Adoption of modern weaver and similar stances

[Sam1911]

I think you're probably familiar, fiddletown, with transitioning between stances as you shift pistol aim compared to body position:...

This may be one way to look at these stances or one way to use them, but it does not reflect what I believe are the common "best practices" taught and practiced by practical competition shooters any more.

My isosceles stance does not morph or drift between the Chapman and Weaver (on the support side) or into a one-handed stance (on the strong side). The orientation of my hands, wrists, head, arms, and gun remain as close to identical regardless of whether the target is appearing on my left or right. Or whether I'm moving, squatting, leaning around cover, etc.

Hinging at the waist and/or swiveling the hips and feet allows the shooter to keep the "turret" of the upper body solid so that the gun's reaction and the shooter's sight picture and shot recovery are the same every time, regardless of orientation to the target.

Perhaps that is hard to explain in text, but a good trainer can show you in a few simple moves how to avoid collapsing your stance as you track targets from side to side.

Done properly, even strong-hand-only and weak-hand-only shots become simply one or the other half of the isosceles stance.

 

[Loosedhorse]

whether the target is appearing on my left or right. Or whether I'm moving, squatting, leaning around cover, etc.

Perhaps you misunderstand me.

Of course, as you mention, if you choose an isosceles (or any other stance) you can keep that solid in your upper body, acting as a turret, and swivel it on your waist/hips to engage targets to the sides. How far you can swivel and maintain that turret before shifting your feet will be up to your flexibility...

And perhaps up to your shooting: have you tried engaging a target 50 degrees to your weak side (without shifting your feet), both using an isosceles with waist turn, and a Weaver of some sort (with less waist turn)? If so, whichever was better (allowed more rapid accurate fire) would be the way to go, IMHO.

I am unconcerned with "best practices" of everyone else--just my own best practice and that of my students. To find that, I ask that they try different things as they practice. That's how I've found mine. But of course, I'm teaching basic pistol (with a SD orientation), not competition--they'll need a different coach for that.

(I've found that isosceles also works well if I'm shooting while lying on my side.)

a good trainer can show you in a few simple moves how to avoid collapsing your stance

I'll assume this is a generic "you;" I've had plenty of good instructors, (to whom I am grateful), and I have been shown what you describe. Doesn't change that "collapsing" my stance has benefits for me, and perhaps for others.