Follow through...
- Thread starter sliponby
- Start date
Wanna learn about follow through? Shoot any spring piston airgun, or a revolver with a looong hammer throw like a Blackhawk. Your ability to hold as steadily and consistently as possible through the trigger break, hammer fall, and shot cycle will be the difference between an average shooter and a really good shooter.
Shooting a Webley Hurricane developed my skill more than any other gun I've owned.
Shooting a Webley Hurricane developed my skill more than any other gun I've owned.
Follow though is just that, "follow through". Basically it means, getting a good point of aim, good sight picture, smooth trigger pull, (this is where follow through comes in), after the trigger breaks getting back to your good sight picture as you recover from the recoil. Taking another good sight picture before you relax your position.
In coaching, I tell people, after the shot breaks get right back on target (good sight picture) as you were firing rapid fire and needed to break another shot.
Normally people shoot and want to "drop" the rifle/handgun to see where the shot went. What happens, subconsciously, you drop the rifle as soon as you break the shot. It takes a spit second, that movement causes the rifle to drop simply because unknowingly, you are dropping the rifle while the bullet is still in the barrel. Thats why you can tell if "follow though" isn't happening by seeing the shots break low.
If we practice proper follow though, as in any other aspect of shooting, we develop muscle memory. What happens if you practice the above (getting back on target after recoil as if you had to fire a follow up shot) we develop muscle memory where as we subconsciously force the sights back on target, and if we jump the gun (pardon the pun) and start the movement before the bullet has a chance to leave the barrel, we actually push the sights back on target instead of dropping low.
In coaching, I tell people, after the shot breaks get right back on target (good sight picture) as you were firing rapid fire and needed to break another shot.
Normally people shoot and want to "drop" the rifle/handgun to see where the shot went. What happens, subconsciously, you drop the rifle as soon as you break the shot. It takes a spit second, that movement causes the rifle to drop simply because unknowingly, you are dropping the rifle while the bullet is still in the barrel. Thats why you can tell if "follow though" isn't happening by seeing the shots break low.
If we practice proper follow though, as in any other aspect of shooting, we develop muscle memory. What happens if you practice the above (getting back on target after recoil as if you had to fire a follow up shot) we develop muscle memory where as we subconsciously force the sights back on target, and if we jump the gun (pardon the pun) and start the movement before the bullet has a chance to leave the barrel, we actually push the sights back on target instead of dropping low.
I’ll defer to kraigwy on everything he says on target shooting. I think you can take what he says to the bank.
But I’ll add that one of my coaches told me a good test of ‘follow through’ is that your much more likely to be able to ‘call your shot’ correctly, that is, be able to tell where it hit the target if you practice good follow through.
After we got the basics down, our coach started demanding each of us to call our shots before we could look through our spotting scopes. I guess I’d say it’s something to do that might help you improve your shooting.
But I’ll add that one of my coaches told me a good test of ‘follow through’ is that your much more likely to be able to ‘call your shot’ correctly, that is, be able to tell where it hit the target if you practice good follow through.
After we got the basics down, our coach started demanding each of us to call our shots before we could look through our spotting scopes. I guess I’d say it’s something to do that might help you improve your shooting.
Here’s a simple explanation of follow-through:
Unload your gun, get a good sight picture on a blank wall and dry-fire.
When the shot breaks, hold that sight picture. Don’t blink. Watch the sights as the shot breaks and hold your sight picture for a second or two.
That’s what you should try to do on every shot with live ammo. Naturally, you won’t be able to hold the sights on the target because of recoil, but you should shoot with the same feeling.
If you’re shooting with proper follow-through, jerking the trigger and flinching is impossible.
Unload your gun, get a good sight picture on a blank wall and dry-fire.
When the shot breaks, hold that sight picture. Don’t blink. Watch the sights as the shot breaks and hold your sight picture for a second or two.
That’s what you should try to do on every shot with live ammo. Naturally, you won’t be able to hold the sights on the target because of recoil, but you should shoot with the same feeling.
If you’re shooting with proper follow-through, jerking the trigger and flinching is impossible.
ProShooter
New member
Follow through is the continued effort to maintain the fundamentals of shooting correctly, like you did upon firing the first accurate shot.
Evan Thomas
New member
Slopemeno beat me to the airgun example, but anyway....
It's a lot easier to follow through, maintain your sight picture during and after the shot, when you take recoil out of the equation. Just one of many reasons why practice with a good airgun is time well spent -- once you learn what it feels like sans recoil, it's not that hard to transfer the skill to shooting powder-burners.
It's a lot easier to follow through, maintain your sight picture during and after the shot, when you take recoil out of the equation. Just one of many reasons why practice with a good airgun is time well spent -- once you learn what it feels like sans recoil, it's not that hard to transfer the skill to shooting powder-burners.
Edward429451
Moderator
Brian Enos calls this looking through the shot. You have to see everything. The sight, the target with the dirt flying behind it, and front sight again. The way you mess it up is by shutting off your vision at the sound of the shot. Don't do that, follow through. Suddenly you'll be able to call your shots.
Unless I missed it, one thing not covered was followthrough as it pertains to the trigger. I don't know if you're asking about rifle, shotgun, or pistol shooting, although it really hardly matters. In addition to the things mentioned above- trigger release and lack thereof are also fundamental elements of followthrough. What I teach with pistol is this: Once all the mechanical and physical elements of executing 'the one shot' are met, do NOT release any pressure on the trigger until your sights are back on target (or until a 2-count). For the life of me, I cannot understand why folks get n such a hurry to get their finger off of the trigger. I call it "Un-slapping" the trigger. As Kraigwy said- it WILL influence the firearm (and 'the one shot').
If you're shooting a string of 5 shots, 5 individual shots, 'the one shot' 5 times- your finger should never completely come off of the trigger with a SA/DA handgun or DA revolver. I suspect it may be sound teaching as well for a SA rifle and/or shotgun- I don't know as those aren't my strong suit. If you're talking about a bolt action, pump, or SA revolver- I would advise against the advice in this paragraph regardless of what a sight it would be to behold while one is dry firing.
What I refer to as 'the one shot' is the same as referenced in USAMU guides in that the previous shot is history and does not matter, the next shot is also of little consequence- it's the one shot in the here and now at hand that deserves the upmost attention.
If you're shooting a string of 5 shots, 5 individual shots, 'the one shot' 5 times- your finger should never completely come off of the trigger with a SA/DA handgun or DA revolver. I suspect it may be sound teaching as well for a SA rifle and/or shotgun- I don't know as those aren't my strong suit. If you're talking about a bolt action, pump, or SA revolver- I would advise against the advice in this paragraph regardless of what a sight it would be to behold while one is dry firing.
What I refer to as 'the one shot' is the same as referenced in USAMU guides in that the previous shot is history and does not matter, the next shot is also of little consequence- it's the one shot in the here and now at hand that deserves the upmost attention.
I bet the advice given here would cost a bundle if given by a professional trainer. Thank you for letting a new pistol shooter [an old shotgun shooter] know just what I should be doing. It's been kinda frustrating at the range lately - hot one target, horrid the next. Knowing what to do - and working to do the same thing consistently, time after time - will probably save me a lot of grief.
My shooting at game birds in the woods after twenty-five years got to be not too shabby - but if you asked me what exactly I was doing, I couldn't tell you. There's something to be said for more formal training!
My shooting at game birds in the woods after twenty-five years got to be not too shabby - but if you asked me what exactly I was doing, I couldn't tell you. There's something to be said for more formal training!
Respected Sir,
I've personally found the contents of this blog highly inspiring, both this and the first part of the series.
http://toz35.blogspot.com/2009/08/vital-problems-of-pistol-shooting-part.html
Point #5 addresses follow-through.
This is another link:
http://fuzzylimey.net/coachtalk/followthru.html
Hope it helps.
Kind regards.
I've personally found the contents of this blog highly inspiring, both this and the first part of the series.
http://toz35.blogspot.com/2009/08/vital-problems-of-pistol-shooting-part.html
Point #5 addresses follow-through.
This is another link:
http://fuzzylimey.net/coachtalk/followthru.html
Hope it helps.
Kind regards.
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youngunz4life
New member
follow through
making sure to finish the process
making sure to finish the process
Maximus856
New member
One thing I know about it is you will never have good 'follow through' without a proper stance or position. In a non-tactical/combat situation you really need to get all of the mechanics of shooting in a good rhythem. These two things are especially true in rapid fire. I always thought the best way to get good follow through was to think of riding the recoil like a smooth wave. Just let it kind of take you back and ride it back in. With proper positioning and follow through, your natural point of aim after should be just about where you actually impacted assuming you didnt jerk the trigger or something along those lines. And hopefully thats right where you had your sights aligned to 
.
-Max
.-Max
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ProShooter
New member
Could be a few things, but my guess is that you don't have enough finger on the trigger (assuming you are right handed). Find an instructor in your area and take a shooting lesson. A good instructor can diagnose your problem and make corrections.
kraig nailed it..
This is it. Many try to control, or manage recoil. You'll start to find that with the proper technique, you can allow the pistol to naturally recoil and return to your point of aim repeatably, quickly, shot after shot. Being able to produce this and observe it with eyes open is often referred to as front sight tracking and in my opinion is the holy grail of pistolcraft.
I highly suggest getting your hands on a copy of Brian Enos' book, Practical Shooting: Beyond Fundamentals. It sounds like you are an intermediate/advanced shooter, and will benefit greatly from Brian's highly detailed, philosophical approach to high performance shooting.
http://www.brianenos.com/
This is it. Many try to control, or manage recoil. You'll start to find that with the proper technique, you can allow the pistol to naturally recoil and return to your point of aim repeatably, quickly, shot after shot. Being able to produce this and observe it with eyes open is often referred to as front sight tracking and in my opinion is the holy grail of pistolcraft.
I highly suggest getting your hands on a copy of Brian Enos' book, Practical Shooting: Beyond Fundamentals. It sounds like you are an intermediate/advanced shooter, and will benefit greatly from Brian's highly detailed, philosophical approach to high performance shooting.
http://www.brianenos.com/
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