on the paper. One popper, two on the paper, one popper. Soon as ready. Stand by! Standing by. Well, you added another comeback to the paper, but that's okay. It's all right! Clear! It's all right, your time is 5.05. That wasn't what we're supposed to do? No, well, you just shot at the paper again, but you didn't need to, it's okay. I'm just starting to steal in this. I'll set your targets up. Let's set it up. So you've got all your hits in the part of the target you're supposed to have, so you're good to go. And as expected, you shot a really good run because we all know you're a better shot than you like to tell people. Well, that's not true. It's true. It's true. You make me competitive. Wow. And that's what I want to drag out of you is another place. I want you to go to another place. So you're 5.05. All right. What was your ready position? I just want to make sure I do it. Like that, like that. All right. What kind of gun is that? Don't you even mind yourself. Stand by, shooter! You're so much faster than me! 3.33. Why? Because you don't doubt at any point in this game that you're ever going to miss a target. Never going to miss. Never going to miss. One of the techniques that I'm training people in on is to know the result of the shot before they fire it. I don't come back to see if I hit. I don't stay to see if I hit. Sure. That's the competition side of it. In a fight, you might not do it that way. No, but for- For just the measurement. There's no assessment and it makes a big difference, and it shows. Here's your $10. This is snacks. That's mine right there. Keeping that.
Man, I wish I had a range nearby where I could do a drill like that... Fun AND helpful!