The Three Position

While much discussion has been spent on count 2 of the drawstroke, each of
the other counts is deserving of a similar degree of attention. Count 3 is
commonly referred to as the horizontal line of travel in the 90-degree
drawstroke.

Count 3 denotes nothing more than when the gun first becomes visually
referenced in drawstroke.

Regardless if you are establishing a one or two handed firing grip on the
pistol, count 3 is the point at which the gun is picked up by your peripheral
vision.

A good rule of thumb is that the gun should never be lower at any given
point within drawstroke than it was at the previous count. For instance, a
proper 2 has the elbow high, wrist locked and thumb flagged. A proper 3 has
the gun driven up from 2 in an attempt to get the gun into the eye-target
line as rapidly and efficiently as possible.

If the threat is forward of the shooter, as opposed to a flanking problem

requiring the shooter to engage while his torso is not oriented on the threat,
the gun is driven from 2 while maintaining physical contact with your torso
via the flagged thumb and 'drumstick' of the shooting hand towards
centerline, where the offhand [if firing two handed] begins to mate and the
package is driven ever more upward and forward.

We'll begin with the gun in 2:

A proper 3 has the gun being driven upwards from 2 without losing physical
contact with the torso, as the grip is established, the gun continues to be
driven upward and forward.

Here the gun is referenced in the visual cone, but has not entered the eye-
target line:

As the gun continues driving upward and forward, we move past Count 3 and
enter Count 4 [appropriate extension or compression based on range to
threat]. In this instance, the gun is still driving forward to full extension.
The shooter has reached full extension.

Commonly observed errors with Count 3 include not driving the gun higher
from 3, but rather letting the elbow relax as 3 is established. This is not as
obvious and does not drop the gun as much as when the elbow is allowed to
drop at 2, but it does increase the distance between the gun and the eye-
target line and is a less efficient method of driving the gun.

From a lower 3, the gun will be further from the body before it attains the
same height. This limits the amount of time that you have to refine your
sights, because the weapon silhouette and the sights are in your cone of
vision for less time prior to reaching extension.
Obviously, full extension is the same, but the path that got this shooter here
was less efficient than in the first sequence.

As mentioned previously, Count 3 is where both hands meet, if you are going
to shoot using a two-handed grip. However, it is still Count 3 when shooting
with only one hand. Another rule of thumb: If you are going to put both
hands on the gun, put them on at 3. Do not chase an extending gun with the
offhand. Do not run the offhand out to a gun at extension. Collect the gun
with both hands at 3.

Anyway, here's the one handed version. The gun is driven high from 2 to 3.
And out from 3 to 4.

One last thing, compare this picture with the one in Post #6. In the current
pic, I have dropped my elbow at 2 as I moved to 3. Notice how it is even
lower than the in Post #6? Neither is desirable, but Post #6 is insidious.

Originally posted by Paul Gomez at Total Protection Interactive. This PDF file is created to aid students of
self protection, as a tribute to those who wrote the content and is in no way a challenge to the original
author. The format of this document is protected by a Creative Commons Licence. Any derivative works
must give attribution to the original author(s) of the content. The copyright for the content is held by the
original author. I have edited spelling and grammar only.
James Marwood