Wrist hurting after drawing/rapid fire drills.

[CountGlockula]

Just noticed something...

Two days ago (3/5/08) my co-worker and I were at the indoor range during "after hours".

After hours, because we were able to shoot rapid fire, draw from holsters, tactical reload and shoot out of my co-worker's AR15--approved permission from the range officers of course. I don't get a chance to do this...only during my training past courses.

So after ½ an hour+ of drawing/rapid fire, the next day, my wrist on my strong hand began to ache. All around the area. During my fun session, I was shooting from the hip, double/triple taps and unloading a full magazine...of just 50 rounds with time out breaks in between.

So, have you guys experience any pain on your wrists?

I was shooting a Glock 23 with Winchester White Box 180 grain .40S&W ammo.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Some .40s tend to be pretty snappy recoil wise. It can tell on you after a while. Make sure your grip on the gun is solid to help keep it from punishing you as much.

There's a topical cream called Topricin that's been really good for me in fixing muscle and joint pain- see http://www.topricin.com/ . Not cheap, but given what it does for me I'd pay 10X that price.

As to preventing future pain, some exercise might help. Spring type grip exercisers or rubber balls are often used by shooters for the purpose. See http://www.szaball.com/ for one option.

A foot-long piece of dowel an inch or bigger in diameter is a starting place for the next exercise device. Drill a hole in the middle, tie a 3-4' long piece of sash cord through the hole and hang a small weight at the other end- a pound or two will do for starters. Holding the contraption in both hands out at arms length, wind the weight up and down on the dowel by twisting it in your hands till you get tired. Alternate holding it with fingers up one day and fingers down the next. When it gets easy, get a slightly bigger weight. And so on...

hth,

lpl/nc

 

[Pat-inCO]

Easy (and cheap) cure. Go to your local toy store and look for the (looks like a) balloon filled with sand. It is about the size of a tennis ball and very easy to manipulate. Usually about $2-$3.

What you did was to relax your grip as you drew the gun. This is especially common with Glocks (I know, I did the same thing :banghead: ).

 

[DWARREN123]

Exercise !!!
And pain reliever.

 

[conw]

Here are a couple of good exercises to increase wrist and hand strength. IMO if you grip something harder it increases wrist stability (wrists are one of the most fragile joints along with the shoulder joint and knees).

There's a pretty decent product called "Captains of Crush Grippers" that you can google. You just squeeze 'em, and they are very tough to close. Most athletic men can only close the #1, and it goes up to #4. Fewer than five people have EVER closed the #4. Start with the "Trainer" and do like 1-5 sets of 3-5 reps at a time, then work up to more reps and a higher gripper.

The other exercise is a dumbbell reverse wrist curl, or a homemade "wrist roller" (2-way). Google them.

 

[conw]

To elaborate a little bit, the wrist roller is just a dowel about 1-3" in diameter with a hole drilled through it. You thread a rope or clothesline through the hole, then tie a weight (start with 5-10lb) on the other end of the rope.

You can also use a PVC pipe.

You then "roll" it using your hands, which works your forearms and increases wrist strength.

Also, a more systemic approach--I'd expect that if you stayed a little soft in the knees and had a good stance you'd absorb more shock with your body.

Fish oil will increase joint health and recovery and should reduce pain. Take a sensible but high dose (this is a blanket recommendation, though everyone should always consult w/ their physicians).

 

[Trope]

Another useful exercise for the hands and wrist can be done with just a hammer. Hold the hammer in your hand with the head up. Then move the hammer forward and back several times. Then do the same thing, only side to side. The heavier the hammer, and the longer the handle, the more strenuous it will be.

 

[Fly320s]

Count,

You wrote that you were shooting an AR15. Were you shooting it with your elbow held high, or with your elbow tucked-in to your body?

If you shoot high-elbow, that makes your hand bend backwards putting more strain on your wrist. It applies to handguns, too. Make sure that the back of your hand is in-line with your forearm. That will reduce the strain on your wrist.

Strenthen your hands and arms, too. That does help.

 

[Tinks 69]

My father used a standard spring style hand grip exerciser. From the loop in the gripper, he had a 1' cord tied to a sack full of lead bb's, probably about 5 pounds. He would hold the gripper upside down (like a "V) out in front of him like he was holding his pistol. He kept it next to the couch and would do it while he watched TV in the evenings. He also had one in the car. Good exercise for endurance and stability. It doesnt solely focus on the wrist, but it may help.

 

[Sheldon J]

I do just to opposite, during a session called "Advanced Close Range Gunfighting" the Instructor noticed that I was actually gripping my HK too tight and had to loosen up a bit, N that helped my accuracy a lot. So much for my "You aint getting this away from me" grip.