NetSync Posted January 13, 2023 Share Posted January 13, 2023 Hi. I have been trying some different ways of holding my Glock 17 Gen 5. I seem to be getting better results with the thumb of my weak hand not touching the the firearm (but it is touching the thumb of my strong hand and is parallel to the firearm (It is maybe 3/8" from the trigger guard.) I seem to be lightly pressing down with the thumb on my strong hand and up with the thumb of my weak hand. I don't recall ever shooting this way before and I am wondering if this is a bad habit to get into ? Have put less than 1,000 rounds thru that Glock and want to build up some good habits. Have done some "dime on front sight" drills and the results seem to match the results when actually firing. Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks NetSync Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackstone45 Posted January 13, 2023 Share Posted January 13, 2023 There is no right or wrong way. When I first started shooting, my support hand thumb would touch the slide of the gun. At some point down the line on my journey to refine my grip, that stopped happening. The question is, why do you think your weak hand thumb should be touching the gun? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NetSync Posted January 13, 2023 Author Share Posted January 13, 2023 7 minutes ago, Blackstone45 said: There is no right or wrong way. When I first started shooting, my support hand thumb would touch the slide of the gun. At some point down the line on my journey to refine my grip, that stopped happening. The question is, why do you think your weak hand thumb should be touching the gun? I appreciate your comments. That is a good question that I don't really have an answer to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpm8300 Posted January 15, 2023 Share Posted January 15, 2023 As a former firearms instructor for law enforcement officers and Glocks, we would generally say 'thumbs pointed to target along the frame.' Doing is one way for shooters to get the best utility out of the Glock's grip angle and have your support hand angled aggressively forward. A great demonstration of this is any of Robert Vogel's videos - outstanding grip mechanics. That being said, I personally prefer having the support thumb a little closer to 45 degrees and not touching the frame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NetSync Posted January 16, 2023 Author Share Posted January 16, 2023 23 hours ago, rpm8300 said: As a former firearms instructor for law enforcement officers and Glocks, we would generally say 'thumbs pointed to target along the frame.' Doing is one way for shooters to get the best utility out of the Glock's grip angle and have your support hand angled aggressively forward. A great demonstration of this is any of Robert Vogel's videos - outstanding grip mechanics. That being said, I personally prefer having the support thumb a little closer to 45 degrees and not touching the frame. Thanks that is helpful. I appreciate the information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IVC Posted January 16, 2023 Share Posted January 16, 2023 Thumb is pointed along the frame to get the correct wrist angle, not necessarily to control the gun. Whether thumb contacts the frame is a similar question to whether your support hand index finger should be on the trigger guard - both will allow you to torque the gun, which you don't want, while also providing some added leverage, which you MIGHT want. Looking at top shooters and their individual techniques, I'd say that it's mostly a preference and that there isn't right or wrong way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NetSync Posted January 17, 2023 Author Share Posted January 17, 2023 18 hours ago, IVC said: Thumb is pointed along the frame to get the correct wrist angle, not necessarily to control the gun. Whether thumb contacts the frame is a similar question to whether your support hand index finger should be on the trigger guard - both will allow you to torque the gun, which you don't want, while also providing some added leverage, which you MIGHT want. Looking at top shooters and their individual techniques, I'd say that it's mostly a preference and that there isn't right or wrong way. Thanks that is useful. I appreciate the information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpm8300 Posted January 23, 2023 Share Posted January 23, 2023 NP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sx2gl35 Posted January 26, 2023 Share Posted January 26, 2023 Try pressing down harder with the thumb on your strong hand and watch your front sight / dot dance around. That might happen in stressful situations like when the timer sounds and you involuntarily increase / decrease your grip strength. I place the side of my support thumb in the take-down lever indentation with light pressure, using it as a reference point to consistently locate my support hand at an aggressive angle forward (as rpm8300 said). That also gets more support hand "meat" on the grip. To avoid disturbing the front sight / dot, and also to avoid unintentionally engaging the extended slide stop lever with my strong thumb, I raise it up and away and form a nice cradle for the beaver tail in the process. Each to their own, YMMV and good luck to you in your search. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waktasz Posted January 27, 2023 Share Posted January 27, 2023 Post pics of your grip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sx2gl35 Posted January 27, 2023 Share Posted January 27, 2023 Wak, if that was meant for me, sorry but I don't possess the technology to do so...my bad! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
124gr9mm Posted January 27, 2023 Share Posted January 27, 2023 Are you planning to be a competition shooter or are you just working to be able to shoot the G17 well? If the focus is shooting it well then I agree with the folks who say "do what works well for you". I have a friend who's a retired LEO and he has a grip similar to the one you describe. He'd never be a competition shooter, but he keeps everything center mass on a Q target from 0 - 25 yards, so he's plenty effective from a self-defense perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NetSync Posted February 9, 2023 Author Share Posted February 9, 2023 Thanks all for the additional comments. Sorry for the delayed response. I got caught up in some other stuff over the last few weeks. I'm debating using this firearm (Glock 17) in IPSC this season. I seem to be making headway and tried some rapid double taps with mixed results. I have a lot more work to do. I'm hoping to get someone to time me and will ask him or her to take some photos. I have tried a few minor variations of how I am placing my thumbs and positioning my trigger finger on the trigger and seem to homing on on something that works for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunBugBit Posted July 18, 2023 Share Posted July 18, 2023 Works better for me to not have the support hand thumb touching the frame. That’s for Glock and 1911/2011 alike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDRIDER Posted August 14, 2023 Share Posted August 14, 2023 (edited) On 2/9/2023 at 3:43 PM, NetSync said: Thanks all for the additional comments. Sorry for the delayed response. I got caught up in some other stuff over the last few weeks. I'm debating using this firearm (Glock 17) in IPSC this season. I seem to be making headway and tried some rapid double taps with mixed results. I have a lot more work to do. I'm hoping to get someone to time me and will ask him or her to take some photos. I have tried a few minor variations of how I am placing my thumbs and positioning my trigger finger on the trigger and seem to homing on on something that works for me. Another possibility for your Glock would be a thumbrest. Not sure if legal in IPSC, But there is one, yes one, that is legal for USPSA in Carry Optics, Limited and Limited Optics. https://www.mjcustoms.net/ They can make one that will fit the "box" too for Production. I have tried it and it is a very affective at reducing muzzle flip. Just a thought. YMMV. good luck with your season. Edited August 15, 2023 by LDRIDER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackstone45 Posted August 15, 2023 Share Posted August 15, 2023 It'd be strictly no bueno in IPSC Production. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NetSync Posted August 17, 2023 Author Share Posted August 17, 2023 Thanks again all. Some other life stuff happened earlier this year and I ran out of time to practice with the Glock. Will likely put some more effort into the Glock soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mule169 Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 I have the same problem when drawing from appendix doing reload drills with 2 or 3 rounds in each mag. (Assuming you're right handed) More than likely it's your dominant hand thumb on/over the slide release, not allowing it to be pushed into place by the magazine follower. Normal shooting its not a problem for me but when I'm doing quick drills, drawing from appendix, my thumb usually ends up right on top of the slide release. When you're gripping the gun, try moving your dominant thumb over onto your support hand more and not as tight against the gun. Also, as others have said, the extended slide release is a great work around for this. I actually have one on the way for my carry gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80seriesaddict Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 I shoot glocks for defensive purposes. What works for me is support thumb forward. Dominant thumb forward but resting on my support hand. I have a nasty habit of holding down the slide lock with my dominant thumb if I don’t rest my dominant thumb on my support hand. Probably because of my fat fingers and mostly shooting 1911’s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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