Thoughts on training and practice...

[camus]

Par times help. 

Thanks for the detailed response and thread in general. I have been working with a timer on off since this summer, but it was mostly, this is my comfort time, let's beat that. I have struggled with tempo and this should really help. Thanks again.


One question for you all that do the "Wall Drill", I have always done this about 3ft from a blank wall, at 1" I tend to get a double sight picture. Anyone else run into this?

[JTH]

One question for you all that do the "Wall Drill", I have always done this about 3ft from a blank wall, at 1" I tend to get a double sight picture. Anyone else run into this?

What is probably means is that you normally (when aiming at other things) don't actually focus on the front sight, but instead focus on the target and place the (not-really-clear) image of the front sight on the target. 

Now, that's a guess---but pretty much ANY time you actually focus clearly on the front sight, you should get a double image.  If you aren't, it means you probably aren't really focusing on the front sight.

I practice at about a foot from the wall, because I don't want to accidentally bash my gun into the wall on a draw or a reload.  However, if you are starting with the gun up, DO actually have the gun very very close to the wall.

The wall drill does two things:

1) gets you used to focusing on the front sight without distraction from anything else (like a target!) while it also gives you tons of practice at focusing on the correct sight picture (and ignoring the secondary image)

2) gives you direct, precise feedback as to your trigger control.  As you press the trigger, the sights should NOT move.  The gun shouldn't move either.  Each time, you should get a perfect trigger press---but not by performing bullseye trigger control.  You are working on having a perfect grip and trigger control such that pulling the trigger at speed doesn't move the gun or the sights.    Initially, you may have to work the trigger slowly.  However, the point is to eventually reach the ability to keep the gun stable and the sights aligned while pulling the trigger repeatedly at speed.

---oh, and there is a 3rd thing it does:  it trains you to watch the front sight at the moment the trigger breaks.  Having that an ingrained habit will make you a better shooter for many reasons.


If just standing there pointing the gun at the wall is boring, and you think your pull is all good, then instead of starting with the gun at the wall, start by drawing the gun from the holster.  Or start by reloading and then pulling the trigger. 

If you need help pushing yourself because you think you are doing well but pulling the trigger too slowly, add a par time, and adjust the time downward.

Remember, though--the point is to perfect trigger control.  Speed is secondary.  (Or more precisely, speed will come with repetition.  Don't push speed if it makes you shake the gun around.)  Be close enough to the completely blank wall that it gives no reference points at all to your eyes---the only thing in your view should be the gun.

And don't forget to practice SHO and WHO!

(Always fun to get to the point where on the audible start signal you draw, transfer the gun to the weak hand, and take one shot with the sights locked in and the gun not moving in 1.5 seconds.  )

[camus]

What is probably means is that you normally (when aiming at other things) don't actually focus on the front sight, but instead focus on the target and place the (not-really-clear) image of the front sight on the target. 

I think there is some truth to this, it just seemed my I was seeing a lot more of it when that close. I worked on it some more tonight, my non-dominant eye takes over when I am that close and the second image was in sharper focus. I backed up to about 12", practiced, moved forward to about 4". then 1", not as bad. I will keep working on it.

And don't forget to practice SHO and WHO!

Noted!

(Always fun to get to the point where on the audible start signal you draw, transfer the gun to the weak hand, and take one shot with the sights locked in and the gun not moving in 1.5 seconds.  )

Yeah, I will be working on that. 

Thanks again for the insight. Much appreciated.

Cheers.

[JTH]

I think there is some truth to this, it just seemed my I was seeing a lot more of it when that close. I worked on it some more tonight, my non-dominant eye takes over when I am that close and the second image was in sharper focus. I backed up to about 12", practiced, moved forward to about 4". then 1", not as bad. I will keep working on it.

"my non-dominant eye takes over when I am that close" ---- that close to what?  The gun isn't positioned any differently relative to your eyes no matter where the wall is, and your eyes should be on the gun---so if anything else changes when you move farther away, it is because you are putting your focus on the wall, not the front sight. 

Does your front sight have serrations on the top?  If so, something to do to help focus on the front sight is to try to clearly see the first ridge of the serrations on the top of the front sight.  (Because after all, we should be focusing on the top edge of the front sight, not just the front sight.)

This drill, simple as it is, tends to be a real eye-opener for people, because it is AMAZING how long we can be shooting without knowing that we aren't really watching the front sight. 

(You have a LOT of company.  )

[camus]

"my non-dominant eye takes over when I am that close" ---- that close to what?  The gun isn't positioned any differently relative to your eyes no matter where the wall is, and your eyes should be on the gun---so if anything else changes when you move farther away, it is because you are putting your focus on the wall, not the front sight. 

When I was moving that close to the wall, I would loose the focus on the front sight and my left eye was taking over, I could read the side of the slide clear as day. Now I have been doing this for almost a week at 1" and I have over come it to a point. I will keep working on it, it is now my main "focus" when I dryfire.

Does your front sight have serrations on the top?  If so, something to do to help focus on the front sight is to try to clearly see the first ridge of the serrations on the top of the front sight.  (Because after all, we should be focusing on the top edge of the front sight, not just the front sight.)

Nope, it is a big white night sight. What has helped is blacking it out.

This drill, simple as it is, tends to be a real eye-opener for people, because it is AMAZING how long we can be shooting without knowing that we aren't really watching the front sight. 

(You have a LOT of company.  )

I hope so, I was going crosseyed when I first started it. Again, thanks for the tips.

[JTH]

Nope, it is a big white night sight. What has helped is blacking it out.

Ah.  Do you find a tendency to shoot high at distance when it isn't blacked out? 

Warning: Thread drift! 

Lots of people who shoot with a front dot of some sort (Glock regular sights, anyone's night sights, fiber optics where the fiber is mounted low on the front sight, etc) find that they have a tendency to focus on the center of the dot, which is LOW on the front sight.  As such, they tend to put the center of the dot at the height of the rear sight when aiming.

And our sights are in alignment when the top of the front sight is at the height of the rear sight when aiming. 

Near shots, like 10 yards or less, this doesn't really make a difference.  Tight shots at 15 yards, might make a difference.  20 yard shots---it certainly DOES make a difference. 

In the picture, sight picture A is what many people instinctively do.  (Our eyes tend to try to "center" circles.)  You can even see in the picture below it (of the real gun) that the sights are misaligned in that way.



We WANT to do B.  Yet---we often don't, unless we are thinking about it.

The Trijicon sights on the bottom right are one version that is interesting---in cases like those, people tend to not look at the profile of either the rear OR the front sight.  Instead, they look at the dots and attempt to align them.  Results may vary.    (I know that for me,  it just doesn't work well on anything but near targets.  I don't like that much visual busy-ness in my sight picture.  It also doesn't help that the three dots aren't always the same size.)

 I'll note that I still use a fiber optic on the front sight (with an all-black rear sight), and I really like it.  In dim light or in situations where the background is varied in color and pattern, etc, I find that for me, a full-black front sight just doesn't get picked up as quickly by my eyes.  The contrast of a fiber optic (or any dot, really) makes for much faster acquisition. 

Which simply means as a shooter, I have to pay more attention to how I'm aligning the sights.  For near targets, no problem.  If I have to make a precision shot---I have to align the top of the front sight with the rear sight.  And you can only do that with serious practice at focusing on that front sight.

(Which, I'll note, gets old.  I find the Wall Drill really boring, actually.  And yet, it is probably one of those things that will make the largest difference to people's accuracy.  [sigh]  So I do the Wall Drill every time I dryfire, no matter what else I'm doing, and no matter how tired I am of it.)