Pat MacNamara on using as much trigger finger as possible

[spinmove_]

As others have said, I think it all depends. There's another thread around here discussing the same video and idea. It really boils down to how your hands interface with the gun and trigger. Whatever let's you press the trigger without moving the gun is what you should do. If that means sinking more finger on the trigger, then by all means, do it.

God blessed me with short fingers. I've found ways of doing what I need to do with what I've got.


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[critter]

As others have said, I think it all depends. There's another thread around here discussing the same video and idea. It really boils down to how your hands interface with the gun and trigger. Whatever let's you press the trigger without moving the gun is what you should do. If that means sinking more finger on the trigger, then by all means, do it.

God blessed me with short fingers. I've found ways of doing what I need to do with what I've got.


Sent from mah smertfone using tapathingy

Yep, there's only one pistol I currently shoot that I can actually reach far enough to touch the trigger with the first knuckle 'crease', and that's the 42. I can't even do that with the Fugly. All the others I'm hitting with the first 1/3 to 1/2 of the tip pad by nature's design anyway. Whatever is easiest/smoothest to get a straight back as possible controlled press would be the 'eureka'. Kinda along the lines of "learn the 'right' way then modify to work best for you."

[spinmove_]

Yep, there's only one pistol I currently shoot that I can actually reach far enough to touch the trigger with the first knuckle 'crease', and that's the 42. I can't even do that with the Fugly. All the others I'm hitting with the first 1/3 to 1/2 of the tip pad by nature's design anyway. Whatever is easiest/smoothest to get a straight back as possible controlled press would be the 'eureka'. Kinda along the lines of "learn the 'right' way then modify to work best for you."

Honestly I don't even think about where exactly my trigger finger falls on the trigger shoe anymore. Moving faster from draw, to present, to first shot I'm much more concerned with getting a proper grip and getting sights looking good enough on the target. The trigger finger just moves backwards during the press while I keep the rest of the gun from moving.


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[blues]

Honestly I don't even think about where exactly my trigger finger falls on the trigger shoe anymore. Moving faster from draw, to present, to first shot I'm much more concerned with getting a proper grip and getting sights looking good enough on the target. The trigger finger just moves backwards during the press while I keep the rest of the gun from moving.


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I'm pretty much in that camp myself. I go by feel (and sight picture) rather than by measurement.

[JustOneGun]

I didn't watch the video for a personal reason. But as much as possible doesn't mean so much that you are driving the frame to the support hand side? It also depends on pistol to hand length ratio. I run my Glock 19 like traditionally taught, center of pad. I run my Glock 43 like a revolver. They are different size and for me require a different grip and finger placement. Hence my idea of picking just one gun and going with it.

I suppose one way to look at it is, don't be afraid to try putting more finger on the trigger if necessary. It might make our shooting better and more comfortable? If it makes it worse then easy to switch back.

[Clusterfrack]

I'd look at what the top GM level shooters do.

This technique does not work for me unless I'm shooting a mouse gun.

[GJM]

In this video Pat MacNamara advocates using as much trigger finger as possible. He quotes the person who gave him this advice as saying that he puts so much finger on the trigger that he can hit the mag release when he is finished squeezing it.

This seems to go against conventional advice which is to only use the finger tip or first joint, and that if any part of your trigger finger is scraping the frame you run the risk of pushing the gun sideways as the trigger is pulled to the rear.

Here is the video, and it's application to my shooting follows.



Earlier this week I wound up shooting a S&W M&P45 that I recently acquired that I really don't need. The gun has 10-8 rear sights and supposedly an Apex Sear, but the trigger still has a hard break.

I am accustomed to shooting H&K VP9s and Glocks, an occasional 1911, and an M&P 9 & 45 that have Bowie trigger jobs where I can almost fire the gun telepathically.

So I was having a much harder time with this gun

I was shooting at a Paul Howe CSAT silhouette at 25 yards with the goal of keeping all 10 shots in the head box.

I wasn't having any luck. Most of the rounds were in the head, but I had some rounds that were embarrassingly far from the head.

That made me think of the video by Pat MacNamara which I rewatched when I got home.

I went back to the range within a few days and applied his technique of using as much finger as possible; whereas previously I was using the first pad of the trigger finger.

Wow, what a difference! Not a fabulous group by PF standards, but much better groups than I was shooting a few days before with the same gun. I can shoot much better with various other guns than I can with this M&P45, but this gun that was giving me issues proved a perfect test case.

I would welcome any thoughts.

So what are we trying to fix with more finger -- shoot faster better, shoot groups better, keep our shots centered, or something else?

[YVK]

I'd look at what the top GM level shooters do.

Stoeger puts a lot of finger in, all the way to the first knuckle.

Practical Pistol Foundations, @14:10.

[RJ]

As a new shooter, I was enamored of this for a while...then I was not.

I think "as a rule" it fails for all cases, in particular, for those of us with shorter stubbier hands or shorter reach. I've tried the various finger positions in dry practice (backed up by live fire) and what works for me (least sight movement, smallest groups) is the pad.

I respect Mr. MacNamara's advice, a lot. "But", in this case, I am not so sure it extends to everyone, and maybe one should try it to see if it works. If it does, great, but it may not.

[Ed L]

So what are we trying to fix with more finger -- shoot faster better, shoot groups better, keep our shots centered, or something else?

Tighter groups at the point where I was aiming.

I was shooting a S&W M&P 45 that I had recently acquired and it had a horrible trigger compared to the Glocks or VP9s that I am used to shooting--which I consequently shoot much better with,

Thus this M&P45 with the relatively bad trigger proved to be a perfect test case for the technique of using more finger.

By applying this technique I got it down to about a 10 shot 4" group if you discard one flier that expanded it to about 6". Previously with the same gun I was having multiple fliers that made the group too embarrassing to talk about.