One way to increase officer safety and enhance firearms proficiency is to have your trainees perform certain firearms drills in a swimming pool.
“There is no better exercise for building speed than to practice against resistance,” according to Chris Ghannam, president of Sark Securities, an independent advanced-training organization based in Tampa, Fla. “Providing controlled resistance around an extended arm is difficult in most training environments but if you’re...underwater you have consistent 360-degree resistance around your gun arm. This builds muscle strength, and when you’re shooting on land without the resistance, your movement will be much faster,” Ghannam tells Police1.
Drawing incorrectly underwater will feel like you are dragging a paddle through the water. “If you’re punching out correctly, from the center of your body rather than in a sloppy arc, it’s more like a blade piercing through the water. This allows you to self-correct and consciously develop perfect practice,” Ghannam says.
• use training guns and plastic holsters
• use a water level that allows firm footing
• start slowly and smoothly
• gradually get faster with continued reps
Ghannam says that among other things, students will understand the importance of having a solid base. “Officers who are not physically fit will have a hard time staying in a correct stand for extended periods while on a traditional firing line,” Ghannam says.
“You’ll generally see many allow their pelvic region to sway forward and their upper torso sag back to compensate. This is one of the first signs of lower back and body fatigue. Being in water tends to reduce this tendency, allowing for extended effective training time.”
Police1 Senior Contributor Chuck Remsberg recently spoke with Ghannam about ways to strengthen in-service training to better prepare officers to meet their moments of truth on the street.
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