Drinking From the Spring

Often times we find ourselves drinking from the same spring. We stay close to the spring because it is a known source of something we deem essential. I don’t see much wrong with this type of thinking other than it can limit your true potential growth. But that’s the point, if you are open to growth and the desire to improve then my reply will only be an “ah-ha” moment you use as a stepping stone. If however, you have no desire to grow or even challenge your convictions then this may come across as a negative commentary. I cannot tell you the right answer, you will have to discover it out for yourself.

Label the Fear

The first thing we do with a new shooter is try to identify their greatest fear. Whatever the fear it will be the biggest barrier to entering the world of shooting. The overwhelming majority have a great fear of loosing control of the firearm as they are shooting and possibly hurting someone else or themselves. This is not an irrational fear to the new shooter. Our curriculum is designed to address this head on by talking and explaining how the forces produced during firing can be managed and controlled through proper technique, namely the crush grip.

Talking Through the Problem

We start off with a simple drill that describes how the hand works. How it articulates and produces force. Afterwards we have the shooter hold the firearm and apply what we dubbed the “crush grip”. The details of which can be read on other blogs such as this one. With the firearm loaded and a crush grip applied we observe the shooters demeanor to make sure they are okay. Then we will grip their hands with one of ours. This allows us to “feel” their crush grip. If it is tight we will mimic the tension. If it is loose, we will mimic the loose fit. This gives the shooter a tactile association with what they are actually doing. The dialogue during this process is always enlightening. It usually starts by asking them if they feel my grip on their hand. Do they recognize it as strong or soft. This dialogue naturally triggers them to squeeze towards harder to achieve the crush grip and the light bulb moment.

Consistent Application of Pressure is Key

From there, we can start adding to their plate. Without the crush grip achieved, the confidence to hold the firearm will be illusive and prevent them from achieving their true potential. At some point we get into the details of how it works. When we teach the crush grip it starts by applying pressure with the bottom two digits, your pinky and ring finger. You must squeeze hard and hold for the duration you intend to shoot. The reason for this is actually quite simple. When the firearm discharges it is displacing force into your hand, where it first makes contact is literally under the trigger guard where your middle finger is located. That is the fulcrum point and as we all know, the further away from the fulcrum the more leverage. It is leverage that allows the new shooter to gain the confidence they need to firmly hold and fire the gun. When this crush grip is not obtained or consistent pressure not applied you will see the negative result, both in confidence and in performance.

It’s Not That Simple

The confidence was something I touched on earlier in the blog, but the performance is often misunderstood. People think that to shoot fast they only have to pull the trigger fast. They are correct. However, it is a trick question because if I changed the question to shoot accurately fast, then you have to start talking about the sights. The crush grip allows the firearm to remain in what we call the sight box. Albeit it is an imaginary box at arms length. If you can maintain the sights in the sight box, your speed of sight acquisition is greatly increased thereby increasing the ability to shoot fast as long as you understand trigger control.

Quality of Movement in Isolation

At some point there will a conversation about how the trigger finger must move independently from the rest of the hand. That is virtually impossible and we prove it in our class with a silly coordination trick. Your hand is a complex mechanism and it is tied together through nerves and tendons along with muscles. It is very hard to get it to do things in isolation. With a powerful crush grip you will have to put effort into moving your trigger finger smoothly following all the current wisdom. The trick is to concentrate on your pinky finger, keep it tight. The rest of the hand will stay tight allowing you to concentrate on moving your trigger finger smoothly. It is not easy in the beginning and we acknowledge that with our students, but it is achievable.

Reading this blog is valuable as it provides you with a different point of view. Getting out there and experimenting with the techniques described is a good start to truly understanding. Getting into a training class with someone who truly appreciates the crush grip and can share all the finer details is the best.

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At some point, everyone will experience a drawstroke that produces what I call the sloppy shooting grip. The purpose of training is to develop the skill to produce an optimal shooting grip during the drawstroke, but what do you do when it doesn’t.

It All Begins With The Grip

For as long as I’ve been carrying a handgun I’ve preached about the importance of obtaining a crush grip. The crush grip begins with the handgun in the holster. Regardless of the holster’s location on your body, it is imprerative the grip on the handgun while still in the holster be the final firing grip when on target. There are a lot of variables at work durning a drawstroke. Such as, are you open or concealed? Are you standing or sitting? Are you dynamic or static? Every one of these variables can negatively impact the precision with which you grip the handgun. The more precise you grip the handgun, the more likely you will be precise with your aim, with your trigger control and with recoil control.

There Is No Doubt

The question about what to do when you get the sloppy shooting grip is the one we try to answer with redirects or avoidance. What I mean is when you get a sloppy grip the response in turn is “don’t do that” or “grip it correctly”. While I agree those are correct, they don’t deal with the immediacy of the situation. Should you be called upon to use your handgun in a defensive situation and you get a sloppy grip what have you done to prepare. Like anything in the world, if something can go wrong it will go wrong. If the possibility exist you can get a sloppy grip as a result of some of the variables discussed earlier then we need to have a plan. The plan is more about how to deal with the sloppy grip in real time.

You Might Want To Take A Split Second

When we talk about the sloppy shooting grip I break it down into either a catastrophic or workable. A workable sloppy grip means it is something I can improve. I can take a split second to adjust my grip or improve it’s positioning over its current state. It may not be perfect, but it was better than it was when I started. This happens a lot during the drawstroke with subcompact handguns. It is already hard to get a good shooting grip on the smaller handguns because they lack surface area. Add a little speed, concealment and or pressure and it can go sideways real fast. What I have discovered is that by developing a master shooting grip with my compact or full size handguns it has taught my body and specifically my hand how to grip. Over the years, my fingers and thumbs just move to the correct position and apply pressure. When I get the sloppy shooting grip with a subcompact handgun it is usually as I attempt to clear the holster. From there, my hands naturally want to adjust and I just let them. The result is an improved shooting grip that is more than adequate for the scenario.

Dirt Diving Is Fun & Beneficial

Things are a little different with a catastrophic sloppy grip. This means that I will not be able to improve the grip without taking additional remedial action. It could be a result of clearing the cover garment. The hand gets snagged requiring you to adjust your grip completly to free your hand to obtain your shooting grip. Another example might be bobbling the handgun during the drawstroke. It may actually slip or partially slip from your grasp. If you are injured and physically cannot obtain the normal shooting grip I would also consider this catastrophic. Our goal should be to avoid the catastrophic grips and adapt to improving the workable grips. Sometimes working through a few possibilities is all it takes, we call this dirt diving. You discover simple, yet effective ways to avoid or manage through this process. They are taught as contingencies in our curriculum.

While a slopping shooting grip is not ideal, it is not the end of the world. There are little things you can do to adapt and still achieve the desired outcome, effective fire to stop the threat.

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I love shooting demonstrations in classes, especially with subcompact pistols. I typically share three subcompact shooting tips to help improve your performance on this tiny blasters.

Get Stronger, It Fixes Most Problems

Nothing in this world is free. You have to pay in some way, shape or fashion. If you want to shoot subcompact pistols well you will have to improve your grip strength. There is no getting around this through equipment or after market modifications. There is no averting this fundamental truth, just get stronger. Grip strength is one of those subjects talked about a lot, but not often in a manner that produces results. Avoid any flexing and extending exercises for high repetitions. Instead, you want exercises focusing on isometric tension. Since this most closely resembles shooting when applying and holding a crush grip. The biggest mistake I see in shooters who want to develop their grip strength is relying on hand grip strengtheners as their sole means of improvement. While they can help to build the strength in your overall grip, we want to hold onto to something with a powerful grip for an extended period of time. My personal favorite are heavy farmers carry, but with a twist. Pick up something with a handle, then point your trigger finger straight down. Carry the item for distance, then switch hands or carry two at the same time. Over time, this will help you to clamp down on your grip versus milking your grip.

Get As Much Friction As Possible

While most subcompact pistols barely fit into the average size person’s palms you still need to obtain a solid firing grip. Start by identifying the five points of contact, then ensure you occupy as much surface area as possible. Using an in-line thumb grip gives you the best access to the pistol’s surface area. Your goal when shooting subcompact pistols is to create as much friction as possible through your grip. With the short frames many are tempted to use pinky extensions or extended magazines. Using these for your reload magazine is no problem. Part of the reason you are carrying a subcompact is the reduced profile for optimal concealment. Adding length to the frame produces more you need to conceal. Instead, curl your pinky finger underneath the base of the magazine. Take it one step further and press the tip of your pinky finger into the palm of your hand while applying your crush grip.

Take It Slow, Concentrate More

The last thing to do is slow down. These subcompact pistols are not as forgiving as their full size counter parts. The extra weight and size of larger pistols allow the average shooter to get away with less than ideal technique. Not the case with the subcompacts. You need to concentrate on slowing down in two major areas. The first has to do with obtaining the optimal firing grip. If you take a little bit more time in the beginning to ensure the best grip it will pay dividends when shooting subcompact pistols in rapid fire mode. Then slow down your shooting. Take more time to align the sights. Many subcompacts come with a poor sight system so sighting errors can be compounded. Slowing down your trigger management will also allow you to work with the suboptimal triggers usually found on the subcompacts.

Practice Drills For Peak Performance

When it comes down to performance evaluation I typically run two drills. The first drill is a Bill Drill where I fire six rounds total in rapid fire mode. I fire these from the 7-yard line as prescribed, but I do it versus a six inch target with six second par time. My goal is to be sub-par with 100% accuracy. To do this drill well you have to focuses on a solid, crush grip. Decent recoil and trigger management will net you a passing score. Then for accuracy, I take the subcompact pistol back to the 25-yard line and run a TRICON bullseye qualification. This is five rounds in ten seconds for score versus a bullseye target with 80% as passing. Both drills allow you as the shooter to gauge your skill level and focus on where you need the most practice.

I love shooting subcompact pistols and they offer many people who would not normally carry concealed the option due to their size. With a little practice shooting them well is easily achievable.

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Time & Recoil Control

Starting With The Grip

Recruiting Muscles & Consistency

Have A Strong Stance

Being Comfortable With Less Than Perfect

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Recently, my oldest became of age to purchase and carry a handgun. My guidance to him had more to do with the bigger picture than a freeze frame.

Enough Gun

Since his primary goal for purchasing a handgun was concealed carry I advised him to consider the subcompacts platforms. He probably will not be able to afford another pistol so picking one to fulfill the primary mission was key. It was important to consider his most likely enviornment; which is mainly work, home, family and friends. In these situations, he stands a higher chance of a robbery or assault. Passing along situational awareness trade craft will hopefully help avoid the vast majority of these situations. Little things like avoid distractions, pay attention, look at people’s hands to name a few. The real question was whether his subcompact choice would be enough to handle the most likely deadly force encounter.

Forgiveness

In a recent class I had one student attend with a subcompact handgun. I don’t see this often, particularly with first time students to our classes. I think those who feel it is a good idea do so because it falls into “train like you fight” mindset. Aside from them being more abusive in a high round count class they are challenging to shoot. I’m confident had the shooter attended with a compact or even full size framed handgun they would have seen far superior performance. It is true, the subcompacts are challenging to shoot. Don’t mistake that for harder. What I mean is they are less forgiving and require more focus for longer periods.

Don’t Be Lazy

The recent family range trips have focused more on his new carry handgun. Having learned the fundamentals on a full size frame it was time to apply these fundamentals from the subcompacts. In particular are two areas you need to pay extra attention to when seeking peak performance shooting subcompacts; crush grip and powerful mount. There are a few other areas you could always seek improvement, but these two are the ones that will make or break your performance. Ironically, these are also the areas I see performed poorly when shooting the full size frames. A better way to put is the shooter is being lazy.

Lock In The Grip

Things are pretty easy when you slow fire, but the moment you step it up to rapid fire you want your crush grip locked in like a vice. Of all the shooting errors I see, a consistent, vice like grip with pressure applied to the proper contact points have greatly improved shooters performance. We spend a good deal of time at the 101 & 201 class covering and reinforcing this subject. During the recent drills I noticed the difficulty to quickly apply follow up shots with the smaller frame. The moment we talked about the crush grip we started see faster splits on multiple shots. The secret is squeezing both pinkies hard, like really hard.

Stay Tight & Engaged

I also noticed his shooting mount was a bit loose. We want tension through the arms into the shoulders and upper back. While there are points of diminishing returns I remind folks those diminished returns usually still have a positive outcome. Keeping the wrists, elbows and shoulders tense helps to create a solid kinetic chain. Again, coupled with a crush grip the powerful mount will help keep the sights within the shooter’s sight box. This will promote sight tracking; which will lead to rapid follow up shoots.

It is a joy to watch my own kids develop into safe and competent firearms owners. I’m blessed to be able to guide them on their own journey.

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The Trigger Trinity

When I’m explaining proper trigger management I break it down into three parts; trigger finger placement, trigger finger location and trigger movement. Each of these can be further subdivided, but for our purposes I’m going to be talking about trigger movement. The first two parts are important and I have talked about them in detail in previous articles (Get Your Reset On). Granted, without proper trigger placement and location the movement of the trigger is not off to a good start. Assuming all things are properly performed on the first two parts it boils down to how well you can move the trigger without disturbing the sights.

Movement Defined

When it comes down to the trigger’s movement I break it down into three stages (more three’s). The first stage is the slop, all the free travel before you meet resistance from the sear. The second stage is the slack; which is quite literally applying pressure up to the sear wall. Lastly, is the squeeze; which occurs when you press past the sear wall. Most of the time, the student is not able to feel all three of these stages individually. Instead, they think and move the trigger as one action. A big reason is they are moving the trigger too fast. There is this idea they need to break the shot “now” or pull the trigger fast to shoot fast. This impulse is both physiologically and phycological based. On the one hand, the body is reacting to the gun discharging or the anticipation of the gun discharging. The other is the mind telling the trigger finger to break the shot before the body may be ready to break the shot.

Doing It Right

While there are tons of theories on moving the trigger, here is what we know. Your gun and by proxy your sights have to stay on target during the movement of the trigger or the firing sequence in general. If the guns moves, the sights move and you produce a miss. Now, if you are moving the trigger with excessive force or applying force that moves the gun prior to the shot breaking you are going to miss. A good way to approach this is by understanding the importance of grip, mount and stance. These factors help keep the gun on target with minimal movement. That allows you to apply more attention to detail as you work the trigger. If you cannot control these steps at slow speed, you will not control them at full speed.

Surgical vs. Speed

At a certain point folks complain, they complain you are not going to be able to do that in a gunfight. Well, the reality is if you don’t learn proper technique it really won’t matter. Plus, that is a lame excuse to get out of doing the work. Instead, you need to understand there is surgical shooting and speed shooting. Very few can combine the two. In the case of surgical shooting, you will need to apply the fundamentals described to a high level of precision. Most of the time, this will either be a shot at distance or a shot versus a smaller target. Then there is speed shooting where the fundamentals have less negative consequences if not performed to a high level of precision. This is due to the size of the target being larger or the distance to target being closer. Each of these types of shooting will still require the shooter to know how to move the trigger accordingly and when one is more appropriate than the other.

You are not going to get out of learning surgical or speed shooting techniques if you want to be adaptable and resilient in a gunfight. You will have to do the work and master both.

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One With The Gun

Once the bullet leaves the barrel there is nothing you can do to help. If you didn’t have your technique installed before hand it won’t help that round as it hurls downrange. Most everything we do is going to be applied prior to the round being fired. There are the traditional subjects such as sight and trigger management along with grip integrity, but how do you put it all together. How do you become one with the gun. I have had the pleasure of working with some amazing athletes. Professional to Olympic, in all shapes and sizes. The advantage they have is a higher understanding of their body. How to make it do the work in the most efficient manner possible.

Use What You Have

This was so clearly illustrated when working with some female professional athletes. Their ability to will their body, to take advantage of what God bestowed to them was down right impressive. The key was in understanding what muscle groups to activate and how to maintain tension during the requirement activity. As I explained the subject, such as shoulder recruitment it was truly impressive to watch each of them work at flexing and engaging the various muscles of the shoulder region. They understood so plainly how we were stacking joints, ligaments, tendon and muscles so they performed at peak levels together.

Midline, You Are Not an Apple

Regardless of the sport, it is hard to perform at high levels without having a strong midline. I will see some folks who have super rigid upper torsos, but their midline is jelly and you literal watch the recoil wave rippling through them. Keep the midline engaged is not that difficult, but it is also something you want to make sure does not produce negative results. The best way to express this process is by trying to move your belly button towards your spine. Don’t just tighten your abdominal region, that is a half measure. When you follow this tip, you not only tense the midline, but you help stabilize your whole body. More importantly, you are preparing it to support the other muscles optimized for shooting.

Neutral Position

Your shoulders are the next region and they play a huge role. Keeping your shoulders in a neutral position is the key. You do not want them rounded forward or overly retracted rearward. You want them in their strongest position; which is neutral. Those who suffer from bad posture will obviously benefit from paying more attention to their shoulder position. This also ties into the tight midline mentioned above. Keeping the shoulders in this position further connects the kinetic chain. Once you have your shoulders in the right position with the proper tension they will connect with your lats. While your shoulders can be developed, they will not have the same strength capacity as your larger muscle groups such as your upper back region. Once this is connected it produces an amazing platform.

Crush Grip…Again

The last step in this chain is your grip. I have discussed this in several previous blog articles so I will summarize. Applying force to the bottom of the grip is the ideal location to optimize leverage. Gripping high on the gun does not produce the results most think. To optimize leverage you will want to be further away from the fulcrum, not closer. The real challenge is engaging your pinky fingers, literally applying pressure inward on the frame. Then pressing your heels together to close it all off. The last step is to lock your wrists. Combine all of these steps together and you will have a bomb proof technique.

You don’t need overdeveloped muscular structure to manage recoil, it helps, but is not a requirement. You need to learn how to use what you got to obtain the results you want.

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Stick to the Program

I love seeing students come through classes and achieve excellence in their performance. Many times this was associated with passing the class. Passing was associated with a positive outcome and I get that, but what is more important is a positive experience. If the student has a positive experience, they are far more likely to continue their education. If they stay on the path, it is more likely they will see improvements over time. The key is consistency, something I have spoken on many times in the past. Shooting seems easy; align the sight and pull the trigger. We all know it is more complicated than that so to ensure students stick to the program having the positive experience is a major objective in our training.

The Killer Commando Complex

Through the years I have developed a system of corrective strategies for helping students improve their shooting. I have discussed this system at length in various classes and anyone how has attended our intermediate or advanced classes has gained exposure to the process. The most important piece to this puzzle is understanding the subtle forces at play. Each of these forces can have a positive or negative impact on the outcome. There is nothing quite like shooting at distance to help isolate these forces to properly evaluate and if necessary correct. I joke in classes how everyone is a killer commando at the close ranges. For the most part they cannot hit because of poor technique and reinforced with no accountability. Either through misguided direction about deadly force encounters or training with sub-optimal instructors. They lack the skill as a result, but more importantly the guidance on how to improve.

Corrective Strategies

Lacking the skill as a student is not that big a deal. A major reason we are so good at diagnostics is there is no short supply of students who need help. When students don’t have the guidance on how to improve it becomes an impediment to getting better. The corrective strategies I’ve created over the years is nothing more than an in-depth trouble shooting guide. Contrary to popular belief, shooting bully-eye targets is not the solution. It is a measurement and nothing more. Being able to identify what you are doing correctly and what you are doing incorrectly requires a bit more skill.

The Secret Sauce

The process is broken down into major and minor categories of errors. Then, each category is subdivided into simple or complex. Each subdivision is further broken down into levels 1, 2 or 3. I am not going to lie, it is challenging to work with students in this corrective strategy process. Not because of the errors themselves, but because of their inconsistency or in ability to repeat the same action or problem. I don’t care if it is a “wrong” action if they repeat it over and over it is correctable. Often they are the easiest. During the diagnostic drills we tackle the minor errors right away. These are typically all in the simple range. Examples can be better understanding of their sights and or grip.

Where the Rubber Meets the Road

Once we get past this stage, what I sometimes call the low lying fruit we typically focus on the major issues. A big difference between these two is the degree of error. Another problem is when a student has a complex error; which usually is the collection of more than one simple error. These are tough to solve, but the process works.  Many times we see immediate results leading to the positive outcome. This system has been developed over decades of making mistakes. People ask me why I am so good at not just identifying the errors, but correcting them. The best answer I can give is I have at one point or another made the same mistakes we see in classes. I haven’t always been a good shooter. I made up for my shortfalls in other areas while I continued to work on becoming the shooter I am today.

As I look back, I’m grateful for the experience because I can relate to the student in a way many cannot. I was in their shoes and felt their pain.

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Jack of All Trades

As an instructor there are many hats you must wear, one of them is a left handed hat. Understanding the challenges of a lefty in a right handed world is something more instructors should strive for as part of their overall instructor capability. It does pose unique challenges, but none your students don’t have to experience. As adult learners you have to recognize most learn by observing and doing. These two groups make up the majority of the student body. It stresses the importance of maintaining a minimum skill level on your left side. You don’t have to be a grand master, but you need to make it look achieveable and that takes practice.

Student Needs

When I run an Instructor Selection Course the instructor candidates will have to demonstrate a minimum standard of performance on their left side. On the flip side, if the instructor is a lefty, they will have to demonstrate the standard of performance on their right side. It proves equally challenging, but the learning curve is less steep due to most firearm controls favoring the right side. When the instructor candidate reaches the instructor development portion of the course they will have to work on shooter diagnostics. I make it even more challenging by posing as a left handed shooter. This forces the instructor candidate to recognize the likelihood of teaching to a lefty and ensuring their skills can accommodate the student’s needs.

The Bare Minimum

I recommend at a minimum you are able to demonstrate how to safely load, unload and perform a safety check from the left side. It is not as easy as telling the student to do the opposite. As mentioned earlier the controls are located in different locations. My suggestion is to slow things down. Take time to brief what you will do, then walk through the task or activity verbally explaining your steps. One point of contention for me is a pistol with right hand controls being worked from the left side. It is customary to use the trigger finger to operate some of the controls. In my opinion, your trigger finger should be isolated to performing one duty only, the movement of the trigger. It makes it challenging to accommodate this request without moving the controls. One bonus for manually running the slide is it works when holding the gun in either hand. When it comes to locking the action open, I eject the live round first. Then reposition my hand to allow my right hand index finger to operate the slide stop lever.

The Same, but Different

When it comes to shooting or performing demonstrations on the left side, again I strongly suggest you have a minimum level of performance. Slowing things down allows you to think your way through the firing sequence; which is necessary due to lack of maintenance. One sticky point is focusing on the front sight. My suggestion is to close your right eye. Force your brain to see the front sight on the left side through the left eye. It doesn’t matter what eye is dominant at this point, the closed eye is out of the picture. The trigger movement is the same regardless of what hand is holding the gun. When it comes to trigger management, what matters is your ability to place your finger correctly followed by applying pressure smoothly. The take away is the heightened sense of attention you are placing on trigger mechanics that is often taken for granted.

Shooting off your left side will make you a better shooter, but more importantly it will enhance a left handed student’s experience. As an instructor, that should be your primary goal.

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Putting in the time

Are there other techniques, absolutely. However, a large majority work for a small minority of folks. The reason why is simple. The average defensive student either does not have the time or does not invest the time to maintain proficiency. Most folks will expend less than a thousands rounds of ammunition per year and that is being generous. Think of ten visits to the range where you expend approximately 100 rounds per visit. I like this number, it tells me the shooter is putting effort to learn new skills and sustain current ones. If I could get 80% of the student shooters to invest in this training plan I would consider this a win. This level of practice provides an ideal environment to reinforce fundamentals skills necessary for sustainable trigger management.

Trigger management defined

And that is what it takes, sustainment. You can see a lot of improvement in a 16-hour class, but to keep the momentum going you need sustainment training. I have mentioned it before, the two most important skills for any level student to master are crush grip and trigger management. I have talked about crush grip so you can visit these articles to learn more, but in short it means holding the gun both firm and still during it’s entire operational sequence. Without this skill your trigger management limps along. Trigger management is about having the correct finger position on the trigger, lower third and placed on the face of the trigger. Then using the correct position on your finger, sunk in deep up to the first joint for power. Lastly, moving the trigger to the rear with minimal if any gun/sight movement. A big part of trigger management is understanding each of these three phases.

Three stages of trigger movement

First stage is taking out all the slop or free play. The movement the trigger has before you feel tension. Second stage is taking out the slack or the movement under tension. I get students to take out the slack so they are resting on the sear wall. Third stage is the squeeze. Where the student squeezes past the point of detonation and allows the gun to recoil. These three stages are easily taught, but difficult to master. Isolating them into these stages allows the student to “feel” their trigger. A common response is “I never knew my trigger could do that”. I’m not surprised with many of the techniques taught these days. The secret is to be patient in the beginning. To learn your trigger and how it moves. All the seemingly insignificant details most do not pay attention to or know exist.

Work the “2”

The most common trigger error we see is when the student fails to properly work the second stage, removing the slack. We call this “no two” meaning if you count down, 3,2,1…bang the two is taking out the slack. They may touch the trigger and take out the slop, but there is still plenty of travel that at real speeds cause significant gun/sight movement or what I call gross movement. When the student can take out “2” the trigger breaks more genuinely. Combined with a crush grip, subtle errors are hardly noticeable at real speeds. For homework assignment I ask students to dry practice,  become intimate with their trigger’s movement. Especially, the second stage. I give specific drills to practice emphasizing control over all three stages.

The results are higher awareness of trigger movement; which ultimately leads to a better hit ratio. This is the ultimate goal for any shooting student, the best hit ratio under any conditions.

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