Drills about forward & lateral transitions between positions .....

[Stefano]

In the next months I would like to work a lot on transitions between positions: both forward and lateral.

I need to increase my speed when "exiting" a position after firing .....

I've found very useful the live-fire drills in the second book of Steve Anderson (3 boxes, and 3 targets behind 2 visual barriers ...) but I would like to change sometimes the drills during practice, just to have something different to deal with.

Do you have some drills to suggest ?

[benos]

Stefano,

When I was working on that, I set up an 8" steel disc, at about 12 to 15 yards. Draw, shoot one hit, then move to a new position and shoot another hit. Then check the movement time on the timer. The movement split was the only thing I cared about. Then I'd just keep repeating that drill over and over while letting my body work out how to cut down the time. Eventually, but not "trying anything," I learned a pretty cool lesson. Then, I repeated the drill, moving forward, left, and right.

be

[Stefano]

Stefano,

When I was working on that, I set up an 8" steel disc, at about 12 to 15 yards. Draw, shoot one hit, then move to a new position and shoot another hit. Then check the movement time on the timer. The movement split was the only thing I cared about. Then I'd just keep repeating that drill over and over while letting my body work out how to cut down the time. Eventually, but not "trying anything," I learned a pretty cool lesson. Then, I repeated the drill, moving forward, left, and right.

be

Thank you SO MUCH Brian:

this drill seems to me as simple as ... effective ! !

Very quick setup, nothing to patch, and the only footwork to do is all about training, learning how to move efficiently for reducing split-times between exiting and entering in the next position.

.....and I just remember that last year I've built a "not-falling-plate" with a proper stand that is PERFECT for this drill ! ! .....

[SouthpawG26]

If i may add a tip based on my experience of coaching a team of about 20 serious competitors, forward/rearward transitions require lots of extra work and effort, much more so than lateral transitions....

[Nate]

I was able to improve the movement part by putting the gun down and setting par times on my timer from box to box. I held the timer at arms length (like a gun) and on the beep moved to the other box and brought the timer up to a stable position before the second beep. I worked the par times down by .1 seconds and was able to translate the improvements to my range performance. I can do this in the back yard without getting the swat team at my door. I worked side to side, front to back, back to front and at 45 Degree angles (moving forward). For some reason a gun seems to work as an anchor for me and, if I don't concentrate on moving, just gets drug from position to position.

[Stefano]

If i may add a tip based on my experience of coaching a team of about 20 serious competitors, forward/rearward transitions require lots of extra work and effort, much more so than lateral transitions....

Yes, of course: it's not so common to find in course designs but - for this motive - it's important to be ready when you find yourself in such a situation ....

Thanks for remind it !

[Stefano]

I was able to improve the movement part by putting the gun down and setting par times on my timer from box to box. I held the timer at arms length (like a gun) and on the beep moved to the other box and brought the timer up to a stable position before the second beep. I worked the par times down by .1 seconds and was able to translate the improvements to my range performance. I can do this in the back yard without getting the swat team at my door. I worked side to side, front to back, back to front and at 45 Degree angles (moving forward). For some reason a gun seems to work as an anchor for me and, if I don't concentrate on moving, just gets drug from position to position.

OK, thanks: I'll try !

It seems very interesting (and useful ...).

[Stefano]

Well, yesterday I went to the range for working on Brian's drill ....

Setup:

1 classic popper (in absence of plates ...) at 20 yards from two boxes, settled 5/6 yards from each-other.

At the start signal, draw, one shot, move to the other box, one shot.

At the beginning the average inter-time from shot to shot was 2,25 .... after some mags it becomed 1,80

I know that I've to work agaig & again on this but I feel that the drill is good for me !

Now I ask myself if the distance between the two boxes it's rilevant or not .....

I think that too short is not good, but too long perhaps it's also not good: that's why I choosed a distance of 5/6 yards between the two boxes.

It's not a "cardio training" but a "quick setup" drill ... right ?

Edited November 16, 2007 by Stefano

[ChrisStock]

This is something that has been nagging me, and my movement/transitions from shooting boxes is abysmal. Thanks for sharing the question and responses. I'll incorporate some of this into next weeks drills/practice , but will use an 8"X6 plate rack instead of the steel disk or popper. Fewer resets

[Stefano]

.......... but will use an 8"X6 plate rack instead of the steel disk or popper. Fewer resets

Ehmm ... I forgot to say that I've previously tricked the popper, blocking it standing still ...

Next time I'll bring with me a useful "not-falling-plate" that I've got last year: very useful in this kind of drills because you haven't to reset it anytime (... and because the plate forces you to a more accurate aiming, IMHO).

By the way: just to share any good idea .... for this kind of drills in my opinion is VERY important to use the right shoes (footbal type, with cleats ...): so you can work "at full-power" on sprints & stops without risk of slippering

Edited November 16, 2007 by Stefano

[benos]

Stefano,

Doing that drill, I learned that you can save about twice as much time leaving an an array than you can as you enter a new position. (Of course this is comparing targets with similar difficulty levels.) Once you feel like you've made some good progress/learning by practicing on one target, set up a similar drill, but set up 5 or 6 fairly tough shots in both positions. (Like head box shots at 12 - 15 yards, or 6 randomly placed 8" discs at 15 yards.) This will stress a proper full-body setup in the new position. (As opposed to just coming in and shooting 1 target.)

be

[Stefano]

Stefano,

Doing that drill, I learned that you can save about twice as much time leaving an an array than you can as you enter a new position. (Of course this is comparing targets with similar difficulty levels.) Once you feel like you've made some good progress/learning by practicing on one target, set up a similar drill, but set up 5 or 6 fairly tough shots in both positions. (Like head box shots at 12 - 15 yards, or 6 randomly placed 8" discs at 15 yards.) This will stress a proper full-body setup in the new position. (As opposed to just coming in and shooting 1 target.)

be

Thank you so much Brian !

I have to work a lot on this drill, because speed in transitions between position is at the moment surely my weakest point ...

I am a long-limbed guy with long legs, but I am not able to use them as I should !

Stefano

Edited November 20, 2007 by Stefano

[Mo Hepworth]

Matt Burkett also has some plate rack drills in his DVD "How to practice". From box A, draw and hit two steel, than move to the box B laterally, (do a mag change or not), and as you enter the box, have the gun up and ready with first step into the box, then engage two more steel. Works, draw, transition, movement, mag change, entering box, etc.

Edited November 20, 2007 by Mo Hepworth

[Stefano]

Matt Burkett also has some plate rack drills in his DVD "How to practice". From box A, draw and hit two steel, than move to the box B laterally, (do a mag change or not), and as you enter the box, have the gun up and ready with first step into the box, then engage two more steel. Works, draw, transition, movement, mag change, entering box, etc.

Thanks Mo,

I know that drilll (I've got me too Matt's DvD ...): it's great but at my practice range I haven't so much space and it's impossible for me to have a setup with so many shooting boxes ....

It take also a lot of time to place down all the SB at the required distances, and to take note of the split-times, just to have a trace of the emprovements .....

But I'll take it in my mind, first time I'll have the opportunity to training in a bigger range

[XRe]

Matt Burkett also has some plate rack drills in his DVD "How to practice".

I know that drilll (I've got me too Matt's DvD ...): it's great but at my practice range I haven't so much space and it's impossible for me to have a setup with so many shooting boxes ....

I think you guys are talking different drills.... Mo's talking about drills involving two boxes and one or two plate racks. Stefano, I think you're talking about the 12 box drills??? I use the 12 box, but I have a diagram in my drill box that numbers the boxes 1-15 (I added three more to the mix). Then, I can put down 2-3 boxes at yardages that match distances between 2 or 3 boxes in the diagram, and work them several different ways. In my journal, I note the draw, and movement splits, and I note the drill with the box pattern - say, 6-8-1, or something like that. I tend to just keep it well mixed up, not necessarily tracking each individual possibility intently, but I can have some things to refer back to later, if I like...

[Stefano]

Matt Burkett also has some plate rack drills in his DVD "How to practice".

I know that drilll (I've got me too Matt's DvD ...): it's great but at my practice range I haven't so much space and it's impossible for me to have a setup with so many shooting boxes ....

I think you guys are talking different drills.... Mo's talking about drills involving two boxes and one or two plate racks. Stefano, I think you're talking about the 12 box drills??? I use the 12 box, but I have a diagram in my drill box that numbers the boxes 1-15 (I added three more to the mix). Then, I can put down 2-3 boxes at yardages that match distances between 2 or 3 boxes in the diagram, and work them several different ways. In my journal, I note the draw, and movement splits, and I note the drill with the box pattern - say, 6-8-1, or something like that. I tend to just keep it well mixed up, not necessarily tracking each individual possibility intently, but I can have some things to refer back to later, if I like...

Oooops, sorry: I've misunderstood Mo's post !

I was referring to Matt Burkett's 9 box drills .....

9 or 12 boxes are too many for my practice range, but I can easily arrange for a setup with 3 boxes, with some different kind of targets (papers & steels) downrange ...

Thaks for the tip !

Edited November 21, 2007 by Stefano