In January, I’m going to focus my dry fire and live fire training on three key skills: a fast draw, quick target acquisition and smooth, efficient reloads.

Don’t be dissuaded from mounting a red dot pistol optic on your first handgun. Given the advantages of a red dot, it’s all upside.

To be competitive, “movement” is absolutely key. And, in a broader sense, “reaction time.” Which has direct defensive utility.

In this designated target drill, I work multiple target transitions, at different heights, different distances, and different levels of difficulty.

The work I’m doing to shoot more aggressively is really paying off in performance.

Run this Target ID drill to get you working on basic transitions.

Want to make 10 yards easy? Learn to shoot at 25 yards aggressively with accountability.

Nothing beats discovering what you’re doing wrong, learning how to correct it, and then seeing immediate and measurable results.

The vast majority of shooters I see never evolve their training beyond basic slow fire target practice at an indoor range.

Do you blow through expensive ammo on the range, without ever moving the meter on your skill development?

If you want to develop real proficiency, there is no way around training and practice —putting in the reps in dry fire and live fire— and testing your skills way beyond single round accuracy at 3 yards.

My EDC set up was a failure. I needed to fix it.

Take an active role in your development by turning questions or problems into bite-sized chunks of learning. This increased knowledge will be a motivating force.

Is a subcompact always the best choice for EDC? When to consider a larger frame.