Weak/Strong-hand-only training?
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Given the time to get set and take careful aim, I'd always go for a two handed hold.
One of the stages in last month's IDPA match featured a weak hand only round, fired from a kneeling position, simulating being wounded in the strong arm. It graphically illustrated the fact that I need more practice shooting one handed, and weak handed in particular. I put a .22 conversion unit on my Glock, and have been practicing with it one handed, with either hand, in hopes of improvement.
One of the stages in last month's IDPA match featured a weak hand only round, fired from a kneeling position, simulating being wounded in the strong arm. It graphically illustrated the fact that I need more practice shooting one handed, and weak handed in particular. I put a .22 conversion unit on my Glock, and have been practicing with it one handed, with either hand, in hopes of improvement.
You should definitely practice SHO, WHO, IMO.
Good SHO/WHO technique will often give you a competitive advantage. And against higher level shooters, not having SHO/WHO technique can be your Achilles heel. Either way, it's a good thing to work on. These are particularly good to practice via dry fire, so it won't feel as awkward during live fire.
Good SHO/WHO technique will often give you a competitive advantage. And against higher level shooters, not having SHO/WHO technique can be your Achilles heel. Either way, it's a good thing to work on. These are particularly good to practice via dry fire, so it won't feel as awkward during live fire.
I have to do an annual re-qualification with my employer and part of that is weak hand. I also practice weak hand only drills during range time. I have done weak hand only qualifying with a different squad and shot 88% which is lower than strong hand but I feel confident that I could defend myself if need be with weak hand shooting.
Jonah71
Member
Being blind in my right eye, I've been practicing a lot more with using just the one hand. Not working that great with the simis. Much better with the Mod.36 and Sec. Six. revs. I really need to practice with my left hand only but that's like learning to shoot all over again.
Chris Rhines
Member
Yep. If you're not practicing strong-hand and weak-hand shooting, you should be.
I ran through a fun SHO/WHO drill yesterday. Set up a standard Bianchi plate rack at ten yards. Start with only six rounds loaded in your gun. On the buzzer, draw and knock over the first two plates freestyle, then transition to weak hand only and shoot the next two plates, then transition to strong hand only and shoot the last two plates. If you have to reload, you must do so with only the hand you were using when firing the last shot.
Note - be very careful transitioning to WHO and SHO. If you drop the gun, DO NOT TRY TO CATCH IT. Also, if you've never tried a strong-hand or weak-hand reload, practice it dry before trying it at the range.
-C
I ran through a fun SHO/WHO drill yesterday. Set up a standard Bianchi plate rack at ten yards. Start with only six rounds loaded in your gun. On the buzzer, draw and knock over the first two plates freestyle, then transition to weak hand only and shoot the next two plates, then transition to strong hand only and shoot the last two plates. If you have to reload, you must do so with only the hand you were using when firing the last shot.
Note - be very careful transitioning to WHO and SHO. If you drop the gun, DO NOT TRY TO CATCH IT. Also, if you've never tried a strong-hand or weak-hand reload, practice it dry before trying it at the range.
-C
Purgatory
Member
I usually do a simple drill at the range where I load two rounds, fire two aimed shots (meaning not a quick double-tap) with my right hand, load two rounds, fire two aimed shots with both hands, and load two rounds and fire two aimed shots with my left and then repeat as often as I feel necessary to practice technique.
This does a number of things for me.
First, it teaches me to become naturally aware of the difference in point of impact from single handed fire to both hands. My normal point of impact, with a proper neutral two hand grip of course, is about an inch to an inch and a half above the center point of my front sight blade with my sights aligned properly--at average distance. With one handed fire, that POI increases slightly to 3 to 4 inches above my front sight blade due to the lack of support hand reducing the muzzle rise.
This is important because if you're taking a head shot with one hand, for instance, it's possible to completely miss the target altogether.
Another thing it does is to teach my muscles in my non-dominant hand to become more familiar with the necessary grip and what muscles in my hand, wrist and forearm to keep flexed or more relaxed to properly handle the recoil impulse so as to quickly/smoothly line up and fire the follow-up shot accurately. One challenge with one-handed shooting that becomes clearly evident when using your support hand is striving to hold the gun firmly with all the fingers and muscles within your hand and wrist while relaxing your trigger finger enough to have precision control of the trigger.
Another aspect of this for ME, is that I practice using both eyes. Left eye with left hand and vice versa. Not necessary for this exercise to be effective, but I figure you could lose an eye as easily (or easier considering bullets flying, debris flying, etc.) as an arm or hand.
Another thing is the time in between each set of two shots when I reload gives me a brief pause to assimilate what is happening with all the various dynamics of the exercise and correct or confirm certain techniques and habits and remember those corrections when I return to that hold.
Doing this type of low round load exercise also helps to make your ammo last a little longer and to encourage more effective training in the short time we get at the range.
Even 200 rounds of ammo can be burned up easily within a half hour or less if you just load your mags to max capacity over and over and just stand there and blast away--invigorating as we all know that can be.
This does a number of things for me.
First, it teaches me to become naturally aware of the difference in point of impact from single handed fire to both hands. My normal point of impact, with a proper neutral two hand grip of course, is about an inch to an inch and a half above the center point of my front sight blade with my sights aligned properly--at average distance. With one handed fire, that POI increases slightly to 3 to 4 inches above my front sight blade due to the lack of support hand reducing the muzzle rise.
This is important because if you're taking a head shot with one hand, for instance, it's possible to completely miss the target altogether.
Another thing it does is to teach my muscles in my non-dominant hand to become more familiar with the necessary grip and what muscles in my hand, wrist and forearm to keep flexed or more relaxed to properly handle the recoil impulse so as to quickly/smoothly line up and fire the follow-up shot accurately. One challenge with one-handed shooting that becomes clearly evident when using your support hand is striving to hold the gun firmly with all the fingers and muscles within your hand and wrist while relaxing your trigger finger enough to have precision control of the trigger.
Another aspect of this for ME, is that I practice using both eyes. Left eye with left hand and vice versa. Not necessary for this exercise to be effective, but I figure you could lose an eye as easily (or easier considering bullets flying, debris flying, etc.) as an arm or hand.
Another thing is the time in between each set of two shots when I reload gives me a brief pause to assimilate what is happening with all the various dynamics of the exercise and correct or confirm certain techniques and habits and remember those corrections when I return to that hold.
Doing this type of low round load exercise also helps to make your ammo last a little longer and to encourage more effective training in the short time we get at the range.
Even 200 rounds of ammo can be burned up easily within a half hour or less if you just load your mags to max capacity over and over and just stand there and blast away--invigorating as we all know that can be.
Jim Watson
Member
One hand shooting is called for often enough in IDPA competiton that it should definitely be trained and practiced for. It used to be common in IPSC but I am too long away from that to say if it still is.
It is hard to do a one handed reload without breaking range rules or at least making the Safety Officer nervous so those should probably be left to real combat training.
We had a guy last week, a "security contractor" who, when a right hand only from the right side of cover, left hand only from the left side of cover stage came up, shot in what I call PPC fashion, holding the gun in the appropriate hand but still using the off hand in a full freestyle grip. When I gave him a Procedural and explained that one handed shooting was to simulate disability of the other hand, he said "We don't train that way." OK.
It is hard to do a one handed reload without breaking range rules or at least making the Safety Officer nervous so those should probably be left to real combat training.
We had a guy last week, a "security contractor" who, when a right hand only from the right side of cover, left hand only from the left side of cover stage came up, shot in what I call PPC fashion, holding the gun in the appropriate hand but still using the off hand in a full freestyle grip. When I gave him a Procedural and explained that one handed shooting was to simulate disability of the other hand, he said "We don't train that way." OK.
Purgatory
Member
I am proficient shooting with either hand only. I can keep about the same pattern with strong hand only or support/weak hand only as I can with both hands.
The difference is the amount of time it takes to shoot that pattern.
Obviously, I am most proficient with both hands, slightly slower with my SHO and just slightly slower than that with WHO.
These days my one handed shooting is pretty close to equal with either hand.
Disclaimer: Only intended as a full answer to the OP's question about what can be accomplished from training both hands solo. There are plenty of people out there who are far better shooters than I.
Jim, I'd be surprised if 'any' real-world training doesn't involve support hand only, much less 'strong' hand only.
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Jim Watson
Member
Purgatory, I don't know who this guy works for or who does the training, but he is a self described "security contractor" with a forthcoming assignment somewhere in Africa. All I know is what he did and said.
I saw his colleagues to game the setup by shooting with one hand but the other holding the wobbly barricade hard to steady their hold.
This is a kind'a sort'a shoot with a lot of slack cut for armed professionals so as to not let competition techniques interfere with their training, so I said no more.
I saw his colleagues to game the setup by shooting with one hand but the other holding the wobbly barricade hard to steady their hold.
This is a kind'a sort'a shoot with a lot of slack cut for armed professionals so as to not let competition techniques interfere with their training, so I said no more.
Purgatory
Member
I'm with ya, Jim. I have seen a few off-duty officers shoot with our club who seem to have trouble dealing with certain scenarios and situations.
I give them the utmost respect for being there and keeping their skills and training honed while many departments skimp on their training--especially these days.
Sorry to pull us off track. Back to the thread.
beatledog7
Member
I'd wager almost nobody does this enough. I don't, so thanks for the reminder.
There is a guy in our club who -somewhat like Purgatory- shoots equally well (speed and accuracy) SHO and WHO - he truly is ambidextrous. This is a huge advantage to him on stages with barricades and tight fault lines, where a normal grip kind of forces you off balance.
I've now included a bit of SHO and WHO as part of my practice routine.
edit: Purgatory, your purposeful approach to training sounds good to me.
I've now included a bit of SHO and WHO as part of my practice routine.
edit: Purgatory, your purposeful approach to training sounds good to me.
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Purgatory
Member
Good, TF, I hope it helps.
I am a big fan of the Shooting Sports and I feel that anything that can make us a little better than we were the day before helps to keep the Sport fresh and fun as we and our skills evolve and improve.
Happy Shootin!
Big thing shooting weak hand? Mirror the grip that you use with strong hand. A lot of us tend to grip the gun further around than we would with the strong hand, and that leads to trigger control issues. Establish and practice a mirror grip of the strong hand.
Second point, let you arm and hand come up naturally. This will give a cant to the gun of 20-40 degrees. That is your angle if you want the recoil impulse to be "vertical" feeling in your hand, otherwise it will snap up and to the side.
Good luck!
And yes, train for weak hand only shooting.
Second point, let you arm and hand come up naturally. This will give a cant to the gun of 20-40 degrees. That is your angle if you want the recoil impulse to be "vertical" feeling in your hand, otherwise it will snap up and to the side.
Good luck!
And yes, train for weak hand only shooting.
Purgatory
Member
Good call, HK Dan.
This is absolutely correct. With the gun held out in front of you in one hand, your wrist should be rotated slightly inward toward the center of the body with either hand.
This seems to line up the joints/muscles from the chest to the shoulder to the elbow and wrist in a way that just makes it easier to control the gun when firing single-handed.
Practice, practice, practice.
This is absolutely correct. With the gun held out in front of you in one hand, your wrist should be rotated slightly inward toward the center of the body with either hand.
This seems to line up the joints/muscles from the chest to the shoulder to the elbow and wrist in a way that just makes it easier to control the gun when firing single-handed.
Practice, practice, practice.
Sauer Grapes
Member
I like to shoot strong hand and do it a lot. Each week I'll shoot about 20 rounds with the weak hand.
Good practice even if you don't compete. You never know when you may need it.
Good practice even if you don't compete. You never know when you may need it.
I am a south-paw because of that i started shooting with my left had only with most of my sidearms (i still use long guns right handed) the only part i have a problem with is reloading, I'm slightly slower because if i use a revolver most aren't lefty friendly and i can't reach the slide release on autos easily, aside from that I am confident in shooting single handed with either hand.
1SOW
Member
Jim Watson,
ONE of my problems is the draw strong hand and switch to left--almost half the time gone at first shot.
USPSA uses it often in my neck of the woods. Last weekend was draw and shoot Free-style, then DAS WHO , then DAS SHO with a 4.5 sec par time for 6 rds each string. A killer if you haven't been practicing. In my case, even if you did practice it.
ONE of my problems is the draw strong hand and switch to left--almost half the time gone at first shot.
Zak Smith
Member
I have a strong/weak hand stage in almost all my 3Gun stages, and we often shoot strongside/weakside rifle also.
training outside the box
I am lucky to be part of a group that likes to mix it up, both in practice and in our matches. We like trying things we are not good at.
Am thinking our club should put together a formal training 'match', in the sense that each of us would 'stage' one or two of their favorite training stages or sequences. We would squad up and work our way through these stages. It could be a good opportunity to time the 'moves', critique each other's technique, share tips, insights, etc. Much less work than a real match, but fun and useful nonetheless.
Come to think of it, that's a bit like we do here in the competition forum. Thanks to all for the valuable contributions made here.
I am lucky to be part of a group that likes to mix it up, both in practice and in our matches. We like trying things we are not good at.
Am thinking our club should put together a formal training 'match', in the sense that each of us would 'stage' one or two of their favorite training stages or sequences. We would squad up and work our way through these stages. It could be a good opportunity to time the 'moves', critique each other's technique, share tips, insights, etc. Much less work than a real match, but fun and useful nonetheless.
Come to think of it, that's a bit like we do here in the competition forum. Thanks to all for the valuable contributions made here.
CatsEye
Member
I shoot strong and weak hand each time I go to the range. It is required often in IDPA so you have to be confident doing it.
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