Double-Tap Breakthrough

[Sheperd80]

Double tapping, hammering, taking two individually aimed shots....Call it what you want but firing two quick shots accurately is an important competition skill.

This may be obvious to many, but once your fundamentals are solid...its all about your GRIP!!! Especially the weak hand. It was for me anyway. It dawned on me a few months ago and ive been working on it with consistent results.

Making sure your SH grip is nice and firm helps, but just as important for me was the WH. Getting that 45 angle and nice thumbs forward posture with the WH way up there has made a huge difference for me.

I used to have my WH back too far and at a weak angle but when i really started sticking it out there and getting my thumb on the takedown lever (m&p 9 fs) I noticed the difference. The sights fall right back into place without having to strangle the pistol. Suddenly im not forcing the pistol back down, im not waiting for the sights or fighting them back to alignment...it just happens. As a side note this grip has led me to hold my support arm almost straight with only a slight break at the elbow, while the strong arm has a little more bend to it because the WH is further forward.

It was amazing to me how much more recoil control you gain by simply covering more of the pistol with your hands. Simple science i suppose. Again im sure many of you have known this for years but for me it was a breakthrough.

So in summary, heres how i got from Alpha Charlie almost every time to Double Alphas.

-Lots of surface area covered with both hands

-A firm but relaxed and comfortable grip

-Weak hand kicked down at a 45 with the thumb way forward

-Strong hand high and firm but not choking

-Trigger finger working straight back and independently of the rest of the strong hand.

-Shoot slow pairs until its comfortable then gradually increase the speed as your eyes start to catch up with how fast your gun is back on target.

Hope this is of some use to someone.

Edited October 22, 2012 by Sheperd80

[Steve Anderson]

That's good stuff. It's easy to get lazy on the grip over time...

[toothguy]

Double tapping, hammering, taking two individually aimed shots....Call it what you want but firing two quick shots accurately is an important competition skill.

This may be obvious to many, but once your fundamentals are solid...its all about your GRIP!!! Especially the weak hand. It was for me anyway. It dawned on me a few months ago and ive been working on it with consistent results.

Making sure your SH grip is nice and firm helps, but just as important for me was the WH. Getting that 45 angle and nice thumbs forward posture with the WH way up there has made a huge difference for me.

I used to have my WH back too far and at a weak angle but when i really started sticking it out there and getting my thumb on the takedown lever (m&p 9 fs) I noticed the difference. The sights fall right back into place without having to strangle the pistol. Suddenly im not forcing the pistol back down, im not waiting for the sights or fighting them back to alignment...it just happens. As a side note this grip has led me to hold my support arm almost straight with only a slight break at the elbow, while the strong arm has a little more bend to it because the WH is further forward.

It was amazing to me how much more recoil control you gain by simply covering more of the pistol with your hands. Simple science i suppose. Again im sure many of you have known this for years but for me it was a breakthrough.

So in summary, heres how i got from Alpha Charlie almost every time to Double Alphas.

-Lots of surface area covered with both hands

-A firm but relaxed and comfortable grip

-Weak hand kicked down at a 45 with the thumb way forward

-Strong hand high and firm but not choking

-Trigger finger working straight back and independently of the rest of the strong hand.

-Shoot slow pairs until its comfortable then gradually increase the speed as your eyes start to catch up with how fast your gun is back on target.

Hope this is of some use to someone.

Perfect, strong fundamentals as a result of good technique.

[AlexOsensei]

I repeat in my mind ,everytime, how I have to grip..

[JimM]

Thanks for your summary, especially your description of the WH position.

Jim

[MC1]

I was tought there should not be a gap between the palms of your hands. Is that incorrect? I have experimented myself with a slightly forward left hand grips an found it does help with control. On my limited gun, it has caused me to accidentally eject the magazine on several occasions so I abandoned it. Should I give it another chance?

[thegeneric]

I would give it another try. Having no gap helps with grip repeatability for me and I notice more control

[Sheperd80]

I was tought there should not be a gap between the palms of your hands. Is that incorrect? I have experimented myself with a slightly forward left hand grips an found it does help with control. On my limited gun, it has caused me to accidentally eject the magazine on several occasions so I abandoned it. Should I give it another chance?

Having no gap is definitely better, but u dont wanna be dropping mags. What type of gun? Maybe theres a mag release u can buy to help with this?

[ten ring]

Out of curiousity, do you have issues with the slide not locking back due to your hands being higher up? In other words, does your WH rub against the slide catch making it not lock?

[ten ring]

Out of curiousity, do you have issues with the slide not locking back due to your hands being higher up? In other words, does your WH rub against the slide catch making it not lock?

[Sheperd80]

Out of curiousity, do you have issues with the slide not locking back due to your hands being higher up? In other words, does your WH rub against the slide catch making it not lock?

No my right (strong hand) thumb sits just behind the slide release and the left is well in front of it sitting on the takefown lever. Heres a crappy pic for reference. You can kinda see the slide release just in front of my right thumb.

Edited January 9, 2013 by Sheperd80

[DRichardson]

Out of curiousity, do you have issues with the slide not locking back due to your hands being higher up? In other words, does your WH rub against the slide catch making it not lock?

I was having just the opposite with my xdm. My thumb would push the slide lock up and lock it back while shooting. I modified the gun because it was easier to have a consistent grip across all of my guns (cz 75, XDm, and 1911) than try to change up for just the XDm.

[gator098]

very nice write up, it is easy to forget the basics and having the occassional reminder is a good thing

[Boxer1]

Nice pic will have to try it out a liitle different than what I currently am doing but very similar. Thanks,

[amac]

Double tapping, hammering, taking two individually aimed shots....Call it what you want but firing two quick shots accurately is an important competition skill.

This may be obvious to many, but once your fundamentals are solid...its all about your GRIP!!! Especially the weak hand. It was for me anyway. It dawned on me a few months ago and ive been working on it with consistent results.

Making sure your SH grip is nice and firm helps, but just as important for me was the WH. Getting that 45 angle and nice thumbs forward posture with the WH way up there has made a huge difference for me.

I used to have my WH back too far and at a weak angle but when i really started sticking it out there and getting my thumb on the takedown lever (m&p 9 fs) I noticed the difference. The sights fall right back into place without having to strangle the pistol. Suddenly im not forcing the pistol back down, im not waiting for the sights or fighting them back to alignment...it just happens. As a side note this grip has led me to hold my support arm almost straight with only a slight break at the elbow, while the strong arm has a little more bend to it because the WH is further forward.

It was amazing to me how much more recoil control you gain by simply covering more of the pistol with your hands. Simple science i suppose. Again im sure many of you have known this for years but for me it was a breakthrough.

So in summary, heres how i got from Alpha Charlie almost every time to Double Alphas.

-Lots of surface area covered with both hands

-A firm but relaxed and comfortable grip

-Weak hand kicked down at a 45 with the thumb way forward

-Strong hand high and firm but not choking

-Trigger finger working straight back and independently of the rest of the strong hand.

-Shoot slow pairs until its comfortable then gradually increase the speed as your eyes start to catch up with how fast your gun is back on target.

Hope this is of some use to someone.

great tip. thanks

[ekratman]

Yeah, that is a good point. I haven't assessed my grip in a long time. Thank you for the reminder!

[STImoore]

Thanks for the talk through. Ill have to try that this week. The pic helped a lot

[Bunsen]

Out of curiousity, do you have issues with the slide not locking back due to your hands being higher up? In other words, does your WH rub against the slide catch making it not lock?

I was having just the opposite with my xdm. My thumb would push the slide lock up and lock it back while shooting. I modified the gun because it was easier to have a consistent grip across all of my guns (cz 75, XDm, and 1911) than try to change up for just the XDm.

Did you try replacing it with the one from springer precision first?

[Brettp12345]

I was just looking for a forum like this one to help with double tap! Thanks for the tips

[turkishroy]

Out of curiousity, do you have issues with the slide not locking back due to your hands being higher up? In other words, does your WH rub against the slide catch making it not lock?

I was having just the opposite with my xdm. My thumb would push the slide lock up and lock it back while shooting. I modified the gun because it was easier to have a consistent grip across all of my guns (cz 75, XDm, and 1911) than try to change up for just the XDm.

I had the same problem when I started to grip my xdm higher as well. I found the problem to be in my shooting hand thumb placement and that I would ride the slide catch with it. Enough practice placing it on the muscle behind my support hand and when it started to become an instinctive I stopped having that problem.

[DDustin]

Thanks for this it's very helpful. I'm trying to relearn my grip now and no one has really been able to clear up exactly how to position my weak hand.

On question, what do you do with your WH index finger? I usually mirror my trigger finger along the rail or wrap it around the trigger guard to stabilize it. But it seems like a lot of people run it under the trigger guard wrapped around the SH like the other 3 fingers. On my match gun it fits under the trigger guard but the gun doesn't seem as stable. But on my carry guns placing it there makes my hand hang off the shorter grip.

So what should I be drilling into muscle memory?

[Sheperd80]

I wrap mine under the trigger guard. I've seen people who go around the front of the trigger guard but for me that gets in the way of my trigger finger a little bit and feels odd.

I think most people would say go under because it kind of facilitates that 45 degree angle of your weak hand. But its also imporant for your grip to be somewhat natural and comfortable. I'd say try both, watch your muzzle flip and split times if u can. See what u can get results from without it being too awkward. Because for me just rocking my hand forward and getting more of the pistol covered made a dramatic difference in muzzle flip.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 4

[Steve RA]

Having the proper weight recoil spring will help as much as anything.

[RyanD1]

Grip is huge, you could also work on "catching the link" as a technique to follow up shots.

[sigsauerfan]

thanks for stripping down in detail the good habit. i have a tough time to re-align my wh at the right place after the follow shot sometimes...more often than not. i think the wh thumb running far forward on the frame is the key, it still feel alien to me. i must practice this some more.