Lets talk handgun grip...

[mrvip27]

Some good input guys. I am just seeking to improve my shooting ability. I guess I have to do some testing at the range and maybe try the small backstrap.

[MegademiC]

As I understand it, you open your hand, and place the gun in it in line with your forearm, and that's how you hold it. Obviously, when you shoot, your whole hand will be in a different position, but the gun:hand relationship should be maintained. This provides the proper trigger finger approximately where it should be with some fine tuning made by the shooter. It also maximizes the contact area of your strong hand and keeps it uniform. You don't want your wrist and forearm inline whilst shooting in an isosceles stance, and the gun at an angle.

Pic #2 looks way wrong as the barrel is parallel, but no inline with your arm which seems it would cause weird torque on your wrist. The last pic looks the most correct IMO, but again, when you do a 2-handed grip, your arm/gun angle will change, your grip will not.

[bigrobbierob]

This one video from years ago helped me immensely.

http://youtu.be/ysa50-plo48

[jonbondave]

I grip firmly with my right hand. Maybe 50% strength. And use my support hand for stabilization. Maybe 80% strength. If you go all in with your primary it'll negatively effect your ability to squeeze the trigger in a smooth controlled fashion. Ideally the gun would line up with the bones in your forearm. But that isn't always possible for every hand on every firearm. Thumbs forward. I think training yourself to use a proper two handed grip will do way more for your recoil control than making sure you're all lined up proper in your strong hand. Though that may play a bigger role in one handed shooting... Probably not much though... Recoil will move the gun along the path of last resistance.. Up and to the left if you're a righty.

[mrvip27]

As I understand it, you open your hand, and place the gun in it in line with your forearm, and that's how you hold it. Obviously, when you shoot, your whole hand will be in a different position, but the gun:hand relationship should be maintained. This provides the proper trigger finger approximately where it should be with some fine tuning made by the shooter. It also maximizes the contact area of your strong hand and keeps it uniform. You don't want your wrist and forearm inline whilst shooting in an isosceles stance, and the gun at an angle.

Pic #2 looks way wrong as the barrel is parallel, but no inline with your arm which seems it would cause weird torque on your wrist. The last pic looks the most correct IMO, but again, when you do a 2-handed grip, your arm/gun angle will change, your grip will not.

Thanks for the insight. I really wish I could find somewhere to teach me some basics with a great instructor. Where I live, I fear most peoples "abilities"

[DreadPirateMoyer]

OP, the right answer really is "whatever works for you." You can see professionals and SMEs and instructors doing all kinds of different grips and stances. Travis Haley does a thumbs-forward grip. Larry Vickers goes with one thumb forward and the strong-hand thumb over the weak-hand to avoid blocking the slide stop. Some line up their grip with their forearm. Some, like Jerry Miculek, don't (he has the crushed thumb nerves to prove it). Some urge equal grip strength, some urge inequal; some urge only gripping as hard as necessary to hold the gun, some urge gripping as hard as possible up until the point right before the front sight shakes (Jerry Miculek does this one too). I've seen competition winners and .mil guys recommend only using the middle of your finger pad, and I've seen competition winners and .mil guys recommend using anything on your finger so long as you don't jerk the trigger. Heck, some people even roll their shoulders and cock their elbows out, and others prefer keeping their head up and bringing the gun to their eyes like Kyle Defoor. It's all a combination of hand size, body type, gun type, and what you're overall comfortable with -- there is no right answer, despite what is being said in this thread.

Now, of course, there are some fundamentals that you always want to adhere to -- square to the target/isosceles stance being two big ones -- but as for how to properly grip a pistol? Study what other people do, go to a few classes, shoot a lot, and figure out what works for you. I'd recommend starting here, with one of the world's best pure shooters:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEHNZFTfSD8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChSazF41q-s

Like I said, Jerry doesn't grip the pistol straight with the forearm. He even mentions in the revolver video about how he crushed the nerve in his thumb because he takes so much recoil into the first bone in his thumb. Honestly, it's up to you. The key is to shoot a lot and figure it out for yourself.

P.S.: for the record, I don't shoot with the gun lined up with my forearm. It makes presentation under a timer awkward and makes it harder to get a proper, equally-distributed isosceles stance for me. It's a bit cockeyed (if straight with the forearm is 90 degrees, my grip is more like 75-80 degrees), and puts the gun straight into the target when I present. Your mileage may vary, and as seen above, it does even amongst people who have shot millions of rounds in their lifetime.

[mrvip27]

OP, the right answer really is "whatever works for you." You can see professionals and SMEs and instructors doing all kinds of different grips and stances. Travis Haley does a thumbs-forward grip. Larry Vickers goes with one thumb forward and the strong-hand thumb over the weak-hand to avoid blocking the slide stop. Some line up their grip with their forearm. Some, like Jerry Miculek, don't (he has the crushed thumb nerves to prove it). Some urge equal grip strength, some urge inequal; some urge only gripping as hard as necessary to hold the gun, some urge gripping as hard as possible up until the point right before the front sight shakes (Jerry Miculek does this one too). I've seen competition winners and .mil guys recommend only using the middle of your finger pad, and I've seen competition winners and .mil guys recommend using anything on your finger so long as you don't jerk the trigger. Heck, some people even roll their shoulders and cock their elbows out, and others prefer keeping their head up and bringing the gun to their eyes like Kyle Defoor. It's all a combination of hand size, body type, gun type, and what you're overall comfortable with -- there is no right answer, despite what is being said in this thread.

Now, of course, there are some fundamentals that you always want to adhere to -- square to the target/isosceles stance being two big ones -- but as for how to properly grip a pistol? Study what other people do, go to a few classes, shoot a lot, and figure out what works for you. I'd recommend starting here, with one of the world's best pure shooters:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEHNZFTfSD8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChSazF41q-s

Like I said, Jerry doesn't grip the pistol straight with the forearm. He even mentions in the revolver video about how he crushed the nerve in his thumb because he takes so much recoil into the first bone in his thumb. Honestly, it's up to you. The key is to shoot a lot and figure it out for yourself.

P.S.: for the record, I don't shoot with the gun lined up with my forearm. It makes presentation under a timer awkward and makes it harder to get a proper, equally-distributed isosceles stance for me. It's a bit cockeyed (if straight with the forearm is 90 degrees, my grip is more like 75-80 degrees), and puts the gun straight into the target when I present. Your mileage may vary, and as seen above, it does even amongst people who have shot millions of rounds in their lifetime.

Very very sound advice. Im hitting the range tomorrow and trying a few things.

Also, I guess what is a key thing when it comes to handgun fit. How do you know whats too large? I know some reasons are obvious, but even certain "big grip" handguns can be fired with accuracy and ease as well.

[jonbondave]

Very very sound advice. Im hitting the range tomorrow and trying a few things.

Also, I guess what is a key thing when it comes to handgun fit. How do you know whats too large? I know some reasons are obvious, but even certain "big grip" handguns can be fired with accuracy and ease as well.

depends, how big are your hands? I can shoot standard glock 20/21 easily... But I have big hands. I guess what matters is how much purchase you can get on the trigger. If you're stretching to make it, the gun is too big.

[Magsz]

Very very sound advice. Im hitting the range tomorrow and trying a few things.

Also, I guess what is a key thing when it comes to handgun fit. How do you know whats too large? I know some reasons are obvious, but even certain "big grip" handguns can be fired with accuracy and ease as well.

A gun is too large when you lose your grip on it under recoil or you cannot reach the trigger to smoothly manipulate it straight to the rear.

Other than that, there is no such thing as a gun that doesn't "fit". Some are better than others for each individual.

[beschatten]

Lots of different methods to tackle this, and I think grip variations differ for different purposes, and folks.

What helped me the most was actually my body. Spinal extension and keep my neck aligned with my spine, erecting my lumbar erectors (lower back), slight tilt forward, and slightly bending my knees. Kind of like a proper deadlift at the 90% extension.

I've got pretty big hands, so with the 2 handed, thumbs forward grip, I just try and keep as much of my hands on the pistol. I try and keep my support-hand at a 45 degree downward angle with the wrist locked tight. This is a little uncomfortable but it helps manage recoil. I don't ever choke the gun with my firing hand.