Remember when you were sixteen (maybe older) and got your first driver’s license? What kind of a driver were you?
Chances are, you stepped on the brake (and gas) a little harder than you needed to, probably held the steering wheel a little tight, and probably had your fair share of “near misses” or even accidents.
Now that you’ve been driving for a while, you do a lot of it intuitively. You don’t really think about stepping on the brake when you need to – you just do it. You manipulate the gas pedal and steering wheel of your car without much thought, as you’ve grown comfortable doing it every day. For most of us, our car is an extension of ourselves, and we know just how to make it do what we want it to do.
For those of us who keep and carry guns, does the same level of skill apply? All too often, when we talk to people about training, we get this response:
“I don’t need any more training, I have a permit to carry.”
Really?
Relying on just your carry permit for adequate training is like driving a car when you you’ve just got your license. For any skill to become proficient, you have to practice, and you have to practice correctly.
You get good at driving because you drive every day…and you’re only going to become a better shooter through practice and training.
One other thing about those sixteen year old drivers – most of them think that they’re good drivers and they are unlikely to have accidents. Statistics, of course, show just the opposite. But if you asked your average sixteen year old if they were a good driver, they’d probably say they were.
Don’t shoot your gun like a sixteen year old drives. Get some training, and keep practicing. Shooting is a perishable skill that must be continually refreshed.
See you on the range!
