handguns, technique, trainingWhat are good hand/arm/upper body/breathing/etc exercises to improve handgun stability, reduce fatigue, and allow for quicker return to shooting position?
Such exercises could be physical (pushups, chinups, etc), or shooting drills.
I've always been a big fan of the Dot Torture drill. Practicing using that will improve your pistolry and help you build muscle memory.
Follow-up spots or shot to shot recovery can be broken down to three factors: Sight Speed, Trigger Speed and Recoil Management.
I have seen many shooters take too long to engage with the standard “two rounds center mass.” While the accuracy is more than acceptable, in their mind they are shooting paper targets and are taking too much time to get their shots off, attempting to fire the tightest group on paper for bragging rights. If you need to shoot, you need to shoot quickly, you need to move quickly and know where the limit is for a given distance and target size. In other words, if you train to be slow, you will be slow. This isn’t a license to be sloppy and demonstrate poor marksmanship, but rather having acceptable marksmanship in the shortest time possible. If you are involved in a shooting, medical professionals will not be marking your hits on the threat for score. Only hits count.
How fast is too fast and how slow is too slow? Through proper practice and training, you will find the tempo that is appropriate for the distance and size. Think, “Goldilocks,” too fast, too slow, just right. Work on a target at varied distances with varied tempos. Say, 3, 7 and 10 yds with three distinct shot tempos at each distance. Shoot a pair with the intended result being two bullets, one hole. Speed up the tempo to a reasonable cadence, maybe 1.5 sec split time between shots and the third tempo, put your foot on the gas and attempt to fire two rounds as fast as possible. You will find the proper tempo for your skill level, distance and target size.
What is the appropriate sight alignment and sight picture for a given target at X distance? While the textbook “front sight post centered in the rear sight notch, flat and even across with a crisp front sight focus” may be appropriate for the head shot, trying to put a round between the running lights of your target at 10yds; that same sighting technique may not be appropriate if you are trying to put two rounds high in the chest at 5yds. That larger target and the shorter distance will allow for more sight “slop” than the further, smaller target. How much slop can you get away with and get good effective hits?
The same can be said about your trigger manipulation. Same small target at 10yds, a smooth consistent press to the rear of the trigger, with a surprise break is textbook. How much time are your burning if you applied the same manipulation technique as the target increases in size and is closer? Are you minimizing the amount of distance your trigger finger and trigger have to travel by working the reset of your given firearm? Are you burning time (and adding in margins of error) by having to reacquire the center face of the trigger and/or take up the slack for every follow-up shot? How much slop can you get away with and get good effective hits?
With those two points above, let me reiterate – don’t sacrifice practical, combative accuracy for speed. Only hits count and it is up to you to find that point that your sight speed and trigger speed is “good enough” for the size and distance of the target.
Are you taking advantage of your body mechanics to most effectively manage or recover from the recoil impulse as you are resetting the trigger and managing your sights? Does your platform (stance) lower your center of gravity and push it just forward of your toes? Does your platform allow your firearm return back to target after the recoil impulse to where it was just before the shot broke or are you “muscling” it back to target because you are not taking advantage of your natural point of aim?
Is your dominant (trigger) hand high up on the backstrap of the gun and is your support hand getting as much contact on the gun as possible? Crossed thumbs and/or support index finger on the front of the trigger guard will result in your hand losing contact with the gun, diminishing your ability to recover from recoil.
Look at the top shooters in the world and they have many things in common and one being highly defined and toned forearms and upper body. Resulting in a very strong grip without fatigue and larger muscles absorbing the recoil forces. If you are trying to “stabilize” the gun with an ever-tightening grip and those muscle groups fatigue easily, your sight wobble will be worse despite trying to correct for it. A self-fulfilling prophesy, if you will. Get yourself a set of kettlebells and look for the “Shooter’s Push-up.” Isolates and works the muscles a shooter needs developed…
Breathe. In with the good, out with the bad. Don’t hold your breath, your brain will need the fresh oxygen in the blood and when you hold your breath, you are depriving your gray matter of that oxygen resulting in lots of nastiness. Lot’s of good information out there covering “combative breathing.”
Good luck reducing those split times.
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