Developing a consistent draw/index

[Production_shooter]

Hi all

I have been reading many topics without an account, but finally decided it was time to join in. Sorry for the long post ahead. 

I have been shooting olympic style .22 pistol for almost 10 years, but finally got bored with it and started shooting IPSC. I am shooting in the production division with a CZ shadow 2. 

 

I have been shooting IPSC for about a year, but I have probably fired as many shots in local matches (shot about 10-12) as I have in training due to limited range time. Anyway, being competitive of nature I decided I want to improve my shooting, so I bought Practical Pistol reloaded and Dryfire reloaded by Ben Stoeger. Currently I usually place decently in the local matches. 

 

During the last match I went to, I noticed a few problems in my shooting. There are many more things to improve of course, but these seemed to me like good starting points

1. draw is somewhat inconsistent. Once I hear the BEEP I stop thinking about the grip, and focus on executing my stage plan. I suspect my weak hand is not really doing much, and I could be gripping harder with my strong hand also. 

2. inconsistent index. I noticed especially when doing reloads, my weak hand may not get into the same position on the gun, screwing up my index and slowing me down or giving bad hits. 

3. the inconsistent index/grip eventually leading to "shooting faster than I can see". I suspect the good shooters, having consistent grips and all, will know exactly how long it takes the gun to return after the recoil, and be able to fire the next immediately as the gun is ready. With my inconsistent grip, I sometimes fire the 2nd shot too soon. On close targets it works fine, but on further targets often leads to C's or even D's. 

 

How did you all develop a consistent and hard grip? I expect the answer is to dry fire/draw a lot. Probably by slowing the draw down a lot (talking several seconds here) to ensure a good hard grip each time, and then gradually speeding things up. If I draw with emphasis on speed, I can still get on target in ok time (consistently <1.2s on 7 yard target), but I find that I forget to grip the gun hard, so in a match I will lose time on the other shots. 

Hopefully the index will develop itself along the way as the draw/grip improves?

When I draw the gun, the sights are fairly aligned, but not 100% so on further targets I lose some time searching for the front sight. 

 

I feel like live-fire exercise is almost a waste of ammunition until the grip and index becomes more consistent. 

Any tips on improving the grip/index are greatly appreciated. I have access to some outdoor area for dryfiring, and have bought some mini IPSC targets also 

[StefVanHauwe]

Check these out:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Production_shooter]

Had a good look at the videos, and it's pretty much what I'm trying to learn/get better at. The answer must be more practicing. 

[Joe4d]

I dont do videos,, 
But some tips they may or may not have covered.
Practice backwards...

Aim your gun at target, bang bang bang,  Now speed holster,,, Did you miss ? Look at the angles, look at the placement... Move your gear to the angle that fits your hand and wrist. 

[obsessiveshooter]

Dry fire is going to fix most of this.  YouTube search "IPSC Dry fire" and pick videos that show a target and include the the "are you ready? standby!" commands.  The repetition will make your draw, sight alignment and reloads become second nature.  

[cwt]

Consistent and repetitive practice will really drive this one home for you. Make sure you are also building points of reference for your body to familiarize itself with so you always know your arms or hands are in the right place at all times. This includes resting your finger or palm on a particular part of your holster, having the butt of the magazine touching the same point on your forearm, having your support hand coming up and touching the same part of your belt/stomach each time, etc. This reference point is integral in being able to repeat the same action over and over until it becomes second nature. 

 

In regards to you finding yourself sometimes not gripping hard enough, Ben Stoeger often explains that our brain can usually only focus on one task at a time. It doesn't make sense to try and have our brain focus on multiple things and do those multiple things poorly - better to focus on one and do it well. How does this work when you have to think of a ton of things when shooting a stage? Practice each one of them individually until they are completely wired into your subconscious and you dont have to think about doing it. During dry fire, focus on your grip pressure throughout every drill. Repeat the word "crush" in your head every single time the gun is in your hand and clamp down simultaneously with your support hand. Over time, you'll start to incorporate this subconsciously and if you feel like you are slipping, keep repeating this process during your practice.