MVP Drill

To shoot multiple targets well, there are several factors which contribute to more efficient target transitions. Three of these factors are mental focus, visual focus and trigger press with emphasis on reducing unintended (foreign) input such as changes in a shooter’s grip pressure, under- or over-travel and the like, resulting in misses or even unwanted lengthy transition times.

Our drill this month trains you to develop an elevated level of mental, visual and mechanical focus, which is necessary to reduce errors (frequency and/or intensity) and transition times in between multiple targets.

Here’s the Drill:

Set up three steel or paper targets with a designated center mass, one at the 15-yard line (T1), one at the 20-yard line (T2) and another one at the 25-yard line (T3) about 3 yards apart, laterally. Shooters seeking more of a challenge may increase the drill’s difficulty by either reducing the size of the targets, increasing distance or setting a greater penalty for a miss.

The methodology here is to first train in isolation your mental focus (M), then your visual focus (V) and then your mechanical focus—applying a precisely timed press (P), then combine the M + V + P so as to produce an MVP transition process with fewer processing errors and shorter transition times.

First Run
Start with a loaded and holstered pistol with your hands below your gun belt. On the buzzer or “go” signal, draw from the holster and fire one round on T2, followed by one round on T1, another round on T2, one on T3 and then end with one more on T2 for a total of five rounds. Record your total time and then your transition times (measured shots between each target).

Second Run
Stand with your hands below your belt. In this run you are not using your gun, but only your mind. Reach out with your mind and “touch” T2, followed by T1, then back to T2, then to T3 and then end back on T2. You will have completed five mentally focused “movements.”

Third Run
Stand with your hands below your belt. In this run, you are not using your gun, but now your mind and visual focus. Using your eyes to “grab a chunk of visual center” of each target. Reach out with your mind/eyes and “touch/grab” T2, followed by T1, then back to T2, then to T3 and then end back on T2. You will have completed five mentally/visually focused movements.

Fourth Run
Start with an unloaded and holstered pistol, hands below your gun belt. On the buzzer or “go” signal, draw from the holster, cognizant of your speed (don’t waste any time here). Apply your newly attuned mental/visual “touch/grab” skills and dry fire one “round” on T2, followed by one on T1, another on T2, one on T3 and then end the drill with one more on T2 for a total of five “touch/grab” dry-fire rounds.

Fifth Run
Start with a loaded and holstered pistol, hands below your gun belt. On the buzzer or “go” signal, draw from the holster using your above mental-visual “touch/grab” skills and fire one round on T2, followed by one round on T1, another round on T2, one on T3 and then end with one more on T2 for a total of five rounds. Record your total time and then your transition time.

Compare the results of your first run with the result of your fifth. What is the difference in your overall run time and transition times? What did you observe in terms of your performance? Were there more or fewer errors?

The purpose of this drill is to discover by feel and experience that moving the gun faster is a conflux of mental, visual and mechanical (trigger press) processing alacrity. The quicker you get there mentally and visually, the more time you must prep the shot and control
your movement.

Keeping your foot on that mental gas pedal (M) and setting the pace visually (V) are what guide the mechanical process resulting in a well-positioned and well-timed press (P).