the secret to recoil control?

[3djedi]

I am not satisfied with my recoil control and how flat my pistol will shoot. I've seen videos of people like bob vogel or hicock45 and the muzzle barely rises. So what is the secret? Is it just a super strong grip?

I've been using CoC grippers...... would one of those gyroscopic wrist strengtheners help?

technique?

any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[jtielke]

Yes a proper grip and some strength are the most important things. The CoC grippers are what you want and the below video gives a good overview of grip technique.

[mgardner]

You need upper body strength as well as strong hands.

[3djedi]

Well, I can bench 275 and squat 375 for reps that ought to be strong enough. I think it's more than just strength....... there's technique I guess.

Edited July 26, 2014 by 3djedi

[Sac Law Man]

Technique yes, but more of it is fundamentals. You can grip the gun as hard as anyone, but if your stance and platform are not good, the recoil of the gun will knock you off balance. Your obvioulsy a strong dude, maybe work on balance and weight distribution, weight above the balls of your feet.. I like the feeling as if I am digging my toes into the sand. Regarding platform, this includes your stance and the triangle formed be your upper body and arms. I shoot best when I have a stable stance and I feel tension in my arms, as If Iam locked in. Good Luck.

Edited July 26, 2014 by Sac Law Man

[Oskino]

one thing that help me was that when I would practice I would only grip my pistol with my weak hand, it really helped my strength and it also help train that hand to properly grip my pistol.

[DonovanM]

Grip hard and grip correctly, that is the secret. Most of your work on the pistol should be done with your other strong hand, ie, not the one operating the trigger.

[bountyhunter]

You need upper body strength as well as strong hands.

And the grip pre-loads the tendons and muscles so they "snap back" when the gun lifts. I think the weak hand wrist can be "cocked" to load tension.

Some people lean forward to move the center mass over the toes which pre loads the leg muscles.

Edited July 26, 2014 by bountyhunter

[Hi-Power Jack]

It also has to do with the gun and ammo.

Optimum springs, and optimum powder/bullet weight make a big difference.

[Nimitz]

Setup a camera to film a close up of the side of the gun as you shot some reps and post it so we can see what's going on ... Only real way to help you ..

[empire12369]

From Jerry Miculek: locking the wrists is very important to recoil control.

[b1gcountry]

Use the force young Jedi...

Couldn't resist.

[TerryT]

Technique yes, but more of it is fundamentals. You can grip the gun as hard as anyone, but if your stance and platform are not good, the recoil of the gun will knock you off balance.

I used to have this problem. A shooting partner had me get in my shooting stance and he reached over and pulled back the slide. Actually pushed me backwards. Eye opening on how important stance is to recoil control.

[mgardner]

I watch my videos and put the cursor on my shoulder to see if the gun sets me back further with each shot. If I have a good grip and am behind the gun properly I just rock back and forth. The gun coming back to the target each time. You should move some but the true test of how you are doing would be if your aimed pairs are close to each other and your splits are fast.

Edited July 27, 2014 by mgardner

[Supermoto]

Well, I can bench 275 and squat 375 for reps that ought to be strong enough. I think it's more than just strength....... there's technique I guess.

Bench and squats mean very little when it come to grip strength. The technique is simple, grip it high and hard.

stance has very little to do with it too. You should be able to control recoil while moving and off balance. Very few stages are static and allow you to get a solid stance

[motosapiens]

You need upper body strength as well as strong hands.

I don't think you need upper body strength or strong hands to control a pistol. I think you just need to grip it right (hard, esp with the support hand) and at the right times. Anyone can do it, even 98 lb weaklings like me, so it's only self-limiting to make excuses.

I'm 6-2, 168 lbs, 53 years old and do zero hand exercises and only enough presses and pullups so that my younger hotter wife isn't embarassed to appear with me in a swimsuit. If I grip the gun right, the sights don't even rise out of the a-zone at 7 yards. If I grip it crappy, they go all over.

I find that bill drills and controlled pairs are helpful for me in confirming the things that are needed to grip right.

Edited July 27, 2014 by motosapiens

[JakeMartens]

shoot minor

[ares338]

What finally helped me with recoil control....was to stop trying to control recoil. That and I do work out daily and especially do grip strength exercises. I don't think about gripping any particular way such as 60/40, gripping hard, gripping lightly. I just hold onto my gun and let the front sight come back on target. This just what works for little old me!

[hercster]

One of the things I learned was to roll the shoulders towards the ears. This changes the orientation of the elbows so that when recoil hits, they flex out rather than down. This counteracts flip in particular and improves the perception of control as the force is back into the body. This is coupled with a slightly forward stance taken when you press out to the target. Everything already said about grip applies.

[bountyhunter]

You need upper body strength as well as strong hands.

I don't think you need upper body strength or strong hands to control a pistol. I think you just need to grip it right (hard, esp with the support hand) and at the right times. Anyone can do it, even 98 lb weaklings like me, so it's only self-limiting to make excuses.

98 pound women can too by using a different technique. I read one "trick" is to rotate the right elbow so it points out to the right. With the two elbow joints pivoting on axis that are 90 degrees off from each other, the elbows don't bend as much during recoil. Obviously, you do have to lock the wrists as well.

[fastphil]

shoot minor

That's what I'm thinking....lol

I've tried just about everything, some work better than others but I still have more movement in my limited major gun than a lot of guys I shoot with.

[Maxximuss]

Use the force young Jedi...

Couldn't resist.

LOL

[Marshal82]

Make sure your wrist in behind the gun, drive the grip with the heal of your hand. Almost like you use a staple gun. Turn the elbows out slightly, but keep shoulders relaxed. This is what I took from Vogel's video a year ago and this is how I explain it to my friends. it has helped myself and many shooters I know. Your forearm muscles will feel strained after practicing this for a while but you will get used to it. I use CoC grippers as well and they have made a big difference in grip forearm strength.

Hope this helps.

[JAFO]

If you do start hitting the CoC grippers a lot, don't forget to work the extensors, too (like with their finger bands). Working only on your closing strength can lead to problems in your hands and elbows.

[Wesquire]

If you do start hitting the CoC grippers a lot, don't forget to work the extensors, too (like with their finger bands). Working only on your closing strength can lead to problems in your hands and elbows.

I don't but the extensor thing. Working opposing muscle groups is more important when it comes to pulling vs pressing muscles. If closing muscles caused a problem then rock climbers would be using extensor workouts more.