New Guy From NC Has Question About Grip

wmetzler01 · Jan 1, 2013

Hello and happy new year from Burlington NC!

I've recently begun begun dry fire training with my KWA 1911 focusing on:

1). Consistent Grip (I'm left eye dominant and right handed - splitting grip pressure 20% on right and 80% on left)
2). Consistent sight picture (I think this is the product of good grip and stance)
3). Shooting consistent 2" groups at 10' with 95% accuracy or greater (out of 100 rounds fired - I'm performing at 90% )

My question is this - how hard should I be gripping the pistol with my left hand?

As it stands now, I'm gripping it with 80% of my total strength for my left hand and 20% for the right. This is introducing tension when which can lead to greater inconsistency over time (e.g. I can only hold that level of strength for 30 to 50 seconds before my hand tires). When my left hand tires, I have problems maintaining a solid sight picture. I think I've misread some research and taken this concept too literally?

Thank for your help!

Will

PS - 20 years ago I was an avid shooter, but I've laid off until now. I'm training to start USPSA comps this year (a trip to the Tar Heel 3 Gun last November renewed my shooting interests). My new pistol is a Dawson Tuned STI Edge .40 just purchased roughly a week ago so I've yet to make it to the range. Planning to do so within the next 2 weeks.

Wall · Jan 1, 2013

wmetzler01 said:
As it stands now, I'm gripping it with 80% of my total strength for my left hand and 20% for the right. This is introducing tension when which can lead to greater inconsistency over time (e.g. I can only hold that level of strength for 30 to 50 seconds before my hand tires). When my left hand tires, I have problems maintaining a solid sight picture. I think I've misread some research and taken this concept too literally?

it's not 80/20 of your strength, it's 80/20 pressure from a good solid grip.

Jeff T. · Jan 1, 2013

Wall said:
it's not 80/20 of your strength, it's 80/20 pressure from a good solid grip.

I am right handed and left eyed as well.
I agree with Tony, It's not 80% of your strength, Its 80% of the pressure it takes to have a good solid grip on the gun. You don't hold the gun like it was the lifeline you were thrown if you fell over a cliff, you hold it more like the steering wheel of a porsche doing 80 around a curve. a Good Solid Grip, but not a death grip. You find that good grip and then make sure 80% of it is from your left hand.
P.S. Welcome to BoomerShooter..

dennishoddy · Jan 1, 2013

What these guys said.
Welcome to BoomerShooter!

wmetzler01 · Jan 2, 2013

Thank you for the information!!

jtischauser · Jan 4, 2013

Welcome to the forum!

Are you shooting USPSA or just talking about standing and shooting groups? Rarely in USPSA will you have the same grip on the gun for more than 10 seconds before you break or relax your grip to move or transition targets etc. If you're shooting groups relax and regrip once any sign of fatigue starts.

For USPSA I was taught to grip the gun with my support hand as firmly as a can (if you're hands are trembling from pressure thats too much) while locking that wrist out at 45 angled forward. That grip pressure and locked wrist manages recoil. The trigger hand grips the gun as firmy as I can without causing that grip pressure to influence the trigger finger. You want to make sure that your trigger finger is completely relaxed with no tension in it. This also helps to ensure that you don't get any of the sympathetic finger movement in your other fingers. For me that's in the 10-15% range of my support hand grip.

The best way to get your grip perfected is by taking a class with a top level instructor where you shoot 1000-1500 rounds in two days under someone's watchful eye. That class for me was TDSA AP 1 in Tulsa. It's a basic introductory pistol course but it engrained a perfect grip into me. I need to get up there and take it again with my 2011.