Night Ops

I just started out with lock picking and I wonder how you guys train your lock picking skills. I recently bought the SouthOrd C500 set and a cheap Masterlock (4 normal pins) but it is already too easy to open even with the hook. Which locks do you recommend?

Also, do you have specific training drills applicable to NO? I want to get serious about this and eventually be able to pick door locks.

Padlocks and the locks around my house are usually what I practise on, with varying degrees of success. Some I can pick in under a minute, others I haven't even been able to turn yet. Just make sure you don't accidentally lock yourself in/out.

I live in an area where there are padlocks out and about in town that can be picked. In the past, I've gone on ops to just practice picking whatever locks I could find. In the daytime, as long as the area was secluded or low traffic, I could pick away and just keep my head on a swivel. I ended up having a large selection of locks on local fences and doors and such that I would make rounds and pick periodically to keep my skills sharp.

I found that training lockpicking like this helped me perform much better when it came time to tackle a brand new lock under pressure in the field. All that said, I also purchased/liberated a few locks of my own that I kept at home to practice.