5s
Par Time
7 yd
Distance
6
Rounds
5
Reps
30
Total Rounds
Created by the late Todd Green of pistol-training.com, the FAST (Fundamentals, Accuracy, and Speed Test) Drill is one of the most respected all-around pistol tests in the training community.
Load two rounds in your starting magazine. At the buzzer, draw from concealment and fire 2 rounds at the head box (3×5-inch card), perform a slide-lock reload, then fire 4 rounds at the body (8-inch circle) — all at 7 yards. Six rounds total.
Green’s rating scale is public: over 10 seconds is Novice, under 10 is Intermediate, under 7 is Advanced and under 5 is Expert. Misses are paid for in time — two seconds for the head box, one for the body circle. A clean sub-5 run, twice in a row, earned his F.A.S.T. coin. The drill is brutally honest because it puts the hardest shots first, cold, then tests the reload and the transition back to speed. It’s the complete package in six rounds.
What It Trains
Draw from concealment, two precise head shots cold, a slide-lock reload, and four controlled rounds on the body circle.
Range Setup
Setup
Single target with a 3x5-inch head box above an 8-inch body circle at 7 yards. Load 2 rounds in the starting magazine. Spare magazine loaded and staged. Start concealed, or in duty condition with retention devices active.
Scoring
All 6 hits must be in their zones: 2 in the head box, 4 in the body circle. A miss on the 3x5 head box adds 2 seconds; a miss on the 8-inch circle adds 1 second. Ratings on a clean run: over 10 s = Novice, under 10 s = Intermediate, under 7 s = Advanced, under 5 s = Expert.
Tips
The reload is where most time is lost. Practice the slide-lock reload as a separate skill until it's automatic.
Progression
Focus on clean runs first. A clean 7.5s is worth more than a sloppy 5.0s. Once you are consistently clean under 7 seconds, start pushing the draw and the reload.
Common Mistakes
- Rushing the head shots and dropping them out of the 3x5 box — each one costs two seconds.
- A sloppy concealment clear that snags the cover garment.
- Slowing the reload for fear of fumbling instead of drilling it smooth.
- Treating the 8-inch body shots like the head box and going slower than you need to.
Skill Standards
7 yd — from concealment — 2 rounds to a 3x5 head box, slide-lock reload, 4 rounds to an 8-in circle — misses add time
| Novice | over 10.00 s |
|---|---|
| Intermediate | under 10.00 s |
| Advanced | under 7.00 s |
| Expert | under 5.00 s (clean) |
Todd Louis Green's official F.A.S.T. rating scale (pistol-training.com).
FAQ
What's a good FAST drill time?
On a clean run, under 5 seconds rates Expert, under 7 is Advanced and under 10 is Intermediate. A miss on the head box adds 2 seconds and a body miss adds 1 second.
How many rounds is the FAST drill?
Six rounds — two to a 3x5-inch head box, a reload, then four to an 8-inch body circle.
What target does the FAST drill use?
The FAST target: a 3x5-inch card (head) above an 8-inch circle (body). Our free printable sheet carries the head box at its exact 3x5 inches, with the body circle reduced to 7 inches so the pair fits a single A4 or Letter page — a 3x5 card taped over an 8-inch plate is the full-size setup.
Who created the FAST drill?
The late Todd Louis Green created the F.A.S.T. — the Fundamentals, Accuracy and Speed Test.