^ Except when fatigue comes in, it's all a balance between speed and accuracy.
Yes, "combat effective" is all that's really needed, but if someone can only shoot "combat effective" shots when they're practicing solo and taking their time or when they're being run hard by an instructor, what's going to happen to that person when they're *really* under "do or die" stress?
Not good, right?
So my training is simple - no matter the distance, I want to drill the tightest groups I can as fast as I can. In doing so, I can always better myself: there's always something better to reach for - I can always be faster than I was yesterday, I can always shoot better than I did yesterday.
Pecker wrote:
I'm actually signed up for a class next month called, get this, "YOU SUCK, It's not the gun."
http://www.michigantrainer.com/index.ph ... -2-2-2-21/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Hopefully will have my issues ironed out by the end of that class.
I'm eager to hear what you have to say about the class. MDFI is highly thought-of.
Pushing left like you did could be any of a number of issues.
Start with your stance. When you're drilling groups, you'll have to play to your natural-point-of-aim a little - and this may take you out of the ideal "combat stance." However, once you find your natural-point-of-aim, you can then refine your lower-body stance to incorporate it, while still maintaining a good, naturally "square" stress presentation and athletic and responsive stance. Work static, then work dynamic.
The next biggest concern would be trigger control. Depending on just how *you* interact with *your* gun, that ideal "meat of the distal joint" contact spot actually may not be where it' is
RIGHT FOR YOU. Look up the Haley Strategic Channel on YouTube, and take note of the Trigger Stripe Drill that Ron Avery runs Travis Haley through. Print out the targets at Haley Strategic's Blog, and start slow. Figure out how *you* need to finish on your trigger to achieve "flat."
Play with your dominant grip's thumb. That can also influence your shots. As many advanced classes will show you, a good grip (one that's both physically strong as well as mechanically sound) can really hide many other fundamental errors. However, when you're trying to drill single-hole groups, those errors will show.
I was literally drilling cloverleafs in one of my earlier SWI sessions - but like you, was off to the left. On a whim, one of the AIs asked me to just go with a lower-body stance that was more natural to me, instead of forcefully squaring up. That brought me back completely on-target, right on the bull.
I mentioned Cerino's seminar above because he helped identify that my dominant thumb was helping me throw surgical shots on an inconsistently inconsistent basis.
This past summer, Costa taught me that my trigger control really, really needed work, and what's more, my stance was inconsistent - causing me to both lose speed when engaging multiple targets as well as when I shot more dynamically.
I worked extensively on my grip the first year-and-a-half or so of my shooting: I have a strong, mechanically sound grip. I honestly did not realize how much more important trigger control was until just this past summer, and this was mainly because my grip managed to hide so much of my trigger inconsistencies (don't believe this can be true? try it at 7 yards on an IPSC target, hold center-mass, and I guaranty that if you truly have a good grip, someone else can come stick a screwdriver or chopstick through your trigger guard and knock out rounds, and you'll still have every shot in the A-zone
). How fanatical was I about the grip?
http://www.defensivecarry.com/forum/def ... gment.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Aside from those mentioned above, Bill Holcomb (of Three Tango Firearms Academy) taught me the importance of "aim small, miss small" and the importance of self-guided practice. Keith and Kyle taught me to forget about what's downrange and just focus hard on the front sight: that groups happen on their own. Ryan (one of CFA's AIs) taught me not to freak out when running stoppage clearances. Ron Lauinger of LMI (sadly, he's no longer teaching firearms, however, I can earnestly recommend him as an integrated combatives instructor) taught me the importance of the ritual. Bob Vogel taught me that pressure is relative - laugh about it and get it out of the way: you're your own worst enemy.
I keep telling people that this is one of the best bang-for-buck classes. 
