How to improve your tactical skill

What is the fastest way to improve your tatical ability in chess? Recommendations on methods, software or books appreciated.

Also, what impact did studying tactics have on your grade?

Thanks,

Jon

http://www.amazon.com/Tactics-Winning-Chess-Yasser-Seirawan/dp/0735606056

http://www.amazon.com/Chess-Tactics-Champions-step-step/dp/081293671X

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Understanding-Chess-Tactics-Martin-Weteschnik/dp/9197524425

In that order. join chesstempo.com and do 10-15 minutes on the problems they have there, a day.

www.chesstactics.org/

By far the best and most thorough I have seen.

Tactics have helped me blunder less.

Games I lose are often due to tactics, games I win by accumulating small advantages.

Great suggestions guys. Really liked the site chesstempo.com and it has a great discussion forum too.

I have bought Fritz 12, which comes with a 1 year premium membership to playchess.com. Does that have good tactics training there? I've no idea because IO haven't received it yet. Does Fritz 12 have good tactics training? Is chesstempo.com the best for tactics due to the stats they provide?

I use Chesstempo and for payware, Chessimo. I can see that my view of the game is much improved spending some daily time with these two programs. 

Hi guys,

I think the two best ways to improve your tactics are; ...

1) Tactics trainer.  Just play then and play them and play them.  Gets you conditioned to look for certain patterns.

2) This is my number one answer to any 'How do I get better question', ... Play opponents that are stronger than you are.  There is no learning experience better than getting your butt kicked.  I dont mean playing someone 400+ points above you.  That is too big of a mismatch.  But 100-300 point above you is a good learning experience.

Watch your backrank.

learning from your mistakes is by far the best chess book out there

http://chess.emrald.net/

will help you im;prove your tactics - and it costs you nought.