Follow Through - Myth or Fact

[bdutton]

My article in NEpistol.com on Follow Through:

Ah yes... Follow through.

Conventional wisdom states that follow through is the act of holding the gun after the shot has exited the barrel. This is supposed to promote the person holding the gun to not prematurely affect the trajectory of the shot while the shot is breaking.

Well... I did the math:

A .22 round travels at ~1000 FPS (Feet Per Second).
A .45 round travels at ~900 FPS
An air pistol round travels at ~500 FPS

Keep in mind, that once the round has been ignited, it must travel from 0 FPS to the muzzle velocity above so it obviously takes much longer to go from 0-1000FPS for example.

So lets say it takes twice as long to go from 0-1000 FPS in the first 5 inches than it does to go then next 5 inches.

For a .22 that would be .00083 seconds. That is not a misprint. This is .83 MILLISECONDS. Yes... less than 1 millisecond.
For a .45 it takes about .000926 seconds.
An air pistol .177 takes a leisurely .00167 seconds to exit the barrel.

Now that we know what kind of speeds we are dealing with, why hang your arm out for a second or two when the bullet has left the barrel already? Exercise?

There is a legitimate argument for holding your gun out there. The idea is to train the subconscious mind to avoid anticipating.

The human mind cannot send impulses to the hand and arm fast enough to cause the alignment of the barrel to be affected by a 'flinch' AFTER the trigger has been pulled. Some resources I found online suggest that brain impulses to the muscles travel anywhere from .9 milliseconds to 100 milliseconds.

This writer firmly believes that placing the concentration on the trigger pull and sight alignment during the shot process will do more to eliminate anticipation than the conventional wisdom of holding the gun out for a moment or two after the shot breaks.

[beastyboy]

In my opinion, following through is more of a way to condition yourself to not subconsciously move the gun out of alignment while you´re pulling the trigger.

If you could hold the gun perfectly still up until the firing pin hits the primer, then there wouldn´t be any need for following through. But since we are all human there is always the very real possibility that you will jerk the gun out of alignment right before the hammer goes down. The problem is that you will never notice this last-minute-jerk because of the actual shot.

Following through can help you overcome this problem because it teaches you to concentrate on holding the gun still no matter when the hammer will fall.

[ZeSpectre]

I teach follow through as well. You'd be astounded at how many people in cowboy action shooting are already moving to the next target before they've finished shooting the first one. The result is a miss every time.

Admittedly when I'm teaching someone new the pause is greatly exaggerated but I think learning it teaches two important things. The first being to keep the gun steady and the second being to keep it pointed on target.

For SD shooting I consider the second to be extremely important as you shouldn't shoot, then lower your weapon. You should shoot, then maintain "target lock" in case you need to shoot again right away.

Just my take on the matter.

[Hoser]

Get a Rika trainer and see what follow through does or does not do.

Follow through is very important.

[bdutton]

In sustained fire, and in the case of any shooting discipline that requires a follow up shot, the shooter has to recover, align and begin trigger (squeeze) control again.

I just do not see how follow through is a distinct part of the shot process.

KISS: Keep It Simple

Align sights, trigger squeeze, repeat.

HOSER: Get a Rika trainer and see what follow through does or does not do.

Follow through is very important.

I've used them. But not regularly. Follow through (in my opinion) is the correct application of sight alignment and trigger control. Once the shot breaks there is NO physical way for you to alter the shot outside of the gun's natural recoil.

[GCW5]

Sight alighnment, breath control, trigger squeze, follow through.

Works the same at high speed as slow.

Think about it the same way as swinging a ball bat or golf club, and stopping the swing on contact with the ball.

[bdutton]

Sight alighnment, breath control, trigger squeze, follow through.

Works the same at high speed as slow.

Think about it the same way as swinging a ball bat or golf club, and stopping the swing on contact with the ball.

You are comparing an act of extreme physical exertion with one of finite exertion. Apples and oranges. Trigger control is the key. Follow through is the by-product of good trigger control.

[Tim Burke]

It isn't just time the bullet is in the barrel, it's also the lock time, starting the moment you sense the trigger breaking.
I've seen it demonstrated. I believe in following through.

[bdutton]

So how long does it take from the time the hammer hooks separate from the sear and the time for the bullet to leave the barrel?

30ms? 100ms?

[ZeSpectre]

Well, if you are firing an old SAA revolver it takes about 5 minutes for that big ol' hammer to swing round :evil:

[GunCSI]

There's more to a person missing that has nothing to do with pulling the trigger. It's a long involved explanation but it mostly has to do with your eyes/brain.

[308win]

There's more to a person missing that has nothing to do with pulling the trigger. It's a long involved explanation but it mostly has to do with your eyes/brain.

If you have time to write it I have time to read it. I am always lookin to learn.

[Tim Burke]

Well, if you are firing an old SAA revolver it takes about 5 minutes for that big ol' hammer to swing roundYeah, just about right. Shooting a SAA will teach you the importance of follow through.

[Pat McCoy]

I disgree with your definition of follow thru. It is really the act of continuing the shot WHILE the projectile leaves the barrel. Instructors often use a longer period of time in hopes that the shooter will follow thru at least long enough to get the projectile out of the barrel.

Yes, shooters can, and do, move during that less than 1 millisecond if not attuned to follow thru. Usually this is seen in rifle and shotgun shooters as "peeking" or lifting the head too see where the shot went.

It usually is only a problem until the shooter develops the "subconcious/unconcious" trigger control, because with active trigger control they know when they are firing the shot and break form as soon as the mental command is given to the trigger finger.

With automatic trigger control the shot is gone and out of the barrel before they are aware of it, and follow thru becomes far less of a problem.

[Plink]

You failed to add lock time and ignition time to your calculations. They add up fast. Also, as mentioned before, followthrough is a byproduct of proper shooting discipline, not the cause of it.

[deadin]

Don't know about all the fancy math and reasoned explanations. All I do know is that if I force myself to realign the sights after the shot I tend to shoot 8's,9's and 10's instead of 5's 6's and 7's. (I'm talking slowfire. Timed and rapid require realignment to prepare for the next shot)

[bdutton]

You failed to add lock time and ignition time to your calculations. They add up fast. Also, as mentioned before, followthrough is a byproduct of proper shooting discipline, not the cause of it.

Please post what the time is from the time the hammer is released from the sear to the point where ignition starts. I will add this to the calculation and 'follow up' here.

[jmorris]

Get yourself a firearm and do some dry firing. If you can, switch between one that has a very light trigger and one that is heavy (and long/short). The goal obviously, is to keep the sights from moving at the break of the trigger. Once you can do that, you have obtained the necessary follow through. Some European target triggers are built for a “surprise break”. The shooter lines up the sights and starts the press, after a large amount of travel (3/8”+-) the sear break is indistinguishable from the pre travel, the trigger can then travel an additional ¼”+- after the break. This will let you have the golf swing follow through; I think you’re talking about. Other triggers can be adjusted so they have no pre or post travel and break like a glass rod. With this style, you obviously can’t “swing through”, but you can stop control before you should (aka follow through). Dry fire as above and you will most likely see it.

[bdutton]

Jmorris:

I have a Pardini with a 2 stage trigger and a custom .45 with a 3.5lb short roll/glass trigger. The trigger on the .45 needs a bit of polishing I think but ultimately you are correct. Dry firing will achieve the results you speak of.

But if you examine the act of pulling the trigger smoothly without causing sight alignment to be affected are we not talking about proper trigger control?

[saltydog452]

I dunno, but I think that 'follow through' is kinda like porn.

You might not be able to describe it accurately to suit everybody, but you definitely know what its NOT.

The opposite ,(what its NOT), of 'follow through' is giving up on the shot. You can jerk low left, push high right, or dip it at 6 o'clock, etc.

All come from lack of follow through.

MTU folks used to describe 'follow through' as what you do from the time you start to apply pressure on the trigger untill the time the bullet exits the barrel, all the while keeping the sights in proper alignment.

If you can accept that defdinition, yep, it exists.

salty.

[bdutton]

To put the shot leaving the barrel in perspective:

Picture a yard stick. Now picture the edge of a dime on the yard stick. This is roughly the equivalent of what a millisecond is to a second.

Still hoping for someone to post the time from hammer drop to ignition.

[JackOfAllTradesMasterAtNone]

Shooting Bullseye slowfire, I've been concentrating on my follow through, breathing, stance, concentration/mental control.

The two things that have had the most effect on my recent scores have been the mental control and the follow through.

The mental control has become a discipline to 'not take a shot' when I've held too long. Set down, then start the whole aiming process again after a breath.. Only squeeze the trigger when the red dot is right at 8'oclock on the edge of the ten ring... (that's what's working for me right now. Don't ya'll analyze my trigger pull just yet)

The Follow through practice in Slow Fire has improved my Timed and Rapid fire scores by having a better recovery after recoil. I don't shoot as well as many of you. Low value expert scores with rimfire, with an occasional flirt with high expert scores. 568/600 is my best -with a double alibi in rapid so it doesn't count.:banghead: But recent 559's give hope that I am now ready to step up to the next plateau. I hope to shoot Master some day.

What I notice, is that when I combine the whole package, of good stance, breath control, follow through and mental discipline, -All leading to what we all call shooting discipline, including trigger pull with only the trigger finger, that's when I shoot my best scores. Practicing follow through in slow fire may not improve slow fire scores, but I believe that overall scores do improve if it's part of your routine.

-Steve

[saltydog452]

Mr Dutton, we seem to differ in our definition or what 'follow through' is...you think that is the amt of time involved from a specific starting point to bullet wxit.

Respectfully, its a bunch more than that.

Its an ongoing process that, if you change a word or two, would seem to apply to lots of activities. Baseball, archery, billiards, skeet/trap/clays, golf, etc...maybe even making music or driving an aircraft. If it involves concentration and hand/eye co-ordination, 'follow through' is there somewhere.

I dunno exactly how to define it other than to say its a process.

If you care to define it as 'trigger control', I believe that that you are correct as far as you take it. I just think that its more inclusive than that.

If you wanna split it into 'lock time', 'barrel time', 'lag time', etc., then maybe you can figure out how to mesure these interrelated components and get a meaningful answer to your question.

I am not real good at painting a mental picture with words, so if I haven't explained it well enough by now, I'm going to stop trying.


salty.

[bdutton]

Salty:

I've heard two distinct theories:

1. Follow Through is the complete process of making a successful shot (or series of shots).

2. Follow through is the process of not disturbing the alignment until the bullet has left the barrel. This is best learned by re-aligning sights after recoil.

My position is neither is a valid position.

1. If follow through is the successful combination of all the shooting fundamentals then why call it anything at all. It certainly is not a fundamental of shooting within itself by this definition. It is the the success of the individual steps of all fundamentals. If focus is placed on the tangible fundamentals, the successful shot will still be achieved with less effort.

2. There is nothing gained by trying to 'follow through' once the gun has gone bang. There is no physical way to alter or prevent the altering of a shot once it has gone 'bang' because the brain cannot send impulses to the hand and arm fast enough to have any post 'bang' effect. Further, a shot is errant it is because a shooter has failed in successfully completing one or more of the fundamentals AND OR has anticipated the 'bang' which has caused a flinch, push, jerk, etc... at the moment of, or just prior to, the gun going 'bang'.

This is why I do not believe that it is a fundamental of shooting. Time in training would be better spent on the other fundamentals, primarily sight alignment and trigger control with emphasis on trigger control.

[saltydog452]

You may be right. I don't know. For me, I'll accept the MTU version.

As always, mileage differs.

Some folks call 'a spade a spade', others call it a 'daxxed 'ol shovel'. Either way, it involves lots of work.

Regards,

salty.

ps.

I haven't competed in lots of years.

[308win]

To me, follow through is maintaining your concentration until the shot is on the way and ends when you call your shot. If you have the concentration to call your shot you have followed through.

[JackOfAllTradesMasterAtNone]

308- Yes and no. Calling the shot, is a feeling that when things went bang, the shooter recollected how sights where aligned when said bang happened. I've called a lot of my flinches. I've called a lot of my 10's. You just know when it was a good shot, and when it was a bad shot. I don't consider this to have anything to do with Follow Through. In fact, Follow Through would happen immediately after.

Bdutton-:"If focus is placed on the tangible fundamentals, the successful shot will still be achieved with less effort." True...

"There is nothing gained by trying to 'follow through' once the gun has gone bang." I disagree. But without a scientific fact that Follow Through affects the actual shot. I have watched many of the better shooters in my area, most all of them practice Follow Through. As result, their scores are higher than those that shoot without practicing Follow Through. Could this be result of focus on the tangible fundamentals? I'll include this as one of the fundamentals.

-Steve

[strambo]

I aggree, once the gun has gone "Bang!" there is nothing you can do to change it. However, you must be sure you have not intiated movement prior/as you are squeezing the trigger (anticipation) or during the squeeze and hammer fall (disturbance during locktime).

At higher shooting speeds it is hard to observe if/when you are moving. Err on the side of keeping the gun still longer through the shot, then work backwards. If you are missing (rushing your shots) no, it isn't because you moved the gun after the bullet was in the barrel...it is because you started moving it before. That knowledge is no consulation prize though...the fix is to slow everything back down in order to ensure you stop moving the gun before the shot is fired. Call it follow through or just trigger control.

[lil ski]

Follow through is just what it says you follow through your shot not just the begining, the whole shot. I teach a Jr rifle program and we teach follow through. I know you are not going to change where the shot is going to go after the triger is pulled but if you want to look to early you will pull your shot people want instant gratafication. They want to see where the shot hit before they pull the triger if you teach follow through it teaches them to slow down and think about the shot not where the shot hit. A very good shooter told me that you should shoot every shot the same from slow to rapid fire. Its very good advise. Just my 2cents

[ranger335v]

Dutton, I think the key to your question, as I understand it, lies in your first post, "...anticipation...". A shooter who, for what ever reason, "anticipates" the completion of a shot will almost always move some amount before the shot is released.

Your very relivant example of a rapid fire is a case in point, it actually requires a high degree of follow-though. I mean, the rapid fire shooter must remain tightly focused on the target while stiving to maintain target alignment.

Accurate rapid fire demands there be no anticipation of trigger release and early head or weapon shift. And that's all follow-through requires!

[bdutton]

Ranger:

I think the key to your question, as I understand it, lies in your first post, "...anticipation...". A shooter who, for what ever reason, "anticipates" the completion of a shot will almost always move some amount before the shot is released.

Excellent. We have identified a common problem with many shooters. They anticipate the shot going bang at or just before it does go bang. The sight alignment and trigger control are lost and the shot is errant. This is a failure of sight alignment and or trigger control.

Your very relivant example of a rapid fire is a case in point, it actually requires a high degree of follow-though.

What is this then. Recoil recovery or follow through. It cannot be both. Actually, recoil/recovery is nothing more than the fundamental of sight alignment. You are focusing on bringing the gun into alignment with the target for the next shot. Right?


I mean, the rapid fire shooter must remain tightly focused on the target while stiving to maintain target alignment.

Ok... the fundamental you describe is sight alignment. Not follow through.

[lil ski]

Excellent. We have identified a common problem with many shooters. They anticipate the shot going bang at or just before it does go bang. The sight alignment and trigger control are lost and the shot is errant. This is a failure of sight alignment and or trigger control.

That says it all but you must follow through with with sight alignment and triger control to make your shot.

[bdutton]

lil ski:

That says it all but you must follow through with with sight alignment and triger control to make your shot.

But does that in itself make it a tangible fundamental? I say no because what we are doing is maintaining proper sight alignment and trigger control.

[Pat McCoy]

Bingo! The exact definition of folow thru - maintaining sight alingnment and trigger control.

[bdutton]

Pat McCoy:

Bingo! The exact definition of folow thru - maintaining sight alingnment and trigger control.

So... is it maintaining sight alignment and trigger control, or holding through until the shot has left the barrel, or is it recovering and re-aligning sights or is it the entire shot process?

You see... there are many definitions. All of which (in my humble opinion) are mis-leading or just plain wrong.

In training books, and passed down from generation to generation of shooters, its taught that follow through (insert x-y-z definition here) is a fundamental part of shooting. Even I was taught this. Until about 5 years ago I believed it was too until I posed the question to the nation's top bullseye shooters 'what is follow through'? All of them answered it's not a factor.

My MAIN point is that it is NOT a fundamental of shooting. In fact there are only two fundamentals.

1. Sight Alignment
2. Trigger Control

You do these two things right, the shot will be good.

There are other factors that contribute to the success and consistency of shooting such as stance, grip, breath control, visualization, etc... but follow through, no matter how it is defined is NOT a fundamental.

[Geno]

For me, it makes a difference. Perhaps it's only because I believe it makes a difference. All the same, I practice it when shooting for precise engagements...targets.

[deadin]

I posed the question to the nation's top bullseye shooters 'what is follow through'? All of them answered it's not a factor.

How about some names?

[bdutton]

Zins for one. I don't recall the names of the others... I think Henderson was there at the SAFS at Perry when I posed the question.

[bdutton]

"For me, it makes a difference. Perhaps it's only because I believe it makes a difference. All the same, I practice it when shooting for precise engagements...targets."

I like this answer Doc. Bottom line for anybody who is training to improve... you have to believe in it.

To quote Shepard Book in Serenity: "I don't care what you believe in, just believe in it !".

[strambo]

The 4 fundamentals of marksmanship that I was taught are: body position, breath control, sight alignment and trigger squeeze.

I don't think "follow through" is a fundamental of marskmanship. It is a way, a method, of ensuring you definitely don't disturb the sight picture early. In theory, follow through is not necessary. In practice, it most often is because most shooters (me included) need a little extra focus to make sure we don't move the gun/sights early.

[Katigroszek]

Perhaps becouse I'm a lawyer (non US though, but it does not matter here) and I was thought logic I know, that You cannot discuss something You have not defined. You can't say if follow through is or is not fundamental of maksmanship becouse You have not agreed WHAT it is. So You post different things of Follow Through thinking of different things that You only use the same name for.

The second thing is that the fact that not absolutely all people have to apply some kind of action to achieve some effect (like the shooting champs mentioned earlier) does not make it a unneccesary thing to achive that goal. Like repeting something in order to memorize it - for some it's enough to see it once, but the rule is You need to say/read it several times to know it by hard.

The last thing is that hitting an X-ring for 20 times in a string requires repeating a sentence of actions exactly the same way. It requires (position breath etc aside) squizing the trigger while maintaining good sights picture and placement. For most people it is very important not to think of breaking a shot but of pulling a trigger - all the way until it stops. That way the shot breaks "somewhere" on the way and if the sights are kept straight all the time the shot must be good. So maintaining the position/sight alignment and squizing the trigger after the sear releases the hammer helps not to do anything during the shot being fired (or just just before it).

My opinion - Follow Through is the fundamental of marksmanship.

[wanderinwalker]

Please post what the time is from the time the hammer is released from the sear to the point where ignition starts. I will add this to the calculation and 'follow up' here.

The best I can find on a quick Google search is here: http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/sports/1277311.html

They state that locktimes are normally 2.8-8 milliseconds. A Remington 700 is pretty quick; a 1911 or SAA or other hammer gun is going to be quite a bit slower. (And an AR-15 or M-1 Garand IS hammer fired.)

I believe follow through is important. Watch a bolt-action shooter in a rapid fire match. ALL of the best ones I've ever seen pause for a moment and THEN go to the bolt for a reload. Not more than fractions of a second, but a pause nonetheless.

If you don't follow through and "quit" the shot, it's a guaranteed miss IME.

[Thylacine]

You are actually compiling all the physical actions and timing from "trigger pull, through bang and past the bullets exit from the muzzle", that is cool to know; however, you aren't dealing with just a mechanical system. You are adding the human factor. By maintaining follow through you are not allowing the human component the leeway to think it has already pulled the trigger.

[bdutton]

Still... the fact remains. It takes the human brain about 100-200 milliseconds to transmit a command to a muscle to 'move'. If the hammer drops and the mind senses this the bullet would be long out of the barrel before the impulse to move is received by the muscles.

What you are describing is training the mind not to anticipate the drop of the hammer. If holding the gun for a moment longer helps you to do that then I have no problem with it. But that is not a fundamental of shooting. It is an exercise to train the brain to not anticipate.

I believe that you can achieve the same results by focusing on the sight alignment and trigger control.

[saltydog452]

I dunno Mr. Dutton. I can't explain follow through very well. Other than my first comment regarding the difficulty of finding a mutually acceptable definition, it seems that my best bet is to ask you to consider the items that you have included in your sig line as part of 'follow through'.

Its a process, not an event. You mentioned 'sight alignment'. To me, and apparently others, MAINTAING 'sight alignment' is more inclusive.

Its the same with the other items you mention in your sig line. 'Trigger control' is the same, else there would be no need for trigger stops or fast lock times, or lightened hammers.

For accurate delivery of the round these things you mention must be maintained throughout the delivery of the shot.

Maybe we can agree, in principle if nothing else, that MAINTAINING these individual parts throughout the delivery process, from taking up the slack through recovery, is what 'follow through' is all about.

It isn't a single event that can be measured.

salty.

[Katigroszek]

The point is that brain transmits impulses to the muscles ALL THE TIME and they are not always "do something/do not do anything" impulses but most of the time kind of "oh well..." impulses, especially when the mind concentrates on something else than sending it. The point of follow through understood as an act of elongating aiming a little is to take the "attention! I'm firing!" out of the process and substituting it with "relax, no need to rush and all be good". I think people Who say they do not need that kind of mind state only say it becouse through years of practice follow through became a natural part of shooting a gun without thinking of it at all.

There You go - a little in a kindergarten way, but the point is clear (I hope).

[Caimlas]

What I'm finding is that I shoot better if I positively anticipate a shot (as opposed to negatively anticipating it). I'm really not sure how else to describe it, but there it is. While doing this, it's more of a pointing motion than an aiming one (with a handgun, at least). I've not figured out an equivilant for rifles, yet; I think I've actually got to aim those and be conscious of follow through (ie not twitching while the bullet is moving through the barrel/while pulling the trigger).

[bdutton]

As I said before... if follow through is the correct execution of all or some of the core fundamentals why call if follow through.

When marksmanship was first being taught, follow through was the act of holding the gun on target while the primer powder burned and ignited the main charge and until the ball left the muzzle.

Today, that is no longer the case. We are redefining what follow through is just to keep that in the marksmanship dictionary it seems.

As I said before, if follow through is not itself a fundamental of shooting but rather the successful execution of some or all other fundamentals then why all this talk about follow through at all? We should be focusing on those fundamentals that make the shot a success.

[jmorris]

Often new shooters come to me to find ways to improve scores. My first bit of advice is to talk to as many other competitors as they can, listen and understand the response (repeat questions as necessary). Then, if the knowledge you’ve gained helps keep it, if it doesn’t discard it. The reason I suggest this is evident in this thread. Folks have different ways of explaining the same thing. Not to mention the different ways we understand various concepts. Clearly some need to keep the idea of follow through. Dbutton, you can probably chunk it.

[Katigroszek]

Very good point that satisfies everybody, I think jmorris!

I've read the whole thread again and ... I'm starting to think bduttom might be right.

More arguments, men! I'm leaving the Follow Through-ers and join the Not Yet Decided.

[lil ski]

Its all in what you believe helps you. I use what I call follow through, it's to me just finishing my shot. It helps me. There are many things shooters use in there routine some hold there breath some shut one eye some put their off hand (for bullseye) in there pocket or belt. What ever makes you shoot better do it. After all this I don't think I will call it follow through when I teach my class I just call it finishing you shot.

[Blackfork]

488X18 and 489X11 Saturday shooting Highpower Rifle matches. Should have been better. I don't think I was concentrating enough on following through enough on every shot. Usually I hold until the target drops, but this was 200 reduced with no berms and no pit service, so the target didn't go anywhere.

Don't follow through if you don't want to. It absolutely can be argued (anywhere but on scorecards, that is) that it can't make any difference at all.

[Pat McCoy]

Your original post had nothing to do with the fundamentals" of shooting, but asked only about "follow thru".

I agree there are only two fundamentals (those which you have stated), however there are many teaching techniques used to help shooters accomplish those fundamentals on a consisitant basis. Folow thru is one of those.

Actually, as the brain can only think of one thing at a time one of those two "fundamentals" must become un/subconscious. Lots of discussion on which one that should be on "TargetTalk.com" in the pistol area.

For our program we try to concentrate on making the trigger release un/subconscious.

[bdutton]

Good Point Pat. I did not refer to follow through as a fundamental per se but there are plenty of people teaching follow through as if it were. Here is an example where the NRA teaches follow through as a 'fundamental':

NRA Pistol Training Program (http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:qw5vb6Tc0FUJ:www.nratraining.com/FSPistol.ppt+fundamentals+of+pistol+shooting&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=9&gl=us&client=firefox-a)

For me... dry fire a lot and training the subconscious to putt the trigger while the conscious mind focuses on the sight alignment.

[Mudbug1001]

Hi, this is my first post on this forum.

I wasn't a big believer in follow through in any sport until I took golf lessons last year. I was really struggling and my instructor told me it was because I wasn't following through the shot. In my mind, I couldn't understand how any actions I took after the club had hit the ball and sent it on its way could affect the shot.

However, my instructor was absolutely right. Eventhough the ball is half way to the hole, if you don't follow though the shot, it will not be as effective. I started applying this same principle to BE and my scores went up! I don't really know why, but they do. Personally, I don't think it has much, if anything, to do with the amount of time the bullet is in the barrel, but more to do with the mental side of shooting.

Of course, just my opinion and your mileage may vary.

[bdutton]

What is your definition of 'follow through'?

A golf swing is a relatively strenuous and violent action compared to the steady hold and gentle squeeze of a trigger.

[308win]

There is nothing particularly strenuous or violent about a good golf swing; in fact a good swing looks and feels effortless. In a golf shot follow through is comprised of a lot of acts, keeping head down, knees flexed, maintaining balance, club down the line, and on and on. The concept of follow through is not doing anything that will interfer with executing a good swing. Same with follow through in shooting, fly casting, or anyother physical action IMO.

[bdutton]

I agree that a good golf swing is not strenuous bit it is a LOT more strenuous than aiming a gun and pulling the trigger hence my use of the word 'relatively' to describe the difference.

[lil ski]

This just keeps getting better golf and shooting tips all on the same forum...:cool:

[Katigroszek]

The same with billard.

I do not know about golf, but billard follow through is important too, although there is no barrel of any kind that might affect movement of the cue-ball if no follow through is applied. And striking a cue-ball with a cue is not a violent movement.

The question is if not following through than when to stop the striking move of the cue? On the strike itself? And who is able to tell when exactly it is, focusing on the hit placement on the other balls?

So following through is the safest way of being sure the hit is made every time more or less the same.

[308win]

Follow thru is a continuation of the action you are effecting to assure the best result possible. At least that definition works for me and I believe that follow thru is important to making good repeatable shots.

[yar]

I do a lot of action pistol an there is such a thing as follow though. Though I do not hold the gun on target after the shot breaks 3 or 4 seconds later there are things I do for a precision shot. The main thing I do is pin the trigger back after the shot as opposed to rolling though the shot when I'm hosing down several targets.

The second thing is how much I see after the shoit breaks. For average shots if I see the sights lift after the shot breaks I know it's there. If I were to shoot a precision shot I confirm. To me that is I let the sights lift, return, and I mentally can see it in replay.

[bdutton]

Yar said:

...The main thing I do is pin the trigger back after the shot ...

Sounds like trigger control to me. Albeit an unnecessary step to ensure a good shot (IMHO).

There are only two things required to make a precision shot. Sight alignment and trigger control. You do those two things right, the shot will be good.

Consistent successful shooting requires repeating the above while also developing consistent shot process including stance, breath control and grip among others.

Follow through is a ghost from the muzzle-loading past.

[saltydog452]

Mr Dutton,

You seem to have your mind made up about this 'follow through' concept. Your thread has gotten a lot of mileage from folks who agree with you, and more who seem to dis-agree.

Its been a looong time since I read any training manuals from the folks down in Ft. Benning, but from what I remember of the TMs, 'follow through' was considered to be worthy of significant ink.

Maybe its a 'ghost', maybe it isn't. It seems that you want to define follow through much like barrel time. If that works for you, great.

We disagree only in semantics. Some folks see 'follow through' as an ongoing process..You seem to see it as an individual event.

Follow through is part and parcel of trigger control, sight alignment, recovery, and do it again....

To me, and maybe others, it isn't a single event that can be measured, but an ongoing process of delivering a series of rounds to the target.

I dunno, but maybe its kinda like a revolver shooter who thinks that trigger return is as important as important as indexing the cylinder and making the hammer drop. He (she) may see the whole process as kinda/sorta like a round trip ticket...getting back to the orign is as important as getting to a destination.

You see it as 'trigger control', others may well see it as 'follow through'.

Personally, I don't know which of the two it is..just depends on which way the convoluted gray matter between our ears can use it to our best advantage.

Kind like Dan Daly and Ethel Merman singing about 'po-ta-toes' or 'pah-tat-oes'.

However you pronounce 'em, they taste better pan fried, with a mess of grits, ham steak, and scratch biscuits.

YMMV, but I can't help it if you're wrong.:rolleyes:

Respectfully, and for the last time,

salty.

[bdutton]

Salty... thanks for posting one last time.

Just so I understand I will summarize for you:

https://oncourse.iu.edu/access/content/user/tcook/BeatDeadHorse.gif

:neener:

[Chuck R.]

saltydog452,

I was reviewing a training program for DMRs from the Army Marksmanship Unit this morning, and they still believe in, and teach "follow-through".

Chuck