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irishshooter
09-27-2011, 09:59 AM
which is your preferred stopping point after pressing out? i see the biggest difference in the "tactical" shooters/non-competetion in full extension with elbows essentially locked; the IDPA/IPSC/competition etc shooters seem to favor elbows slightly bent. i personally go to elbows nearly locked even in competitive shooting and most of the videos i have seen from frequent posters on this site seem to favor this as well. whats your preference and why?? trying to gain a little insight. thanks.:)

JV_
09-27-2011, 10:11 AM
Fully extended is not only bad for your joints, but it does not absorb recoil well. I'm find myself about 1.5" shy of full extension. The closer the gun is to your body, the more pectoral force I can use to squeeze the gun.

This may help, it's pretty close to what I try to do The whole video is good, but 1:40 starts the elbow issue:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBmN7mpVZWE

Todd Jarrett's take (4:30 'ish):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGhveUOnkvc&feature=related

DocGKR
09-27-2011, 11:45 AM
Slightly bent:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6158/6153824627_0a52e0268b_b.jpg

http://www.10-8forums.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=download&Number=7573&filename=IMG_0623.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5293/5532996040_1c457fe549_z.jpg

VolGrad
09-27-2011, 01:47 PM
The more locked out I am (to full extension) the better I shoot. I actually feel more in control locked out than slightly bent. That being said, until earlier this year I was always slightly bent. However, about the time I began locking out I saw a marked improvement in my shooting.

Jay Cunningham
09-27-2011, 02:14 PM
I will go out on a limb and say that on a draw it is very common (and I would consider acceptable) to lock out the elbows as a way of getting the gun quickly into a known, repeatable index.

I would say that after the first round or two the elbows should break a bit and any subsequent shooting from the ready should be with a slight bend in the elbows. Locked elbows can lead to pain and also to poor recoil control and can hinder proper sight-tracking.

ToddG
09-27-2011, 02:22 PM
The act of locking the elbow generally pushes the muzzle down, which is one reason why many people seem to launch their first shot low.

I have a slight bend to my elbow when shooting.

TGS
09-27-2011, 03:13 PM
Slight bend. I also try to roll my elbows up, but will catch myself dropping my right elbow sometimes.

I used to shoot at pretty much 100% extension, but listened when Bruce Gray talks about how he's got arthritis from doing that. In addition, with anything larger than a 9mm, I can't manage the recoil with 100% extension due to body mechanics. When slightly bent, my elbows act like the shock absorber they're suppose to be.

I had a chance to take Todd's S.O.M. course in which I saw how paramount having bent joints is with the rest of the body, as well.

fuse
09-27-2011, 08:36 PM
The act of locking the elbow generally pushes the muzzle down, which is one reason why many people seem to launch their first shot low.



Never thought of this before. Makes a lot of sense.

vecdran
09-27-2011, 09:26 PM
I shoot best when my elbows are close to being locked out. They are still slightly bent, but if I start bending too much, the worse my recoil control gets.

jetfire
09-27-2011, 09:37 PM
I keep my elbows fairly bent compared to dudes like Jeremy or Todd - I actually get better recoil control doing this because I'm squeezing with my pectoral muscles and not my hands.

DonovanM
09-27-2011, 10:31 PM
I keep my elbows bent quite a bit, for one simple reason - it takes constant muscular tension to align my arms any other way. As I originally built and continue to tweak and refine my stance, I have tried to adopt only what is the most natural and relaxed technique possible (and this goes the same elsewhere). My hands just come together as they do naturally out in space to form my grip and I have done as little tweaking as possible to align my sights. This is, I think, the fastest and easiest way to getting a neutral grip and its associated sight return characteristics, IMO, because there's so much less to remember.

It works well, I haven't felt the need to do anything differently. I have excellent recoil control without the need to bend over to pick something up while I'm shooting, but that may have more to do with being a 250lb recoil spring. Who knows :D

Here's a snap from my most recent video to demonstrate (I'm leaning to the right slightly).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v119/vehementi/stance.jpg