Episode 4: Learn More: The Balance of Speed & Precision

[Rob Pincus]

I've often said that if someone gets nothing else from the Combat Focus Shooting book, DVDs or courses, it should be an understanding of the concept of The Balance of Speed & Precision. Of course, TV doesn't allow us the time we need to really get into a relatively complex topic and we really focused on sharing the range drill related to the concept. Here is some more information for those interested. If you'd like to discuss BOS&P, please listen to the podcast and read the article first:

Here is a podcast from last year discussing the topic:

http://media.switchpod.com/users/robpincus/CFConcepts21.mp3.

...and here is an article:

Speed and Precision (By Rob Pincus)

All shooting is a balance between speed and precision.

Sometimes you need to be more precise, sometimes you need to be faster. Using this concept, most defensive shooting can be described in the following way: You need to get the hit that you need to get as quickly as you can get it. This statement can be summed up in one word: Efficiency. Efficiency includes effectiveness.
In the Combat Focus ™ shooting program, we explain it this way:
• The target dictates the hit you need to get.
• Ultimately, your ability determines whether or not you get the hit.
• It is your confidence, or belief, in your ability that determines when you shoot.

The target determines the need for precision. The size of the target and the conditions under which it presents itself (movement, by standers, distance, etc.) are what determines your need for precision. You can always make the shot harder-trying to hit a button on a shirt, for example, rather than accepting any hit in the high center chest-but that works against the goal of maximum efficiency. The target and its circumstances are what determine the true need for precision.

It is your ability, with your given weapon under those given circumstances that will ultimately determine whether or not you actually get the hit you need to get. The concept should be pretty straight forward, particularly if you understand that we are not just talking about your shooting ability, but also about your ability to judge what is going on around you.

Your confidence or comfort if you will, in taking the shot at all determines when the shot is taken. Would you pull the trigger on a gun during a critical incident if you didn’t believe that you were going to be able to affect your target’s ability to hurt you or someone else? The easy and right answer is “no”. Of course there is a big exception to this rule. If you are shooting out of fear, you may be pulling the trigger as fast as you can and hoping for the best. In fact, we know this has happened many times during actual critical incidents.

You may be thinking, “So what? Isn’t this article going to tell me when I should use my sights?” No, I’m afraid it isn’t. The question “At what distance should I use my sights?” is right up there with “What gun should I carry?” as one of the least answerable questions ever asked by a student. These are questions that you have to answer. Certainly an instructor can help guide you, as this article is trying to do, but ultimately, you’re the individual ability and confidence are going to determine when you should use your sights to achieve the level of precision that you need for any given shot. I’m sure that you can imagine scenarios where you would definitely chose to use your sights to achieve a hit and those where you would not need them-only through realistic training can you test those theories.

Through realistic practical training, you will learn more about your ability under the circumstances that you are likely to find during a dynamic critical incident. Furthermore, the more realistic your training, the more likely it is to help you recognize the circumstances of a dynamic critical incident and respond more efficiently. Lastly, this type of training can also help you work with the body’s natural reactions to fear and shock and allow you to overcome the possibility of simply shooting out of fear.

The better you understand your personal balance between speed and precision, the more accurate the correlation between your belief in your ability in a dynamic critical incident and your actual ability will be, and the more efficiently you’ll be able to deal with a lethal threat.

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That is the article as it was originally written. Over the course of the last 2 years or so, the 2nd tenet of BOS&P has evolved to be "Your application of skill determines whether or not you get the hit you need to get."  This is because you may possess the skill or ability to make a shot, but if you don't apply it, you could still miss. Anyone who has spent time on a competition range knows this to be true, but it was not accounted for in the original statement.... another example of the way CFS continues to evolve.

-RJP

[sash]

I really enjoyed the BOS&P portion of the show, and wish (like everyone else) that the 30 minutes could have stretched to an hour.  It seems that the drill with Phil Strader, where you would call commands to shift to the shapes to the left and right of the target were snipped in the editing room.  That type of transition from speedy, combat accurate shooting, to more precise fire dictated by the fluid situation, is something worthy of mention and practice.  As you note in the article, the more knowlege a shooter has about his abilities, the better prepared he is to appropriately, and even instinctively, balance the need for accuracy with the urgency of response.

Additionally, you and Phil mentioned very briefly the need to avoid setting a pattern of always drawing, firing two rounds, and then reholstering or assessing.  I'm not sure how many viewers recognized this important advice to vary the number of shots during training, to avoid specific reflexive shooting a set number of rounds.  This facet of combat shooting dovetails well with the larger concept of balancing speed and precision, as every situation will call for varying amounts of each element.

Thanks for a great show, and keep up the good work.

[Rob Pincus]

It is really great to read posts/emails/comments like that one. It really shows that people ARE picking up on the details and getting the points we are trying to make. Some of them are somewhat complex and hard to thoroughly explain in so little time.

THANKS for highlighting two very important aspects of the Combat Focus Shooting program!

-RJP

[2WISE4U]

This seems like an easy topic to understand, but that's only in theory.  The responsible shooter can't just present their weapon and start throwing rounds down range.  When you start to think about a real-time scenario and all the factors that come into play, you start to realize just how complicated a "simple" thing like pressing the trigger can be.  You could go fast and most likely miss your target, potentially injuring some innocent bystander.  Not to mention failing to significantly effect the target's ability to hurt you by giving them more time to shoot back or close distance with a knife. 
On the other hand you could take your time with your shot, making sure of your presentation, your grip, your sight alignment, your breathing, your trigger control, and your follow through.  All the time this takes and you place a single shot somewhere in the high center chest that may or may not significantly effect the target's ability to present a lethal threat.  Or in the case of a knife attack - the bad guy has already closed distance and dispatched you.
All of this to say that I think accurately understanding the balance of speed and precision is one of the most important training concepts we can learn.  Rob does a truly unmatched job of presenting this information in a way that makes sense to the masses.
Thanks for a great show!

[Hottrockin]

Thanks Rob for the link to the podcast!!  Very informative and well versed; I took something away from it, thanks again!!

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