brchixwing
Sharpshooter
Trainer review: Donovan / Point1 is an exceptional shooter who is obsessed with optimizing his shooting, learning from legends like JJ Racaza and Modern Samurai (who joined the class this weekend). With a background as an EOD and a photographic memory, he possesses a mechanical inclination and effectively delves into the root of issues to provide solutions. He takes the time to familiarize himself with each student, remembering their names, setups, strengths, and weaknesses before heading to the range. His high EQ / IQ make him an outstanding instructor, truly capable of teaching you how to shoot better. Highly recommend taking a class with him regardless of level!
Personally, I mentioned on the first day that I was struggling with my grip, adapting the Modern Samurai way (support thumb up) while still haunted by my old habits (support thumb forward). Throughout the weekend, he hammered at my issue multiple times on the firing line, highlighting that my support hand was being a b****. On one of the stages on the second day, he had the class critique my shooting after a demo, calling me out as a Tactical Turtle and locking my elbows when I shot while moving. Best constructive criticism I've gotten on the range and lit a fire under my a**!
Course review: Performance Pistol was an advanced class, a lot of really skilled shooters were present from around the country including a number of LEO trainers & guys who compete. There was one student that actually crushed the Tactical Elite Standards earlier this week and was also bada** to take a class alongside Modern Samurai himself! Thanks @jrm for hosting, and @ditcherman @nad63 for the invite! Class begins in the classroom with Donovan outlining his curriculum, building upon it throughout the weekend. He constantly reinforces the fundamental pillars of shooting: Grip, Sights, and Trigger. Throughout the weekend, he goes into greater detail on Sights and Trigger.
He breaks down Sights into 3 elements, Gross Sight Picture (target in your window), Streak (dot resembling a paintbrush), and Static (dot remaining steady). On the range, you learn when to deploy each technique based on time, confidence, distance and size, i.e., Gross Sight Picture within 3 paces for efficient hits keeps you in the A zone, while opting for a streak at further distances like in a Bill Drill for the same result.
Donovan dedicated the first morning on the range to Trigger. He has you observe on your own how pinning the trigger (when you can hear it click when resetting) is the least optimal way to shoot fast & accurately, giving shooters a false sense of security when shooting at a distance or requiring high confidence for precise shots. Through drills, he guides students through unlearning bad habits by getting used to letting go of the trigger after each shot and then walks you through how to most efficiently prep to the final wall "PFW", letting the trigger reset with your finger not leaving the shoe vs. pinning. Trigger portion progressed to "controlled slapping", enabling faster shooting in conjunction with a gross sight picture for predictive shots. Conversely, for reactive shots with a static dot, you learn to prep the trigger to the final wall.
The most intriguing part of the course is blending, which was a blast on the range both days. Donovan trains you to be visually aggressive and explains the science behind optimizing target transitions. This involves categorizing targets as Attack (predictive/close torso) or Control (reactive/headshots). For attack targets, you shoot fast with visual aggression, allowing your eyes to drive the gun. Numerous drills are conducted, practicing transitions between head and torso targets in various patterns. One significant takeaway is the importance of quickly transitioning from Control to Attack targets but not vice versa.
Day 2 introduced movement into the equation, where Donovan emphasizes athleticism and efficient footwork. This includes knowing when to pivot, drop your hips, and position your elbows. He seamlessly integrates this with the rest of the curriculum, guiding you in choosing the optimal times to maintain your sight picture and when to adjust your body orientation. Second day was mostly range time, shooting stages over and over, absolute blast even in the rain!
Highly recommend the class for anyone that wants to level up their shooting from a guy that patiently breaks down mechanics for shooting more fast and accurately!
Personally, I mentioned on the first day that I was struggling with my grip, adapting the Modern Samurai way (support thumb up) while still haunted by my old habits (support thumb forward). Throughout the weekend, he hammered at my issue multiple times on the firing line, highlighting that my support hand was being a b****. On one of the stages on the second day, he had the class critique my shooting after a demo, calling me out as a Tactical Turtle and locking my elbows when I shot while moving. Best constructive criticism I've gotten on the range and lit a fire under my a**!
Course review: Performance Pistol was an advanced class, a lot of really skilled shooters were present from around the country including a number of LEO trainers & guys who compete. There was one student that actually crushed the Tactical Elite Standards earlier this week and was also bada** to take a class alongside Modern Samurai himself! Thanks @jrm for hosting, and @ditcherman @nad63 for the invite! Class begins in the classroom with Donovan outlining his curriculum, building upon it throughout the weekend. He constantly reinforces the fundamental pillars of shooting: Grip, Sights, and Trigger. Throughout the weekend, he goes into greater detail on Sights and Trigger.
He breaks down Sights into 3 elements, Gross Sight Picture (target in your window), Streak (dot resembling a paintbrush), and Static (dot remaining steady). On the range, you learn when to deploy each technique based on time, confidence, distance and size, i.e., Gross Sight Picture within 3 paces for efficient hits keeps you in the A zone, while opting for a streak at further distances like in a Bill Drill for the same result.
Donovan dedicated the first morning on the range to Trigger. He has you observe on your own how pinning the trigger (when you can hear it click when resetting) is the least optimal way to shoot fast & accurately, giving shooters a false sense of security when shooting at a distance or requiring high confidence for precise shots. Through drills, he guides students through unlearning bad habits by getting used to letting go of the trigger after each shot and then walks you through how to most efficiently prep to the final wall "PFW", letting the trigger reset with your finger not leaving the shoe vs. pinning. Trigger portion progressed to "controlled slapping", enabling faster shooting in conjunction with a gross sight picture for predictive shots. Conversely, for reactive shots with a static dot, you learn to prep the trigger to the final wall.
The most intriguing part of the course is blending, which was a blast on the range both days. Donovan trains you to be visually aggressive and explains the science behind optimizing target transitions. This involves categorizing targets as Attack (predictive/close torso) or Control (reactive/headshots). For attack targets, you shoot fast with visual aggression, allowing your eyes to drive the gun. Numerous drills are conducted, practicing transitions between head and torso targets in various patterns. One significant takeaway is the importance of quickly transitioning from Control to Attack targets but not vice versa.
Day 2 introduced movement into the equation, where Donovan emphasizes athleticism and efficient footwork. This includes knowing when to pivot, drop your hips, and position your elbows. He seamlessly integrates this with the rest of the curriculum, guiding you in choosing the optimal times to maintain your sight picture and when to adjust your body orientation. Second day was mostly range time, shooting stages over and over, absolute blast even in the rain!
Highly recommend the class for anyone that wants to level up their shooting from a guy that patiently breaks down mechanics for shooting more fast and accurately!
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