Grip Strength

[bdickens]

That's what I was getting at, but some people choose to misinterpret what I was saying.

Under extreme stress, fine motor function decreases dramatically while gross motor strength skyrockets.

60% strength with the dominant hand, 40% strength with the nondominant (or is it the other way around) is relative - and more fine motor- whereas simply "grip hard" is grip hard whether relaxed or fighting for your life.

Either can be done with your hands in the right place, but "grip hard" is easier under stress. It also has the advantage of reducing the interlimb response of your other fingers clenching as you pull the trigger.

 

[ATLDave]

I don't think anyone intentionally "chose" to misinterpret what you were saying... I know I sincerely understood you to be saying something very different. Just a straight-up miscommunication.

As to the gross-muscle thing, I think there's some validity to it, but, ultimately, pressing a trigger straight back is a fine motor skill, so you can't go too far down that logical path! But, again, I think we may be saying about the same thing - I think most people automatically grip with enough force with their strong hand. It's not a thing most people need to focus on in their practice. Most people do significantly underutilize their weak hand, though. So that's worth focus in practice. In part so that what feels "normal" is a very firm weak hand grip. Because people will mostly do what they have ingrained as "normal" under stress.

 

[Garandimal]

- Firm Handshake grip.
- Force thumb forward and around the backstrap to "T" the knuckles.
- Squeeze with support hand if used.
- Press trigger to "pull the front sight through the rear sight".




GR

 

[TonyAngel]

Many misunderstand what it means to grip a handgun. When you grip a handgun, you shouldn't be squeezing the grip as you would a baseball bat. In fact, the more you use your thumbs gripping a handgun, the more likely you are to twist the firearm while firing. When I grip a handgun, I use my fingers to pull the firearm into my palm. I don't squeeze the grip as though I'm making orange juice.

When you are instructed to grip a firearm as hard as you can, that means that you should apply a grip to the maximum of what you are comfortable with. If you don't push yourself, then you aren't controlling the firearm the best that you can. If you over exert yourself in your grip your hand will start shaking, so I suppose the best way to articulate it is to say to pull the grip into your palm without causing your hand to shake. At this point,...since you are only using your lower three finger to pull the grip into your palm, rather that trying to grip it like a baseball bat with your fist, this should leave your trigger finger to act independently of your other fingers.

When employing a two handed grip, the idea is to get as much skin as you can on the firearm. So, with your right hand (assuming you're right handed), you'll be pulling the grip into your palm, ideally with your thumb up high near the slide. This should leave a good bit of the off side of the grip open for you to place the palm of your off hand with your off hand fingers wrapped around the fingers of your right hand. At this point, you'll be pulling the firearm into your palm with your right hand and using your off hand to pull the firearm into the palm of your off hand while using your off hand fingers to aid in pulling the grip into the palm of your right hand. Dang, I've never actually thought it through like this. It's a lot easier done than said.

The idea is to "grip" the firearm, not grab it. The less you use your thumbs, the straighter you'll shoot. I've seen MANY rifle shooters tearing their hair out all because they were in the habit of wrapping their thumb around the stock rather than just resting it inline with the bore. When you use your thumbs you will tend to "steer" the firearm as you squeeze and you don't want that.

All of the the above is for the purpose of controlling the firearm and follow up shots. For the first shot, if the sights on are target when the gun goes off, you'll likely hit your target. I've made shots with nothing but enough effort from my middle finger to keep the gun from falling out of my hand.

 

[sequins]

I'd love to see the death grip on a plow handle. I had a guy at the range tell me I needed to go work out because I was pointing my 44 at the ceiling between shots. I smiled and kept shooting.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I had a guy at the range tell me I needed to go work out because I was pointing my 44 at the ceiling between shots.

Was this a guy you knew or a stranger. If it was a buddy giving you hell, it's a little funny. If it was some random stranger, he's a rude d-bag.

If some random person said that to me my response would be less than cordial.

 

[Hookeye]

Damaged tendon in elbow. Interesting to see how it affects shooting in general (but mostly pistol group size).

 

[Hookeye]

I'd love to see the death grip on a plow handle. I had a guy at the range tell me I needed to go work out because I was pointing my 44 at the ceiling between shots. I smiled and kept shooting.

Depends on the load.
I dislike 300's.
Used to run up to 255gr in a SuperBlackhawk 7.5"
I get down lower on the grip frame. Gun does not slide.
Hold right, thumb left, i can get off a few shots before the gun does move in hand.
Muzzle rise might be more w such a grip, I dunno.

Nobody critiqued my form.
As my bullet holes are close together, where they should be.

Indoors the screamer 180s get attention.
Buddy shooting 50ft w some Sig .40 was all over. My turn on the lane, I shot and the flash and roar had folks jump.
He laughed and said I missed the target.

Told him I wasnt aiming at the target, was shooting his bullet hole where he missed.
He called BS on it so I made his .40 cal hole into a Mickey Mouse w .429 ears.

Wiped that smile right off his face.

Then I let him shoot it.
Once shot, hands gun back shaking.

Then I had the big smile.

 

[Hookeye]

Gotta love ranges, esp with the new crop of shooters.
Real simple.
Shut up and shoot.
Let your targets do the talking.

 

[Hookeye]

Wore a forearm band for the first time yesterday. Inflammation seems less.
Grip strength reduced though. been screwed up a couple months.
No improvement (work is physical).

Surgery will have me out of work for 3 months.
Shooting arm.

Doesn't sound like a fun vacation.
Tennis elbow deal, heard it pop hanging a treestand.
Usable but damaged (not a full rip I guess).

Never gripped my guns super hard.
Maybe "medium".
Hands normal sized and thin, get a good wrap.
Can shoot DE with no prob.
Like Hogue grips (rubber) on revolvers and slabs on autos.
The HK polymer VP9/P30 grip I like.

Band helped elbow. Doesn't feel like somebody putting a cigarette out on the tip of my elbow now. But fingers have slight numb/tingle.
Not too tight, just not letting forearm muscles move as much so the inflammed area on nerve I think telling me its unhappy.

 

[WVsig]

Shannon Smith is a USPSA Grandmaster, champion shooter, and world-class firearms instructor. One of the top shooters in the world, he competes in 10-15 major matches per year across the United States, instructs at Universal Shooting Academy in Frostproof, Florida, manages 6+ major shooting events per year, and hosts a podcast, The Shannon Smith Shooting Show.

 

[JR24]

Similarly, telling them to get their right thumb out of the way so the heel of their left hand is actually on the gun is also good advice for big chunks of the shooting community.

I recently corrected my fathers grip with this advise and the difference in his control and groups was immediate and stunning.

 

[loneviking]

Did anyone notice the size of Shannon’s forearms? They aren’t small and he’s got to have a good grip.

 

[ATLDave]

Did anyone notice the size of Shannon’s forearms? They aren’t small and he’s got to have a good grip.

I've been fortunate to shake hands with a fair number of pretty high-level USPSA shooters. All but one of them had a metric manure-ton of grip strength, and the other one still had a very firm handshake. The high-level women competitors have strong grips, too. Not quite as Popeye-like as Mr. Smith, but Ms. Duff can definitely squeeze a pistol pretty hard.

 

[Thibaut]

I think that a firm grip works best for me. I also very much agree with the above poster that watching recoil should define whether the grip you are using is working well or not. I was taught stance and a push-pull grip. I had to really work at both to reach my zone.

 

[94045]

What is a typical forearm?
I just measured, mine are 16".