TargetTalk

I have observed several shooers who work out the grips in their guns either by removing wood or adding some wood filler. Are there any rules of thumb or reference on how to properly perform these "adjustments" ?

A great question.

Couple of things to think about first:

- Don't be overly hasty to start carving up your grip until you find your own "comfort zone" with your own training in terms of what you think helps you shoot better
- Make sure you understand the fundamentals and what you are looking for (in terms of how to identify "better" vs. "worse" in terms of technique) before making equipment changes

That having been said

The main issue in my opinion os to understand the concept of "natural" (neutral) point of aim.

We've had some great discussions on what NPA is in this forum over the years- basically, the realtionship between your body parts and the target need to be such that when (with eyes closed) you perform your shot plan the sights will be "naturally" pointed at the target and properly aligned.

The key elements of all of this have to be that your "platform" (foot position, stance, lean, grip, etc.) have to provide a natural/neutral point of aim where the position is:

1) Comfortable (you can performa many attempts over a long period of time)
2) Repeatable (you can always find the same exact position)
3) Stable (small arc of minimum movement)

You want a foot position, stance, lean, grip, etc (they are all connected to each other) such that when you come down into the target the sights automatically come into alignment.

If the sight are always pointed left, you need to rotate the gun in your and CCW (when viewed from above). Vice versa if pointed to the right.

Other than supporting a good NPA, the key thing to understand is this:

The purpose of the grip is . . . ?

How do you define a "better" grip from a "worse" grip?

The best grip is that which allows you to release the shot without disturbing the perfect alignment of the sights.

Woops that must have been Clem Matlow talking back there.

If the gun is pointed "LEFT" then you want to rotate the gun in your hand "CW" (to the right) when viewed from above . . .

("What the lieutenant meant to say was . . . ")

Read holding the pistol stiller.I agree with Steve as far as leaving the pretty grips alone until you are sure about what you need to remove or add to correct problems that you have clearly identified. The grip must give you perfect sight allignment as you reach the aiming area. It must be strong enough to prevent the pistol from shifting from the shock of recoil [ Not a problem with AP]. the trigger finger must be independent from the gripping tensions and able to apply pressure straight to the rear parallel to the barrel so as not to push the sights out of allignment. There must be no changes in gripping tensions as pressure is applied to the trigger. Once you have found a grip that works for you never change it unless you go to a different pistol. [ If you do change you must start all over developing the perfect grip again ]Next , the grip should be comfortable so as to sustain a full days shooting and last it must be uniform every time you pick the pistol up and place it in shooting position. Hopefully for the rest of your life. Good Shooting Bill Horton

Thanks for your responses, I will start evaluating.