The two most common reasons for missing a shot are establishing muzzle-target alignment and then disrupting that alignment on the break, or your alignment wasn’t sufficient for the level of technicality that shot demanded. This particular drill is designed to remedy the latter. Creating and keeping alignment is the essential skill to set an acceptable arc-of-wobble as part of your hold control while being held accountable for both one’s time and accuracy.
Our drill isolates acquisition of a rapid and acceptable arc-of-wobble, developing a critical skill integral to hold control. The more refined your arc-of-wobble, the better your shot placement. By demanding more out of your arc-of-wobble, there are three varied conditions to which such refinement may be applied. One is a target at long range, another at medium range and the third is a target at close range.
Here’s the Drill
Set up three paper targets with a designated center mass, one at the 25-yard line (T1), one at the 15-yard line (T2) and one at the 10-yard line (T3). Shooters who are seeking more of a challenge may increase target difficulty by reducing target size, increasing distance, adding a time requirement or setting a greater penalty for a miss.
Long Range
Start with a holstered pistol, both hands below your gun belt. On the buzzer or “go” signal, draw from the holster to T1. Align your pistol sights with the visual center of T1 (set your arc-of-wobble), but do not break a shot or manipulate the trigger. On the second pass do not break the shot but take your trigger to the wall. On your third time through, break the shot only when your arc-of-wobble falls within the visual center of the designated center-mass area of T1. Repeat these three passes again (run this series at least three times, taking less time for each run). What do you notice happens to the margins of your acceptable (set) arc-of-wobble on each pass?
Medium Range
Start with a holstered pistol, both hands below your gun belt. On the buzzer or “go” signal, draw from the holster to T2. Align your sights with the visual center of T2 and do not break a shot or manipulate the trigger. On the second pass do not break the shot but get to the wall. On your third time through, break the shot only when your arc-of-wobble falls within the visual center of the designated center-mass area of T2. Repeat these three passes again (run this series at least three times, taking less time for each run).
Close Range
Start with a holstered pistol, both hands below your gun belt. On the buzzer or “go” signal, draw from the holster to T3. Align your sights with the visual center of T3 and do not break a shot or manipulate the trigger. On the second pass do not break the shot but get to the wall. On your third time through, break the shot only when your arc-of-wobble falls within the visual center of the designated center-mass area of T3. Repeat these three passes again (run this series at least three times taking less time for each run).
The purpose of this drill is to discover, by feel and experience, what it takes to create, maintain and refine (tame) your arc-of-wobble on demand. This drill can help you dial in the precise arc-of-wobble and in the time needed for shooting at varied ranges. Knowing the necessary level of refinement and how long it takes to make that refinement happen (aka tame your wobble) at each range increases your understanding, technical skill and even your essential on-demand performance.
