[spacemanspiff]

just got back from the range, had a good session last sunday, was actually having more groups than flyers (btw, enough flyers could qualify as a group, right?)
but today, was not my day. i started at 20 feet, then moved it closer to 12 feet when i couldnt even keep the shots in the 8 ring. it was like i completely forgot every aspect of shooting. so i start doing some dryfiring, and that helps for a few minutes. but soon enough i'm back to flinching like a weakling from my .45acp.
i had the p22 with me, to switch up, but i got an empty brass stuck in the pipe, and guess what i forgot to bring with me today? and the survey sayss... my cleaning kit/tools. dohhh! they're sitting out neatly in a plastic bag on the table at home. so i couldnt even swap up anymore. more dryfiring. and i am flinching hard with this empty gun. so i start repeating: "The Gun Is Empty" before i press the trigger. took about 25 of those before i could press the trigger without the muzzle moving. then i realized my stance was off, i had my weight on my back foot, so i leaned in and suddenly muzzle flip has dropped considerably, and i can actually get POI at POA!

and i finished out my ammo for the day with nothing to be proud of. this makes just over 2000 rounds through the kimber tle ii. least i still have my target from last weekend, seven rounds- 1 1/2 inch group.

[Standing Wolf]

...but soon enough i'm back to flinching like a weakling...

Wrong! Flinching is the natural, instinctive human response to loud noise and sudden motion. It's not just for weaklings: it's for all of us.

Switching calibers helps a lot for me—you seem to have been trying that, and doubtless will remember your cleaning kit next time—as does dry shooting, as does, from time to time, "wasting" a cylinder or magazine of ammuntion by shooting it as fast as I can squeeze the trigger. Some ranges don't allow rapid fire, but it seems to help. I wear high quality plugs and muffs to cut down on the noise. When I'm able—arthritis isn't as much fun as I was told, and in fact, I've been thinking about asking for a refund—I dry-shoot 25 to 50 dummy rounds every evening, and have been known to mix fired and live ammunition in a cylinder, spin it, close it gently, and look for flinching on rounds that go click rather than bang.

I still flinch sometimes, and sometimes, I get stuck in flinch ruts. I'd guess the vast majority of us do.

[1911Tuner]

Heeling? If your shots are going low left (for a right-hander), you may
be heeling, or anticipating recoil. When this happens, we push the
pistol forward and down in an attempt to control the muzzle rise,
and it happens to all of us at times. The way to train yourself to
control it is with the "Ball and Dummy exercise as explained above.

During dry-fire practice, say out loud, "Press" as you put pressure on the trigger while you maintain your sight picture. When you go to the range, begin your session with dry-fire to reinforce your muscle memory, and
start live fire slowly...One shot at a time. It will help to focus intently
on your sight picture. Step up your speed gradually, and focus on your
front sight during drills. Slow equals smooth and accurate. Smooth will
become fast. Practice will make you fast and accurate.

Front sight...Press. Front sight...Press.

Hang tough. It'll get better.

Tuner

[10-Ring]

I got rid of my flinch w/ alot of dry fire practice using a semi auto w/ a heavy trigger. When I moved to the nicer SA triggers...no more flinch.

Good luck!

[Sven]

How NOT to be surprised by the hammer falling...

One thing that woke me up a bit was when training with an acquaintance here in the SF Bay Area. This guy is the 'real deal' (though he wouldn't say that about himself), and does high-risk LE entries in the East Bay here - felony search warrants and the like.

He had me hold my 1911 rock solid on target, Condition 0 (unlocked and loaded!), finger out of the trigger guard. He then asked me if I was ready and proceeded to fire my gun with HIS finger!

I flinched a couple times before he let the round off. He told me to relax, and I did a bit (too much coffee, as usual). When it went off, it was a perfect bullseye at 10 yards!

I couldn't believe it! I told this guy how much that frustrated me and he remarked that some guys he sees shoot for the first time can do it without flinching and never "learn" the habit.

It's SUCH a psychological game, shooting! Fool yourself, and your scores will go up!

Another acquaintance loves to shoot IDPA, and is a real gamer. He tells me that he can actually watch the slide go back and move forward when his gun fires. Hearing observations like this has really changed the way I observe each shot - when I'm paying attention.

I now watch for that fireball, and try to see the sights against the flash. My favorite is shooting Stingers (high-energy .22LR round) because they give a big flash with a lighter recoil. Can't see the fireball if my eyes are closed.

The gun most likely won't hurt you.... why flinch?

If none of this works, try to think about baseball or something when applying trigger pressure. ;)

[sanchezero]

I relate, spiff. I shot a match today and totally bagged the 1st stage; I was yanking on the trigger like it was a fire alarm. Probably 3-4 shots per plate :uhoh: .

I just laughed it off and the rest of the match went fine. Sometimes we just suck and it's hard to pay attention to exactly why that is. Once you DO put your attention where it needs to be, things usually work out.

[4v50 Gary]

Practice with a revolver. That'll train you to control your flinching. That'll be two bullets please. ;)

[Glockster35]

When I was instructing students on the M-9 Beretta, I used one method, and it worked probably 90% of the time.

I had them point the weapon in a safe diretion down range at their target. Then I would have them aim the sights on target, and then switch concentration from the sights to the hammer (Beretta 92 FS). As they pulled the trigger slowly, they would be watching the hammer come back, then fall forward...if they did it properly, they couldn't be thinking of the recoil or noise, because they are concentrating on the hammer.

I also had them repeat to themselves while doing this, slowly, slowly, slowly. You have to have them do both, or the brain will be thiking about the recoil and noise.

It worked for most.

[iwjev]

I help a lot of the beginners at the range with this very thing. What I have found that works the best is to put in one of the fake non-firing rounds somewhere in the magazine. They usually come in packs of 4 and are not very expensive. Just make sure you do not know where it is in the magazine. The best way to do this is to have some preload your magazines before you go to the range or ask the range master if he can do it for you. I have found that most if the time they are more then willing to help you out.

Common sense:
Just make sure if you come to the range (indoor) with your magazines preloaded don’t have one in the gun.


John

[Keith]

Buy a .22 (or a .22 conversion) for your .45. Shoot so much .22 that good habits become ingrained. Shoot 100 rounds of .22, then shoot one mag of .45, then go back to 100 rounds of .22, then back to the .45....

Most of us will never be able to afford enough .45 ammo to become really good, but 500 rounds of .22 costs ten bucks.

Keith

[Glockster35]

Keith,

In the USAF we call that the Ball and Dummy Exercise. Because we use ball ammo to train with, and the dummy rounds won't fire, they are for training only.

My experience is that Ball and Dummy Exercises work on some, but not all people.