I can’t do this by myself

I’m working on becoming more proficient with carbine. This is a very challenging goal for me. And it’s up to me to make it a priority.

So I’m thinking about participating in a PCSL 2-gun match. I originally shrugged it off, figuring it wasn’t in the cards. I told myself, no, it’s too hard. I can’t do this. I’ll look bad.

Then something happened. I did indeed look bad. And then I learned something. And then I got better. Not great, but better. Through practice, training and dry fire, I achieved measurable improvements. Then I got excited. And things are starting to click.

So I’m going to give the 2-gun match a try. I have a lot of work to do to improve. But competition is a great motivator for me. It gives my practice purpose. It tests me and allows me to see exactly where I’m at in terms of skill.

However, I know I can’t get there by myself. I need help. I want to be exposed to new ideas. I want to know what the best shooters are doing. I want constructive feedback. I want training from a skilled and knowledgeable instructor.

This week I was out with Gino Giliotti from 1ST IN putting in a day of live fire practice. I was struggling with slow split times hovering near 1 second. For both practical and self defense purposes, this is unacceptable.

My connection to the gun was solid during most runs. I was getting pushed back a bit so I needed to be more aggressive in my stance. Mount was consistent. But I was struggling to stay target focused. And I didn’t feel confident.

So Gino had me focus on correcting one thing: vision, locking in on the target with the right mindset. I started getting splits in the .2s.

I had to get outside my comfort zone and start exploring what was possible in terms of my performance. Pushing to be faster and more aggressive. Working to accept failure as a constant part of training. Nothing beats discovering what you’re doing wrong, learning how to correct it, and then seeing immediate and measurable results. This is what a good instructor helps you to do.

Unfortunately, too often people think they can figure it all out on their own, never questioning what they’re doing or looking outside their own sphere. Their shooting skills are terrible. Often their instructors are terrible.

First, question what you’re doing. Can it be better? Always be thinking about how you can improve your performance in terms of balancing speed with accuracy, at farther distances. How are you developing the hard skills of shooting?

Second, vet trainers. Do you know what questions to ask when vetting a firearms instructor? Can they demo anything? Do they compete? Shooting is a perishable skill. What training do they do? Are they evolving or stagnating? Are they running a proper business with proper insurance?

You don’t know what you don’t know.