| Introduction
to IPSC Pistol - 4
| Get
a grip |
|
Before
we get to specific techniques, understand that although these
are believed to be best and are most frequently seen among top
shooters, you may find that for your hand size and body build,
etc., that some variation works better for you, and that's fine– you
need to experiment and to learn, and to optimize. Consider
these recommendations as a place to start from.
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Very
few beginners use an optimized grip. In the early eighties
Arizona shooters Brian Enos and Rob Leatham took the practical
shooting world by storm with some revolutionary new ideas which
they proved superior. The grip and stance that they refined
have now become standard. The “thumbs forward” two-hand “freestyle” grip
on a 1911 style gun consists of using the stronghand gripping the
gun as high as possible with the thumb on the safety and pointing
forward, either with no slide contact or very light slide contact. The
weak hand palm wraps around the ends of the stronghand fingers,
again with the thumb pointing forward. Grip pressure varies
with the individual, but generally, use about the same as gripping
a hammer, the only difference is that the weak hand uses as much
or more squeeze than the strong hand.
|
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| Stance & Index |
Matt Burkett's treatise on Grip & Index |
This
style of grip works best with the isosceles arm position. The
gun is held directly in front of you, with each arm almost fully
extended, but not quite. Try it with the gun back an inch from
full arm extension. Try to position the gun sights to
be in line with your vision with minimal head movement.
When
you draw from a belt holster, let both arms make similar movements
and try to avoid moving anything else. Ideally, you should
grip and withdraw the gun, bring it up to join the weak hand
about six inches in front of your chin, then steer it to the
target while clicking the safety off. The final movement
should be pushing straight forward while remaining on the sight
plane. |
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After
about a thousand practice draws, you will develop what's referred
to as your index. While squarely facing the target, looking
at the A zone, you will be able to close your eyes, draw, open
your eyes and discover that the sights are aligned in the center
of that a-zone. You will have then developed your index.
Stance
is somewhat more varied between individuals, but generally consists
of the feet being somewhat spread, with knees slightly bent. Your
weight should be slightly forward ready to accept the recoil. If
the recoil is pushing you off balance, only your first shot will
be optimal. |
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