CADENCE AND CONTROL

Don't chase speed, build it.

The Cadence and Control drill is your go-to for developing consistent shot timing without sacrificing accuracy. It teaches you how to fire multiple rounds at a repeatable pace, manage recoil, and maintain tight hits. Once your cadence matches your visual control, performance becomes automatic.

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Why this drill matters:

Speed is useless without control. This drill creates an honest snapshot of your performance curve, how much pace you can add before accuracy collapses. Understanding that threshold lets you train right at the edge, where progress happens. It also builds rhythmic awareness so future splits are intentional, not reflexive.

It also exposes hidden flaws:

• Relying on feel instead of sight confirmation

• Inconsistent grip and recoil return

• Breaking cadence due to panic or doubt

If your groups fall apart during strings of fire, this is the drill that helps you lock it in.

Set it up:

• Distance: 5 to 7 yards

• Target: Fusion Target Precision Boxes

• Rounds: 15

• Reps: 3 reps of 5-round strings

• Start Position: Full Presentation

How to run the drill:

1. Start from full presentation (aimed in at the center of the Precision box)

2. Cadence 1 - Slow: Fire 5 rounds with a 1 second between each shot (one-thousand-one, one-thousande-two, one-thousand-three, one-thousand-four, one-thousand-five).

3. Reset.

4. Cadence 2 - Medium: Fire 5 rounds into the center precision box with a .5 second split between shots. (1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and-5)

5. Reset

 6. Cadence 3 - Fast: Fire 5 shots into the right precision box with a .2-.3 second split between shots. (1,2,3,4,5)

What you are actually training:

Cadence awareness: recognizing and controlling your internal rhythm.

Grip endurance: holding structure across varying recoil tempos.

Sight speed tolerance: seeing faster without losing alignment.

Threshold mapping: identifying where technique fails so you can rebuild it.

Drill Tips

Say the cadence out loud while you are shooting to keep your rhythm.

Use a shot timer to know exactly how fast you are shooting, and if your cadence is consistent. We often feel like we are going fast, but in reality we are just shooting without control.

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Cadence and Control is a foundational drill featured in Week 1 of the Fusion Targets 12 Week Pistol Program. It helps shooters understand how important grip is to speed and precision. It also helps establish a base-line of how fast you can go and still maintain your hits.

Want to learn how to shoot faster without losing accuracy?

Start the Program →