Guns, Dogs and Blades QnA

Alright, sit back this is gonna be a bit windy. I was asked about some dry fire exercises. I actually get asked this question very regularly from students when they see my “love me” shelf Jodi made me put in classroom. It is comprised of a bunch of shooting awards trophies state champion buckles etc. Folks see that and ask how do I prepare for a match. Bottom line is I focus on the fundamentals or basics if you will 90% of the time. I do practice particular stages as needed tho. Video yourself competing and I assure you that you will have all kind of material to work on. It is quite humbling. My belief is that if your fundamentals are solid you can then apply them to virtually any scenario the evil match director can create. First and foremost whether it is a live fire or dry fire session have a plan, I cannot stress that enough. Typically I focus on one single aspect every session, here is my basics list.
Footwork
Stance
Presentation (both rifle and pistol)
Finding the dot
Transition
Reloading
Breathing
Second shots
First shot
Coming out of holster
Follow thru
Mounting (rifle shotgun)
NPA (typically an eyes closed exercise then open to reveal flaws in position, always move feet don’t just rotate at hips.)
Apologies NPA=natural point of aim

This is how I dry fire, remove any and all ammunition from the area, first and foremost unload firearm ensuring it is MT both visually and physically. Then have second person verify. Point firearm in safe direction and press trigger. Once complete you can start.
I typically like to use the target that I am competing with and or a silhouette if personal defense work. This lets my mind become more familiar with target acquisition, thus speed. I establish the distance I want to work at and put blue tape on the floor. Then I start by slowly making sure my mechanics are correct the first couple of reps, then add speed until I create a deviation in mechanics or accuracy, then back off speed until correct and then start anew going faster until I fail again, rinse and repeat. I like to hold the pistol on target and see where dot is going when trigger is pressed as this gives me an indicator on grip correction anticipation etc. much like the coin on top of a flat Glock during trigger press! If match target is a ten inch circle I will do all my reps with a five inch circle, then on match day the targets look huge which gives me more confidence. For more dynamic drills like moving I randomly walk, pick an object out in the shop, stop square up and take the shot. While I am not an advocate of dry fire inside the house I fully recognize this is where 90% of it takes place. Wall sockets and light switches, door knobs are great practice items! The trick is not to have a preset target in your head, glance around and just pick one with no pre thought. This forces you to move left and right and square up. If you are focusing on moving during shooting you need a long hallway if indoors focusing on footwork as your gait must change. Watch where the dot (sights) go as you walk, you don’t even have to dry fire until you can walk and hold on target at same time, much like the ladies finishing school walking with book balanced on head! Hah! I can be much more elaborate if some one wants me to be but there is a quick and dirty dry fire overlook. Apologies it got so long winded! Single biggest point is to have a plan every single practice session! Work on something specific!