10 Guiding Principles That Will Ignite Your Practice Momentum

by | Oct 10, 2023 | PDCA Improvement Cycle, Practice Momentum | 0 comments

At HandgunDrills.com we are focused on helping people with Concealed Carry practice.

Our 10 Guiding Principles for Practice reflects a point of view that is built into the fabric of our products and website. Incorporating these 10 guiding principles will ignite your practice momentum. Incorporate these principles into your practice regimen and see what happens as your results exceed your expectations.

Ten Guiding Principles for Concealed Carry Practice

1. Practice proper technique or don’t practice. Qualified trainers provide proper techniques. Only safe, proper techniques should be practiced.
2. Practice with a purpose by learning how to practice. Acquiring any new skill requires practice. Safe and effective practice requires skills all its own.
3. Fundamental skills come first. Handgun shooting is a process that is built on fundamental skills and steps. Always work on fundamentals.
4. Your goals drive everything. Your goals should be clear and drive all of your training and practice activities.
5. There is no such thing as unlimited resources. Your resources are limited, especially time, ammo and practice environments. Get the most out of the resources you have.
6. Measure or wonder. Use performance measurements so you know exactly where you stand and can improve the right skills. Never leave the range again wondering if you’ve improved.
7. You must put in some time. Since skill level erodes over time, regular training and practice are required to maintain a skill level as well as improve it. Make your time count.
8. Drills only point the way. Drills develop and test sets of skills in various ways and provide insights into which skills and combination of skills you need to work on now.
9. Practice must vary. Practice should be multifaceted and designed to lock in what you learn in training to meet your goals.
10. Practice should be fun (or at least it helps a lot). Shooting is serious but there is nothing wrong with enjoying new achievements and mastering new things. It motivates most people to keep going.

It’s about practice not practicing. How you practice, not what you are practicing.

And it’s about you. How to help you become fully informed, confident and fast in all aspects of your practices, which includes: 

    • decipher shots, stages and drills for what they can do for you now. This means they contain the skills you need to work on. These may be based on Trainer homework.
    • assess the accuracy level required, so it’s not so hard or so easy that your shot groups don’t really tell you much.
    • Look for the types of shots and the context of those shots that use the skills you are working on. Find drills with the right combination of skills that will test your progress.
    • Record appropriate information about practices to allow good decisions to be made about improving your skills.
    • Incorporate these guiding principles into your practice plan and work on developing the practice skills you need to become fully informed and confident at practice. Ignite your practices and “never leave the range again wondering if you’ve improved!”
HandgunDrills.com strives to provide real and practical tools and tips to not only help you practice but be a resource you can count on to provide answers to your practice questions.

If you use HandgunDrills Concealed Carry Book of Drills, pull the drills you need into the Active section. Make notes of the plan in the Practice Plan Template or use a Log Card. Head to the basement to dry fire or to the range to live fire. You are ready for the DO step of Practice.

To have future tips and tools about Concealed Carry Practice sent directly to you don’t forget to sign up for our email newsletter and receive our List of Drills.

For more detailed information on the PDCA model please see the Student Portal. Or email questions or to let us know how you are doing, please contact us directly at HandgunDrills.com.

Please see the other articles in the PDCA Continuous Improvement Practice series as they become available at HandgunDrills.com.

HandgunDrills.com series Concealed Carry: 4 Steps to Become a Great Student Now! is dedicated to helping Concealed Carry Students “practice with a purpose, what they learn in training, from the skill level they’re at, with the time and ammo they have.” And to help Trainers stay connected to their Student’s practice.


Disclaimer:  Every person and their circumstances are unique, so no single point of view is applicable to everyone. And everyone must decide what makes sense for them. Therefore, the thoughts, opinions and information in this post are for your consideration only to incorporate as you believe is appropriate. 

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