Glock Grip?

[rtr]

Ok can anyone explain or show a picture of a proper grip for a g17/18/22/31/34/35/37 Glock frame? Reason I ask is that I think I'm not getting enough skin of my left hand on the gun, the only way I have found to fix it is to rotate my right hand so that my fingers don't wrap as far around to the left side of the gun thus more room on the left side for my weak hand to contact the gun. I continually throw my rounds to the left and I think it's because my right hand has too much grip, I try to manage recoil too much with my right hand and not enough with my left. Thanks.

[the duck of death]

The palm of the left thumb should be touching the palm of the right thumb and both thumbs should be pointed at the target. The end of the trigger finger on the trigger thus leaving the rest of the trigger finger in a bow that DOES NOT touch the frame.

I also have a smooth 2.8lb trigger pull on my G23 and that is of great importance not to pull your shots low and left.

Here's a excercise I do daily, I squeeze the grip with 3 fingers on the grip and the trigger finger on the slide. I do this for 3 sets of 50 both the right and left hand.

I do this with both hands because I practice every day and every other day is with the weak hand. (which isn't particularly weak anymore).

I have started shooting the right side of barracdes right handed and the left side left handed. You wouldn't believe how this eliminates all the contortions.

I hope this helps.

[rtr]

Duck can you take a picture of what your describing? Both just the weak hand gripping and both hands together.

[A33435]

Duck, i was thinking how the understand rtr's question and how to explain the answer.

I think you have a good excercise there, i am gonna give it a try.

Greetings

Adrie

[Flexmoney]

trt,

Go ahead and rotate the right hand around some. Get more of the meat of the palm of the left hand on the gun (got grip tape?).

As for the shots going right...

That is a related issue, but it still shouldn't be happening. You are likely squeezing too much with the right (strong) hand...thus, yanking the trigger.

Use the left hand more for the grip. Ease up with the right. Isolate the trigger finger from everything else. As mentioned, pad on trigger...trigger finger not touching frame...trigger goes straight back.

[the duck of death]

rtr

Sorry, no camera. Check out lesson 1 on this site.

http://www.americanshooter.com/Features/RL1/rl1.html

[twix]

I'll try. Grab your blaster and make sure it's empty. Assuming your right hand is your strong hand, grip the grip with your right hand with the webbing between your thumb and trigger finger as high up the grip as you can get it.

Hold your right arm out straight and align the slide straight with your extended arm.

Now extend your left arm and cant (drop) your left wrist down (hard!until it hurts ).

Bring your left hand into the butt of the gun underneath your right thumb.

Your finished position should have both thumbs pointing downrange, right on top of left, relaxed. Your left hand fingers should be wrapped over top your right hand fingers and snugged up tight under the trigger guard, to the point of squishing your left hand pointer finger out to the front.

This will feel uncomfortable, especially the left wrist canted down so far. You will get used to it.

I believe the central theme here is to have more or less equal pressure from each hand gripping the gun, with the trigger finger isolated and free to move independently. Tension in your thumbs will prevent free movement of the trigger finger.

Also, arms extended but not locked.

[diehli]

I grip it exactly the same way I grip my STI. However, a couple other things change thanks, in part, to a broken thumb that I didn't get set (my left one).

One of those things is that my left thumb touches the frame in front of the trigger guard-- I'm sure this would happen if I had a wide 2011 frame as well. The other is that my shoulders come up so that I don't have to can't my thumb too much more. Although it creates more tension, I can switch back and forth between the Glock and STI with little more than a couple of dry draws/presentations.

Beyond that, it's a standard IPSC grip (ala Brian and Rob).

Playing around a bit, I think you might not have the lower portion of your strong hand (bottom half of the heel) on the back strap. This allows you to be more relaxed when you have the gun up, but, in my experience (I played around with it, too) your support hand won't stay put no matter how much skateboard tape you put on the grip and the gun's recoil is less "tameable."

Then again, you could just have long fingers.

[howardw]

The only thing I would add/change regarding the Leatham lesson on American Shooter is that it says to rest the strong hand thumb on the thumb safety. Since the Glock doesn't have one of these I find that I have to rest my strong hand thumb on the back of my weak hand at the base of the weak hand thumb. I do this because if I don't, the strong had thumb will occasionally hit the slide lock and will prevent the gun from locking open when empty. This way just keeps the thumb off the gun and out of the way.

Howard

[Matthew_Mink]

I don't have much of my left hand on the gun at all when I shoot a Glock. Don't know how it came to be that way, but that's the way it is and it works for me. My grip is comfortable, the gun doesn't move, it points well, but it may not work for others.

When I shoot the SV or a singlestack, I notice I have more of my hand on the left hand side of the gun. Probably just the way I'm built and the differences of the pistols.

[MoNsTeR]

I tried shooting my G19 today with my right thumb on top of my left hand, as people seem to be describing, basically a 1911 grip without the benefit of a thumb rest. It felt pretty good in terms of control, but the frame smacks the hell out of my thumb knuckle (you know, the one that STI grip safeties are relieved for). Plus it seems like it would give a weak grip on the draw, though I didn't try it. Also, wouldn't you have to use a different grip when shooting one-handed?

Anyway I went back to my original grip, which is basically the same except the right thumb goes down in the thumbrest area. It's not as solid but it's natural and painless. I'm still interested in using a 1911 style grip, if anyone has a solution to the knuckle-smacking issue.

[howardw]

MoNsTeR, my guess is that you are not gripping the gun high enough. Get the web between your thumb and index finger as high up on the grip as you can.

For me, I find the Glock easier on my thumb than 1911's. I broke my thumb years ago and it's a continutal problem for me. And maybe you aren't gripping the gun firmly enough and you are letting it recoil into your hand. Try and keep your grip recoiling with the gun. This may not make sense.

Also, If your right thumb is on the thumb rest you cannot get enough of your left palm on the grip of the gun. And that left palm is darned near everything in a two handed grip.

Good Luck,

Howard

[MoNsTeR]

If I grip it any higher, the slide will cut my hand.

I can avoid the thumb knuckle bashing by rotating my right hand further around to the left side of the gun, but that's unnatural, uncomfortable, and impractical to use with an isosceles stance. I could also avoid it by turning my angling my thumb to the left, that is away from the target, which I know is bad form and it feels bad too.

I have read a few times that it's important to get the left palm on the grip, but I don't see why.

[Flexmoney]

I really have to take an aggressive grip to shoot the Glock at MAJOR power factor...and shoot it fast.

Shooting MINOR, I can get by without holding onto the gun very agressively (though, I tend to think that my aggressive grip helps in Minor too.)

In this first picture...I have my right thumb pointing down more than nornal...to show where the knuckle is. (red circle)

The green elipse shows the area I like to get the meat of my left palm on...with lots of grip tape.

[Flexmoney]

Here is the left hand.

Notice the palms pressing against each other (green circle). And, the meat of the left palm is cammed in (on the grip tape).

If the left hand is opened up...the finger of the left hand will point to the ground at nearly a 45 degree angle (orange line).

[Flexmoney]

Here is a side view:

[Flexmoney]

This shows the knuckle.

(Note that this is exagerrated to show the knuckle position...my thumb is on, or nearly on, the slide...that is a nono.)

[Flexmoney]

More natural thumb position:

(...and some rust on those sights )

[the duck of death]

YEP!!!!!!

Good job Flex.

[SiG Lady]

How to properly grip a G17?

Much more easily than a G34, that's for sure!

PS--Nice photos!

[howardw]

Yep, that's pretty much it Flex. My strong hand thumb sits a bit further left on the back of my weak hand though, otherwise I run into problems with the slide stop.

Monster, I actually took my gun out and tried to see what you are doing. I see now that if you are gripping the gun the way I think you are gripping the gun it will bash your thumb joint. Practice gripping the gun the way Flex is showing and I assure you that will shoot better and more comfortably.

Howard

[Flexmoney]

My strong hand thumb sits a bit further left on the back of my weak hand though, otherwise I run into problems with the slide stop.

Howard

I don't have an extended slide stop/release on any Glock.

Those things are the devils's work.

[diehli]

That they are.

[howardw]

Ah Hah! Why don't you use the extended slide release? Just curious.

Thanks,

Howard

[Nik Habicht]

Howard,

we pretty much stopped using the extended slide release because it occasionally works as an "unintended slide held open" device in the middle of a magazine. In other words it's too easy to bump up. In this sport, most of your reloads should be done slide forward, round chambered, because it's faster to reload that way. On the occasional slide-lock reload, I don't find that I lose a significant amount of time by hitting the smaller, standard slide release as opposed to hitting the extended release. I do find that having the slide lock back unintentionally costs me a couple of seconds as I try to identify the malfunction...