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Everyone wants to be John Wick until it is time to act like John Wick. The mythical “Baba Yaga,” the boogeyman and one-shot legend, represents the highest standard of shooting performance: precision, efficiency, and lethal focus under pressure. Wick is fast, cold, and efficient, and he does not get to rehearse. He acts decisively in the moment.
The Baba Yaga Drill captures that same demand for cold, on-demand performance. It strips away warm-ups and comfort, forcing the shooter to deliver speed and accuracy the instant the pistol clears the holster. Four small targets. One shot each. No second chances. The objective is simple but unforgiving: see how quickly you can complete the drill while keeping every round on target.
Establishing a personal par time, the fastest you can shoot the drill clean, provides an honest benchmark for tracking growth. This exercise sits on the razor’s edge between precision and speed, requiring calm execution while the clock pushes for urgency.
Why Cold Hits Matter
Most shooters begin training sessions with warm-ups or familiar drills. That routine can create a false sense of skill. A cold hit is different. It exposes reality and reveals what a shooter can truly deliver without rehearsal or mental preparation.
The Baba Yaga Drill lives at the demanding end of the proficiency spectrum. It tests draw efficiency, visual processing, and trigger control under time pressure. Misses cannot be covered with make-up shots, and rushed mechanics fall apart quickly. This is not about feeling fast; it is about being accurate and efficient when it counts.
Drill Setup and Execution
- Target & Layout: Four 2-inch circles arranged in a square, spaced about 8 inches apart.
- Distance: 7 yards.
- Start Position: Pistol holstered (concealed or duty), hands naturally at sides or in a ready stance.
- Procedure: On the buzzer, draw and fire one round into each circle. Any order is acceptable. Only one shot per circle. Record your time and hits.
- Scoring: A clean run is four hits. Focus on accuracy first. Once consistency is achieved, work to reduce time while maintaining precision. Use your fastest clean run as your personal par time and track improvement over multiple sessions.
Keys to Success
Own the First Shot: The first draw sets the tone. Build a smooth, consistent presentation before pushing for speed.
Plan Your Path: Decide the order that minimizes movement: clockwise, counterclockwise, or diagonal. Test options in dry fire and commit to the one that flows best.
Lead With the Eyes: Look to the next target before the gun moves. Efficient visual transitions keep the gun moving smoothly and on line.
Control the Trigger: Each press counts. Deliver a deliberate, clean break without slapping or rushing.
Analyze Every Miss: Treat misses as data. Did the grip slip? Was the sight picture rushed? Were transitions too aggressive? Use each failure to refine mechanics.
The Takeaway
Cold-hit drills, such as the Baba Yaga, are truth tellers. They expose the gap between perceived skill and proven ability. Shooting well after warming up is easy; shooting well cold is real performance. This drill forces accountability for every shot and demands that fundamentals hold under pressure. It challenges shooters to master draw stroke efficiency, visual target acquisition, and deliberate trigger control while moving at pace. Run it at the start of each range session, record your par time, and push for clean hits before chasing speed. The Baba Yaga Drill is not comfortable, but it is revealing, and the growth it drives will make every shot outside the range more deliberate when it matters most.
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19 Comments
The fact that the Baba Yaga Drill is ‘not about feeling fast; it is about being accurate and efficient when it counts’ resonates with me, as it highlights the importance of focusing on precision and control rather than just speed.
I’ve tried the Baba Yaga Drill and found that the 7-yard distance and 2-inch circle targets are challenging, but the real difficulty lies in maintaining accuracy under time pressure.
The drill’s ability to ‘expose reality’ and reveal a shooter’s true abilities makes it an excellent tool for identifying areas for improvement and tracking progress over time.
The drill’s emphasis on drawing from a holstered position, with hands naturally at sides or in a ready stance, adds an extra layer of realism to the exercise, simulating real-world scenarios.
The article mentions that a ‘cold hit’ exposes reality and reveals what a shooter can truly deliver without rehearsal or mental preparation, which makes me wonder how often professional shooters practice this type of drill.
The drill’s focus on ‘owning the first shot’ and building a smooth, consistent presentation is crucial, as it sets the tone for the rest of the exercise and can greatly impact overall performance.
I’m skeptical about the drill’s ability to translate to real-world self-defense scenarios, as it focuses primarily on speed and accuracy rather than decision-making and situational awareness.
While the Baba Yaga Drill may not directly simulate real-world scenarios, it helps develop the fundamental skills required for effective self-defense, such as drawing and shooting quickly and accurately.
I’m excited to try the Baba Yaga Drill and see how it challenges my skills and helps me develop greater precision and efficiency in my shooting.
I’ve found that the Baba Yaga Drill has helped me develop a smoother and more consistent draw, which has improved my overall shooting performance.
The 8-inch spacing between the 2-inch circles seems like a relatively small distance, but it requires a high level of precision and control to hit each target quickly and accurately.
The article’s emphasis on ‘controlling the trigger’ and delivering a deliberate, clean break without slapping or rushing is essential for achieving accuracy and precision in the drill.
I’ve noticed that my performance in the Baba Yaga Drill improves significantly when I focus on ‘planning my path’ and deciding the most efficient order to engage the targets.
The fact that the Baba Yaga Drill only allows one shot per circle, with no make-up shots, makes it an excellent tool for tracking progress and identifying areas for improvement.
The Baba Yaga Drill’s focus on cold hits is fascinating, as it reveals a shooter’s true ability without rehearsal or mental preparation, making it a more realistic test of skill.
I’m curious about the importance of ‘leading with the eyes’ in the Baba Yaga Drill, as it seems to contradict traditional shooting techniques that focus on aligning the gun’s sights.
Actually, leading with the eyes allows for more efficient visual transitions and helps maintain a smooth gun movement, which is crucial in high-pressure situations.
I’m interested in trying the Baba Yaga Drill with different pistol types and holsters to see how it affects my performance and identifies any areas for improvement.
The Baba Yaga Drill’s square target layout, with four 2-inch circles, seems like an effective way to test a shooter’s ability to quickly and accurately engage multiple targets.