Dry Practice Misconceptions - Updated 07-21-15
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay Cunningham
If you aren't achieving a full firing grip during dry practice, you're screwing yourself. You know the gun isn't going to recoil, so you hold the gun like a dead fish. However, your hands interact with each other and with the gun differently when your full firing grip is achieved. It's tempting to shortcut your grip during dry practice because with striker-fired guns you continuously remove your support hand to reset the trigger via the slide. DON'T SHORTCUT YOUR GRIP. Think of your knuckles like the hinge of a nutcracker and establish a hard grip as high on the gun as you can. If your forearms are torqueing inward and your pectoral muscles come into play, you're doing it right. If your support arm is higher than your firing arm because you're getting the "ball" of your support hand up as high as you can on the gun, you're doing it right.
I really like this thread, and I keep coming back to read it from time to time.
I hope Jay does not mind me bumping it with a question, vs. a new thread, because what I'm asking is kind of related.
With regard to the above point, in particular, the bold, does this necessarily argue for a more "support arm locked" approach?
So today I was shooting with some friends that were visiting Tampa. One was a young USMC officer, so I took the opportunity to ask him to critique my stance. (I understand the USMC knows a bit about marksmanship :cool:)
After looking at me shoot low right (as a lefty), he had me try locking my support arm elbow much closer and tighter to counter my trigger hand grip tightening.
Wow! After I did this, I immediately saw my groups at 5 yards shrink by 1/2. It was...pretty amazing. It felt much more solid and stable.
So, I came home, did some research, and thought I would ask what you guys thought about this suggestion. Since this thread is so useful, I wondered if this was what Jay was getting at in the quote (and bold part) above.
Thoughts?
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Dry Practice Misconceptions - Updated 07-21-15
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Wannabe
I'd like to know more about the boldest area as well. I've tried it before and didn't like it so I stopped, but I was probably doing it wrong. If I torque my arms inwards like I think it says the part of my palm closest to the ground while aiming the gun comes up and tries to 'peak' my hand away from the gun..
Or are you saying to torque down wards and not up like I was assuming? Activating your front delts?
Um, my English sucks. :cool: sorry. :(
I meant that he suggested I bring my support hand elbow in tight, like, locked in tight, vs letting my elbow bend and kinda drop / point to the floor...hopefully makes more sense.
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Dry Practice Misconceptions - Updated 07-21-15
^^^ Understood. My point was he was not just some yahoo at the range, but your point is valid.
At any rate, I noticed an immediate and sudden reduction in group sizes, my groups were more centered than ever before, and my wife said I was better looking. :cool:
Ok, well maybe not all of that, but, I tell ya, my shoulders (both sides, the muscles that connect my head to my shoulders) were much tighter with my elbow locked or nearly locked. It seems logical to me that given that I've been pushing rounds low right as a lefty for two years, that 'for me' the effect of locked elbows corrected that issue.
You mentioned Bob Vogel, exactly. Here is Mr. Vogel's grip video, check out 1:54, for example:
http://youtu.be/45QhpvY9LZc
His support arm looks pretty straight to me:
Attachment 4181
I get the biomechanics is not the same for everyone, was just wondering, 'in general' would the experts advise locking support hand elbow, or no?