Shoot, Scan?

[BerettaNut92]

From Cooper's Commentaries:

We are amused to see the prevalence of the "California Twitch" on the range. This manoeuver, executed by the shooter after firing and before making safe, involves pointing to the right and the left of the target while wearing a fearsome scowl. It serves no purpose except to show that the shooter has been to a school which picked up his mannerism in the confusion. Once acquired, the "California Twitch" is almost impossible to eradicate, something like a tattoo.

The folks I have the most instruction with teach shoot, assess, scan. At a low ready, rotate back and forth, so your torso so the weapon is in line. At another school, I noticed a few other students shooting then scanning, but the instructors, IIRC didn't make a big deal of it and didn't think it necessary.

Is this a California thing? I always thought it logical to look for more BGs coming your way (or see if there's any steel plates still standing, etc) after addressing the situation.

One of the adjunct instructors made reference to a 'CQB scan' or something like that, where the we'd look over our shoulders. He said that if we looked over our shoulders, scan with the firearm as well so if we saw a BG behind us, we could bring the weapon into action quicker, but didn't practice this, as we were all standing side by side on the firing line.

 

[cookhj]

in my dept we're trained to shoot, cover down, asses/scan, then rehoster if there is no more threats (and continue to scan). and i'm in VA, so it's not just a kali thang.

 

[CWL]

I've always been taught this as a sweeping your target area for additional BGs before securing your firearm. This is to prevent tunnelvision from setting in and missing additional dangers.

I've experienced tunnelvision before so I'll continue to do my 'twitch'.

Now I'll have to work on a fearsome scowl.

 

[10-Ring]

Common sense would say scanning is the right thing to do prior to reholstering. What would Cooper's alternatives be? Perhaps if the fearsome scowl were made less fearsome?

 

[sanchezero]

Cooper refers to an automatic movement thats not really a scan at all, just a twitch as he calls it.

I think if you're gonna look you should definitely make each scan count and you should check all 360 degrees and start your bugout. Sul, anyone?

If you're not gonna look, then don't piss and moan if you wake up on the pavement with a lump on your head and your gun and wallet are gone.

 

[Jeff White]

It's quite possible that COL Cooper is referring to the reflexive shake of the head that many shooters do at completion of a firing string. If you watch, it's not really a scan and assess, more like shaking the head no and then holstering. If you watch many shooters, they don't actually scan, they shake their head. It takes a moment or two to actually scan for additional threats.

Then again he could be referring to the way some trainers teach 360 degree scans. I have been exposed to two different methods of 360 scans before holstering. I would bet there are probably more then that out there. It may have originated in California, but it was brought to Illinois law enforcement training as early as '92 (possibly earlier).

My personal opinion is it is good in that it breaks you from the repetivie, draw, fire two rounds, holster drill that many agencies train. You will fight the way you trained. If your training consists of the standard, draw, double tap, holster and wait for the whistle, there is a good chance you will do it in a fight. I have seen officers do just that when confronted with a well staged tactical problem on the range, or with simuntions in a force on force exercise. If you train that a gunfight is two quick rounds and holster, that's how you'll fight. The scan and assess will get you used to keeping the weapon in a ready position after firing and not reholstering to await the whistle or buzzer for the next string.

Jeff

 

[Phantom Warrior]

It seems like Cooper was specifically criticizing people who are just trying to look like a bad a$$, what with the fearsome scowl and all. Note that he also states that a symptom is "pointing" to the left and right of the target, rather than scanning or traversing.

 

[Paul Gomez]

As I recall, from a discussion of this "California Twitch" on another board, Cooper was refering explicitly to a pseudo-scan taught by one school formerly located in California. Having said that, I know a lot of guys who preach scanning but don't do it. They allow the quick glance/pretend scan and call it good. You have got to see what you need to see, not just go through the motions.

In the old days, it was always the third eye principle (where the gun goes, the head goes), but on a square range that means you can only scan 180 degrees or less. As a matter of fact, it was Louis Awerbuck who first prompted Andy Stanford to 'look all the way around' when he was doing a shotgun class way back when.

Nowadays, Sul and its various cousins seem to be finding more favor.

Regardless, if you don't scan 360- degrees, Mr. Murphy will whop you with a wiffleball bat when you least expect it.

 

[G-Raptor]

I agree that Cooper was referring to a repetitive mechanical movement of the arms and head.

That is:

1. After the shooting stops, wave the gun slightly to the left and right.
2. Turn your head briefly from side to side before holstering.

I think we all recognize that is not a proper scan and serves no purpose. A scan is not a "california thing", but the "twitch" just might be.

 

[DragonRider]

I agree with Jeff, I got the draw, shoot and holster right away down pat. I have been breaking that habit since I noticed it. Lucky for me, the last class did not mind and encouraged looking around. I need to be fast on the draw, not putting the firearm away....

John

 

[fastbolt]

Tunnel vision DOES occur under stress ... even minimal amounts of stress.

We commonly see folks address a "threat target" during a qualification or training situation, and then "RACE" to reholster their weapon, all the while staring at the target they'd just engaged.

I can't count the number of people that used to fire quick a double-tap when we introduced scenarios that required single shots on various targets ... and deny they'd fired two rounds ... and even worse, fire double-taps on targets that required 3-6 shots for the scenario to be successfully competed. We had a hard time breaking some of our folks from the "automatic" double-tap, and having them "deliberately" decide what number of rounds were necessary for a given "threat situation".

When we started introducing a lot of multiple target situations that required movement on the part of the shooter in order to engage the next target, we noticed a tendency of some folks to remain staring fixedly at the first target ... even to the point of decocking and starting to reholster their weapon, and remain STANDING STILL ... having quickly forgotten they had more targets to engage. Some of them were actually shocked when they realized how quickly and easily they'd forgotten about the additional targets ... all the while having nodded their heads during the preliminary scenario instructions discussing the number and manner of targets to be addressed. Once the weapons started being fired, tunnel vision kicked in and they "forgot" to address the other "threats", or even look at them. Makes you wonder what might happen for "real", doesn't it?

And this was just for some boring range qualification, with some idiot instructor in red watching them ... which has got to be rather low on the distraction & stress scale ... Okay, maybe not low on the annoying scale.

I've also seen some folks which have come back from some "shooting schools" exhibit a rapid and jerky twitch of their head and shoulders after engaging a target ... as if they were only giving a cursory thought to scanning for further threats ... even some folks that have come back from a school which is probably very familiar to the venerable gentleman mentioned in the first thread. It seems possible that bad habits, or at least "ill-considered" techniques, can obviously survive even the best of instruction ...

We train our folks to look around before they reholster, and to adopt a posture which is best suited for placing their weapon in the most advantageous position for proper, safe and effective deployment should additional shots against the first target, or any additional targets, prove necessary.

"Proper" training can't be over-stressed ... or overly practiced ... but it CAN be over-looked, or quickly forgotten under stress, it seems ...

Now, if we could only get some of these folks to keep their fingers OFF THE TRIGGER while they're performing whatever "scan" they DO sometimes remember to perform.

 

[PressCheck]

Always remember the "Plus One" rule! That's what the the PSA is all about.

Is he hit?
Is he down?
Is he out of the fight?
DOES HE HAVE FRIENDS?

Remember: There are no awards for "speed re-holstering".

Oh ya, it also helps break the tunnel vision.

 

[Navy joe]

Of all the skills you cannot enhance and ingrain in competition, this one you can. Remember, unload and show clear is not a comstock event. In my non 180 restricted "own time" I think sul is ideal for checking behind you.

 

[EricO]

Akin to what others have said here already, "No one has ever won a gunfight with a speed reholster!" Can someone credit this to the originator?
The CA "twitch" thing is simply what happens (I believe) after repetition on a "square" range. After practicing it a few times in its entirety, it becomes shortened and abbreviated while on the line in IDPA competition or local shoots until it is only being done in its bastardized form. The head shake may or may not break tunnel vision, but the incomplete scan becomes merely for show and effect. This is one of the shortcomings of these competitions compared to Simmunitions or something NTI would come up with.
EricO

 

[Ringer]

Is this a California thing? I always thought it logical to look for more BGs coming your way (or see if there's any steel plates still standing, etc) after addressing the situation.

When I took the NRA Personal Protection in the Home course earlier this year that was a specific drill they had us do on the range. Fire three shots, not rapid fire but as fast as possible keeping them on target, then scan left and right and then fire three more shots.

 

[444]

I agree that he is talking about looking without seeing. In the classes I have taken at Gunsite they make a fairly big deal about doing the after action scan: Follow the target to the ground, access the primary target. Scan; eyes-muzzle-target.
"pseudo-scan taught by one school formerly located in California."
Not sure what school you are referring to, but I have also taken classes at Front Sight (formally located in California). If anything, they are more demaning of the scan than Gunsite. They teach the 360 degree scan and also hang random things on the target stands. After a drill they will ask if anyone noticed anything different on the tagets. If you didn't they ask how you could have done a scan and actually took everything in if you didn't notice the _________ hanging in front of target #4 ?