The Timer Trap

The timer is an excellent tool for gathering metrics, but it can also create several training problems. Unintended consequences exist in all drills and skill tests, and I have fallen prey to them myself, which is the problem we all face with blind spots in training.

To mitigate their influence, shooters should recognize both the benefits and the traps of timed training. Benefits of using a timer:

First, it helps the shooter understand the relationship between the time needed to process sufficient information in a given context and the level of tension required to perform without forced errors or wasteful movement. Because the brain cannot accurately measure time during high-speed processing, the timer serves as an objective efficiency meter. Most shooters judge speed subjectively—based on how fast it felt relative to how hard they tried. True speed, however, is maximum efficiency with minimum effort; it may not feel fast when properly coordinated, but the timer reveals the right level of effort.

Second, timers enable precise measurement of standards, such as the Bill Drill, down to hundredths of a second.
This has made high-level training far more accessible and has driven widespread improvement in shooting skills.

Finally, the timer allows shooters to objectively track progress, stagnation, or decline over time. The traps of timer use: The primary danger is that the timer becomes the defining metric—such as draw-to-first-shot time. Chasing hundredths of a second may not be worth the investment at a certain skill level.

One reason is that “speed mode” training often requires relaxing accuracy standards to build the coordination needed to go faster. I coach roughly 1,000 shooters per year, and during practice on easy targets, I frequently see sub-second draws in speed mode, but in performance mode (with real accuracy demands), it tends to add 0.15–0.25 seconds as the shooter balances speed and precision. Try firing at least two shots confirmed visually for a more realistic draw speed. Another issue is that constant timer training emphasizes task completion over visual cues. Instead of the sights serving as the “go” signal, the shooter may try to finish the draw to beat the timer, instead letting vision drive the start signal . This disconnects shooting from proper visual inputs. Add in other contextual factors—shot calling (did I hit the target, or do I need a makeup?), novel or unknown stimuli (movement or a drawn weapon), changes in target size, movement, or distance, start signals (what provides enough visual information to begin), and stop signals (foreground and background changes)—and any shift in context will increase time.

This raises the key question: Does your “speed mode” draw hold up in a real match or personal-protection scenario? As Brian Enos warned in Practical Shooting: Beyond Fundamentals, do not define your shooting by the timer; instead, let your vision guide your shooting relative to the context.

Ultimately, the timer provides insights into speed shooting by helping balance technical control with the abandonment of conscious thought.

Conclusion Use a timer, but remember: your current skill level is what you’ve earned through consistent practice—not your occasional best time. Shoot interesting and challenging courses of fire to maintain high attention and a sense of urgency driven by vision rather than the beep. Use the timer diagnostically—to identify where draws, transitions, reloads, and movement can improve—so you understand exactly how much time and information you need to succeed.

Brian Hill

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