Training program?

Do you have a training plan?  Or is it just when every you find the time?
Dave C.

I'll caveat this by stating I've only been shooting Bullseye for a few months (1 full 2700, a 45 900, and 1 22 EIC and Service Pistol EIC down) and had no local mentor. Using the AMU guide, searching through this forum, and talking with Dave Salyer both in person and over email I've come up with the following:

Holding drills a couple days a week, as Brian Sanderson describes. 45 to 60 seconds holding and then 2 minutes off. I usually do this 7 or 8 times as time allows. I may be holding my neck wrong or something, but my eyes do not like trying to focus only on the front sight for that long, and start to feel a bit funny at about the 45 second mark.

3 or 4 days a week, dry firing for at least 20 or 30 shots close to the blank wall, trying to keep the sights as perfect as possible. This drill has been not only recommended by many here, but also the two double-distingished CG guys I know, and a few guys at the local club I've spoken to. The gentleman who won the SC state match a few months ago said that with him being on the road 60% or more of the time, he still maintains his performance level by almost exclusively dry firing.

I do plenty of lighter weights and cardio at work, so I don't do anything fitness related to specifically focus on helping shooting.

In my FNG marksman-level opinion think the dry firing focusing on the sights has helped me the most. Coming from a combat shooting/USPSA background if the sights weren't aligned perfectly you could still get a good hit. Bullseye is a different story, and is obviously a lot more challenging. My first couple shots slow fire are usually very good, and if I could overcome this jerking (the trigger) habit after the first couple shots I'm sure I'd be shooting higher than 84 slow fire.

I've also been re-reading With Winning in Mind for a little mental management side of the house. It has definitely helped my attitude/thought process on the line, particularly after the many shots that don't go where I want them to.

My training plan isn't written down on a calendar. I try to find the time as possible with a full time job, travel for work, 3 night classes at 2 different schools, and a wife and 3.5 kids.

This is all the training program you need (12 parts)! Pistol Shooting: The Art (Part 1) by Ed Hall

Dave C. wrote:Do you have a training plan?  Or is it just when every you find the time?
Dave C.

Are you serious about improving or just having fun and hope to improve?

Serious = plan, with goals/milestones
Fun = when I have the time

- Dave

I do. Not as thorough or as involved of a plan as when I was shooting for a living, but each year I create up a yearly training plan with goals and opportunities. Then as each opportunity comes up to meet a goal, I develop a "plan of attack".

I also keep a journal/log throughout the year, and create a summary report at the end of each year, so that I can get an macro sense of what I'm doing when things are going well.

I would like to suggest....


 Never use your pistol as a weight for hold exercises. In my opinion that only reinforces chicken finger. If you have your pistol in hand you should be practicing shot process. Use a bar bell for hold exercises.