TargetTalk

Can you tell me how you hold your FP that makes you shoot better and why? I am also concerning about the potential injuries.

Thank you in advance,
Robert

Different strokes for different folks ...

Some use a VERY tight grip ... following the tight grip, tight group theory.

Others use a VERY light grip ... since the wrap around grip allows for that ... and the very light trigger weight also allows a light grip.

I think the lightest trigger weight I've hear of is 8 gms ...

Shooters that use a tight grip tend to use heavier triggers ...30 to 40 gms.

If you think a tight grip would be good for you ... you should work out your hand and wrist strength ... so that you can maintain a consistently tight grip through the match.

Robert,

I don't know what you are afraid of with respect to injuries but before I worry about whether to hold the grip tightly or loosely, I would recommend that you get your grip fitted properly.

This will then dictate how you will to hold the grip.

As most of us know that if you get the grip done by someone like Seaton Thomas then there is no need to "choke the chicken." To coin the expression of Don Nygord, "All that is needed is to grip it rather firmly in a manner like when you shake the hand of a child." Its been my experience that holding the grip to tightly might induce some added problem that might produce shoots between 7 o'clock to 9 o'clock. or even shots between 2 o'clock to about 5 o'clock or so depending the position of your hand on the grip.

You may need to work the grip thing out with some dry firing, as well.

Go about this scientifically and you will arrive at a hold that will be consistant and will work for you.

This is one guy's opinion.

keep'em all in the 10 ring,
Ian

:-) Ian, we both know a certain World Record Free Pistol holder whose grip is Seaton Thomas modified and who grips his wrap around grip "as if he's trying to pop the head off of a chicken!" But he's exceptional ... :-)

As Mako says, there are world class shooters that subscribe to the crushing grip style, and others that are successful with a more gentle touch. Both can and do work as long as they are consistently applied. It is harder to make independent trigger finger movement a grip pressure increases. The style that you use will depend on your unique muscular and neurological fitness.

Injury is certainly a possibility and it can happen to you whichever grip style you use. Shoulder, elbow, and wrist injuries can occur. You should use a weight program and stretching to develop endurance and flexibility sufficient for the sport. Massive strength is not required.

http://www.targetshooting.ca has some excellent information on training.

Larry

Champs learn to train and shoot with injuries ... one study showed that the top athletes have the highest tolerance to pain. Lance Armstrong has the unique "feature" that he produces relatively small amounts of Lactic Acid in his muscles ... which is what produces "soreness" in most of us ...

Jakkrit P., top Thai shooter ... who recently had a 3rd and 4th in AP at World Cups in Bangkok and Sydney ... has already been shooting intensely for 15 of his 30 years ... says it's important to hold out the pistol with your none shooting arm every once in a while while practicing and shooting matches ... in order to balance your bodies effort. Otherwise you will end up with shoulder problems, at least sooner or worse then if you didn't try to balance your efforts.

Mako wrote::-) Ian, we both know a certain World Record Free Pistol holder whose grip is Seaton Thomas modified and who grips his wrap around grip "as if he's trying to pop the head off of a chicken!" But he's exceptional ... :-)

Is he Tanu K.? He told me once that, actually, it was his wrap around grip which was holding, very firmly, his hand-wrist-pistol, and not the viceversa.
Saluti,
s.

Bill Demarest ... when his hand comes off the pistol ... the inside of his hand is White ... the outside Red ...

Hi, Mako.

Here is one more way to hold a free pistol Mako: I hold it like I would hold a rattle snake caught with one hand just behind the head.
I would hold my hand streched all way out. And grip very hard. As if I were going to pop the head off of that rattler.

have your read this about Free Pistol

http://www.pilkguns.com/c17.htm

Wheh I'm shooting well, I grip lightly; when I start to have problems getting the shot off, I tighten my grip.

Bill

To me this is as personal as choosing clothes, shoes etc. Each of us is quite unique and different from each other. Boy ,that was quite astute & philsophical observation--- The Free Pistol is a different experience for each of us---no two hands are identical there in hangs the tale of how to grip. The fun of becoming obsessed with this gun and event is just in the many minute details and the grip is one of those combinations of both monstrous and minute details at the same time. Personally I have the grips on my 160 Special quite tight---so that I put the gun on like a pair of gloves and I don't leave room on the grip for my little finger--it just hangs out there. I exert a firm positive sideways pressure with the thumb in an attempt to counter and equal (if possible) the force of the two remaining grip fingers---thus leaving the trigger finger "free". Even though I have long pianist's fingers, the trigger shoe is set quite close and parallel to the body of the grips---and my trigger finger rests lightly on the trigger finger shelf---allowing my finger to just touch the bottom of the trigger shoe. Currently I have evolved to this "position" with which I am most comfortable and seems to "work" for me---at age 73 I will never shoot a 560+ just happy to break 500 and enjoy the game.

Thank you all for sharing the experience. I certainly learned from your given tips and suggestions. Here I come with a difficult issue, perhaps a normal learning step process; I start with a stiff trigger finger. The finger just did not want to obey the order, make the shot. And the hold turned into a tremor.

Later, the struggle goes away and there were about 20 good shots or so followed. This was the best moment of the shooting expeience, good aim, alignment, bang, and follow through. After that, the stiffness returned and the shot goes super difficult to release. This phenomenon goes in circle like a wave.

I later found to tighten the grip with a semi-relax the hold, the trigger release smooth out agian. There were other FP shooters said they did not think too much, but just fire the shot when the moment is right. I guess the moment of mine had come and gone independently, but the tightness of hold seemed matters.

Do you think if there was something going on between my trigger finger pull and the hand or arm holding pressure?