10 yd
Distance
2
Rounds
4
Reps
8
Total Rounds
The Slingshot is a footwork drill disguised as a shooting drill. The shooting is easy — one round each on two open targets at 10 yd (10 m) — but the movement between them is where the rep is won or lost. You explode laterally out of a middle start, break a shot on a close-side target, and then have to change direction hard, sprint to a far cone, decelerate, and put one more round on a second target before the platform has really settled. It’s the pattern you use when you move from a short room into a long hallway during CQB, or when you bail out of one shooting position and drive to another one on the opposite side of the bay.
Set three cones in a line. Place two of them 3 yd (3 m) apart — this is the short side. Place a third cone 7-10 yd (7-10 m) from the middle cone on the opposite side — this is the long side. Set one target 10 yd (10 m) downrange from each of the outside cones — T1 on the short side, T2 on the long side. Start at the middle cone in low ready, facing downrange. On the go signal, explode laterally into the short-side cone and fire 1 round on T1. Immediately drive out of that cone in the opposite direction, sprint to the long-side cone, decelerate into an athletic fighting position with shoulders and chest squared to T2, and fire 1 round on T2.
Judge the rep on the movement quality first and the hits second. The change of direction is the whole point — you should feel a powerful push off the short-side foot, not a soft shuffle. At the long-side cone, chop the feet, sink the hips, and plant the stance before you break the shot. If you arrive drifting forward or with your shoulders rolled open you’ll pull the round off T2 even at 10 yd (10 m). Run it both directions — short left / long right, then short right / long left — so neither side of the body gets lazy. Once the footwork is clean, add a par time or stretch the long side out to the 10 yd (10 m) end of the range.
Range Setup
Setup
2 targets (IPSC or USPSA).
3 cones placed in a straight line on the shooter's side.
Two cones 3 yd (3 m) apart — the short side.
A third cone 7-10 yd (7-10 m) from the middle cone on the opposite side — the long side.
T1: 10 yd (10 m) downrange from the short-side outside cone.
T2: 10 yd (10 m) downrange from the long-side outside cone.
Pistol loaded, holstered or in low ready at the middle cone.
Start position: standing at the middle cone, low ready, facing downrange.
Run the drill in both directions — short left / long right, then short right / long left.
Scoring
2 rounds per rep — 1 on T1 (short side) + 1 on T2 (long side).
Both rounds in the A zone / scoring zone = clean pass.
Any round outside the scoring zone or any miss = failed rep.
Movement quality counts: a soft shuffle on the change of direction is a fail even with good hits.
Deceleration counts: firing on T2 while still drifting or with open shoulders is a fail.
Scoring: Hit Factor (HF) = points ÷ time. USPSA target zones: A = 5, C = 3, D = 1, Miss = −10. Higher HF = better performance.
Tips
Drive a strong, powerful push off the short-side foot to flip the direction, then chop the feet and sink the hips at the long-side cone — plant the stance before you break the shot.
Progression
Add a par time once the footwork is clean.
Stretch the long side out to the full 10 yd (10 m) for a longer sprint.
Run it from concealment instead of low ready.
Require 2 rounds per target instead of 1 to test that the platform settled after the stop.
Tighten the scoring standard — all hits in the A zone or tighter.
Swap pistol for rifle and re-run at the same distances.