CTG Podcast S3E8 - LEO Firearms Training should be HIT FACTOR FOCUSED (ft 21year SWAT/Instructor)

Ft Erik Eltz, 21year LEO/SWAT and Instructor...His Bio is BELOW Erik came out to one of my classes and a buuuunch of matches last the season and we really got along, mainly because we were both just focused on being better shooters. No matter your level or job- THAT should be your focus if you use/carry a gun daily or for a living in any way. How do you measure that? Hit Factor seemed like a good way, and I loved relating it to the LEO/SWAT side having worked with tons of them at this point.

He and his Cadre all came out that season and really TOOK OFF using the Concept of Hit Factor Competition, specifically USPSA. They were all great shooters to start but they quickly rose above their previous standards with this type of training. With me or on their own, the bar started to rise...So the Topic was born:

WHY THE HELL ISNT HIT FACTOR THE ABSOLUTE WAY IN FIREARMS TRAINING??? Well thats what we are BOTH on a mission to fix.

Whether from the civilian side or "professional" side, having measurably high benchmarks for performance is a great thing. We do this in Fitness, Health and Wellness, even Intellectually with tests...why not Shooting?? Well in my opinion we are still in the early stages of understanding it relative to what I mentioned above- but the time is NOW!

Performance Shooting, using time AND accuracy to determine skill...also known as Hit Factor...is now the sweeping trend in the shooting world. Why? Well it is a quantifiable way to say THIS IS BEST, and damn do guys like JJ Racaza make it look easy and cool... Whats the best way to prove you have mastered that...well HEAD TO A MATCH!! Local Match feel too easy? Wow you must be winning- COOL GO TO A MAJOR. Only investment at that point is Dryfire Time and Ammo in Training. And if your Instructor isnt out CURRENTLY proving themselves...ask them why? Then ask them to prove it.

Best way to prove it...POST PRACTISCORE

Erik Eltz- Erik was hired as a fulltime police officer in 2003 serving the lower Hudson Valley of New York State. Erik then took an assignment to the Anti-Crime Unit focused on addressing gun violence in his jurisdiction. For over 12 years, Erik was a SWAT Operator starting as the primary mechanical breacher and eventually rose to the position of Assistant Team Commander. Erik attended FBI Firearms, FBI SWAT, FBI Carbine and FBI Street Survival prior to starting his Instructor journey in 2011. Since 2012 he has been the Lead Firearms Instructor for his regional academy. From 2018-2020 he served as a Subject Matter Expert for the NYS Preparedness Center teaching Reality Based Force on Force Training and DCJS SWAT Schools. Erik is currently working with DCJS and a panel of other consultants on updating the Recruit Firearms curriculum as well as updating the Firearms Instructor Curriculum. He realizes the value in working with a team of like-minded professionals across the state and is excited about the positive steps being taken. Erik has a true passion for training, always being a student first and effecting positive change in the law enforcement community.