Breakthrough - Modified pistol grip a boon for accuracy

[ubervic]

I've been in and out of training to increase my accuracy with my MP9FS for about a year now. On my latest range visit I tried a slightly different grip, almost completely on whim, and the results were remarkable, suggesting that I've been gripping the pistol inefficiently for over two years' time.

Prior to this past Sunday, I've been gripping with my strong (right) hand such that this hand's 'clamping force' is distributed fairly evenly around the entire surface of the pistol grip. Midway through this last range session, I focused on a 'pinching' style, with slightly less overall strong-hand force around the pistol grip, more force exerted between first finger and thumb, and a commensurate increase in weak hand force, high on the frame. In my mind's eye I'm gripping less like a 'monkey grabbing a hammer' and more like a shooter manipulating/pointing a fine tool.

I would have thought that less overall force around the pistol grip would result in less overall control, larger group and more fliers---but the opposite seems to be true. This slightly modified style enabled me to point/aim with less effort and boosted my ability to focus on better control of trigger press. Most remarkable is that groups which I would normally struggle to keep within 3-4" at 7 yds (at a moderate firing pace) almost instantly shrunk to under 2".

Someone with greater skill and awareness than I would have to watch me shoot to better account for the improved accuracy. But the quick evidence suggests that my whim to shift my grip is something I should have explored a long time ago.

[ToddG]

FWIW, this is how I teach the grip and is similar (though not identical in detail) to what I think most folks consider the current post-modern standard grip:

Strong hand as high on the grip as it can go. You can tell it's as high as it can go when it can't go higher. It acts as a clamp front-to-back. Grip as hard as you can while still being able to manipulate your trigger finger independently (no upset of sight picture as you press trigger).

Weak hand index finger touches strong hand middle finger, both as high up under the trigger guard as possible, and weak hand rotates around so that there is as close to a straight line as you can manage from elbow through the wrist to the thumb. Exact position of thumb not important as long as wrist is straight(-ish). Weak hand vices pistol from left to right as strong as you can without shaking or otherwise conflicting with stable sight picture.

Personally I find best results when bottom edges of palms of both hands touch and provide a 360-degree "wrap around" grip on the gun. It provides the greatest amount of "contact patch" which provides friction to keep gun from moving around. There are people who do it other ways but those grips, in my experience, rely on strength and more exact placement which I don't want to count on in a fight when I may be injured, etc. Friction is a constant, grip strength is not. YMMV.

[ubervic]

After re-reading my post, two things jumped out at me: 1) I sound like a total n00b goober (which is fairly accurate :)), and 2) I think I failed to make clear what was different and BETTER about my slightly shifted grip.

I felt very much that I was pointing and aiming the pistol with precision and ease---rather than gripping & squeezing the pistol in an attempt to wrestle the recoil into control as I usually did before. More specifically, I shifted my strong (right) hand just a fraction of an inch clockwise at the pistol grip (if looking down on the gun from atop the slide) and, while doing so, focused my intent more directly on the 'pinch' action between my trigger finger and thumb, high up on the grip. My other strong-hand fingers certainly gripped the pistol, but much more focus was applied to the highest contact-point area of the pistol. The sensation was something like how one grips a spray-bottle of Windex---lots of contact sensation at the web of the hand between first finger and thumb.

Again, I'd think that my seemingly less aggressive grip would open up my groups a bit, but the opposite happened. Very interesting experience.

[Edwin]

Can you guys post some photos or videos? I don't seem to understand what you wrote but could probably see what you're talking about. If it's a labeled photo, even better.

[stimpee]

The way ToddG describes it is what was taught to me recently by Jay Cunningham at the PistolForum "workshop" a few months back.

That, coupled with my rapidly developing comfort with the 92-Series pistols has me shooting better than I had never imagined possible in a relatively short time...

[pangloss]

I recently stumbled onto the same method after reading an post on Modern Service Weapon (http://modernserviceweapons.com/?p=10005) from a few months ago. Changing my grip resulted in an immediate and significant improvement in my shooting. In retrospect, I'm almost certain some one told me about this before, but I don't have very good listening skills. I don't know if it's a result of the change in grip, but I'm also getting to the point where I can track the sights for the first time, which is very exciting.

[Jay Cunningham]

The way ToddG describes it is what was taught to me recently by Jay Cunningham at the PistolForum "workshop" a few months back.

That, coupled with my rapidly developing comfort with the 92-Series pistols has me shooting better than I had never imagined possible in a relatively short time...


That's great to hear dude!