You Must GOAT to Be the GOAT

By Kevin Michalowski // 09/14/2018

Sadly, I am old enough to remember when the “goat” was someone who was blamed when things went wrong. You know, the batter hit the game-winning home run, and the pitcher who gave up that dinger was the goat. That was short for “scapegoat,” and the goat was the opposite of the hero. Times have changed. “GOAT” is now an acronym, and it means “Greatest Of All Time!” How does one get to be the GOAT? Practice. Focus. Training. So, in the Kevin Michalowski Suburban Dictionary (that is the opposite of the hip and trendy Urban Dictionary), I would say that GOAT should also mean “Go Out And Train!”Firearms trainer Dave Young often says that every round should have a training value attached to it. If you go to the range and burn up 500 rounds of ammo while standing still, shooting slowly at a target 25 yards away, you might be improving your marksmanship skills, but you certainly aren’t training for a fight. I say “might” be improving your marksmanship skills because most people do not concentrate on the elements of marksmanship while shooting on the range. They simply point a gun downrange and pull the trigger. If they hit the target, they call it good.I say that if you want to be a better shooter, you need to concentrate on sight alignment, sight picture and trigger press with every shot. Then compare your five-shot groups after each string of fire to see if you are getting better. Once you are consistently shooting small groups, you need to pick up the speed until your groups start to open up. That is how you apply a training value to each shot when you’re shooting from the 25-yard line.You will get more true training shooting 50 rounds with a training value attached to each round than you will get out of plinking 500 rounds without much thought given to each shot or shot string. What could you do to get real training with one 50-round box of ammo at a static range that does not allow dynamic movement? How about this: 10 rounds, strong hand only; 10 rounds, other strong hand only; 10 rounds, two-handed grip, strong hand; 10 rounds, two-handed grip, other strong hand; five double-taps, two-handed grip, strong hand.When you have finished shooting this sequence, keep your target and use it as a reference the next time you come to the range. Remember to focus on the fundamentals for each shot. When you get to the point where your overall group is about the size of your hand, speed up. Once you start showing real improvement at increased speed (if your range allows it), incorporate a shot timer into your training.These sequences will allow you to improve your skills incrementally with each trip to the range. What I described here is not even close to replicating real gunfighting skills, but it is better than just standing there throwing shots downrange without any thought.When we tell you to make your shots count, that means you should make EVERY shot count — especially your training rounds. Don’t just shoot. Go Out And Train!