I'm struggling a little bit with my trigger control. Even if I can achieve a reasonably stable hold, this rapidly deteriorates as I try to squeeze the trigger. Are there any mental or physical exercises, or training techniques that can help with this problem?
.45668.0
Air Pistol Trigger Control
Moderators: rexifelis, pilkguns
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Bubba
Re: Air Pistol Trigger Control
: I'm struggling a little bit with my trigger control. Even if I can achieve a reasonably stable hold, this rapidly deteriorates as I try to squeeze the trigger. Are there any mental or physical exercises, or training techniques that can help with this problem?
The over simplified answer.
The reason for your problems with trigger pull is that you are not paying attention. If you ever get a good shot off, you have proven that you can do it.
From personal experience I find myself taking shots that I should not take. Should have put the pistol down and started over. I don't get the grip right, so when the trigger is pulled, you know darned well that you have pulled the pellet out to the 7 or worse ring.
I am considering some devise that causes some kind of physical discomfort, when the shot is not properly executed. See, if you knew that something awful, painful, and or embarrasing was going to happen to you every time you pulled the trigger, you just might be a little more careful, pay a little more attention, and see your scores go up. Perhaps a non-lethal electric shock. Perhaps a spotter with a cat-o-nine tailes.
If I could just get this stuff figgured out, I'd be a heck of a shot.
I remain,
Respectfully,
Bubba
Danielhankiins-at-wmconnect.com.45676.45668
The over simplified answer.
The reason for your problems with trigger pull is that you are not paying attention. If you ever get a good shot off, you have proven that you can do it.
From personal experience I find myself taking shots that I should not take. Should have put the pistol down and started over. I don't get the grip right, so when the trigger is pulled, you know darned well that you have pulled the pellet out to the 7 or worse ring.
I am considering some devise that causes some kind of physical discomfort, when the shot is not properly executed. See, if you knew that something awful, painful, and or embarrasing was going to happen to you every time you pulled the trigger, you just might be a little more careful, pay a little more attention, and see your scores go up. Perhaps a non-lethal electric shock. Perhaps a spotter with a cat-o-nine tailes.
If I could just get this stuff figgured out, I'd be a heck of a shot.
I remain,
Respectfully,
Bubba
Danielhankiins-at-wmconnect.com.45676.45668
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Bubba
Re: Air Pistol Trigger Control
: : I'm struggling a little bit with my trigger control. Even if I can achieve a reasonably stable hold, this rapidly deteriorates as I try to squeeze the trigger. Are there any mental or physical exercises, or training techniques that can help with this problem?
: The over simplified answer.
: The reason for your problems with trigger pull is that you are not paying attention. If you ever get a good shot off, you have proven that you can do it.
: From personal experience I find myself taking shots that I should not take. Should have put the pistol down and started over. I don't get the grip right, so when the trigger is pulled you know darned well that you have pulled the pellet out to the 7 or worse ring.
: I am considering some devise that causes some kind of physical discomfort, when the shot is not properly executed. See, if you knew that something awful, painful, and or embarrasing was going to happen to you every time you pulled the trigger poorley, you just might be a little more careful, pay a little more attention, and see your scores go up. Perhaps a non-lethal electric shock. Perhaps a spotter with a cat-o-nine tailes.
: If I could just get this stuff figgured out, I'd be a heck of a shot.
: I remain,
: Respectfully,
: Bubba
Danielhankiins-at-wmconnect.com.45677.45676
: The over simplified answer.
: The reason for your problems with trigger pull is that you are not paying attention. If you ever get a good shot off, you have proven that you can do it.
: From personal experience I find myself taking shots that I should not take. Should have put the pistol down and started over. I don't get the grip right, so when the trigger is pulled you know darned well that you have pulled the pellet out to the 7 or worse ring.
: I am considering some devise that causes some kind of physical discomfort, when the shot is not properly executed. See, if you knew that something awful, painful, and or embarrasing was going to happen to you every time you pulled the trigger poorley, you just might be a little more careful, pay a little more attention, and see your scores go up. Perhaps a non-lethal electric shock. Perhaps a spotter with a cat-o-nine tailes.
: If I could just get this stuff figgured out, I'd be a heck of a shot.
: I remain,
: Respectfully,
: Bubba
Danielhankiins-at-wmconnect.com.45677.45676
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Steve Swartz
Re: Air Pistol Trigger Control
What do you mean by "reasonably stable hold?"
This is a serious question- and there are "right" answers, and there are "wrong" answers.
Once we discuss what "hold" has to do with "trigger control," we can take it from there.
Steve
: I'm struggling a little bit with my trigger control. Even if I can achieve a reasonably stable hold, this rapidly deteriorates as I try to squeeze the trigger. Are there any mental or physical exercises, or training techniques that can help with this problem?
leslieswartz-at-erinet.com.45678.45668
This is a serious question- and there are "right" answers, and there are "wrong" answers.
Once we discuss what "hold" has to do with "trigger control," we can take it from there.
Steve
: I'm struggling a little bit with my trigger control. Even if I can achieve a reasonably stable hold, this rapidly deteriorates as I try to squeeze the trigger. Are there any mental or physical exercises, or training techniques that can help with this problem?
leslieswartz-at-erinet.com.45678.45668
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Shin
Re: Air Pistol Trigger Control
<a href="http://www.pilkguns.com/coach/anatoli.htm">The Vital Problems of Pistol Shooting</a>
<a href="http://www.pilkguns.com/coach/anatoli2.htm">The Vital Problems of Pistol Shooting Part 2</a>
: I'm struggling a little bit with my trigger control. Even if I can achieve a reasonably stable hold, this rapidly deteriorates as I try to squeeze the trigger. Are there any mental or physical exercises, or training techniques that can help with this problem?
.45679.45668
<a href="http://www.pilkguns.com/coach/anatoli2.htm">The Vital Problems of Pistol Shooting Part 2</a>
: I'm struggling a little bit with my trigger control. Even if I can achieve a reasonably stable hold, this rapidly deteriorates as I try to squeeze the trigger. Are there any mental or physical exercises, or training techniques that can help with this problem?
.45679.45668
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Craig E.
Re: Air Pistol Trigger Control
: I'm struggling a little bit with my trigger control. Even if I can achieve a reasonably stable hold, this rapidly deteriorates as I try to squeeze the trigger. Are there any mental or physical exercises, or training techniques that can help with this problem?
At the risk of redundancy, dryfire, dryfire, dryfire. I must admit that I didn't turn yet to the links already posted by Shin, but I suspect that they will be in synopsis that trigger squeeze should be subconscious and part of the holistic process of focusing on the front sight with the target as simply part of the picture and that the triger pull/squeeze is going on all the while causing some surprise at the actual release. If you check the links, read the archives and listen to the better shooters that you run into, all of the above will be the advice you get. The major difficulty here is that for us neophites, the whole training process takes away from "shooting" (i.e. moving lead downrange). I am now beginning to appreciate the quality of the advice as it pertains to consitently improving results. To sum up, we each have to decide wherein the fun lies: shooting and having occasional good streaks or steadily shooting better because all the fundementals start to align and become natural habit. The occasional "good streaks" demonstrate that one has the ability. The progress of improving steadily comes from the other aspects that are not "actual shooting". This is all easy to write about and easy to understand. It is simply difficult to master the control to make it happen. I struggle with the process at every practice. FWIW. Craig
alance2002-at-yahoo.com.45683.45668
At the risk of redundancy, dryfire, dryfire, dryfire. I must admit that I didn't turn yet to the links already posted by Shin, but I suspect that they will be in synopsis that trigger squeeze should be subconscious and part of the holistic process of focusing on the front sight with the target as simply part of the picture and that the triger pull/squeeze is going on all the while causing some surprise at the actual release. If you check the links, read the archives and listen to the better shooters that you run into, all of the above will be the advice you get. The major difficulty here is that for us neophites, the whole training process takes away from "shooting" (i.e. moving lead downrange). I am now beginning to appreciate the quality of the advice as it pertains to consitently improving results. To sum up, we each have to decide wherein the fun lies: shooting and having occasional good streaks or steadily shooting better because all the fundementals start to align and become natural habit. The occasional "good streaks" demonstrate that one has the ability. The progress of improving steadily comes from the other aspects that are not "actual shooting". This is all easy to write about and easy to understand. It is simply difficult to master the control to make it happen. I struggle with the process at every practice. FWIW. Craig
alance2002-at-yahoo.com.45683.45668
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Claudio
Re: Air Pistol Trigger Control
Hi Paul,
I have had problems with trigger control and have coached new shooters. I need you to email me, if you want some help. I need to ask you about your hold and what happens with your hold and trigger.
I need more info, Email me directly if you want my humble opinion.
incrocci-at-shaw.ca.45690.45668
I have had problems with trigger control and have coached new shooters. I need you to email me, if you want some help. I need to ask you about your hold and what happens with your hold and trigger.
I need more info, Email me directly if you want my humble opinion.
incrocci-at-shaw.ca.45690.45668
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Marcel
Re: Air Pistol Trigger Control
:Are there any mental or physical exercises, or training techniques that can help with this problem?
They (my fellow shooters) let me put a pellet on the barrel. After a few weeks it don't fall of every time I pull the trigger. So I guess it's a good method. Let me know what you think of this training.
mbx00060-at-pophost.eunet.be.45696.45668
They (my fellow shooters) let me put a pellet on the barrel. After a few weeks it don't fall of every time I pull the trigger. So I guess it's a good method. Let me know what you think of this training.
mbx00060-at-pophost.eunet.be.45696.45668
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Yoda in NC swamp
Try not. Do! or do not. There is no try.
: I'm struggling a little bit with my trigger control. Even if I can achieve a reasonably stable hold, this rapidly deteriorates as I try to squeeze the trigger. Are there any mental or physical exercises, or training techniques that can help with this problem?
Great news: nobody but nobody can hold a pistol perfectly still. That's okay, they make the target big enough to allow for that.
What you CAN do is keep the SIGHTS aligned. Trigger control, to me, is LETTING the pistol fire without disturbing sight alignment.
How to do this is, yup, dryfire. For sight alignment training, all you need is a blank wall. Try different ways of gripping until you find one that lets you press (I like "press" because I think of an inexorable, steady hydraulic press, while "squeeze" implies tightening the hand as well) the trigger until the surprise break.
Not that I am a Jedi master--just look at the Fall Selection results, third from the bottom--but I can't help but think that if the sights stay aligned and the wobble area decreases in time, more and more good scores happen.
Oh, you know what else? For the time being at least, when live firing I've stopped scoping every shot and instead I concentrate on sight alignment and trigger control. That way it's like dryfire with a little noise, and I don't jump up and down and wail and scream after seeing a bad shot through the scope.
chrisatty-at-hotmail.com.45713.45668
Great news: nobody but nobody can hold a pistol perfectly still. That's okay, they make the target big enough to allow for that.
What you CAN do is keep the SIGHTS aligned. Trigger control, to me, is LETTING the pistol fire without disturbing sight alignment.
How to do this is, yup, dryfire. For sight alignment training, all you need is a blank wall. Try different ways of gripping until you find one that lets you press (I like "press" because I think of an inexorable, steady hydraulic press, while "squeeze" implies tightening the hand as well) the trigger until the surprise break.
Not that I am a Jedi master--just look at the Fall Selection results, third from the bottom--but I can't help but think that if the sights stay aligned and the wobble area decreases in time, more and more good scores happen.
Oh, you know what else? For the time being at least, when live firing I've stopped scoping every shot and instead I concentrate on sight alignment and trigger control. That way it's like dryfire with a little noise, and I don't jump up and down and wail and scream after seeing a bad shot through the scope.
chrisatty-at-hotmail.com.45713.45668
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Paul
Re: Air Pistol Trigger Control
: What do you mean by "reasonably stable hold?"
: This is a serious question- and there are "right" answers, and there are "wrong" answers.
: Once we discuss what "hold" has to do with "trigger control," we can take it from there.
What I mean by reasonably stable hold, is not absolute stillness, but the kind of hold that ought to produce a 9 or a 10, but this often deteriorates as I squeeze the trigger, producing something less than a 9 or a 10.
: Steve
: : I'm struggling a little bit with my trigger control. Even if I can achieve a reasonably stable hold, this rapidly deteriorates as I try to squeeze the trigger. Are there any mental or physical exercises, or training techniques that can help with this problem?
.45727.45678
: This is a serious question- and there are "right" answers, and there are "wrong" answers.
: Once we discuss what "hold" has to do with "trigger control," we can take it from there.
What I mean by reasonably stable hold, is not absolute stillness, but the kind of hold that ought to produce a 9 or a 10, but this often deteriorates as I squeeze the trigger, producing something less than a 9 or a 10.
: Steve
: : I'm struggling a little bit with my trigger control. Even if I can achieve a reasonably stable hold, this rapidly deteriorates as I try to squeeze the trigger. Are there any mental or physical exercises, or training techniques that can help with this problem?
.45727.45678
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Steve Swartz
Re: Air Pistol Trigger Control
Train on a blank target. Both live and dry fire. That way you can see what exactly it is you are doing while you are manipulating the trigger. Changes in grip and finger position will solve the mechanicals of it.
But that will only get you part of the way there.
Once you figure out how to manipulate the trigger properly without the distraction of a target, you will have to train yourself not to aim while you are firing.
Generally, and every case might be different, but generally a shooter describing your symptoms is suffering from the syndrome of looking at your aim, and trying to release the shot when it's a ten.
This results in mucho bad juju.
When you can shoot a bullseye target as well as you can shoot a blank piece of paper, you are generally "cured."
Steve
: : What do you mean by "reasonably stable hold?"
: : This is a serious question- and there are "right" answers, and there are "wrong" answers.
: : Once we discuss what "hold" has to do with "trigger control," we can take it from there.
: What I mean by reasonably stable hold, is not absolute stillness, but the kind of hold that ought to produce a 9 or a 10, but this often deteriorates as I squeeze the trigger, producing something less than a 9 or a 10.
: : Steve
:
: : : I'm struggling a little bit with my trigger control. Even if I can achieve a reasonably stable hold, this rapidly deteriorates as I try to squeeze the trigger. Are there any mental or physical exercises, or training techniques that can help with this problem?
leslieswartz-at-erinet.com.45789.45727
But that will only get you part of the way there.
Once you figure out how to manipulate the trigger properly without the distraction of a target, you will have to train yourself not to aim while you are firing.
Generally, and every case might be different, but generally a shooter describing your symptoms is suffering from the syndrome of looking at your aim, and trying to release the shot when it's a ten.
This results in mucho bad juju.
When you can shoot a bullseye target as well as you can shoot a blank piece of paper, you are generally "cured."
Steve
: : What do you mean by "reasonably stable hold?"
: : This is a serious question- and there are "right" answers, and there are "wrong" answers.
: : Once we discuss what "hold" has to do with "trigger control," we can take it from there.
: What I mean by reasonably stable hold, is not absolute stillness, but the kind of hold that ought to produce a 9 or a 10, but this often deteriorates as I squeeze the trigger, producing something less than a 9 or a 10.
: : Steve
:
: : : I'm struggling a little bit with my trigger control. Even if I can achieve a reasonably stable hold, this rapidly deteriorates as I try to squeeze the trigger. Are there any mental or physical exercises, or training techniques that can help with this problem?
leslieswartz-at-erinet.com.45789.45727
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Carl S. Richardson
Re: Air Pistol Trigger Control
: I'm struggling a little bit with my trigger control..., this rapidly deteriorates.
A few months ago, on the Bullseye list, during this same discussion, the term "aggressive trigger control" was used. I believe it was Ed Hall, but he may correct me; perhaps it was Dave Napwhateverski.
My scores have increased dramatically since I have concentrated on being more aggressive on getting the shot off during the first couple of seconds after acquiring the bull. I have accepted that during those first two seconds my hold WILL settle into a 9 or ten, but the shot HAS to go during that time, or it WILL be an eight or worse. You really have to have confidence that the hold will be OK when the shot goes, and you have to get on the trigger long before you start "cleaning up" the sight picture. My slowfire has gone from mid to high 80s to mid to high 90s with no other changes to my shot plan. If it doesn't go within three seconds, I put it down and do it again. After three seconds or so the wobble will increase; after four seconds it is almost a guaranteed seven.
It took a few hundred rounds to get my mindset to be: "accept the wobble and pull the trigger, stupid, it ain't gonna get any better." During this time I shot a bunch of high 7s and 6s, but by keeping on the trigger and accepting the wobble the scores came up.
I know the Positive Thinking guru's will argue with my shot plan, but works for me - at least better.
FWIW, YMMV, EIEIO
C.S.
mimmp-at-castlegate.net.46102.45668
A few months ago, on the Bullseye list, during this same discussion, the term "aggressive trigger control" was used. I believe it was Ed Hall, but he may correct me; perhaps it was Dave Napwhateverski.
My scores have increased dramatically since I have concentrated on being more aggressive on getting the shot off during the first couple of seconds after acquiring the bull. I have accepted that during those first two seconds my hold WILL settle into a 9 or ten, but the shot HAS to go during that time, or it WILL be an eight or worse. You really have to have confidence that the hold will be OK when the shot goes, and you have to get on the trigger long before you start "cleaning up" the sight picture. My slowfire has gone from mid to high 80s to mid to high 90s with no other changes to my shot plan. If it doesn't go within three seconds, I put it down and do it again. After three seconds or so the wobble will increase; after four seconds it is almost a guaranteed seven.
It took a few hundred rounds to get my mindset to be: "accept the wobble and pull the trigger, stupid, it ain't gonna get any better." During this time I shot a bunch of high 7s and 6s, but by keeping on the trigger and accepting the wobble the scores came up.
I know the Positive Thinking guru's will argue with my shot plan, but works for me - at least better.
FWIW, YMMV, EIEIO
C.S.
mimmp-at-castlegate.net.46102.45668