To gas paddle or not?

[Ozy]

I’m trying tp determine wether a gas paddle will be of critical help on my svi open. 
im left handed so the choices in paddles are limited.

 Who uses them , prefers them over “ naked” option, and which ones ?

[BoyGlock]

Not critical to me but seems you are already decided just looking for options so.... its personal choice try some

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello, you may want to try one to see how it feels to you. I have tried a couple over the years and decided they really didn't do anything better than running without one. I use a timer and some drills to test things to see if they actually work for me or not. Right now I am using a horizontal platform mounted on the scope mount just to rest my thumb on that my son made on his 3D printer. It is not faster but it does put my thumb in the same postion all the time. It also does not jam my thumb or cause me any pain like some of the other rests I have tried. You can make your own rest using a piece of round rod 5/16" diameter and a screw with a tapped hole in the frame. You have to get it far enough forward so you get your natural grip with your thumb facing forward not straight up. Thanks, Eric

[BoyGlock]

I fully agree such accessory can be a big aid in acquiring consistent grip on the gun but i believe it can also limit one to find or evolve to his better grip. Fwiw Im not a gm nor m. 

[MikeBurgess]

I think they are a bit of a fad because Open shooters think great I can bolt something else to the gun, look at Limited you don't see very many there and their guns actually recoil.

 

 

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: Here is what I am using. I drilled and tapped the mount to fit the thumb rest my son made. Thanks, Eric

[Carry9shoot40]

Using a *thumb rest [generic]* helps the dot track straight up and down for me. I have used a roller ball type that I liked and now the Tevo sports. You just have to try a few to see what works for you, good luck.

[N3WWN]

I've tried a couple different thumb rests on different guns in Limited and they don't do anything to improve my scores, but they are good for a consistent index point. 

 

I've removed them from all of my Limited guns, except one, because I have short thumbs and have to use a different support hand grip to get my thumb onto the rest and that pulls my support palm (meat of the palm, by the thumb) off the grip, severely reducing the effectiveness of my support grip.

 

The only one I kept is the N1tr0F1n because it is far enough back on the frame that I can engage it with my thumb and keep my palm on the grip.

 

I recently put two Limited guns against each other at the same match to see if I could tell which was "better"... no-thumb rest in the morning and thumb rest in the afternoon.  My morning, no-thumb rest results edged out my afternoon, thumb rest results by less than 2%.   [In the interest of complete disclosure, the morning gun was a polymer framed model and the afternoon gun was a full dust cover steel framed model.]

[Shmella]

If you only shoot one division i like them. But if you jump from say open to production, i thought it was a weird feeling going back and forth. I ditched them for that reason. just felt too weird to hold a gun without one when you get used to having something there to rest your thumb on.

[Ozy]

Thank you guys...  I’ll try one or two, at one point.

 

[Yagi]

On 10/26/2020 at 8:54 AM, Aircooled6racer said:

Hello: Here is what I am using. I drilled and tapped the mount to fit the thumb rest my son made. Thanks, Eric

 

 

My open gun from Mclearn Custom - he did something similar to this. mounted the same way but the paddle itself is a tad wider and curved

[tomjerry1]

I use Nitro Fin's, I feel it helps with getting the same grip, time after time, helped me with accuracy, repeatable. I'm not trying to control recoil.

[Bakerjd]

I'm left handed and have an open and limited gun with the evil hand thumb rest. Tried the DAA one first and did not like it. The evil hand is awesome. It's much like the *thumb rest [generic]* but for the left of us. For me and my hands I mounted it where it was just behind the slide stop pin. Very easy to install, I did it with a cordless drill, #38 drill bit amd a 5-40 tap. Just mark holes, center punch them and drill slow with lube. Then chamfered hole with either a little bit larger drill bit or a chamfer bit, that will help center the tap. Go slow most frames are hardened. 

[UpYoursPal]

I removed mine recently because I found that I was cranking down on it with my thumb and it was causing followup shots to dip.  Obviously that's just a technique problem, but since removing it I've found that I don't really miss it.

[JoeSoop]

I think (like others said) its a personal choice. I personally like it on mine as it reminds me to keep more pressure on the support hand side rather than my strong hand side so I can keep my trigger finger loose and tactile. Good luck!

[ehowell12]

On 10/25/2020 at 8:03 PM, Ozy said:

I’m trying tp determine wether a gas paddle will be of critical help on my svi open. 
im left handed so the choices in paddles are limited.

 Who uses them , prefers them over “ naked” option, and which ones ?

If no one has suggested - an option for those "wrong" handed lefties is a company called "Evil Hand". They don't have a lot of stuff, but the DPP mount I had from them was solid. As a "Righty" I've tried almost every option that's offered, searching for one that is the angle I like and far enough forward; as a Lefty, id be looking custom for sure!

I'll also add, a thumb rest is the best thing I did to my Limited and Open guns. 

https://www.evil-hand.com/ 

Edited November 15, 2020 by ehowell12
add info

[rishii]

On 11/10/2020 at 9:13 AM, UpYoursPal said:

I removed mine recently because I found that I was cranking down on it with my thumb and it was causing followup shots to dip.  Obviously that's just a technique problem, but since removing it I've found that I don't really miss it.

That’s my experience also, I tried them on both my limited and open guns because I’d handled guns with them and like the feel but it caused my shot to group low.

[shred]

It's very easy to 'drive' the gun around with the thumb if you aren't careful, but I have them on my lefty Open guns.  Makes for a nice table start combined with the racker.

 

One tip to locating them if you aren't sure is degrease the frame and superglue the rest on where you think you want it.  Do some dry fire and often the glue will hold up to some live fire as well.  If you don't like where it is, give it a tap sideways with a hammer and it'll pop off.  Once you find a place you like, use it as a jig to drill.

 

 

[MuayThaiJJ]

I like the thumb rest slide stops on my CZs

[Ozy]

On 11/14/2020 at 7:43 PM, ehowell12 said:

If no one has suggested - an option for those "wrong" handed lefties is a company called "Evil Hand". They don't have a lot of stuff, but the DPP mount I had from them was solid. As a "Righty" I've tried almost every option that's offered, searching for one that is the angle I like and far enough forward; as a Lefty, id be looking custom for sure!

I'll also add, a thumb rest is the best thing I did to my Limited and Open guns. 

https://www.evil-hand.com/ 

Thank you very much for the heads up.I’ll check evil hand out.

[csailer]

Hi Oded,

 

I think a thumb rest is very important for my grip style and minimizing recoil.  It also adds a solid level of consistency for thumb placement.

 

1) Consistency/thumb placement.  Good grip is essential.  Having the same grip every time is essential.  Various pressure in odd spots creates an unpredictable (not just straight up and straight down dot) which leads to poor results.  Having a spot to hit like the pedal has helped me a bunch.

 

2) Locking the wrist/thumb.  The goal of the thumb pedal isn't to push down on the pedal.  That is bad.  Contrary to silly youtube "shooting professionals".....you do NOT push down on the gun.  You let the gun do it's thing.  It's going to recoil.  Don't push down....you can't time your shots to push down at the right time.  Let the gun recoil, but lock your left wrist and put pressure in the right spots and it won't recoil much....but you're not fighting the gun down.  Thus, with a thumb rest, don't push down.  This is why people who don't train run into troubles with it.  Instead, you use it to aid in locking your wrist.  

 

Get a slo mo of the gun, wrist, etc with and without a *thumb rest [generic]*.  See what the dot does with either.  

 

Good luck! 

[Whoops!]

28 minutes ago, csailer said:

Hi Oded,

 

I think a thumb rest is very important for my grip style and minimizing recoil.  It also adds a solid level of consistency for thumb placement.

 

1) Consistency/thumb placement.  Good grip is essential.  Having the same grip every time is essential.  Various pressure in odd spots creates an unpredictable (not just straight up and straight down dot) which leads to poor results.  Having a spot to hit like the pedal has helped me a bunch.

 

2) Locking the wrist/thumb.  The goal of the thumb pedal isn't to push down on the pedal.  That is bad.  Contrary to silly youtube "shooting professionals".....you do NOT push down on the gun.  You let the gun do it's thing.  It's going to recoil.  Don't push down....you can't time your shots to push down at the right time.  Let the gun recoil, but lock your left wrist and put pressure in the right spots and it won't recoil much....but you're not fighting the gun down.  Thus, with a thumb rest, don't push down.  This is why people who don't train run into troubles with it.  Instead, you use it to aid in locking your wrist.  

 

Get a slo mo of the gun, wrist, etc with and without a *thumb rest [generic]*.  See what the dot does with either.  

 

Good luck! 

 

Glad the top open guy chimed in.  I agree with him.
 

I’ll add that Grauffel teaches pushing forward on the thumb rest - toward the muzzle.  Prevents the user from pressing down as Christian described.

[Joe4d]

Your gun have a rail ? I just put a "Speed Ledge" on my pin gun.. They have left handed models in 2 lengths. It clamps to the rail slots so you have some adjustment.  Havent shot yet but will give it a worl this weekend

[csailer]

35 minutes ago, Joe4d said:

Your gun have a rail ? I just put a "Speed Ledge" on my pin gun.. They have left handed models in 2 lengths. It clamps to the rail slots so you have some adjustment.  Havent shot yet but will give it a worl this weekend

Look at some pictures of how they're mounted.  They go through the scope mount screws.  

[Ozy]

On 11/18/2020 at 1:41 PM, csailer said:

Hi Oded,

 

I think a thumb rest is very important for my grip style and minimizing recoil.  It also adds a solid level of consistency for thumb placement.

 

1) Consistency/thumb placement.  Good grip is essential.  Having the same grip every time is essential.  Various pressure in odd spots creates an unpredictable (not just straight up and straight down dot) which leads to poor results.  Having a spot to hit like the pedal has helped me a bunch.

 

2) Locking the wrist/thumb.  The goal of the thumb pedal isn't to push down on the pedal.  That is bad.  Contrary to silly youtube "shooting professionals".....you do NOT push down on the gun.  You let the gun do it's thing.  It's going to recoil.  Don't push down....you can't time your shots to push down at the right time.  Let the gun recoil, but lock your left wrist and put pressure in the right spots and it won't recoil much....but you're not fighting the gun down.  Thus, with a thumb rest, don't push down.  This is why people who don't train run into troubles with it.  Instead, you use it to aid in locking your wrist.  

 

Get a slo mo of the gun, wrist, etc with and without a *thumb rest [generic]*.  See what the dot does with either.  

 

Good luck!