Practicing “weak” hand shooting

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Pat Riot

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I am right handed. I have severe arthritis in my right wrist. I have shot one handed for years and just recently started Shooting two handed again but I find that even two handed shooting hurts so I am trying shooting left handed. Boy, is this ever weird! :confused:

A little history. Over 20 years ago I shot a lot of tactical competitions with 1911s. Then I got into Cowboy Action Shooting and literally stopped shooting two handed. I would shoot with both hands on occasion but the targets were so big that accuracy wasn’t a big factor. Hitting a silhouette target at 10 yards was easy (most of the time);)

Anyway, now I find myself learning to shoot again, literally. Left handed with a two hand hold and a Weaver Stance is just so weird to me but I am getting better.

Here is a photo of my first left handed two handed target shooting my Glock 26 (I am getting ready for a CCW permit. A G26 will be one of my carry guns)
This is 2 weeks ago
4425D454-79C6-4ABE-B34F-A5239D9CBC82.jpeg

This target is from 2 days ago.
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Both targets are at 10 yards with PMC 115 grain FMJ. 10 shots at the top green area them 10 shots at the bottom green area. All shots are fired with less than 1 second between shots

The bottom target is with standard mags with no “pinky” adaptors. The more I shoot standard mags the more I like them on the G26.

I can see some improvement but I swear it is like starting over again.

Anyway, any pointers you might have in this regard would be appreciated. I know practice makes perfect and I am too embarrassed to show you all the very first target I shot left handed with this Glock. It looked like someone shot a target with double ought buck....from 75 yards away :what::rofl:
 
this may not work for you, but when I shoot one handed I cant the gun about 45 degrees inward, with either hand. Out to 7 yards I get pretty good groups. I recently tried left handed barricade from standing, kneeling, and prone shooting with my left hand and shooting with my left eye. It was weird but I kept all rounds on target at 15 yards. Before that, left handed shooting is not something I really gave much attempt.
 
Try to make yourself do as much possible in the rest of your life with your left hand, or with the left hand playing the part that you would normally use your right hand for. Brushing your teeth and hair with your left hand, for example. Using a screwdriver. Typing in your PIN at the ATM or dialing the phone. Regardless of whether it's shooting-related or not, building familiarity with having your left hand as the main hand can make shooting left-handed feel less weird.

Similarly, work on your left-hand grip strength. Lots of people who are strongly dominant with one hand will have much less strength in their off hand, simply because it doesn't get as much work. Go easy (you don't want to inflame/injure your left hand with your right hand already debilitated!), but some squeezing, some forearm curls and extensions, pushing out against a rubberband around your fingertips, using a screwdriver on somewhat stiff screws, etc., can help give you enough strength to have some level of recoil control with the left hand and also have plenty of spare strength for trigger pulls that aren't 1911-target-grade triggers.
 
this may not work for you, but when I shoot one handed I cant the gun about 45 degrees inward, with either hand. Out to 7 yards I get pretty good groups. I recently tried left handed barricade from standing, kneeling, and prone shooting with my left hand and shooting with my left eye. It was weird but I kept all rounds on target at 15 yards. Before that, left handed shooting is not something I really gave much attempt.

This is a technique I learned about 40 years ago. I've taught it and it works for most people.
 
Which eye dominant are you? That almost looks like your sight picture is inconsistent.

When I was in Basic Training, I was having trouble with my marksmanship. I was all over the place. Since I am Left Handed, naturally I was shooting that way. Luckily, I had Drill Sergeants who were there to train soldiers and not harass them. One of them watched me and saw that I was not jerking, flinching or moving around. He did the dominant eye test with me and then told me "you need to shoot right handed. " I switched sides and that fast, I went from unable to qualify to "Sharpshooter. " By final qualification, I was shooting "Expert," and did from then on.
 
Oh, yeah. I am going through much the same as you, only opposite sides. So I can relate.

Good luck. I'm sure you'll get it.

Do a bunch of dry fire practice.
 
Thank you all very much for your responses. :)

NorthBorder, I have tried that trick shooting one handed with my left hand. It helps. But only for short ranges. Beyond 10 yards and accuracy gets sketchy.

ATLDave, Coincidentally I have been doing things left handed just to build motor skills. Luckily my left hand and arm are nearly just as strong as my right. That helps a lot.

bdickens, I am right eye dominant. I do notice I have a flinch when shooting left handed with both hands n a Weaver or Isosceles stance. I discovered Friday that as I begin to pull the trigger with my left index finger my right index finger is also flexing. That can be part of my problem and since I put my right index finger on the trigger guard, just as I do when shooting right handed with my left index finger, I think I am actually jerking the pistol a little. I think dry firing might help with this or perhaps shooting one handed to get the trigger pull motor skills more tuned in.
 
throw rocks. have your right hand teach your left hand how to throw rocks accurately. the key to shooting with a weak hand is to build up the whole weak side coordination. you can dry-practice this indoor without the rocks. go from a light flip of the rock to a full baseball pitcher like throw. the throw starts in your toes and ends in your fingers. just keep alternating right/left.

luck,

murf
 
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Just a thought here. I shoot weak handed pretty well with my EDC a Ruger LCR.357. Actually I shoot it as well if not better than when in the strong hand. Changed grips on it and found I didn't do as well at all. I have a spurless SP101.357 that when I shoot left handed and it doesn't feel as comfortable. Can't seem to find a grip combination that works with that gun for my weak hand. I also suffer with arthritis in my hands, but it doesn't sound as serious as yours. Maybe you would benefit from a different grip.
 
Keep practicing. I need to start practicing more weak hand shooting as I eff'd up the other day and I have limited use of my good hand for a bit now.
 

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The trick for me was the use of a Crimson Trace laser grip on my EDC gun a LCR .357. I actually shoot better left handed using it. Don't have to worry about that dominant eye thing. I just keep both eyes open and put the dot on the target. Most of the time I don't even bring the gun up to eye level. No need to.
 
The trick for me was the use of a Crimson Trace laser grip on my EDC gun a LCR .357. I actually shoot better left handed using it. Don't have to worry about that dominant eye thing. I just keep both eyes open and put the dot on the target. Most of the time I don't even bring the gun up to eye level. No need to.

I have contemplated this but have decided that I will not get off that easy. I need to learn to shoot weak handed. I shouldn’t just say “shoot weak handed” , I should say “Shoot proficiently weak handed”. Currently I can put all my rounds in the body of a silhouette target at 10 yards firing a shot less than every second. Right handed I can put all rounds (10 for Glock, 6 for revolver) in a 3-6 inch circle doing the same exercise with various handguns.
I need to be able to at least do this left handed.

Another drill I do is load a gun. Lay it on the bench , if at the range or from a holster when in the sticks. I draw or pick up the gun and fire one round then put it back down. I need that first shot from whichever gun I am using to be a perfect head shot, just like I do right handed.

When I can do these things left handed, and they are not an unachievable feat, I will feel more comfortable with shooting weak handed. Then I need to move to shooting from different positions...maybe then I will decide a laser is the way to go. Haha :D
 
I've been pretty good about strong hand practice but most of my weak hand has been dry practice.

Thanks for the reminder, I've got a classifier coming up in a couple weeks.

Certainly a worthwhile real world skill to hone.
 
Broke my tumb, dislocated my elbow and broke my collarbone all on my dominant side in about 4 years in high school. Learned then it's good to practice stuff with your non-dominant hand occasionally. Still do a few things better lefty these days

As for shooting, I like to include some off hand shooting every range session, even if it is just the 5 rounds on a Dot Torture drill.
 
weak hand shooting is important. don't worry about head shots, bullseyes and crap like that, practice hitting COM on a target at 15 yards. if you've come close to mastering that one handed/weak hand, then you can focus on precision.
 
I agree. That is what I am working on. The head shot stuff is for my entertainment at the range. One day, when I grow up, I will make it to shooting smiley faces on my silhouette targets. Then I will know I am a Lethal Weapon...:cool::D
 
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