Getting More out of “Cold Performance” Assessments

I am a firm believer in performance tests and standards to evaluate defensive pistol shooting skills.  I regularly shoot a variety of courses that require that I draw from concealment at known distances and deliver shots into realistic targets within a set time to achieve a scoring metric.  Such standardized courses of fire are indisputably the best way to hone efficiency and measure personal performance to a standard while reinforcing on the square range the compound skills necessary for success in the sort of lethal combat we’re preparing for.

However, I think that we can optimize the first run of the day by introducing some ambiguity into the evaluation by mixing things up.  The reality is that you’re not truly cold when that shot timer beeps.  Sure, they’re the first shots out of the holster that day, but if you arrive at the range knowing exactly what you’re going to do then you’re not truly “cold” because you are mentally prepared to perform the known test.  There is no ambiguity, your task and the standards are very familiar.  To derive maximum value from the time and expense I believe that we’re much better off if we’re “lukewarm,” meaning that we don’t know the real deal until the next to the last second.  This gives us a much more realistic appreciation for our performance in those circumstances and mimics real life to the extent possible. The way to accomplish this highly desirable end state is to mix things up.

Mixing Things Up

1.  Put your drills/qual courses on 3x5 cards and shuffle them, then draw the top card and execute.  (You may have to sort your card deck by the type of target required.  A bullseye deck and a silhouette stack, for instance.  Have four or five of each drill deck.)  This is even better if your range partner selects the course for you.  Your knowledge of what is exactly going to be required will be limited as you approach the line and then the requisite for that string is announced to you, followed by the chosen stimulus to shoot, usually a shot timer beep.

2. Don’t have a favorite!  Many fall into the habit of practicing one drill/qualification to the point of near perfection, particularly if that course of fire is currently in vogue. This is great if you’re trying to be Instagram famous…but to your detriment if f you want to expand the knowledge of your personal performance and gain a true appreciation of where you’ll likely be at the start of a lethal encounter.

3.  Consider manufacturing a “Determinator” and devise your own courses of fire.  (The lasers are available from Amazon, natch!)

The Determinator

Determinator Lexicon

Using a visual stimulus in conjunction with a shot timer set to silent mode allows you train your head and drill all your potential responses in an unknown situation.  For instance, start with Craig Douglas’ “Manage Unknown Contacts” you would verbalize with your partner playing the role of an aggressive panhandler, and then upon a visual cue transition to firing a controlled pair to the high center mass of the target, and then move on to after incident procedures.  This technique could be easily incorporated into any number of closer range performance assessments from Tom Givens of Range Master.  I suspect that you’ll find that blazing 1.25 second draw stroke you’re so proud of may slip to 1.6 or so when you must select a proper response rather than simply shoot on the beep you know is coming.  Some of these iterations may involve NOT firing, in which case they’re kept off the clock, but your proper response is noted.  (You do practice drawing, issuing a verbal command and not shooting, right?)  An additional benefit is that with a partner that is adept with a shot timer sent on silent you’ll be able to measure split times and how quickly you can STOP shooting.  This is accomplished by giving the shooter the “two green” cue to fire and then starting the timer simultaneously with the STOP signal.  This may be a crucial bit of information if, God forbid, you find yourself the defendant accused of using excessive force.  I’ll be producing a video illustrating this methodology and other assessment applications via the Determinator.

4. Change up the strings in a known course of fire.  Use the same standards but vary the progression.  Start at 15, move to three, then back to 25 and then 10.  This will require more time but will help keep you on your toes.

5.  If your range allows you to have more than one target you have an opportunity to mix and match courses of fire, providing the scoring standards are compatible.  Target one is a traditional bullseye, target two a silhouette.  Course of fire one is a Range Master test, course two something from Mike Seeklander, then run them concurrently.   This will require some fancy clipboard work and ammunition management, but I believe it could be done.

Regardless of which path you choose, try to video every run you make and then watch those videos in slow motion.  Small things may reveal themselves and while you may end up with a good score on paper, the sum of small things can ultimately be the arbiter between survival and death.  Use these tools to hone your skills while expanding your capacity. 

At the end of it, we train and measure our performance for what is essentially an open book, pass/fail test.  We know the problem, and what we must be able to do repeatedly and efficiently.  By contextualizing our drills we can achieve greater impact on our performance and better preparation.

Just Get Home!

John