Off-Hand - what does it mean?

I have seen this term used MANY times online.

I originally thought as the words would imply that it would mean shooting with your left hand if you were right handed or right handed if you were a lefty.

But I'm seeing it so often, and wondered are there that many shooter really shooting or practicing with their "OFF" hand?

Then I started to think perhaps it means that you were shooting from "One" hand and opposed to using 2. ???

Can someone help a confused noob?:confused:

Off-hand means shooting a rifle from a standing position.

Weak hand means shooting with the left hand when you are right handed.

what about pistol? off-hand from standing position 1 hand?

As 10X said, it means shooting a weapon by hand without support. It does not necessarily mean with only one hand.

I would be curious from an etymology stand point, the origin of the phrase.

I could see it being an application of "offhand" meaning without preparation or forethought: "I just picked up the pistol and fired 5 shots offhand."

I could also see it being used to define the rest platform: "Shooting off sandbags, sticks, bipod, bench or hand...."

Beg to differ, but until of late, off-hand with a pistol or revolver has always meant with one hand in classic target stance....the term is misused today to mean shooting unsupported with two hands, probably as a feel-good sop to those shooters who find accurate off-hand shooting more difficult, and it IS more difficult, which is why the term needs to stay unpolluted....when I shoot with two-hands only, I say two-hands....or two-hands/standing/braced, when firing as such.....

I agree with 10x and mtngunr.. Offhand with a rifle is standing unsupported.. With a pistol it is strong hand only...

For those who may wonder what the "classic" target stance is, think the stance you may have seen in the Errol Flynn movies in duelling.

Strong side to the target, not face on, legs apart
Strong hand, holding the pistol, extended fully and straight towards the target
Weak hand either in the pocket, small of back, of resting on the weak side hip
Head fully turned towards the target for sight acquisition looking down the shoulder.

Beg to differ, but until of late, off-hand with a pistol or revolver has always meant with one hand in classic target stance....the term is misused today to mean shooting unsupported with two hands

mtngunr is right but I do believe the two-handed shooters have won this one.

mtngunr is right but I do believe the two-handed shooters have won this one.



Old school...if you can't meet the standards, keep trying until you do.

New school...if you can't meet the standards, either redefine them or lower them until you do.

Old school...if you can't meet the standards, keep trying until you do.

New school...if you can't meet the standards, either redefine them or lower them until you do.

How very true!!
(Try to convince NRA, USCC, ISU, Olympics, etc. that "off-hand" allows a two handed pistol hold or as long as your rifle is being held in your hands regardless of the fact your elbows ar resting on the bench, it's OK.:p)

To the traditionalist or competitive NRA or ISU target pistol shooter, "offhand" means standing, strong hand only. I think the usual recommendation these days is to find a natural point of aim where the gun comes up aligned on the target, and with the weak hand at the side. A completely bladed stance with hand on hip as described by everallm is now thought to introduce unnecessary stress in the position.

To the traditionalist (Jeff Cooper) or competitive NRA or ISU target rifle shooter, "offhand" means standing without support, weak hand out in the middle of the forearm of the rifle; like you would probably take a quick shot at a game animal. "Standing" is taken to mean a position with the weak elbow braced against the torso and the weak hand supporting the rifle well back. Sometimes using the magazine, trigger guard, or a scheutzen style palm rest to keep the stance as erect as possible.

Then there is the Internet Vocabulary term "freehand." Which seems to mean anything without artificial support, but it can be hard to tell when somebody is bragging about a one hole group... at 7 yards.

ToeRag, clearly you were correctly confused, as there seems to be little agreement in this thread as to the 'proper' definition of the term offhand when applied to casual or non-competition pistol shooting. I think in general a healthy dose of context is needed.

mtngunr...

I appreciate that you differ in your use of the term. I agree, shooting with a one-handed dueling stance is very difficult. I also agree that many authors, both online and in print could more precisely describe their shooting stance. I would also agree that in the context of formalized competition target shooting, it refers to a classic dueling stance.

With the terms of our agreement stated, I found your response offensive in the extreme.

I do not appreciate your allusion that anyone who uses the term other than you define, has done so with malicious intent, and to distort perception of their abilities. This authoritarian statement does not invite dialog, or concede any possibility of colloquial expression or innocent ignorance.

You have indicted me as guilty of lowering the bar for my own selfish design.

I refuse to seethe in silence, and instead will offer to you feedback that illustrates the such was not my motive.

In this article there is a picture of Mike Venturino (http://springfield-armory.primediaoutdoors.com/SPstory19.php) shooting, with the label below indicating this two hand hold is "offhand". Frank W. James (http://springfield-armory.intermediaoutdoors.com/SPstory06.php) indicates this is offhand in another article with a photo of a two hand hold.

Clearly I am not alone in having a different understanding of the meaning of the term.

My perception of the definition is derived from 25 years exposure to such usage and pictorial associations in general print literature from the gun press. I readily admit that I have no direct experience in formal competitive shooting of any kind. My competition experince primarily consisted of buying my college room-mate milkshakes when he would out shoot me with his Ruger Blackhawk.

If I have missed some obvious reference to an official definition of the term offhand as it uniformly and correctly applies general handgun shooting, let me know. I have been unable to find such a reference, even with Google as my guide. Based on my experience with the popular gun press and general handgun shooting I stand by my definition. In the absence of a competition target context, the term offhand does not preclude the use of both hands.

I feel much less offended now;-)

For some time, the term "off-hand" hasn't communicated exactly what the shooter is actually doing. this is true on internet boards as well as print magazines. I've been using the terms "one-handed," "duelist" or two hands standing" in both venues.
Lately, Ive been doing more evaluation shooting two-handed because that has become the common practice and I don't think most people care how good or bad I can shoot from the traditional NRA (there's another one) stance.

Like this says, it's how you shoot when you don't have time to prepare and take a better, more supported position - "offhand, in accordance with the needs of the moment"

extemporaneous -

1656 (earlier extemporal, 1570), from L.L. extemporaneus, from L. ex tempore "offhand, in accordance with (the needs of) the moment," from ex- "out of" + tempore, abl. of tempus (gen. temporis) "time." The L. form extempore had been in use in Eng. since c.1553.

[psychedelic mood]
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way.
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way.

Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain.
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today.
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you.
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.
[/mood]

In this article there is a picture of Mike Venturino shooting, with the label below indicating this two hand hold is "offhand". Frank W. James indicates this is offhand in another article with a photo of a two hand hold.



You are confusing captions added to photos (probably not by the writer), with true definitions of terms....how you can continue to hold that there is no definition of "off-hand" in this thread when every serious shooter who's posted in this thread has said basically the same thing just plain baffles me....it's telling that new shooters continue to redefine things to suit their own "feelings" on the matter to the point that writers are having to use terms such as "duelist" just to make a meaning clear....the entire object of definitions is to avoid confusion in communication....by arbitrarily making your own definition, you create confusion....pretty soon, folk will be calling standing/braced/two-hands "Duelist", and we'll be back to inventing another new term to describe shooting off-hand....or you could just cease and desist from inventing your own new language.....when years back I was informed that my use of the term "off-hand" was incorrect for shooting with two hands, I simply quit misusing the term.....what's so hard about that, now?....or, offensive?

I'm not a "serious" shooter but to me off hand means not resting the gun on something for support and shooting from a standing position....

What is the "serious" term for shooting with two hands in a standing position?

Off hands???

Its no wonder there is some difference as to the meaning of this "off hand" term. Read the Second Ammendment. It made perfect sence to the men that wrote it.

Mark.

What is the "serious" term for shooting with two hands in a standing position?

"Freestyle" as per IPSC and IDPA rules and procedures.

No resting pistol on anything and shooting while standing.

Freestyle eh, ....I like it :cool:

As an NRA rifle shooter, I've always been confused when people assume "offhand" means using the weak-side. Weak-hand is weak-hand. Standing is just as Jim Watson described so well, and sitting, prone, etc.

I've always thought you fire a hunting rifle "offhand," and now I know that you also fire a Bullseye pistol offhand. For two-handed shooting with a pistol, I think Weaver, Isosceles, modified Weaver, etc, are potentially more useful terms.

The way I have heard off hand being used for the past twenty years was to mean "Unsupported shooting" whether it be with rifle, pistol, shotgun.
"Strong (or "primary") hand unsupported" meant one handed.
"Opposite hand unsupported" meant "weak" hand only, but we don't use the word "weak".