Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 11

Thread: Operation Mirror Image in full swing

  1. #1
    Member rsa-otc's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    South Central NJ

    Operation Mirror Image in full swing

    Last year I shot an IDPA match in which I was video taped firing a stage WHO. While I did well on the stage and won my division; upon review of the tape my non dominate weapons handling skill was a sight to behold. I looked like an orangutan flaying at a 2 penny nail with a 12 lb sludge.

    Back in the 80's as an instructor I use to shoot mirror image all the time. In other words as a right handed shooter I would shoot the course of fire like I was a lefty. During that time frame my mirror image scores would be within a percentage point or two of my normal scores. Back then we used the B-27 target utilizing the competition scoring rings. Well it has been a couple of decades and since gun handling skills are perishable it showed.

    My solution:

    During my company's 2011 training season I will be spend the majority of my training time shooting mirror image. Also later in the season I will shoot an IDPA match in SSR mirror image as well. My goal is to regain those long lost skills. I feel as an instructor being competent as a non dominate handed shooter helps me understand and critique my left handed students.

    To add a little spice to the mix, I have placed a bounty on my head. The first one of my students who beat my left handed scores wins a monetary reward. I already have some pushing me HARD.

    Equipment used:
    S&W Mdl 10 DAO pencil nosed revolver
    Safariland 518 paddle holster level 1 retention
    Safariland Comp II speedloaders
    HKS speedloader poaches.


    Last weekends results:
    Qualification course: 59 shot out of 60 within the ILEFIA Q targets 8" circle. At 25 yards I let one round slide outside the bottle.

    Accuracy Drill: 18 rounds in a 1 inch group, 6 rounds fired at each of 3, 5, 7 yards

    Plate Drill: 10 yards draw and fire hitting an 8" steel plate. Here's where the wheels came off the bus and the defecation hit the rotary oscillator. I had a hard time hitting the plate with the 1st and sometimes even the 2nd round. Need some definite work on that.
    Last edited by rsa-otc; 03-31-2011 at 07:10 AM. Reason: As always my spelling genes kicked in
    Scott
    Only Hits Count - The Faster the Hit the more it Counts!!!!!!; DELIVER THE SHOT!
    Stephen Hillier - "An amateur practices until he can do it right, a professional practices until he can't do it wrong."

  2. #2
    Site Supporter Jay Cunningham's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Pittsburgh, PA
    I like it.

    I attended a private LAV class once where he decided that it was "shoot off your weak side" day. This was with carbines but still plenty beneficial, IMO.

    Amazingly, less people groaned at this thn when LAV said "your optics all just died"

  3. #3
    Site Supporter 41magfan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    NC
    I did a little bit of that back in the day, as a I had what seemed like a disproportionate number of left-handers in the agency I worked for then. To aid them in developing a workable technique, I used the gun and gear we issued as a lefty. We were using revolvers back then and manipulating a retention duty holster and speedloaders as a weak-hand dominant shooter was humbling to say the least.

  4. #4
    Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    SW Jawjah
    Not to misdirect this thread, but a large than average number of our deputies are lefty or mixed dominant (I play tennis completely right handed, baseball and basketball completely lefty, shoot with my right hand). Interesting. I shoot okay lefty but have not tried to run a complete course of fire lefty. Hmmmm

  5. #5
    Do you guys think that there could be at least theoretical reason for a shooter to do better with mirror image shooting than with regular one?

  6. #6
    Licorice Bootlegger JDM's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Albuquerque
    Quote Originally Posted by YVK View Post
    Do you guys think that there could be at least theoretical reason for a shooter to do better with mirror image shooting than with regular one?
    Generally speaking I'm Much more accurate on things like dot torture and other accuracy specific drills WHO. I imagine this is because I slow way down to make the hits, and this slow down translates into a better trigger press and sight picture. This is true of SHO shooting for me too, but to a lesser extent.
    Nobody is impressed by what you can't do. -THJ

  7. #7
    Member rsa-otc's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    South Central NJ
    Quote Originally Posted by YVK View Post
    Do you guys think that there could be at least theoretical reason for a shooter to do better with mirror image shooting than with regular one?
    Like BOM says generally speaking if a shooter is doing better weak hand it's because they checked their ego at the door and are concentrating on the basics. They KNOW they are not skilled at this skill and work harder.

    Sometimes you will even see a shooters strong hand performance improve after working with their weak hand.
    Scott
    Only Hits Count - The Faster the Hit the more it Counts!!!!!!; DELIVER THE SHOT!
    Stephen Hillier - "An amateur practices until he can do it right, a professional practices until he can't do it wrong."

  8. #8
    Member 98z28's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    South Mississippi
    ^^ This. When I am having a rough day (jerking the trigger, outrunning my sights, etc.), I have found that switching to WHO and to a lesser extent SHO for a while will sort me back out. Sometimes you just have to slow down a little and consciously practice the fundamentals. Switching to WHO is a great way to do it.

  9. #9
    Site Supporter CCT125US's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Ohio
    Since working on the Dot Torture drill my shooting has improved. The SHO / WHO part really kicked my ass. That made me practice harder and look at the mechanics of how I shoot and what I need to have as a goal. I agree 100% that shooting with the non dominant hand improves your overall shooting. Who would have thought that the mechanics of a handgun are the same no matter what hand or how many hands are on the gun. In my experience I found I was trying to over grip the gun with my support hand causing muscle tremor and missed shots. I now have a more relaxed grip and actually watch the FS lift of the proper dot instead of some random one... I also found that canting the gun and bringing it to my eyes works well.
    Taking a break from social media.

  10. #10
    Member Dropkick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Northern VA
    Quote Originally Posted by YVK View Post
    Do you guys think that there could be at least theoretical reason for a shooter to do better with mirror image shooting than with regular one?
    Yes there is, but I don't have a PhD to explain it. I tried to touch on them in this thread:
    http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.p...-Hand-Shooting

    Excerpts are from this document:
    "The Hidden Strength of the Weak Hand" by Andy Kemp
    http://midwesttraininggroup.net/wp-c...6/WeakHand.pdf

    "One of the great secrets of weak hand training is "mirror image" shooting. It's just what it sounds like... reverse the roles of your strong and weak sides and your stance and hold will look like a mirror image of your normal shooting stance."

    "Why is it that training one hand makes the other stronger at the same task? Well, first, there is the whole right brain, left brain, neuro-muscular pathway thing. ... I once engaged Chicago-area chiropractor, friend and advanced firearms student, Larry Pyzik, in conversation on this subject."

User Tag List

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •