johniac7078 Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I have started to teach my 10 year old daughter to shoot. She has shot 3 IDPA matches so far. At this point, we are obsessed with safety. I think she has got it, better than some adults I know! I am using a lot of dry fire practice so she can learn gun handling and techniques. Here is a video of her working on her draw. I would welcome helpful comments. However, please keep in mind she is a 10 year old kid, so please keep the comments kind and constructive. She will start USPSA as soon as the season starts up again. Thanks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bExPX2e3X4&list=UUQiZJEErrd6kWP9hccyBb-w Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stony Lane Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Good job - she is lucky to be starting so early! She looks to be right-handed and left-eyed. (so am I - my right eye is quite weak) I don't know if this is something you want to change, or even can change, at this point. Maybe work on keeping both eyes open... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bidah Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Katie is looking good. Keep at the basics, and safety. I went through this with 2 boys, one of which is also left eye dominant. At the beginning we practiced draws, reloads, and keeping the finger off the trigger (on the frame) while doing reloads and movement. I also suggest that you get her to one of the USPSA Junior camps, or the USAMU camp, as soon as you can. The MGM Junior Camp is also VERY good, although a bit far from you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johniac7078 Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 The eye dominance thing is gonna take time. She gets confused and overthinks it. I am wondering what the best way to teach accuracy might be. She does about 200 rounds a week. Powderpuff loads but accurate. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bidah Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I covered the non-dominant lens on a spare pair of safety glasses; that allowed him to relax a little. In the end he figured out how to shoot both eyes open using this, and then to close the one eye for the "accurate" shots. Just relax as learning that will take time, whatever method you choose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strip Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 I have coached 2 kids that were right hand - left eye. I taught them to shoot left handed. Both became very good. I do not believe it is a disadvantage at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave33 Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 I noticed she has a big squint when closing her nondominant eye, shooting like that for a while may give her a headache. Try putting a small strip of frosted tape on her shooting glasses on the nondominant eye where it lines up with the sights. Still gives you most of your vision when shooting but has the same effect on the front sight as when closing one eye. All in all I think she is doing great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strip Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 BTW...Way to go Dad! world needs a whole bunch more just like you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DagoRed Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Not to hijack but how young did you start her and how young do clubs usually let them start shooting? My 8 (close to 9) year old daughter wants to start shooting more. Last time I took her was a year ago just plinking. She is right hand left eye. My other daughter is 7 and has been wanting to start she is left/left. My local club has started steel shoots and a buddy thinks the 8yo could start w that. Rimfire, low ready. It'd be great if I got them into. Not only because I think they'd have fun but I'd have an excuse to spend more time on it. Red Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johniac7078 Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 BTW...Way to go Dad! world needs a whole bunch more just like you. Thank you. I am blushing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johniac7078 Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 Not to hijack but how young did you start her and how young do clubs usually let them start shooting? My 8 (close to 9) year old daughter wants to start shooting more. Last time I took her was a year ago just plinking. She is right hand left eye. My other daughter is 7 and has been wanting to start she is left/left. My local club has started steel shoots and a buddy thinks the 8yo could start w that. Rimfire, low ready. It'd be great if I got them into. Not only because I think they'd have fun but I'd have an excuse to spend more time on it. Red I started both of my girls when they were around 8 with archery. They learned the basics of shooting-aiming through a shot, how to act on a range. My oldest went to rifle next, and is actually more of a rifle hunter than a pistol shooter. She loves to hunt and let me tell you can shoot a 30-06 Rem 700 like a boss. That girl, now 19, has put some serious venison on the table! I was not very involved with pistol then, so she is more into archery and rifle. My youngest saw me get into pistol shooting, so that is how she became interested. She comes down to the basement where I have projects for her to do, pretty much little building kits you can buy, while I dry fire, reload etc. She was always very interested, so at 8 or so we started some light shooting off a rest with a 9mm 1911. First shot, hooked. Now as 10, she moved to dry fire , some more advance marksmanship stuff, and has now shot IDPA matches. She is a mature kid and "gets" the whole safety issue. I reload 9mm powderpuff loads, about 117-120 PF and we work on the basics. Never more than 100 rounds a session. All the instruction is positive. We stop if she is getting frustrated, she is very competitive, It's fun to have a buddy to go to the range with and shoot matches! She wears a S&W shirt signed by Jerry Miculek, Bob Vogel, and Randi Rodgers. Her concealment is a Jackie Robinson Dodgers shirt. Too cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerTrace Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Scott Stockton has done one of the best jobs I've ever seen teaching a kid to shoot at a very young age. If I were you, I'd friend him on here and on FB and pick his brain. He's a GM and loves to coach. I think he would really enjoy getting to help you.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johniac7078 Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 Scott Stockton has done one of the best jobs I've ever seen teaching a kid to shoot at a very young age. If I were you, I'd friend him on here and on FB and pick his brain. He's a GM and loves to coach. I think he would really enjoy getting to help you.... COOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akeefer Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I'm very jealous! Great job training!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strip Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 We had a 7 Year Old at our annual NSSF match and at the World Championships. The NSSF matches are a great place to start them as they love hearing the steel ring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smitty79 Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 In the early videos, it looks like you are running the timer from a little down range of her. Might not want to do that. She's obviously pretty comfortable with this. I'd have her practice with her shooting glasses on. Since she's pretty good on her draw, you could add more complexity. If you are going back to IDPA, she might want to practice some with her concealment garment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgardner Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 At her size a more aggressive stance may be better to help control the gun. I always had the new shooters walk left and right and up and downrange with the gun (unloaded) to get used to always keeping the muzzle downrange and the finger off the trigger. Always facing downrange means that most will keep the gun directly in front of them when they turn the first time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigred1 Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Looks like your doing good. I'd say watch the sweep on her draw. Needs to be straight up and straight out. This will also help with the eye dominance. She'll pick up that front sight faster with both eyes open as she pushes the pistol straight out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeerBaron Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 In reality she is doing so awesome that any kind of criticism seems kind of petty. but just for sake of development I'd get her into breaking the draw into steps. as she's moving her support hand very late which slows the draw a little and opens up the danger of sweeping that hand (if you watch the first of the slow motion draws she gets fairly close to the muzzle with the support hand, the second one is much better). step one, both hands move together (strong hand to the gun, support hand to belt buckle or tummy - I think of it as 'grab the gun pat my tummy'. step two: support hand joins the gun hand (I think of it as clap my hands) step 3: push out and be watching for the sights. then break the shot. You can break it into even smaller pieces but the 3 pieces of pat my tummy clap my hands punch it out really helped me synch up what my hands were doing better. and you can practice it even without the gun on at first. then dry fire, and ultimately live fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johniac7078 Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 In reality she is doing so awesome that any kind of criticism seems kind of petty. but just for sake of development I'd get her into breaking the draw into steps. as she's moving her support hand very late which slows the draw a little and opens up the danger of sweeping that hand (if you watch the first of the slow motion draws she gets fairly close to the muzzle with the support hand, the second one is much better). step one, both hands move together (strong hand to the gun, support hand to belt buckle or tummy - I think of it as 'grab the gun pat my tummy'. step two: support hand joins the gun hand (I think of it as clap my hands) step 3: push out and be watching for the sights. then break the shot. You can break it into even smaller pieces but the 3 pieces of pat my tummy clap my hands punch it out really helped me synch up what my hands were doing better. and you can practice it even without the gun on at first. then dry fire, and ultimately live fire. Right on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bkreutz Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Nice job Dad , you're rightfully proud. The only advice I can give is keep up the focus on safety, with younger shooters the attention span is short and easily distracted. The good thing is that most experienced shooters that are around them will be looking out for safety so they will be assisting you. As far as technique and speed, don't worry, that will come faster than you expect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ropati Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 What pistol is she shooting? I'm wondering what others have found to be a good starter pistol for those little hands? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonovanM Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 This is 10 year old Justine Williams shooting. Her and her sister (just turned 12) both are knocking on the door to B class. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=838187829578786 They started shooting a year ago, and as you can see don't use any special technique like a more aggressive stance, etc - they just shoot. They shoot just like me, and I'm a 6'3", 260lb GM. Their hands can't even reach around their XDMs but they make it work. Awesome, right? Just goes to show that teaching shooting is pretty universal, barring any significant orthopedic problems. Anyway, have her stop moving her head over to get the sights aligned. I'm left eye/right handed as well and when I was first starting out, put the small piece of tape over my right eye where the sights lined up. That will help, and eventually she should be able to have both eyes open, but the neutral head position thing should be addressed right away. Use the grip to align the sights with the left eye. The wrist of the right hand will be bent outward more than the wrist of the left hand, not like with right eyed people who keep about the same outward wrist angle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbullet Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Interesting thread. If I may ask, as I am teaching a 12 year old. Whats the best platform to introduce them to? Open guns or iron sight guns? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonytheTiger Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Interesting thread. If I may ask, as I am teaching a 12 year old. Whats the best platform to introduce them to? Open guns or iron sight guns? I'm gonna vote irons. They get a better handle of the fundamentals of aiming when they have to align something vs. "Shoot the red spot". Kinda like learning how to write with a pencil and paper vs. giving a 6 year old a keyboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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