Reaction to the Buzzer

Matt Burkett

 I have found that a lot of my students have been losing significant time on their draw just by having a slow reaction time to when the buzzer sounds from the timer. How do you find out what your reaction time is and more importantly how do you improve it?

Try the following out:

• NEEDS: gun, ammo, and timer
• Set timer for a random delay between 4-8 seconds
• Load and make ready
• Hit go on the timer
• Gun out in the shooting position
• Visual focus on the target
• Take safety off
• Place finger on the trigger and take up the slack (Don't AD!)
• Tune your audio focus to listening for the start of the tone
• When buzzer goes, fire a shot
• Check the clock for results
• Repeat, trying to react as fast as possible

Most likely your first reaction times will be .30 or longer. Work on the exercise until they are consistently under .20 and you will already have removed a minimum of a tenth of a second from your draw!

(A reaction time of .16-.20 of a second is optimum. My personal best is a .11 at Shooters World in Phoenix during a class with Chris Dysart. Chris went from a .34 to a average .18 of a second. That was a savings of .16 or in other terms it moves a one second draw down to an .84!)

Good luck everyone!

Matt Burkett
Hot Shots
7040 East Wilshire Drive
Scottsdale, AZ 85257
480 949-1553
480 947-2773 fax
www.mattburkett.com

(© HOT SHOTS 1995. The above is free for distribution as long as byline is provided and it is not included in any materials for sale.)