slow is smooth, smooth is fast

English

Etymology

From marksmanship, where firing too quickly may lead to decreased accuracy.

Proverb

slow is smooth, smooth is fast

1. Approaching difficult situations slowly and methodically can lead to faster and more efficient outcomes.
   • 2006 May 2, Jack Coughlin, Casey Kuhlman, Donald A. Davis, Shooter: The Autobiography of the Top-Ranked Marine Sniper, Macmillan Publishers, →ISBN, page 132:

     Since bullets follow walls, we kept about three feet away from the sandy buildings and moved very deliberately. Not fast, but safe. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

   • 2014 October 14, Weston Ochse, Reign of Evil: A SEAL Team 666 Novel, Macmillan Publishers, →ISBN, page 63:

     He slowed to a walk, keeping his aim steady as he pulled the trigger with metronomic regularity. The words slow is smooth; smooth is fast ran through his mind as he found a stair down to lane level and moved into lane seventeen.

   • 2015 July 15, Nate Ostis, NOLS River Rescue Guide, Stackpole Books, →ISBN, page 38:

     If you rush through your steps in the pursuit of efficiency, you waste time if the proper sequence is lost. Splint the leg first, then transport back to the river bank. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

Usage notes

• The phrase was originally military slang, where it was used to train soldiers. Although still widely used and mostly known for its military origin, the proverb has expanded to refer to any difficult situation.