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Kyle's Flinch Breaker - 101


Flexmoney

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Here is something I typed out to email to a friend...long ago. I've posted it here a few time, but I don't think it had it's own thread before.

Kyle, thank you! this is exactly what I'm facing currently.

Kyle's Flinch Breaker - 101 (generic version)

- Double plug. I doubt you are flinching due to noise, but double plug anyway...at least when you are shooting.

- Know that the big explosion going off at arms length won't do you any harm (simple, I know...but it is something the shooter has to "decide" to accept)

- less pressure with the strong hand grip...more pressure with the weak hand. The strong hand needs to be relaxed to operate the trigger in a smooth manner.

Calling the shot & follow-thru

If you have a flinch, then you just aren't calling the shot and following-thru. There is no way around that truth.

If you were calling the shot, you would see that it was off. Eventually, you just wouldn't take the shot.

Here are some things to see.

- You have to have a Front Sight focus. Razor sharp. Burn it in!!! Forget the target focus for close stuff crap...there are Masters that shouldn't be doing that.

When you next go to shoot, don't use a target. Aim at the berm. Not a rock or clump of mud, just the berm in general.

Watch the front sight ONLY. Make yourself see it track. That is your only goal here. Do single shots at first. Get a solid sight picture both before and after each shot. That is two sight pictures for each shot...follow-thru.

If you don't see the front sight lifting and coming back, then don't move on. This is vital. If you do see it, move to multiple shots...but keep seeing and keep that follow-thru!

- Next, move to a close target (one yard). Again, the focus is on watching the front sight track. Target blurry. The target just happens to be there. keep seeing the front sight...TWO sight pictures for each shot. Do single shots first.

You should be able to call each and every shot. If you can't, then you weren't focused on the front sight.

Never advance if you encounter a problem. If all goes well, move the target back a yard at a time.

- Never try to 'catch the sight' and pull the trigger as it (sight picture) wobbles around in the A-zone. Accept that the sights will move around on the target. Just focus on the front sight and release the shot. If it is off, then you will have called it from your read on the sights as the bullet was released.

This brings up the next point.

- TRUST. You HAVE to trust your sights. Don't look for hits on the target. EVER! Read the sights. If you shot a hoper or a Delta, make it up!

A big part of people missing is that they start to look for the hits. They end up looking AS the gun fires. As they look over the gun, they pull it off target.

If you call the sights, then there is no need to look (or listen) for hits.

If you find yourself doing the "pull the trigger NOW" thing, try this...pretend that your gun is a giant paint brush that extends to the target. Use your gun (sighted) to "paint" a circle around the A-zone. Keep painting the circle, then release the shot at any time along the circle. Call that shot. (don't worry about the hit in the A-zone).

If you find yourself looking at the target, or looking for hits ...instead of focusing on the front sight...then close your eyes (safely). Line up the sights between shots, then close your eyes and deliver the shot. Chances are your group will tighten up.

If you do the above...and still have a flinch (dry/live-fire) then let me know. Chances are, your flinch might come back during a match. If so, then slow down and call the shot...and follow-thru.

Hope you find this helpful!

Kyle

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Thanks for the awesome tips!

Problem I'm running into is that I can see the sights lift with no problem, and I can see the brass eject without a problem.

My Gen 4 Glock 17 then spits that shell into my face, causing me to blink and missing the 2nd sight picture.

Edited by Unregistered
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One thing I noticed that helped with blinking was when I started helping RO at our local matches. I eventually realized I seeing every movement of their gun as it recoiled. It translated over to not blinking when I was shooting as well. Maybe not, but it seemed to help.

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Flex, first, great post! I've been shooting most of my life (not in matches, but as a hobby), and I don't blink or flinch, but I do death grip the gun with my strong hand. When I catch myself doing it, I release the strong hand and grip tighter with the support hand, but most times I don't seem to notice and my shooting goes to crap. How do you fix it where it's ingrained to not grip so tightly with the strong hand, all the time, so that it isn't diverting focus from the front site? What I mean is, if I'm thinking about loosening the grip of the support hand, then I'm obviously not focussing on seeing the sites lift and return. During slow fire, it's not an issue, but it seems the faster I try to go, the harder I grip..

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Most grip with the strong hand to control the gun. The more they try to go fast/control...the more they over grip with the strong hand.

I control the gun with the weak hand. (Control really isn't a good word, but it probably fits the purposes of this thread.)

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Most grip with the strong hand to control the gun. The more they try to go fast/control...the more they over grip with the strong hand.

I control the gun with the weak hand. (Control really isn't a good word, but it probably fits the purposes of this thread.)

Exactly what I'm doing..... How do I fix it?

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Most grip with the strong hand to control the gun. The more they try to go fast/control...the more they over grip with the strong hand.

I control the gun with the weak hand. (Control really isn't a good word, but it probably fits the purposes of this thread.)

Exactly what I'm doing..... How do I fix it?

I was struggling with this a few years ago, to the point I was breaking thumb safeties off (3). I had to direct my attention elsewhere to correct the problem. Usually, other symptoms are trigger freeze and the FS not returning correctly, unexplained low left hits and misses.

I quit thinking about grip entirely. The negative thought process, I will not grip so hard, didn't work for me at all. Positive thoughts work much better. I focused my attention on the FS and let it control everything and that problem went away. Pushing, or trying to shoot faster than you can comfortably can causes this problem too. If you walked up to me right after shooting a stage and asked me how hard my grip was, I would not be able to answer you. I have no idea. Hard enough... :P Your body will adjust if you let it.

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Most grip with the strong hand to control the gun. The more they try to go fast/control...the more they over grip with the strong hand.

I control the gun with the weak hand. (Control really isn't a good word, but it probably fits the purposes of this thread.)

Exactly what I'm doing..... How do I fix it?

I was struggling with this a few years ago, to the point I was breaking thumb safeties off (3). I had to direct my attention elsewhere to correct the problem. Usually, other symptoms are trigger freeze and the FS not returning correctly, unexplained low left hits and misses.

I quit thinking about grip entirely. The negative thought process, I will not grip so hard, didn't work for me at all. Positive thoughts work much better. I focused my attention on the FS and let it control everything and that problem went away. Pushing, or trying to shoot faster than you can comfortably can causes this problem too. If you walked up to me right after shooting a stage and asked me how hard my grip was, I would not be able to answer you. I have no idea. Hard enough... :P Your body will adjust if you let it.

My problem is, if I don't think about it, my grip gets tighter and tighter it seems. I wonder if switching from strong hand to weak hand will do anything, just for a while....so my strong hand is squeezing tighter than the weak hand....

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You say:

My problem is, if I don't think about it, my grip gets tighter and tighter it seems. I wonder if switching from strong hand to weak hand will do anything, just for a while....so my strong hand is squeezing tighter than the weak hand....

I hear tension. Pushing. Desire. Double tapping.

Switching hands might help for a minute by causing you to change your focus. For a minute.

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You say:

My problem is, if I don't think about it, my grip gets tighter and tighter it seems. I wonder if switching from strong hand to weak hand will do anything, just for a while....so my strong hand is squeezing tighter than the weak hand....

I hear tension. Pushing. Desire. Double tapping.

Switching hands might help for a minute by causing you to change your focus. For a minute.

I think you are right. The last match I shot, I hadn't practiced or shot for 2 months, and had every expectation to do poorly, but it was the best match I've ever shot and bumped me in class, totally unexpectedly. I need to stop thinking about any expectations and just shoot.

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