Slow Is Smooth, Smooth Is Fast

[DISCLAIMER]

When enlisted in the Department of Defense, assigned to a Department of State mission in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, as a Marine Security Guard (MSG), I served as a member of a tactical team. As such, MSGs trained on firing ranges to achieve competency with various weapons systems.

In the above photo, I’m featured hyperbolically simulating a weapons-clearing procedure known as “tap, rack, bang.” Regarding this method of getting back into a gun fight, one source states:

Tap, rack, bang (TRB) or tap, rack, and go (TRG) is jargon for the response to a failure to fire in a firearm with a removable magazine. This is designated as an “Immediate Action” and involves no investigation of the cause (due to being under fire in a combat or defensive situation), but is effective for common failures, such as defective or improperly seated ammunition magazines.

The joke inferred in the photo is that I’m inspecting a weapon stoppage in an over-exaggerated manner, as a TRB clearing procedure doesn’t require such investigation. When experiencing a pistol jam, one preferably should simply tap, rack, and bang (get back into the fight).

Understandably, some people may wonder what firearms manipulation has to do with mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”). Recently, in a blogpost entitled Grossweiner’s Law, I clarified this matter by stating:

Grossweiner’s Law applies to mental health, in that dwelling on the past or ruminating about the future can sabotage your success in this moment. Steadying your mind and taking your shot is what it’s all about. All there is—is right now.

In that post, I referenced having formerly been subcontracted to the Department of Energy in the capacity of a nuclear security provider, as I learned how to shoot in a far superior manner than in all of my military training. Regarding this matter, I stated in a post entitled The Wisdom of eLZhi:

When contemplating a “patience is key” approach to life, I’m reminded of something I heard when training for competition shooting. A firearms instructor said, “Fast ain’t fast, bud. Smooth is fast.” In essence, I was taught that patience was the key not to become overly stressed.

Recently, I watched the film F1 (2025) in which character Sonny Hayes states, “Okay, here’s another one [expression] my dad would say, ‘Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.” When you contemplate this axiom, what comes to mind?

The phrase emphasizes that deliberate and careful execution of a task may lead to greater efficiency and speed in the long run, rather than rushing and making unnecessary mistakes. Of course, this isn’t to suggest that one may achieve perfection when using the axiom.

“Slow is smooth, smooth is fast” merely suggests that by focusing on accuracy and precision (smoothness) in the initial stages, one can achieve greater speed and effectiveness overall. As an example, with TRB, looking down at one’s weapon decreases time spent focusing on a target.

Thus, the axiom serves as a principle often used in training for high-stakes situations in which mistakes can have significant consequences. This is where the mental health angle comes into focus. For instance, consider the ABC model of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT).

For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate that when an undesirable Action occurs and you Believe unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable assumption, and not the occurrence itself, that causes an unpleasant Consequence. This is known as self-disturbance.

As an example, let’s pretend that in the above photo I experienced a weapons malfunction (Action) and unproductively Believed, “This is terrible, and I can’t stand it, because I shouldn’t be useless in a gun fight!” That unfavorable attitude would then cause stress (Consequence).

When upsetting myself in such a way, I’d likely experience ruminating thoughts about how ineffective my skills were (cognitive), fear about my incompetency (emotive), tingling hands (sensory), and I’d probably miss shots when speeding through the process (behavioral).

From a mental health perspective, psyching myself out in such a way could’ve impacted my performance on the MSG tactical team. Reactions have consequences, as I likely would’ve lost the confidence of my team members which wouldn’t have been a desirable outcome.

Fortunately, the above photo was for the sake of humor. I wasn’t self-disturbed. Nevertheless, this isn’t to suggest that I wasn’t reminded over and over about a “slow is smooth, smooth is fast” lesson on tolerating and accepting unpleasant distress when at shooting ranges.

As the best firearms training I had was in the field of nuclear security (2004-2008), I suspect that the firearms instructor who taught me a variant of “slow is smooth, smooth is fast” likely borrowed the axiom from the 2007 film Shooter in which character Bob Lee Swagger says:

[Training character Nick Memphis to shoot] All right, you got four enemy combatants. Take ‘em one by one. Keep shooting, don’t let anything distract you. [As Memphis aims his weapon, Swagger ignites a distracting explosive charge] Didn’t I say don’t let anything distract you? Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Let’s see it.

Regardless of whether one uses the helpful phrase to improve Formula One driving performance, develop proficiency with firearms, or get better (rather than merely feeling better) from a mental health standpoint, I invite you to consider a “slow is smooth, smooth is fast” perspective.

This means slowing down the process of self-disturbance and taking a mindfulness approach to the task at hand. All there is—is right now. Acknowledging this and steadying your mind can lead to a significant impact on your outcome. After all, “Fast ain’t fast, bud. Smooth is fast.”

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

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