Finger on trigger guard, an old habit re-appears

[nickatnite]

Lately, I've had an old habit re-appear. I'm putting my left index finger on the front of my trigger guard. I don't know why this has started again, but I feel like it is hindering my shot placement. Before I shoot a stage, I can run the entire stage in my head and even when I shadow draw, everything is fine.

When I practice my draw strokes at home, hand placement is perfect. This is only happening during a match.

Any suggestions?

Maybe closing my mouth while I shoot will help?

Here is a pic from a recent match for comments...

Edited April 9, 2010 by nickatnite

[calishootr]

all I can offer is practice practice practice, both live fire and dry fire till you get overthis 'mental' block of sorts, people have been hangin thierfingers out there on the front strap ofthe trigger guard for yrs, then someone decides it was sooo good we should make all our guns with squared trigger guards, encouraging the use ofthe finger forward grip, which, to me, doesnt work(i know....there is guy named Eric G. over in europe who would beg to differ with me) but you see it as a 'problem' go ahead and take steps to get over that 'habit' as it were...

from a stance standpoint, maybe a lil more bend in the elbows would help in reducing the 'feel' of recoil and help to control it a bit more, from that picture your arms look damn near straight an locked out

[Dan Hefta]

Dry fire, dry fire, dry fire and then some more dry fire. Then if you have time live fire, if not more dry fire.

[Jim Taylor]

Lately, I've had an old habit re-appear. I'm putting my left index finger on the front of my trigger guard. I don't know why this has started again, but I feel like it is hindering my shot placement. Before I shoot a stage, I can run the entire stage in my head and even when I shadow draw, everything is fine.

When I practice my draw strokes at home, hand placement is perfect. This is only happening during a match.

Any suggestions?

Maybe closing my mouth while I shoot will help?

Here is a pic from a recent match for comments...

Tape your index finger to your middle finger for dry fire and practice. I think you are holding your mouth right.....:-)

Jim

Edited April 9, 2010 by Jim Taylor

[bisdak]

Tape your index finger to your middle finger for dry fire and practice. I think you are holding your mouth right.....:-)

Jim

That'll work. Good advice.

[slip knot]

I find that holding the finger on the triger guard, helps me sontrol the muzzle flip and brings the sight back down on the target. As far as the mouth goes. english, I beleave is what it is called, I do it all the time....

[benos]

Dry fire, dry fire, dry fire and then some more dry fire. Then if you have time live fire, if not more dry fire.

That's it.

Chankging a habit requires continuous commitment. And usually goes through 3 phases. The change sticks in dry fire, then in practice, then finally in a match.

The mouth thing is an indicator of too much tension in the brain.

Focus your mind on being calm throughout the draw and the firing of the first shot, and the mouth thing will fix itself.

be

[Wicked Wrister]

The mouth thing is an indicator of too much tension in the brain.

Focus your mind on being calm throughout the draw and the firing of the first shot, and the mouth thing will fix itself.

I'm curious what significance the open mouth has to you guys? I could see closed eyes, or a vein bursting out of the neck being something to correct, but why the open mouth?

[Front Man]

Around here I notice a lot of non shooters with a lot of brain tension!

[G-ManBart]

I find that holding the finger on the triger guard, helps me sontrol the muzzle flip and brings the sight back down on the target.

That's contrary to what most people find. It puts your wrist in a much weaker position (wrist isn't cammed forward and locked) and if you are able to pull down to fight muzzle flip, it's not straight down because you finger is on the side of the gun. Yes, a few people do it successfully, but they're definitely a very, very small minority. R,

[Conradm]

If your off-hand is rotated as far forward as it should be, then you shouldn't be able to put your finger on the trigger guard.

[Neomet]

I thought I would help you out and sought advice from World Champ Eric Grauffel. He looked at me funny and said "Quel es le probleme? Il nya pas de probleme!"

Just having some fun. The answer has been well said above.

edited because I spell as poorly in French as I do in English.

Edited July 14, 2011 by Neomet

[jfrey]

OK, I'm not a competition shooter but I don't understand why the finger on the trigger guard is such a bad thing. I have done it for years and it just seems natural that way. I have shot with professional shooters and they never mentioned it. Sounds to me like the old bullets forward or bullets back discussion.

[Joe4d]

glue a thumb tac to the trigger guard, that'ss cure you with a quickness.

[BBoyle]

Jerry Barnhart also shot with a finger on the trigger guard. I use to but I dry fired a lot 2 years ago to change it. I did notice something weird, I could get much faster splits and more controllable with the finger on the guard but at distant targets or steel it would almost always shoot left at ignition, I think it was a sympathetic pull with the weak hand index finger.

If it works for you use it, it is already proven that 2 of the greatest ever do not have a problem, if it doesn't then change it.

Brian

[jackii]

i love that

[Wilfred]

Safety first

[Sin-ster]

Hey, Nick.

Although I can't speak to your specific problem, I do have a similar issue myself-- based on what you've described.

It's a general discrepancy in grip. You put your index finger on the trigger guard, and I hit the grip with the support hand awkwardly. Just as you describe, in "shadow runs" and even dry fire practice at home, it rarely pops up. But during a match, it happens.

What I discovered was that the best way (for me) to correct the issue was to break the drawstroke down again into separate parts, and run the important one dry-- over and over and over again. Some steps...

1) Assume your chosen start position, and make sure you're relaxed to the max.

2) Initiate the timer, with "random start" setting enabled.

3) Hit the pistol with your strong/weapon hand.

4) Bring it up to the point of meeting the support hand-- and FREEEZE.

That's right. This is the critical moment for me-- although in your case, it might be during the press out. That's something you'll have to decide for yourself.

At any rate, that's the part of the draw you must ingrain into natural tendency. Once you know when that finger will stretch across the trigger guard, work tirelessly to that point to make sure it doesn't happen again. BUT-- be sure to complete a full draw every 10 reps or so, lest you start to get robotic with the "steps" and end up with a jerky motion.

Obviously, I'm not imparting anything new to you that hasn't already been suggested. In my experience, focusing in on the exact instance of failure will shorten the learning curve. I can't say that I came up with this concept on my own-- and have to give props to Matt Burkett, who suggests a similar drill for reloads.

I also think that taping the index and middle finger together is pure genius.

[Seale]

I find that holding the finger on the triger guard, helps me sontrol the muzzle flip and brings the sight back down on the target. As far as the mouth goes. english, I beleave is what it is called, I do it all the time....

OK, I'm not a competition shooter but I don't understand why the finger on the trigger guard is such a bad thing. I have done it for years and it just seems natural that way. I have shot with professional shooters and they never mentioned it. Sounds to me like the old bullets forward or bullets back discussion.

Have someone film you while you're shooting. I bet a coke you'll find that you are repositioning it at least between some of the shots. Everyone I've filmed has done so.