Vicker's explanation of how to use a DA/SA

[MSparks909]

For me the biggest difficulty of a DA to SA transition has been finding a single trigger finger placement that works for both pulls. This is the first criterion that I now use for DA/SA pistol evaluation.

I personally use the first distal joint on my trigger finger. Helps me leverage through the DA smoother and I'm less likely to jerk the trigger press using that method.

[DocSabo40]

... Berettas and Sigs are basically range toys ; the serious use gun today is something square with a plastic frame and striker fired action.

Blasphemy!

On topic: I did get one gold nugget from his video: the baseball swing analogy. I think that's a good way of describing the speed of the trigger press.

[MSparks909]

My first DA shot speed varies; on a wide open A-Zone @ 7 yards I'm gonna roll through that press VERY quickly. But on a 50 yard A-Zone target I'm gonna be a bit more deliberate. I do agree that it's more important to do one smooth constant press rather than staging.

[s0nspark]

Re; grip pressure and it's affect on trigger control. I really like Keith Sanderson's holding drills. DR taught a form of these, and I spent quite bit of time practicing these. Keith Sanderson is the only person I know of that has put together a decent tutorial on the drills and made it available online. These drills will help you build the sport specific strength needed to lock the pistol down and keep it locked down despite the heavier initial trigger pull. He mentions doing the drills with one and two handed holds. I have done these drills WHO, SHO, and freestyle.

Thanks much for posting that, Paul! I had not seen it ... great stuff!

[farscott]

Re; grip pressure and it's affect on trigger control. I really like Keith Sanderson's holding drills. DR taught a form of these, and I spent quite bit of time practicing these. Keith Sanderson is the only person I know of that has put together a decent tutorial on the drills and made it available online. These drills will help you build the sport specific strength needed to lock the pistol down and keep it locked down despite the heavier initial trigger pull. He mentions doing the drills with one and two handed holds. I have done these drills WHO, SHO, and freestyle.

Thank you for suggesting the video explaining the drills. Quite helpful.

[YVK]

I personally use the first distal joint on my trigger finger. Helps me leverage through the DA smoother and I'm less likely to jerk the trigger press using that method.

That works well for most shooters in DA, myself included, but I can't shoot SA with my distal joint worth a damn.

[hufnagel]

Re; grip pressure and it's affect on trigger control. I really like Keith Sanderson's holding drills. DR taught a form of these, and I spent quite bit of time practicing these. Keith Sanderson is the only person I know of that has put together a decent tutorial on the drills and made it available online. These drills will help you build the sport specific strength needed to lock the pistol down and keep it locked down despite the heavier initial trigger pull. He mentions doing the drills with one and two handed holds. I have done these drills WHO, SHO, and freestyle.

The Hold Drill idea sounds really interesting. Started practicing that tonight (with only 30-on/60-off second times) and within 3 sets i'm already shaking. Let's see what happens over a couple days of this.

[Paul Sharp]

The Hold Drill idea sounds really interesting. Started practicing that tonight (with only 30-on/60-off second times) and within 3 sets i'm already shaking. Let's see what happens over a couple days of this.

If you're anything like me by day 5 or 6 it will get noticeably easier to lock the pistol down for longer periods of time without the shakes. I think it's the SAID principle, (specific adaptations to imposed demands), at work. Prior to doing these and a few others I had never really looked at shooting as simply an athletic activity just like any other athletic activity. The same principles that apply to most of the sports world also apply to shooting. It's really a fascinating discussion and one I can get way off into the weeds on particularly when discussing designing sport specific drills. I'm a big proponent of a drilling, micro and macro drills to develop each link in the skill chain. With the theory that our skill set is only as strong as the weakest link, we focus on and design drills to strengthen those weak links using micro drills then work them back into the overall skillset with macro drills. Sorry about the thread derail, it's something I've put a lot of time and effort into.

[hufnagel]

If you're anything like me by day 5 or 6 it will get noticeably easier to lock the pistol down for longer periods of time without the shakes. I think it's the SAID principle, (specific adaptations to imposed demands), at work. Prior to doing these and a few others I had never really looked at shooting as simply an athletic activity just like any other athletic activity. The same principles that apply to most of the sports world also apply to shooting. It's really a fascinating discussion and one I can get way off into the weeds on particularly when discussing designing sport specific drills. I'm a big proponent of a drilling, micro and macro drills to develop each link in the skill chain. With the theory that our skill set is only as strong as the weakest link, we focus on and design drills to strengthen those weak links using micro drills then work them back into the overall skillset with macro drills. Sorry about the thread derail, it's something I've put a lot of time and effort into.

If you feel like writing about it, I'd love to read it. It sounds like a thread/discussion that would a be net positive. There have been certain (gym) exercises I've noticed that seem to have a positive impact on my shooting, and an expanse on that subject from someone who's put work into focusing on specific areas can only be a good thing.

[That Guy]

I think it would also be interesting to see the differences in when people feel the need to decock. I have heard off target, gun gets decocked. In other circles I have heard decock when the fight is done.

I think (not that I'm any kind of an expert...) that the"decock when you're done" thing comes more from trying to avoid the DA shot, which comes from a lack of proficiency in it - or in competition, avoiding spending the milliseconds shooting DA shots might cost you. It also makes decocking a conscious decision one has to make. Not to mention the whole running around with a cocked and unlocked gun, an idea I'm personally not a big fan of. Whereas decocking when you dismount the gun can be trained into a learned reflex, so it happens automatically without having to conciously think about it.

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