I have a couple of pre-requisite shooting tests that I have listed in my course descriptions. Some people gloss over them and others worry a fair bit, so I thought I’d elaborate on them.
Though I have taught beginning shooters (mostly LE types), my classes are not for beginners. I would describe them as advanced basics or intermediate, two pretty unspecific terms if ever there were. Because of that, I specify that any shooter who signs up for a class should be capable of safely drawing from a holster at speed as well as able to hit a 3×5 card 5 times in a row at 5 yards with no time limit.
These are not high standards and you may rightly wonder how I view these tests as compatible with an intermediate level course. The reality is, many shooters simply cannot do these things, especially the 3×5 shooting test. The traditional “fundamentals of shooting”, often referred to as SGTSBS (pronounced Sgt’s BS) stance, grip, trigger control, sight alignment, breathing, sight picture are an incredibly basic way of looking at things. I view them as appropriate for only the most basic level of shooting, which is to say, marksmanship with no external constraints that might matter. For starters, they are not in order of importance since the military insists on mnemonics for remembering things. They are also not completely relevant to modern equipment and training methods, though they hold up ok with iron sights. Nonetheless, in one way or another, you have to do those things if you want to hit something with a gun. That basic level of hitting something is just that, basic.
In my classes I talk about what I consider the actual fundamental of shooting is – hitting your target. Once you have some clue how to hit your target, we can work on doing it fast and efficiently. The way we apply the basic ideas of holding and shooting a gun at speed is pretty different from static slow fire marksmanship as it is traditionally taught. So, if your interests or needs revolve around high speed weapons use, of course you need to know how to stand and grip and do all those other things, but the real fundamental can be summed up as hitting your target. A person who cannot hit a target (whatever that may mean to you) does not need a training class. They need to go to the range and learn to hit something without flinching.
This information is widely available today on the internet, as it was in generations past in books. Go to the range, learn to aim and fire an accurate shot without flinching. Then worry about taking classes to improve your technique or ability. Much of that can of course be done at home dry fire or on your own, but many people will prefer to have an expert eye watch them and make suggestions for improvement.
It has been my experience that a person who wants to learn to shoot, can learn to hit a 3×5 card at 5 yards in less than a months worth of training on their own. I have taught numerous people to do so in a few hours, people who have never shot a gun before. This is the very basic level of marksmanship we need in order to be able to keep up with the material in an ODP class. I don’t think this is asking too much and it is certainly not designed to keep people out. If you cannot do this, you are simply not putting in any work that matters. It is a low bar and I keep it that way to weed out shooters who have not done any work to prepare.
When I test shooters at the beginning of every class, my goal is not to kick people out and I have yet to do that. My goal is to see who has done the work and who has not. I also give a bit of grace, as there are plenty of people who can do this on their range at home, but under the eyes of their classmates and me, nerves get the better of them and they throw a shot or two. Others sometimes miss because while they are historically more than capable of hitting, they are dealing with an injury or ailment that lowers their normal shooting ability. I am not worried about these people, they will do fine in class.
For the drawing portion of the test, everyone seems to draw very safely. Reholstering is sometimes a different story, and I include a block of instruction on safe reholstering. Everyone always nods their head and agrees with what I teach but then some fail to follow through on the range. Safe reholstering, all the time and under all conditions possible, is one of the important marks of a safe shooter. That shooter is very unlikely to have a problem carrying a striker fired gun AIWB. The ones who think they are high speed, but who shortcut their reholstering are the ones much more likely to have an accident at some point.
To be considered an advanced beginner or higher (admittedly, these are arbitrary terms), you simply must be able to be safe with your gun under all conditions and speeds. There are a lot of “high speed” shooters out there who are simply not as safe as they should be. I see them in every class I attend or teach. If I am teaching, I do my best to fix the problem. If I am attending, I usually keep my mouth shut unless they are endangering others as well, and that is very rare.
Hopefully that explains the rationale behind my shooting pre reqs, as well as maybe further explaining who is safe enough to carry less forgiving guns and who is not. I continue to hear from people about the “anti striker fired post” from earlier this year and it is gratifying to hear 100% agreement from the expert level shooters and trainers out there. None of them assumed I was talking about them and yet all of them recognize the same issues. Choosing a less forgiving gun is not a problem as long as you recognize that is what you are doing and have skills and procedures in place to mitigate the issues as much as possible. Burying your head in the sand and pretending all guns are equally forgiving, is the mark of the dilettante.
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