Recommendations for handgun accuracy/technique training

wacky_doug

wacky_doug

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Hi all,

I'm looking for some one-on-one training on technique. I'm a regular shooter, and I do action pistol competitions. I'm pretty good at point shooting and flash sight picture stuff on targets, but I'm terrible at slow sight picture on 30+ ft bulls eye targets or plates.

I shoot right-handed and the shots tend to group in the lower-left quadrant. So some trigger jerk and some recoil anticipation going on. I've started a regimen on dry-fire practice, but I'd like to get someone with more experience to give me some pointers.

Any recommendations for instructors? I shoot at the Weymouth Sportsmens Club.
 
wacky_doug said:
Hi all,

I'm looking for some one-on-one training on technique. I'm a regular shooter, and I do action pistol competitions. I'm pretty good at point shooting and flash sight picture stuff on targets, but I'm terrible at slow sight picture on 30+ ft bulls eye targets or plates.

I shoot right-handed and the shots tend to group in the lower-left quadrant. So some trigger jerk and some recoil anticipation going on. I've started a regimen on dry-fire practice, but I'd like to get someone with more experience to give me some pointers.
Click to expand...

This is exactly my current situation, too. I shoot IDPA near the Sharpshooter/Expert line, and one of my major roadblocks is flinching. Dry fire does nothing for me, as everything's perfect when I know I don't need a quick follow-up shot and to manage recoil. Likewise, single shots at distance (bullseye style) arn't bad, but this goes wrong when I need to put two on target in a hurry.

You might be able to get a small group of action-shooting flinchers together for a class[grin].
 
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Mike-Mike said:
Join your local pistol team.
Click to expand...

+1 on this.
also go back to the very basics of marksmanship and really focus on them, this helped me a ton with that same problem. sight alignment & trigger control....if you can get these two things down and keep pressing/pulling (or whatever you want to call it) the trigger to the rear without moving the gun the bullet will go right where you want it to. i know its tough to do when you have done some comp shooting but it is very helpful. also learn to love the recoil and noise of the gun, not fear it. fearing it is what leads to anticipation and jerking the gun. Love it.
 
Thanks for the advice. So repeating to myself, "I will not flinch, I will not flinch" should help. [grin] I do find that the dry firing helps to get the recoil anticipation out.
 
I must not flinch.
Flinching is the mind-killer.
Flinching is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my flinching.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the flinch has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.
 
Supermoto said:
Flinching is a mental issue and no amount of instruction will stop it. You must decide to no longer flinch and then it will be gone
Click to expand...

Exactly. We had a shrink come talk to us once about the mental aspect of competition shooting because the mental part of not expecting the bang is tougher to overcome than most realize. The only thing that helps is to reteach your mind & trigger finger not to anticipate the shot. You should never really know exactly when the shot will go off when you apply pressure to the trigger. So you need to work on the mental process of firing a shot. You should set aside a few moments each day to sit down an visualize yourself firing good shots. See yourself doing everything right which will result in a perfect shot.

And of course, dry fire, dry fire, dry fire. But dry fire correctly. This will help you to turn the trigger pressing action into a subconscious rather than conscious act. This subconscious act is similar to you tying a shoe. You consciously decide to tie the shoe but you don't think "Okay, left over right, pull, form a bow, right over left, etc." your mind has developed a form of a conditioned reflex that allows you to tie the show without really thinking about it.

How does this relate to shooting? You train your subconscious mind to press the trigger when the conscious mind see's the sight picture that it wants or received any other action key you want to train it to react to.

To truly train your mind to do this requires thousands of repetitions. That is why I told you to dry fire a lot and visualize this stuff. Your mind is like a computer, program it to do what you want and it will, even under stress.
 
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LIke the Mighty Ducks Goaltender we will take you to Range tie you to a range post and fire until you flintch no more...........

You can try a simple drill called the Ball & Dummy Drill: Load as many mags as you have with a mix of dummy rounds an live ammo. And go to the range and shoot using the proper mindset of sights on target, trigger press and bang, the mix of dummys and live give you the oppurtunity to assess your short commings and break your habit of the FLINTCH. if you flinch during a trigger press then proc3de to complete 5 dry fire runs on the trigger. Reps and more Reps will break the cycle.

Hope it Helps
 
HiggityHank said:
I must not flinch.
Flinching is the mind-killer.
Flinching is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my flinching.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the flinch has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.
Click to expand...

+1 for this. I want this on a T-shirt.
 
TheWookie said:
Exactly. We had a shrink come talk to us once about the mental aspect of competition shooting because the mental part of not expecting the bang is tougher to overcome than most realize. The only thing that helps is to reteach your mind & trigger finger not to anticipate the shot. You should never really know exactly when the shot will go off when you apply pressure to the trigger. So you need to work on the mental process of firing a shot. You should set aside a few moments each day to sit down an visualize yourself firing good shots. See yourself doing everything right which will result in a perfect shot.
[snip]
Click to expand...

Damn, I need a shrink! Seriously, this is good advice. (And it's free!) I've got to keep practicing and visualizing this.
 
Alex said:
What is local pistol team, and where is one to be found?
Is there one in the Southern New Hampshire?
Click to expand...

Check if any clubs, business's or schools/college's in your area have a pistol team. These would be your local pistol team.
 
There is no doubt that a flinch is hard to get rid of. With that said, Mike and I do it in almost every class.
Contrary to some comments, the surprise break is the answer. The surprise break does not have be slow, intact it can be very fast with some work. Some have commented that you should just aim high right to fix a low left shot pattern. This is just BS. When you do this, all you are doing is putting a bandaid on the problem and NOT fixing the basic problem.
Some have said that you should ask a good shooter at a match. In all likelihood this will not work, because the good shooter is not skilled at teaching and diagnosing shooter problems.

Just make your life simple, call Neshooters or me at 603-673-6105 and we WILL fix the base problem
 
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JimConway said:
Some have said that you should ask a good shooter at a match. In all likelihood this will not work, because the good shooter is not skilled at teaching and diagnosing shooter problems.
Click to expand...

Wow, All this time and money I have wasted taking classes from Todd Jarret and Manny Bragg. I should have been asking people at the back of the pack.
Is it one of those, He who can, does. He who can't, teaches?
 
I'm not forgetting that at all. A lot of the top local shooters can do that also (albeit not as well or with the level of refinement as TJ or Manny). They have worked through the issues others are having, can easily spot them and know how to fix them.

You teach people to shoot, you are obviously going to think your way is better. That's fine. But don't take away from the help and instruction that others can provide
I have seen many new shooters dramatically improve because of top local shooters.
 
My experience tells me most very good shooters can also diagnose and teach/lead/improve: they may not have any platform skills, but they can stand behind/next to a shooter on the firing line and see issues, and then work on improvements. Then based on experience level (assuming they are very good shooters due to experience, not just natural talent) they can make corrections.

I've probably seen more so called "instructors" dork somebody up than what advise/corrections a very good shooter will give.
 

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