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Thread: Thoughts on John McPhee's 1-Day Pistol Course; 19 Sept 2018

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    Thoughts on John McPhee's 1-Day Pistol Course; 19 Sept 2018

    I had the good fortune to attend a 1 day course taught by John McPhee. As is well known, Mr. McPhee is a former member of a SMU, and I am sure much of his appeal rests with his background. And to be sure, Mr. McPhee made oblique references to his background as support for what he teaches. But he was also quick to criticize the military training that he initially received; in his estimation neither thousands of trigger presses or round dumps down range proved effective. He wanted to impress upon us that mindful, deliberate practice will prove effective - one well executed draw-and-press-out a day over a 90 day period will work wonders for the aspiring student. What’s more, he wasn’t above poking fun at the Mr. McPhee of pre-Coach’s-Eye-days or criticizing how doctrinaire he once was.

    But he still argues forcefully for certain techniques and is quick to offer arguments in support of his position, however unfashionable it might be. A critical eye might might wonder why anyone would propound the “tactical turtle.” Adduct those shoulders (rather than rolling them a touch forward as Mr. McPhee advocates) to facilitate quick transitions! Keep your head high to minimize eye fatigue and to ensure a larger scope of vision! And Mr. McPhee acknowledges both are viable techniques. Nevertheless, Mr. McPhee suggests shoulders shrugged forward, a rolled-and-locked support wrist as well as locked support side elbow - all will mitigate recoil. But isn’t recoil mitigated by a sure grip, which involves only the hands and the forearms?

    Mr. McPhee reminded us that not all students possess the requisite forearm and hand/grip strength to manage recoil. Bone structure can also mitigate recoil, and the “tactical turtle” is an especially attractive choice for anyone with smaller hands or less well developed or compromised forearm/grip strength. What’s more, McPhee advocates not only shoulders shrugged forward but also shoulders squared to the target. Squared shoulders not only assist in mitigating recoil but also encourages the support hand to stay in place rather than slip as a sequence of rounds are fired. The point was hammered home by one of the students whose support hand grip slipped while firing a sequence of shots; Mr. McPhee was quick to point out the position of the students shoulders - his support side shoulder was more forward compared to the strong side shoulder. Squaring those shoulders as it turns out - or perhaps as others have said involving those big dumb muscles (as advocated by Seeklander and Hughes) or pushing & pulling with the shoulders (as espoused by TGO and the Terminator) - is a key component of a sure grip.

    A sure grip also requires a support hand positioned not only high but also back (in contrast to Vogel who advocates a more forward support hand grip, but in agreement with Enos, Seeklander, TPC, Hughes, and Proctor, all who advocate for the support hand further back), in turn catching the backstrap/frame (the quarter panel technique recently discussed on this forum). A high and neutral thumb makes room for you to position your support hand higher upon the grip; it also minimizes the impact of your strong hand thumb, which can push your support hand forward and downward as you are firing a sequence of shots. Mr. McPhee demonstrated this by calling to our attention the sympathetic reflexes of out firing hand. The act of the index finger pulling the trigger activates the thumb, which in turn can push your support hand forward and downward if your thumb is not high and neutral. How then to apply pressure with your grip? Apply pressure with your fingertips into your palms (as espoused by Aaron Barruga) while relaxing those thumbs, keeping in mind that the support hand should not only buttress the backstrap/quarter panel but also maintain contact with the heel of your strong hand (pinching as espoused by TGO and countertorquing/cracking the nut as espoused by Seeklander, all which build a countervailing wall on the backstrap). I suspect that, like Vogel’s strong hand grip, the confluence of a high and neutral strong hand thumb with a strong hand grip from the fingertips to the palm drives the web of the strong hand into the beaver tail tang (minimizing the leverage the pistol has in recoil) of a properly indexed pistol and directs pressure onto the bottom of the front strap rearward (which also minimizes the leverage the pistol has in recoil).

    All of this (the emboldened phrases) Mr. McPhee covers. Of course, easier said than done! Hence his 1-Day Pistol Course with Mr. McPhee, who reinforces the points with video and manually readjusts your grip while shooting groups. What’s more, he offers an alternative way to read your targets and your groups, and in turn to diagnose whatever problems you might have with stance, grip, index, head position, even vision: that one uncalled stray shot that ruined an otherwise tight group may be due to switching eyes while shooting! He had other pearls of wisdom to offer (and many I'm sure I missed): a solid, well executed and efficient press-out (with a trigger pull once at full extension) from the draw serves as a solid foundation for efficient transitions; shooting groups at 25 yards may induce you to fish as you are pressing out; you need three different corresponding grips, sight pictures, and trigger pulls. Three trigger pulls! - suggesting to me that he has a more nuanced view on trigger control than simply trigger jerking is a myth….

    In sum, his take on grip/stance/presentation appears a comprehensive collection of best practices shared by many noted instructors - and perhaps a subtle reconsideration of Vogel's support hand position. We've all tried his forward support hand grip! It may work for Mr. Vogel, and it may work for those who shoot Glocks. But it isn't the only way to position your support hand. And Mr. McPhee offers an alternative with his collection of best practices. It is this comprehensive collection, his discerning and knowing eye, his hands on approach, small class size, and personal attention that made the course for me at least well worth the price of admission. YMMV. The course focused strictly on fundamentals, and as a novice shooter was ideally suited for me. I hope to take more SOB courses when Mr. McPhee returns to Illinois.
    Last edited by gomerpyle; 09-24-2018 at 05:44 PM.

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