Page 10 of 18 FirstFirst ... 89101112 ... LastLast
Results 91 to 100 of 173

Thread: Dry Practice Misconceptions - Updated 01-22-19

  1. #91
    Super Dave Harrington teaches and demonstrates a comprehensive dry-fire routine.

    His self-discipline still amazes me.

  2. #92
    Site Supporter Jay Cunningham's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Dave Harrington and Ben Stoeger have dedicated dry fire resources: I'm sure there are some others out there.

  3. #93
    Quote Originally Posted by Jay Cunningham View Post
    Dave Harrington and Ben Stoeger have dedicated dry fire resources: I'm sure there are some others out there.
    Steve Anderson has one that's pure competition. Mike Seeklander, I think, has one for gaming and one for defensive use.

  4. #94
    I have both Seeklander's and Stoeger's material, and I find the latter to be better laid out and just user friendlier. There are some expected limitations from a concealed carry standpoint, but it is still a helpful resource.

  5. #95
    Site Supporter CCT125US's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Ohio
    Quote Originally Posted by OrigamiAK View Post


    The downside is that now you are paying attention to the target to decide whether your 'shot' was a hit. Ultimately, you need to get that information from the sight picture.

    Once you know what a great trigger press feels like (in the finger and in the mind), the laser needs to go away and you need to connect the feeling of a great trigger press to what it looks like in the sight picture.
    Agreed....however, we know feelings are rude and sometimes lie.
    What I have done to remove the desire and tendency to watch the laser is as follows. My laser and sights do not co-witness. The dot is about 8" off to the 11 o'clock position at 55' on purpose. I place a dark piece of fabric where the laser would fall if my sights are in the target zone. I like to use a 3x3 post it as a target, so the fabric is smaller in size, maybe 2" or so. The fabric absorbs the laser unless my sights are off target. I am still able to focus on the sight, but become very aware of the laser starbusting on the white wall if my sights are not trully aligned.
    Sometimes what feels good in the trigger, is contradicted by the red fail light. This is what works for me currently, I am waiting for the day when my vision and trigger press cooperate fully.
    Taking a break from social media.

  6. #96
    Quote Originally Posted by YVK View Post
    I have both Seeklander's and Stoeger's material, and I find the latter to be better laid out and just user friendlier. There are some expected limitations from a concealed carry standpoint, but it is still a helpful resource.
    I agree. Of all the dry fire material I've encountered, Stoeger's is far and away my favorite.

  7. #97
    Leopard Printer Mr_White's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Gaming In The Streets
    Quote Originally Posted by CCT125US View Post
    Agreed....however, we know feelings are rude and sometimes lie.
    What I have done to remove the desire and tendency to watch the laser is as follows. My laser and sights do not co-witness. The dot is about 8" off to the 11 o'clock position at 55' on purpose. I place a dark piece of fabric where the laser would fall if my sights are in the target zone. I like to use a 3x3 post it as a target, so the fabric is smaller in size, maybe 2" or so. The fabric absorbs the laser unless my sights are off target. I am still able to focus on the sight, but become very aware of the laser starbusting on the white wall if my sights are not trully aligned.
    Sometimes what feels good in the trigger, is contradicted by the red fail light. This is what works for me currently, I am waiting for the day when my vision and trigger press cooperate fully.
    Very interesting approach. Thank you for sharing!

    FWIW, in using the SIRT (the only time right now I use a laser) I sometimes leave the laser on and make it a big act of will to not let myself do anything different with my eyes trying to see it or look at it, and other times I tape it off.
    Technical excellence supports tactical preparedness
    Lord of the Food Court
    http://www.gabewhitetraining.com

  8. #98
    Site Supporter Jay Cunningham's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Quote Originally Posted by Jay Cunningham View Post
    If you are staging the trigger during dry practice, you're screwing yourself. A long, slow trigger press almost never increases your chance of getting a hit. In fact, what it tends to do is significantly contribute to the anticipation that leads to jerking the trigger. You all know what that looks like; for right-handed shooters it usually manifests itself as hits low left. You are better off pressing the trigger straight through decisively, regardless of trigger characteristics. This short-circuits mental agony which helps mitigate jerking the trigger due to anticipation.

    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.

    If you persist in using "just the tip" of your trigger finger because you were trained that way, you're screwing yourself. If you're reading this you've likely taken formal training and you've likely been told to use just the tip of your finger on the trigger. I'm telling you to use how much ever finger you need to minimize movement of the gun. This requires experimentation. You may only need just the tip of your finger. You may need to jam your whole finger in up to the second knuckle. You need to figure it out, and now is the time. You'll know when it's right, because the sights won't move.

    If you are worried about trying to simulate "catching the link" (riding the reset) during dry practice, you're screwing yourself. BANG-CLICK is something I wish I could purge instantly from my students, but instead I need to rely upon 3,000 to 5,000 repetitions. Such is life. If you've been trained to "catch the link" (press the trigger, hold it to the rear, gun cycles, sights back on target, let the trigger out to reset point, press the trigger again) you've been taught a technique that isn't particularly helpful. You're far better off simply relaxing your trigger finger during the recoil of the gun and being ready to fire that next shot when the sights fall back down on target. So with all that said, quit trying to simulate catching the link during dry practice. It's not doing anything useful.

    If you think lots of live fire means you can skip dry practice, you're screwing yourself. Dry practice allows you to look at things differently than live fire. If you have a mentality that you "shoot all the time" therefore you don't need to dry practice, you're depriving yourself of a very simple and effective methodology for improvement. Don't view dry practice as something to do only when you can't get to the range.


    Obviously the focus of the above is narrowed down to practicing with a normal two-handed grip... SHO and WHO practice has some additional nuance.

    Trigger control is simply dropping the hammer/releasing the striker (via the trigger) while keeping two axis stability of the boreline. By experimenting with the the interaction of your support hand and firing hand and your trigger finger position in relation to the trigger face - whilst gripping the gun hard and high - you will be able to achieve your ultimate goal: pressing the trigger quickly without having your sights appreciably move.

    This is a much more useful goal for practical pistol shooting than that of having your front sight remain "perfectly still".

    Updated with some tweaks and additional thoughts.


  9. #99
    Member cclaxton's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Vienna, Va
    Jay,
    These are great tips.
    How do you recommend increasing trigger frequency in dry-fire? Anderson recommends using a metronome and then pushing the metronome faster and pushing the speed of your trigger finger to the metronome. My splits average .25, and I want to push that number down.
    Any suggestions?
    Cody
    That a well-regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defense of a free state;

  10. #100
    Quote Originally Posted by cclaxton View Post
    Jay,
    These are great tips.
    How do you recommend increasing trigger frequency in dry-fire? Anderson recommends using a metronome and then pushing the metronome faster and pushing the speed of your trigger finger to the metronome. My splits average .25, and I want to push that number down.
    Any suggestions?
    Cody
    Worry less about trigger speed and more about shooting the sights! That helped me alot atleast for increasing trigger speed in live fire.

User Tag List

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •