Can you shoot without blinking?

[BK]

This questions is based on a Todd Jarrett video that I've seen many times.
Here it is. Note the rapid fire beginning at 17 seconds into the video and ending at 20 seconds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEM5SYknX9c

He fires several rounds rapidly, and doesn't seem to be blinking at all.
So the question is, how many of you are able to do something like that?

 

[Owen]

If you are blinking when you shoot, you are flinching. It's awful hard to watch the front sight, (or the target) with your eyes closed.

 

[P.shooter]

I'm a pretty new shooter but I was under the impression that if you blink when firing, you're doing something wrong.

 

[NavyLCDR]

It takes practice not to flinch. I can shoot a .460 S&W with hot reloads without blinking or flinching. It's all about focusing on proper sight alignment and not "trying" to make the gun fire, but, rather, just "letting" the gun go off on it's own due to squeezing the trigger.

It's a mental game that the gun just isn't going to hurt you when it goes off.

 

[TexasGunbie]

I remember when I first went from 9 to a 45. I flinched a bit at first too.

 

[Alec]

It's a mental game that the gun just isn't going to hurt you when it goes off.

I imagine that mental game is much more difficult for those who *have* been hurt by their own gun while shooting.

 

[Bullnettles]

I did when I started, but the more your brain gets used to knowing it will be loud, the better you get. I can not flinch on a 10mm but the 45 still shakes me up the first round I shoot if it's been a while. I don't think I blink though.

 

[BK]

Surprise

I believe that I'm shooting correctly, and I shoot great. I don't attempt to guess when the trigger will break. I slowly sqeeze while focusing on the sight picture, and I get a completely clean, 'surprise break' to the trigger. Since it is a surprise, I blink. I'd say that it is happening a split second AFTER the shot, not before or at the point of trigger break. I've even seen the muzzle flash right before I blink, but the surprise of it still makes me blink. Just like most any surprise, like when someone drops a dinner plate on the kitchen floor. You're not expecting a loud crash, and you instictively blink at that moment. That's what I am curious about. Is this still considered a flinch?

 

[9mmepiphany]

That's what I am curious about. Is this still considered a flinch?

This is a good question.

I would say it is not. A flinch occurs prior to the trigger/shot breaking...you can jump up and down after the shot breaks for all I care, because it won't affect the shot you've just fired. At least that is true if your goal is to fire one accurate shot...that's what I tell students when I teach.

Learning to shoot is just a series on single shots. If they must blink, and most do, I only ask that they do it after they have fired the shot. As we advance in their training, we try to optimize their splits (time between shots) by filling it with other things which distract them from blinking.

You can avoid the reaction to a "surprise break" by allowing your subconscious to control the trigger press

 

[S&Wfan]

If you don't see the muzzle flash when you fire your handgun, you are blinking.

 

[BK]

This is what I would like to learn more about.

--filling it with other things which distract them from blinking.

Like what?

You can avoid the reaction to a "surprise break" by allowing your subconscious to control the trigger press

How?

I'll head out this afternoon or tomorrow morning and try whatever you can advise.
Thanks.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Like what?

1. Watching the sights raise and calling their shot.
2. Resetting the trigger and prepping it for the next shot
3. Seeing the next target and getting ready for the transition

How?

You allow your subconscious to see the aligned sights appear on the target and take that as the cue to press the trigger...it is the difference between seeing the sights and looking at/for them. As I said, it is a more advanced technique

 

[SwampWolf]

I don't think blinking and flinching are necessarily the same thing at all. My guess is that most people who flinch will blink at the same time but people who blink can do so without flinching. For some people, blinking is an involuntary response to noise/recoil that, if occuring after the shot and good follow-through is observed, will have no adverse effect on their shooting at all. There is no downside to not blinking but "blinkers" can also shoot well.

 

[BK]

SwampWolf pretty much sums up what I'm talking about, and 9mmepiphany reinforces the fact that I AM shooting correctly, but I just haven't learned to progress past the point I am at. I'm not really talking about "flinching" here. I tend to think that shooters blink more than they might be willing to admit.

Honestly, I can hit a strand of wire from ten paces with my 45 pistol. I've done it many times and I can do it whenever I try it. What I can't do is follow that shot up quickly with another one that is as accurate, because I've blinked, and that is getting in the way of my pairing and rapid fire.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Blinking after you've fired a shot shouldn't make that much difference in your splits (the time between shots)...unless you're blinking like Teddy Ruxpin. It helps if you are using the correct grip to minimize the time is takes to see the aligned sights returning onto your target.

Assuming that you'd like some input, might I ask a few a questions
1. Do you understand the difference between recoil management vs. recoil control?
2. Which stance are you using, Weaver or Isosceles?
3. Which grip are you using?
4. How fast are your accurate groups?
5. How far are you releasing your trigger between shots?
6. Do you understand the concept of trigger prep between shots?

 

[Robert Wilson]

"I'll bet you can't slip a 'Teddy Ruxpin' reference into the next post you make."

"You're on!"

 

[Yarddog]

If You are , It's just like a catcher that is BAT SHY JMO ; )
Y/D

 

[PT1911]

If I had to guess... I would say a WHOLE lot more people blink while shooting than actually realize that they do... It is a natural reaction... I do on most handgun shots, not so much on rifle shots... Which is odd seeing as I have a scope coming toward my eye on the rifle...

 

[BigDeesul]

If I sneeze while shooting, yes. Otherwise, no. I also shoot with both eyes open.

 

[CHEVELLE427]

i try not too,
and just when i get better at it ill take the DE50 out and the 44 MAG barrel , the 44 has a bit of powder in the face sometimes so back comes the flinch.

another reason to stick with 1 gun .

BUT WHAT FUN IS THAT

 

[BK]

Assuming that you'd like some input--

Yes sir. I could use all that you would offer.

1. Do you understand the difference between recoil management vs. recoil control?

I think so. The way I figure it, you are either trying to prevent the recoil (wrong), or trying to use it. I try and use the recoil to get me to the next shot. Locked wrists and loose elbows.

2. Which stance are you using, Weaver or Isosceles?

Both. I blink no matter what. But tomorrow, I'll stick with the Isosceles stance and I'll follow whatever advice you offer.

3. Which grip are you using?

I've always adhered to something like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2Zioo5ixw4) for semi-autos. But tomorrow, I will only be shooting a S&W-M10, so I'll use a revolver grip. Not sure if that answers your question.

4. How fast are your accurate groups?

Not fast. I can usually cut one big hole, if my shots are 1 - 2 seconds apart.

5. How far are you releasing your trigger between shots?

All the way. This is surely where I could use some practice. I've never even thought about, or practiced this. I just squeeze off a focused shot and then recover for the next one.

6. Do you understand the concept of trigger prep between shots?

Probably not. I might have a concept of trigger prep before a shot, but not so much afterwards.

If you know of a video that I can watch to further explain what you are describing, please link me to it.

Thanks again!! You're already getting me to think more about my shooting!

 

[NavyLCDR]

If I had to guess... I would say a WHOLE lot more people blink while shooting than actually realize that they do... It is a natural reaction...

When I am shooting to improve my technique, I pay attention to whether or not I see the muzzle flash. That tells me I am doing everything pretty much as desired - I am keeping my eyes open, I am focusing on the front sight, and I am not flinching/blinking. The muzzle flash out of a .460 S&W is a beautiful sight to see. I used to shoot at an indoor range in OKC and the blast would leave scorch marks on the sides of the lane dividers!

 

[BK]

I've seen the flash from my 357, and I've wondered if the flash alone would make you blink. Kind of like someone hitting you in the face with a flashlight. Blinding bright light = blink?

I can say for sure that I haven't seen the muzzle flare from any of the rifles or shotguns that I shoot. Just as a temporary side discussion, I blink right after the shot of, no matter what gun I'm firing. Should this issue be different, regarding differnt types of guns? I'm guessing not.

 

[9mmepiphany]

The way I figure it, you are either trying to prevent the recoil (wrong), or trying to use it

That is actually pretty close, the important thing is not believeing that you can hold a gun down while it is in recoil...fighting a losing battle

I'll stick with the Isosceles stance and I'll follow whatever advice you offer.

The Isosceles allows faster follow up shots, because it allows the sights to return to your prior POA as it returns from recoil

I've always adhered to something like this

He actually explains it much like I teach it...he leaves out some of the finer points, but he does want you to come take a class...I think he is mistaken when he says the grip is the most important part. We only teach a standard grip so that you can learn the trigger press without distracting factors...that is fairly advanced too, just ignore it

I can believe I just agreed with James Yeager

I've never even thought about, or practiced this. I just squeeze off a focused shot and then recover for the next one.

Following each shot...try releasing the trigger forward only far enough for it to reset (you should be able to feel and hear it). Put rearward pressure back on the trigger, so that you are ready to press the shot off as you see the aligned sights on the target. this is done in conjunction with trigger prep (next section)

I might have a concept of trigger prep before a shot, but not so much afterwards.

Trigger prep is all before the shot, follow through is after the shot.

Trigger prep to putting pressure on the trigger, a bit less than enough to make the sear release. Your goal is to lessen the additional pressure required to break the shot when your sights are on the target.

This is a lot to take in...I should start a thread and just describe the whole thing...just give it a try.

BTW: revolvers are shot completely the opposite way

 

[Manco]

As others have said, blinking is not the same as flinching, as the former is a reaction to an event that has just occurred (well, you could blink in anticipation, but I consider that an eye flinch), while the latter is done in anticipation of the same event, and is far worse because it can throw off your aim. Blinking is not so bad as long as it's quick and doesn't interfere with your aim or speed for the next shot; when you reach a high level of skill, however, it may start to become an issue.

Interestingly the two can be related to one another in an odd way, at least for some people, such as me. When I first started out, I had no discernible flinching issue (slow-fire only), although I did blink after every shot. As I trained more and more, and harder and harder, I found it increasingly difficult not to flinch every few shots. This might seem ironic, but basically the faster pace of shooting was starting to get to me in some way, which was frustrating because I had expected to become more accustomed to shooting, not less! So what I started doing--and I'm not exactly sure how I did it--was force myself not to blink so that I could better monitor whether and how I would flinch. Once I could see everything at all times, including the effect my trigger pull was having on my sight picture, I very quickly became a lot more comfortable with defensive shooting in general, my flinching problem practically went away by itself through visual feedback and practice, and I became progressively faster at recovering and shooting followup shots. I don't know how many people would benefit in this way, but not blinking sure helped me make the most of my training and improve more rapidly.

By the way, I'd be lying if I claimed that I never flinch or blink now, although I rarely do anymore.

I've seen the flash from my 357, and I've wondered if the flash alone would make you blink. Kind of like someone hitting you in the face with a flashlight. Blinding bright light = blink?

Sometimes if it's really bright and your surroundings are dark, sure. Frankly, I don't like either flash or blast in defensive situations, and I take this into consideration when choosing defensive weapons and loads, although I suppose that I should do some adverse-condition training (right now I'm still working to improve my skills).