The arms

[Demetrio]

I shoot with my arms slightly flexed, but someone adviced me the other day I'd rather try to shoot with them stretched. I'm somewhat doubtful because I feel better with them slightly flexed, even though, on the other hand, I do want to shoot using the CORRECT technique.

So, what's the correct technique?

[Kingman]

Most people recomend a bit of flex to drive the gun

When you shoot bullseye etc you lock em all the way up.

[Catfish]

everyone is different. Some people shoot better stretched and others flexed, with all sorts of variation in between. Best way to find out YOUR best way to shoot is put it to the test.

Shoot for group at ~10 yards or so. Shoot a string with your arms one way and then try the other. It should be pretty clear which way is better.

[Mick]

Watch some upper level shooters engage target arrays while on the move or from a wide degree of swing. Leaving your elbows bent (some) and not locking your arms and shoulders will allow you to transition much faster and smoother. You will let your hips, knees and waist pivot better as well when you unlock everything. This is a fluid, shoot on the move sport where locking major muscle groups tends to hinder your ability to transtition and smoothly engage targets.

[Duane Thomas]

on the other hand, I do want to shoot using the CORRECT technique.

There's no such thing. Everyone has a different muscular system, a different skeletal system, a different nervous system, and - most importantly - a different mind. Try both arm positions. Watch the gun. Check your hits. Then go for the technique that works best for you.

[Demetrio]

Thank you all for your help.

Like I said before, I have been always shooting with my arms slightly flexed, but because of such advice I got confused if I was using a correct technique to do that, so I just needed to be sure I was in the right way.

[SteveZ]

Try both arm positions. Watch the gun. Check your hits. Then go for the technique that works best for you.

I shot for a couple years with both arms locked out....and then developed joint problem in both elbows, my right wrist and right shoulder. After going through rehab...I developed the "bent elbows" position and haven't had any joint problems since. Something to consider....

[John Kane]

Not that this is right or wrong, but I noticed that when I shoot open my arms are bent a lot more than when shooting limited.

So for me it changes between guns even.

[Rckymtnshooter]

I was just working on this tonight. I was working on shooting more relaxed, particularly keeping my shoulders relaxed. I observed that my sights were moving right or left more than usual on my second shot on target. I realized that in trying to relax I was bending my elbows more than usual. I worked on extending my arms more and the gun started tracking straight up and down again. The elbow set that works best for me is to push the gun out all the way, then relax just a bit and the elbows and gun hit a natural settling point.

[benos]

Study good shooters and experiment with every technique you can come up with, and see what works best for you. There is no correct technique.

be

[Duane Thomas]

I am a big believer, in matters such as this, in turning the training over to your subconscious mind. Watch the sights, your subconscious mind will cause your body to do what it needs to get the sights tracking well. You arm position will adjust itself to your optimal technique without any need on your part to try this, try that, if you just open up your inputs and let it happen.

[Flexmoney]

Study good shooters and experiment with every technique you can come up with, and see what works best for you. There is no correct technique.

be

I've watched a lot of DVD's in the past of top shooters. DVD's are great...I play them at about 1/16 speed. At that speed, you can watch the shock wave from the recoil as it moves throguh the body.

[Demetrio]

Speaking of training DVD's, if you were going to get only one among the many available out there in order to improve your fundamentals (especially to learn in details how to make a perfect draw, which I think is my weakest skill today), which one would be?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Edited July 19, 2007 by Demetrio

[XRe]

1st pick on DVDs for fundamentals of the practical shooting sports would be Burkett's Vol. 1-3.

As far as bend of the elbows, you can find what works best for you through simple trial and error. You can also experiment with arm angle (ie, how much you "chicken wing"). Here's how. Start with your arms straight out and locked. Fire a shot and watch how the gun moves, and how the recoil affects you. Now, bend your arms the very slightest amount - maybe just unlock them. Fire another shot and observe. Now, bend them just a fraction more, and repeat this until the gun is in extremely close (obviously, not so close that the slide makes contact with your face ). Then push the gun back out in the same fashion. At some point, you'll find a sweet spot where the gun tracks straight up and down best, has the least amount of flip as you're watching it, and seems to push you the least, as well. That's where you want to try being, for now.

Do the same thing with arm angle. Start with your elbows as close together as you possible can, and slowly bring them up as high as you can (past horizontal, if possible), and back down again, moving slowly and firing a shot followed by observation at each small interval. You'll find a similar sweet spot.

That will give you an idea of what arm position seems to be working for you. Repeat occasionally, especially as you grow in awareness and skill, to be sure that you're holding the right position. As you gain skill, as others have said, your body will tend to manage this for you, and you'll sort of "magically" end up in the right spot. But, until then, this is a good way to experimentally find that spot for yourself (its very individual, as others have stated as well....)

Brian's advice, as always, is very good

[JThompson]

Bent for me and more when I shoot on the move. Less when I have a real long shot, but it's all unconscious at this point.

JT

[nphd2000]

I've been thinking about this as well. During the winter I was practicing with air soft. I started with elbows locked but felt to stiff and robotic when moving from target to target. After a while I started bending at the elbows and felt more fluid. The bad part was I became so relaxed shooting with bent elbows, when shooting season came I was limp wristing. I can't seem to seperate the muscle groups, I relaxed everything.

[Paladin]

Demetrio, I give Ron the nod over Matt as a first DVD.. thereafter progress to Matt..

[EZ Bagger]

Try both arm positions. Watch the gun. Check your hits. Then go for the technique that works best for you.

I shot for a couple years with both arms locked out....and then developed joint problem in both elbows, my right wrist and right shoulder. After going through rehab...I developed the "bent elbows" position and haven't had any joint problems since. Something to consider....

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