Most effective way to train the weak-hand?

[Detlef]

I know this is the *how to improve my weak hand shooting* thread, but devote a bit of attention to *How do I improve my match score*. Over the past 10 y I have observed a sharp drop in weak-hand (and prone, and anything unusual) shooting in big matches, to the point where I decided it's barely worth practicing any more. So...beware where you spend your precious practice time...

--Detlef

[TDean]

I respectively disagree Detlef.

I'm not prepared to loose 30pts on one stage......

..besides, improving my weak hand skills brings attention to the fundamentals that I can better apply to my strong hand technique.

[Flexmoney]

TDean,

Good point.

I also see Detlef's point.  For me, it is a chore to load up...drive an hour and forty to the range (that I have some freedom on)...set up for my practice...all the while burning daylight.

I end up getting very limited range time.  Somethings end up getting left out while I work on the basics.  

[Detlef]

TDean,

of course you ar eright, weak hand is till out there, so you can't completely disregard it during practice. But are you still practicing i) weak hand-only reloads, ii) picking the gun up off table with weak hand-only, (gasp!) climbing Rhodesian walls or sliding down a slide with holstered gun? No? Well, in the U.S. you're cool, but only here have they abandoned anything that remotely smells like possible litigation or physical challenge. Internationally, these things *are* still done, with maybe the exception of i).... Will I practice these odd things for the WS? I sure will, I hear they still shoot old-style IPSC in South Africa!

What I'm trying to say is that in what you practice you cannot only look at one thing (your weaknesses) but also need to look at how often a specific challenge will occur in a real match. And (much to my regret!) weak hand is slowly disappearing, and one's practice must be adjusted.

--Detlef

[Duane Thomas]

I think that may be a regional phenomenon, and naturally a lot depends on the MD. In Washington state weak hand only shooting is alive and well, I assure you. And of course it's a feature of many classifiers.

[Les Snyder]

several years ago, when I was a little more compeititve I would work on manual dexterity by opening and closing my small pocket knife one handed, with both weak and strong hand, trying to develop fine muscle control of the weak index finger.... when shooting I cant the pistol slightly (I do use an ambi safety to get a purchase with the weak thumb to take care to not use the trigger finger to control the pistol other than trigger control) and make sure that my dominant eye (right) is used to acquire the front sight, which puts my chin on my left bicep...if possible I try to shoot targets left to right... Les

[DblTap]

I must be the only guy here that closes my dominant (right) eye when shooting weak hand. I shoot both eyes open for everything except weak hand drills. Both eyes open doesn't seam to work with the gun in my left hand though.  I also turn my body clockwise so that the shooting arm is out to the side, not the front. This seems more natural and comfortable. But then again, I still hate weak hand shooting.

[bird]

Flex$, BE,Travis, et. al. have nailed it.

It is easy to talk about but hard to do...

This may sound really crazy but I find I shoot better weak-hand if I use a soft, relaxed grip.(only using enough "grip" so I don't drop the damn gun)...hehe

This is totally opposite of how I feel I should shoot with 1 hand as I tend to death-grip the gun because the other hand is not there.

Brian talks about this in his book and he is SO right.

Next time you practice, try shooting weak-hand with less grip instead of more.

Moving only the trigger finger and not the whole hand is the key.

Practice (with no gun) gripping a make-believe gun in your hand and moving only your index finger without moving your hand,fingers etc.

A day without sunshine is like night......