5 yd
Distance
2
Rounds
6
Reps
12
Total Rounds
The Sidewinder is a pure mechanics drill for the one thing most shooters get wrong the first time they try to move: their upper body. The goal is to close short lateral distances fast — 3 to 10 yards (3-10 m) — without turning the shoulders off the threat and without collapsing the shooting platform. Cones mark the path, a target sits downrange, and the rep succeeds only when the hits are clean and the base stays tight. Own this before you touch shoot-houses, barricades, or stage movement.
Run it in two versions. Version one: place two cones 3-5 yards (3-5 m) apart with a single target 5 yards (5 m) downrange. Start at the far cone, shuffle or crossover to the second cone, and fire one round into the target. Version two scales it up — three cones in a straight line 5 yards (5 m) apart, two targets downrange, 5 yards (5 m) out. Shuffle to the middle cone, engage the middle target with one round, shuffle to the outside cone, engage the outside target with one round. Push and pull between inside and outside legs, drive the knee high on the crossover, and keep the base narrow.
Judge the rep on two independent things — hits and movement quality. A wide base, a shoulder drop, or a bounce in the sight picture is a failed rep even if the round landed in the A zone. Once the basic two-cone version is clean on both sides, step up to the three-cone transition version, stretch the cone spacing toward 10 yards (10 m), add a par time, or run it from the draw. Works with pistol or rifle — the mechanics are the same.
Range Setup
Setup
2-3 cones placed in a straight line, 3-10 yd (3-10 m) apart.
1-2 targets (IPSC, USPSA, or cardboard silhouette) set 5 yd (5 m) downrange from the cones.
Barrels or barricades optional for scaling up difficulty.
Pistol or rifle with loaded magazine.
Start position: standing at the far cone, low ready, shoulders square to the target.
Run the drill in both directions — left-to-right and right-to-left.
Scoring
Version 1 (Shuffle/Crossover): 1 round per rep into the target.
Version 2 (Transition-Engage x2): 2 rounds per rep — 1 on the middle target, 1 on the outside target.
All rounds in the A zone / scoring zone = clean pass.
Movement quality counts equally: wide base, shoulder drop, or sight bounce = failed rep even with good hits.
Track both hit rate and movement cleanliness across the string.
Scoring: Hit Factor (HF) = points ÷ time. USPSA target zones: A = 5, C = 3, D = 1, Miss = −10. Higher HF = better performance.
Tips
Push and pull between your inside and outside legs. Drive the knee high on the crossover step and keep the base narrow — anything wider kills your shooting platform and burns tempo.
Progression
Increase cone spacing from 3 yd toward the full 10 yd (3-10 m).
Add a par time once the mechanics are clean.
Add barrels or barricades as lateral obstacles.
Start from the draw or holster instead of low ready.
Add a third target for the advanced version.
Transition from shuffle to a full sprint after the last cone.
Run with rifle if you started with pistol, or vice versa.