A 'Gripping' Idea

[Dingoboyx]

I was fooling around with alternate grip ideas at the range the other day. I shoot equally as well with my left hand as I do my right (I think I am supposed to be right handed, I saw wood with my right hand & play golf/baseball with my right) But I found that gripping the entire pistol grip with my full left hand (slightly lower than normal) and the right hand fingers overlapping the left hand fingers, RH trigger finger still controlling the trigger... was suprisingly comfortable and accurate. It actually felt very natural. I found the left hand was controlling the pointing of the pistol, the right hand keeping the fine adjustments of aiming and opperating the trigger, while the right hand was quite relaxed (not the usual firm/death grip).... I was quite amazed. I tried with my Glock 34 and my Vaquaro's... worked on both.

Does any one else use any 'unusual' grip techniques?

This also made me think.... what if you had a HG with a longer grip handle (accomodates longer mags internally as well) and you could hold the pistol with a 'baseball bat' grip (strong hand high & finger in T guard, Left hand lower under right hand)? Would this not help with muzzle flip (and limp wristing, if people do this), as well as directional stability? I dont mean have the grip length too long, maybe an inch or 2 over the normal grip on the gun now?

I might have to make something up and see what happens

Anyone got any thoughts? And what is your unusual techniques (if any) that you use?

 

[Wolfeye]

I'm normall pretty conservative about my grip technique, but the one odd thing I do is cross my left thumb (I'm right-handed) over the backstrap of my right hand whenever I shoot a revolver with no external hammer. It's a natural feeling grip, and since the thumb's in no danger of getting hit by anything back there I figure I might as well take advantage of it.

Other shooters have told me it's a dangerous thing to do because, you never know, a slide or hammer might materialize out of nowhere and bite me. Then I saw a picture of Jerry Miculek using this grip technique while demonstrating how to properly shoot a snub, and I felt better.

 

[Sport45]

But I found that gripping the entire pistol grip with my full left hand (slightly lower than normal) and the right hand fingers overlapping the left hand fingers, RH trigger finger still controlling the trigger... was suprisingly comfortable and accurate.

If that works for you, great. But you might want to continue to practice with the same hand holding the gun and pulling the trigger some as well. You never know when you might have to operate the thing one-handed.

 

[error4o4]

I don't know if a "baseball bat grip" would help much. It might help control muzzle flip and recoil after the shot, but it would also be almost impossible to conceal, and would also increase the opportunity for your grip to influence the pistol before/during the shot. I would say this is much more important. It is more crucial to hit your target than worry about getting back on target due to recoil.

 

[Dingoboyx]

Sport

Yeah, I have absolutely no probs shootin' one handed, either hand... I was just fiddling (ok, busted.... looking for a better reason to hose another 100 or so thru my guns, other than just wanting to)

As you know, (probably) HG's here in Oz are not for protection/carry/conceal so it's only punching paper or steel.... Just too much time on my hands, me thinks....

Then I got to wondering about the basball bat grip I thought, if you made the barrel & the handle like a BOOMERANG shape.... if you run out of bullets (er, I mean boolets) tou could throw it at the BG and it would, maybe, come back (like a boomerang)

 

[chriske]

I have earnestly tried to learn "The Only Proper Way" to hold my handgun.
This very soon appeared to vary from one instructor to another as well as from type of handgun to another, so I stopped listening and began experimenting on my own.

Nowadays I use a grip & stance that comes naturally to me, feels comfortable, repeatable at will & lets me hold the gun secure & still. This one & same hold works -for me- wether I hold a SA revolver, DA revolver, or semi-auto, is found in no manual and considered Dead Wrong by all.
I hit what I aim at often enough to be satisfied, however.

 

[WESHOOT2]

crazy me; learning by example

I noticed the top oh say ten, fifteen thousand USPSA shooters use a similar "grip", but I do not know what 'they' call it (I'd venture 'they' call it "a proper grip").


I chose them, those USPSA shooters, as an example, because that group includes some serious 'social' shooters.
And instructors....

 

[chriske]

Oh, If I were Rob Leatham and my gun his highly customized 1911, sure, I would hold it just like he does. (Or if I were Elmer Keith and my gun his .44 magnum...)
But I'm not, an neither is my gun.

(Sort of reminds me of the joke : "If I had a voice like Pavarotti, I would sing just as well as he does")

 

[WESHOOT2]

your joke wasn't....

"Learning means a change in behavior"


I made no mention of Mr. L and any of his guns, nor Mr. K and his.

I notice over my few years of providing handgun training that folks who demonstrate effective performances generally hold their guns about exactly the same way.
Yes, some have a weak-hand finger around the face of the trigger guard, and some position their fingers of either hand in different locations, but generally they all hold their guns the same.
I note this same phenomenon (?) occurs when shooting with World Champion IPSC shooters, and top-level LE/Military instructors.

I agree that if one is already satisfied with one's performance there is no more that individual can learn.
Sadly....



Once upon a time:
Someone showed me a new, better way, except at the time I found their new, better way uncomfortable, and not what I was used to.
It took effort for me to maintain the new, better way.
I did so, having determined that what was shown to me worked for others.
Then, it worked for me.
Then it became comfortable.
But I still try uncomfortable things, just in case I learn they are a new, better way.
I learn.

 

[ZeSpectre]

I've lost count of the number of folks who've told me that "you can't possibly be accurate" when gripping with one index finger on the trigger guard.

 

[chriske]

Weshoot2 : that's exactly my point : somebody suggested A new way (and it even proved to be a better one in the end). Excellent.

They didn't claim theirs was "THE one & only" way -all the other possibilities being absolute garbage- as some do.

I think ZeSpectre knows what I talk about

 

[WESHOOT2]

ALL 'proper' grips are unique

I am attempting a clarification:

If one dedicates diligent practice to what we are referring to as a 'proper grip', I bet one will find improvement, regardless of which non-'proper' grip they start with.


I bet......now, who knows what I'm talking about?

 

[Elvishead]

Dingoboyx:

I was fooling around with alternate grip ideas at the range the other day. I shoot equally as well with my left hand as I do my right (I think I am supposed to be right handed, I saw wood with my right hand & play golf/baseball with my right) But I found that gripping the entire pistol grip with my full left hand (slightly lower than normal) and the right hand fingers overlapping the left hand fingers, RH trigger finger still controlling the trigger... was suprisingly comfortable and accurate. It actually felt very natural. I found the left hand was controlling the pointing of the pistol, the right hand keeping the fine adjustments of aiming and opperating the trigger, while the right hand was quite relaxed (not the usual firm/death grip).... I was quite amazed. I tried with my Glock 34 and my Vaquaro's... worked on both.

Does any one else use any 'unusual' grip techniques?

This also made me think.... what if you had a HG with a longer grip handle (accomodates longer mags internally as well) and you could hold the pistol with a 'baseball bat' grip (strong hand high & finger in T guard, Left hand lower under right hand)? Would this not help with muzzle flip (and limp wristing, if people do this), as well as directional stability? I dont mean have the grip length too long, maybe an inch or 2 over the normal grip on the gun now?

I might have to make something up and see what happens

Anyone got any thoughts? And what is your unusual techniques (if any) that you use?

I just might try that, ounce I gold plate my bullet's, or treat them as so.

 

[Hellbilly5000]

Dingo post a pic of that grip if ya can please