Customer Reviews

Practical Shooting : Beyond Fundamentals

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The name Brian Enos is familiar to anyone with even a cursory knowledge of the action shooting sports. In the late 1970s and early '80s, Enos and his good friend Rob Leatham revolutionized competitive shooting by developing techniques allowing high speed pistol control - and a level of performance - previously impossible. They did this by questioning everything, throwing out many of the sacred cows like the Weaver Stance espoused by the experts of the day, and embracing anything - no matter how unconventional - that worked. The techniques they developed (for a few years, until the other guys could adopt the same methods to catch up) didn't just put Leatham and Enos ahead of the rest of the best in the world - they were in an entirely different CLASS.

Beyond Fundamentals has been called by those who've read it, "Zen and the Art of Pistol Shooting." It's also been called, "A book written by an IPSC Grand Master that you have to be an IPSC Grand Master to understand." There's a certain amount of truth to that. Most books on handgun marksmanship tell you that truly high-level shooting really has very little to do with equipment and technique, it's 95 percent mental...then spend 95 percent of the rest of the book talking about equipment and technique! Enos tells you shooting is 95 percent mental, then spends 95 percent of the rest of the book talking about mental states of consciousness.

The reason no one had ever written a book like this before, and why some people find it impenetrable even today, is because it's just damn hard to describe a mental state of consciousness so that someone who's never experienced it can understand what you're talking about. This is definitely a book that benefits frequent re-reading as your skill level improves. The first time I read Beyond Fundamentals I was lost throughout most of it. "What the hell is this guy talking about?" I thought. A few years later, when I read it again, I found it much more comprehensible because, in the intervening time frame, my skill level had improved to the point I could just barely brush the edges of a lot of the stuff Enos describes. Then I found the book going by fairly fast, and absolutely fascinating reading. "This is so cool. I'm already 40 pages into this thing and he hasn't said anything I don't understand yet."

Enos takes ideas from sources as far-flung as bull's-eye shooting, golf, martial arts, even motorcycle racing, and synthesizes them. At times this book seems more a tome on Buddhist philosophy or some Eastern fighting system than a shooting manual. Not to worry though, for those who want instruction on technique it's here in abundance: in-depth discussion on the biomechanics of shooting, written by one of the best shooters in the world. But while reading that may certainly improve your performance, if you really want to excel it's the "hard to understand" portions of the book - the discussions of mental states - that will over the long term prove the most invaluable, and eventually take you the farthest.

Enos does not discuss self-defense tactics in his book - it's about pure shooting skill. Some folks of the "martial artist" persuasion might opine, "Well, I don't have anything to learn from a guy like Enos. I'm a combat shooter and he's a gamesman." Frankly, in my opinion, any defensively oriented handgunner who honestly believes he has nothing to learn from an IPSC Grand Master is a freakin' idiot. IPSC Grand Masters are the GODS of fast and accurate handgunning. No one knows more about how to fire a handgun fast and well than these guys - and that's definitely a skill that could come in handy in a real-life emergency. This is a classic text that should be part of every serious handgunner's library.

If Jedi Master Yoda wrote a book about pistol shooting, this would be it. Enos wrote this book to help intermediate level shooters become advanced level shooters. This isn't a book about self-defense or tactics. It's a book about shooting . . . Mostly the inner, mental effort involved in shooting.

Some of the writing in this book becomes esoteric. How do you describe how you think? Enos works very hard to try to convey the mental processes involved in championship level shooting. Just as this would be a difficult book to write, it takes some effort to read. Unlike many gun-books or gun-magazines, this isn't shallow reading.

Enos doesn't spend very much time writing about the mechanics of gun-handling or marksmanship ( if you're looking for that, then I'd suggest looking at Gabriel Suarez's Tactical Pistol Marksmanship and Tactical Pistol) but when he does, pay attention. He has some neat training exercises that will help you move beyond the intermediate skill-level.

The prices listed for these used copies ($76.00 as of this writing) are a bit steep considering Brian still publishes the book, and sells it at brianenos.com for $19.00

This is a "must buy" book for the competition pistol shooter or just anyone that would like to learn to shoot a pistol safely, accurately and with speed. I am a Master in both open and limited class USPSA competition and soon to make Grand Master. I could not have reached this level with out this book! Brian Enos knows pistol shooting and he has put his years of expirence into this book. This is the one book that covers most everything one needs to know to learn to be efficient with a pistol. But one must practice.

I read it my first time as a C-class IPSC shooter. Im reading it for the third time now and hope to earn my master class this year. Its a mental game and this book really attacks the mental aspects of shooting.

If your competition has read this book, and you haven't, don't plan on winning much. There aren't many top shooters that don't use most of the stuff in this great book. Brian Enos, and his shooting partner Rob Leatham, pretty much changed the way pistols are shot in competition. Enos has shared this info with us through "Beyond Fundamentals". Shorten your learning curve...get this book. It will save you countless of rounds and range time.

I am fairly experienced with firearms and have trained with some of the best instructors in the country. I have read many of the better books written on the subject and will say that this is easily the best book written on shooting the handgun. Whether you are a competitive shooter, law enforcement or interested in personal defense, this book will change the way you think about shooting. The sections on shooting technique are worth the price of the book but where Enos goes above and beyond is in how he addresses the mental aspects of shooting. His treatment of mindset could be applied to any other sport or just everyday living. This book belongs on the shelf of any serious shooter. I've only finished my copy for the first time but it is already filled with highlighted passages and notes in the margins. Cannot recommend highly enough.

I first bought this book agout 10 years ago. To this day I still pull it off the shelf whenever I want to brush up on a technique. If you're looking to learn about the physical and mental game of pistol shooting, this is the book to read.

This book is initially difficult to read; I enjoy challenges. Especially mental ones and Brian will challenge you to challenge Self. NO book approaches shooting in a more cerebral way. Well, that's not true because he'll move you beyond Thinking about what it is you wish to do and simply Doing it without the Mind "thinking" away and slowing you down.

I cannot possibly over sell this book (just like Surgical Speed Shooting) and I push the book to all shooters who fancy themselves as "serious" about competition or life skills with a pistol.

I find the book difficult to put down now and reading it is "a breeze" once you get to the point that you've internalized his definitions. I rather enjoy studying the Mind so it took a day or two before all fell into place and I breezed through it after that. In fact, I breeze through it twice a year. It's one part of my "shooting bible" which must be studied dutifully.

If you decide you don't like his book I'll buy it from you and cover the shipping. It's that good. I don't think you'll find a better endorsement than that. I'll add it to the other three copies - two of which are worn out...

After going to Brian Enos' website and checking out the Amazon reviews, I have to agree; This is undoubtedly the best shooting book available! Chapters two and three alone are worth the price of any shooting materials thet you're apt to find.
Mind you, I have no desire to enter competition shooting at this time but if I did, this would be the book that I would want to learn from. I thought that I was doing pretty good at the range but Practical Shooting Beyond Fundamentals is taking me even further.
Because I have been granted a concealed handgun permit in my state, I thought that I had better learn to handle my weapon to near perfection. I began with Tactical Pistol Shooting by Erik Lawrence for situational drills, moved on to the Practical Shooting Handgun Techniques DVDs Vol 1-3 (which has an interview with Brian Enos btw) and then bought this book as a third stage to compliment the two other purchases. None were disappointing but Practical Shooting Beyond Fundamentals is the cream of the crop. I can feel myself getting better with each practice session.
If you want to continually increase your shooting skills then this is the book for you. If you own a handgun for home or personal protection I still highly recommend this book.
Brian will also autograph the book if you request it!