Instructor said not to lock her elbows

[burningsquirrels]

no, her elbows aren't truly locked. locking them beats up the rest of your body. would you jump, and then try to land with your knees locked?

 

[Thernlund]

Interesting because you would not know it from these pics.

no, her elbows aren't truly locked. locking them beats up the rest of your body.

Ah. I guess I didn't know what "they" meant by locking. I suppose I don't lock mine, although my arms are pretty straight.

But I've still never heard anyone say that.


-T.

 

[boalex207]

Isoceles with elbows slightly flexed to help manage recoil. I tell new students to stop at about 95% lockout.

 

[DawgFvr]

Shooting is 99% mental...physical techniques are just that...techniques.

Take all with a grain of salt.

This works for me...what works for you?

Ten years from now...there will be new/old/different techniques...bet on it.

 

[rcellis]

I've recently worked through this issue - changed to iso. and at first I fought to get my elbows 'straight', which ended up being 'locked'; whatever you call it, it was wrong. When I relaxed a bit and found a comfortable 'not locked but almost straight' position, everything fell into place and my accuracy went up dramatically. I suspect that everyone will have a slightly different 'best' position.

 

[Yosemite**Sam]

The classic "Weaver Stance" as developed by LAPD pistol champion in the late 1950s Jack Weaver stressed slightly flexed elbows, with the upper body turned slightly towards the target and the supporting hand pulling back as the gun hand pushes forward.

Jack was indeed a champion. However he worked as a Deputy for the LASD not the LAPD.

 

[3KillerBs]

In my recent classes I was taught to not lock my elbows as the instructors favored an agressive, action-pistol stance. But locking elbows was suggested as a possible aid for a woman (or anyone, but women are more likely to lack upper body strength), who lacked arm strength and had limp-wristing issues.

 

[Slamfire]

I tried shooting Bullseye style, one handed and with a light load. My 45 would not cycle properly if I limp wristed the thing, or had a kink in the elbow.

One bud of mine, shot so much bullseye 45ACP that his elbow hurts.

 

[HoosierQ]

+1 with Saab911. The whole structure of the arm is connected like a pulley from the tip of one's finger up to the upper arm. Locking the elbows will put tension on the that "pulley" and will have an impact on the entire system. FWIW I am aware of this from other, non-shooting sports but human physiology is the same for all physical motions from riding a bike, swinging a golf club, shooting a free throw, or controling ones upper body well enough to make precision shots.

It is all about putting the wrong kind of pressure on the system as a whole to which the trigger finger is attached.

Regarding the appearance of her elbows being locked, I doubt they are...as with many females, I'll bet she's double jointed and thus what you see is her arms exteded fully and not locked.

 

[Saab1911]

+1 with Saab911. The whole structure of the arm is connected like a pulley from the tip of one's finger up to the upper arm. Locking the elbows will put tension on the that "pulley" and will have an impact on the entire system. FWIW I am aware of this from other, non-shooting sports but human physiology is the same for all physical motions from riding a bike, swinging a golf club, shooting a free throw, or controling ones upper body well enough to make precision shots.

It is all about putting the wrong kind of pressure on the system as a whole to which the trigger finger is attached.

Regarding the appearance of her elbows being locked, I doubt they are...as with many females, I'll bet she's double jointed and thus what you see is her arms exteded fully and not locked.

Alright!!! I was going to try that tense-up-everything-on-your-arm-except-for-the-trigger-finger
thing once more, but now that I have some basis for my natural preference
I'll go back to shooting relaxed and shooting one ragged whole in the
middle of the bullseye from 25 yards out.

And I think that I'll give IDPA another try. Last time I did IDPA I was
locking my elbows and my trigger control was shot to heck

Cheers,

Jae