flinching drills

TYLER M RUSSELL said:

how do you all teach basics? is it something like: safety, terminology (or should that be reversed?)

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U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, Pistol Marksmanship Training Guide - http://www.saveourguns.com/Ar_Marks_Un_Pistol_Train_Guide.pdf

TYLER M RUSSELL said:

what to expect, grip, stance, trigger manipulation, safety again, dry fire, safety, live fire?

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This is the sequence I use now for about 4 hour defensive point shooting range instruction regardless how new or long shooters have been shooting:

• I go over safe handling of pistol and range safety/etiquette (Done prior to range day)

• Then I go over neutral grip and trigger control so as to not move the front sight when the hammer/striker is released along with point shooting steps as outlined at bottom of this post - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/my-proposed-recipe-newbie-here.864640/#post-11414962

• And now I require every shooter to dry fire several hundred times before the range session (With pistol that you can dry fire) or until they master dry firing without moving the front sight. I also have them dry fire practice with one hand until shooter is comfortable. (Done prior to range day)

Range day:

• At the start of range session with targets at 5 yards, I demonstrate 2 finger grip shooting with various 9/40/45 pistols while shattering many Hollywood movie gun myths as ice breaker then one hand (strong/weak) shooting, no extension (forearms resting on belly) shooting, partial and full extension shooting, at multiple targets while having the shooter return demonstrate each shooting type while going over stance/body position. This part is done sighted utilizing the front sight focus on target.

• With fresh targets, next comes unsighted (eyes closed) POI synchronization to POA with sight alignment.

• Once POI synchronization is done to POA, shooter point shoots with eyes open but not utilizing the front sight at 2 dots then 4 dots on target. (For those interested in match shooting, looking past the blurry front sight is utilized on clear target picture)

• Once proficient, target is taped and shooter double taps point shooting at multiple targets. Target is taped whenever POI (hole) is hard to tell.

• Once proficient with point shooting double taps, different shooting positions are practiced (standing, sitting, laying down, prone, shooting around cover with one hand, etc.) always utilizing multiple targets.

• Detailed review of all steps with Q&A with demonstration/return demonstration by shooters with emphasis of deliberate practice and mastery of each step on a daily basis (quick draw and point shooting/dry fire while watching TV and trigger events like new character entering scene/commercial as cue for magazine change)

• Point shooting demonstration and return demonstration at 7-10 yards with emphasis of mastering all steps of point shooting at 5 yards to produce tight groups before moving targets to 7-10-15 yards (looking past the blurry front sight is utilized on clear target picture for more distant targets)

• Point shooting demonstration and return demonstration of 16"/18" ARs utilizing CMMG 22LR conversion bolt. (Using thumb forward on forearm to point shoot) at multiple targets at 7-10 yards then transitioning to 9mm PCC and .223/5.56 ARs.

My first intro to pistol shooting was in the service in the late sixties when a beginner, like myself, was able to check out a pistol box assigned to the post's shooting team and do a bit of familiarization as a novice. That box contained a .22 auto, a .38 revolver, and a .45 auto (Gold cup). In that time we were encouraged to shoot one handed, competition style and of course my main interest was that old .45 - which I shot very badly...
To start me down the road to being able to control it.... Here's the drill they used. They had me shoot a clip of .45 then immediately afterwards shoot the .22. I was flinching so badly with the .45 that it clearly carried over to the .22 and actually showed this beginner how badly I was anticipating the recoil of the Gold Cup... That went a long way to my beginning to shoot a bit better. For a novice shooter the difference between how I was shooting the big bore gun and the soft shooting .22 was a real eye opener.

Wish I'd stuck with the pistol team but other interests soon came along... Years later after I left the service and was in the police academy those early drills really helped get me sorted out with those model 10 heavy barrel Smith and Wesson revolvers we were issued at the time.

I've never considered myself more than an average shot with a pistol - that might be one of the factors that encouraged me to depend on a shotgun on the street...

In my 20s while shooting USPSA, I sometimes volunteered/helped out at the range my defensive shooting instructor/USPSA RSO taught PD/SD SWAT teams (I worked nights and spent a lot of time shooting/practicing).

One week, he was starting an all female defensive shooting class after a local woman was raped in a parking garage and most of the shooters complained about the loud noise, recoil of pistol and produced poor accuracy even at close range with obvious flinching and pushing pistol down in anticipation of recoil. Since he was doing one-on-one shooting basics review with just about every shooter, he asked if I could help him with going over the shooting basics with each shooter.

No problem.

As shooters left at the end of the class, I asked them to bring something back for the next class.

Surprisingly, when they returned for their next class, many of the shooters did not complain about loud noise, recoil and flinching was not an issue while producing tight groups on target.

What did I ask them to bring back?

I asked them to bring back pictures of their ex and enlarged them in the copier and taped them on target.

When the instructor saw the tight groups on target, he shook his head while smiling and discussed "mental" aspect of shooting with the shooters.

After the class, he talked to me still smiling and said "You know, not one missed their target [with copier enlarged pictures] ... And they did not complain about noise or recoil ... they were determined and motivated" and I told him about an all female company next to my company during boot camp we laughed at; but they kicked our butts during rifle qualification as their drill sergeants pounded into their heads (Oh yeah, their drill sergeants told them loud enough for us to hear) they needed to shoot as well, if not better than us to "earn" our respect. And they sure did.

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When I was teaching my sister how to shoot (She is 5'5" with small hands), she too complained about the noise and recoil while flinching. So I went to the truck and got a short length of rope and tied a knot at one end then tossed it on the ground. I told her to imagine that it was a poisonous rattlesnake and she had to shoot it in the head (the knot) or she would be killed.

After a moment of silence while she stared at the knotted rope quietly, she started shooting and before too long, chased the rope while shooting the knot all over the ground. After emptying the magazine, she brought the rope back with a smile and said, "Like that?" And I nodded while smiling, "Yes, just like that." For some reason, she never complained about loud noise, recoil or flinching after that day and now shoots matches with M&P40 often out shooting most male shooters with 9mm.

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Whenever I provide/share shooting instruction/defensive point shooting for female shooters, especially grandmothers, I add this element just before the range session. (I cover safe gun handling and shooting basics/trigger control before the range session)

I tell them, particularly if they have children/grandchildren, to imagine a baby or very young child on the ground unable to move just out of their reach in front of a dangerous wild animal and only thing they could do is to shoot the animal to protect the baby/child.

In an instant, you see the uncertainty and anxiety of shooting disappear from their faces and their eyes focus on the imaginary threat on target and they fire with deliberate goal, to neutralize the danger. I tell them to use this "protection mode" tool to help them focus better with their range practice. And no, I do not see flinching when they turn on "protection mode".

Great.

I love happy endings.

TYLER M RUSSELL said:

Thank you also to those who elaborated on instruction structure. Having a good structure really helps move things along efficiently. I would love to keep everyone updated on his progress. I'll try to get pictures of his targets to post a progression, if anyone is interested.

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Yes, would appreciate it.

I flinch just fine without any drills!

taliv said:

flinching is interesting to me because it's entirely mental. consciously, i can make myself stop and not flinch at all. but when i get into a stage or get distracted by the wind or target movement or something else, unconsciously, sometimes i still flinch.

what's interesting is that some people seemingly just cannot make themselves not flinch, even when that's all their brain is focused on.

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It is because that is what their brain is focused on that they flinch.

TYLER M RUSSELL said:

Thanks all agaiN for the wonderful information. Jordan and I attended the range yesterday and his flinch is gone. I think he needed a little more exposure after last time, and he seems to have gotten it handled.

Thank you also to those who elaborated on instruction structure. Having a good structure really helps move things along efficiently. I would love to keep everyone updated on his progress. I'll try to get pictures of his targets to post a progression, if anyone is interested.

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Fantastic!

Any drills in particular that helped out?

I've experienced some flinching. It is not a thing you can control, it is a subconscious reaction to stimulus. Couple things that have helped me, dry fire, shooting with both eyes open, really - I've started to flinch and had it stop just by opening the other eye, and mindset - shooting with a sense of urgency, that the target is dangerous and you have to shoot it now - seriously, like you are kind of mad at it and it is going to get you, takes the mind off the firearm, and puts the minds nrg on the target.