Over a good many years of observation it is my opinion that there are basically three types of handgun shooters. I’m speaking here in the context of practical or defensive handgun shooting. One of the hallmarks of the experienced pistoleer is the ability to immediately adjust to varying conditions. For most folks this does not come naturally, it must be achieved through constant practice under a variety of conditions. This includes the ability to quickly determine how much time it takes to achieve a good hit under a wide range of situations.

New shooters as a general rule will fall into one of three categories. When put under some time pressure most beginners will get flustered and shoot too fast with disastrous results in the accuracy department. On the other hand, some new shooters will become very slow and deliberate, focusing on good sight alignment and trigger control to produce good hits regardless of how much time it takes. Only a few shooters fall into the third class; those who are blessed with the ability to shoot both quickly and accurately from the very beginning. This column is addressed to the first two groups, the majority, who find it difficult to put accuracy and speed into a proper balance.