OK, we all like to talk about practicing our shooting skills with our weak hand but how many actually do it? I had tried it off and on and was pretty bad at it. A few months ago I decided to start making it a dedicated part of every range visit. Amazing what a little practice can do for a weak hand group! DA with a snub is still a little rough though...
I never considered weak hand practice as crucial until I shot a few IDPA matches that had this type senario. I sucked. But when I added this routine to my practice, I was amazed at how well I improved.
A friend and I had a little "match" we would shoot each time we went to the range. It was a timed sequence of both slow and rapid fire with each hand. After a couple of weeks I was impressed with how little difference there was between left handed and right handed. For us it was just a matter of getting out and doing it enough.
I'm left handed but right eye dominate so i learned. on a weird day, with a hand gun, i shoot better with my weak hand even though it feels kinda funny.:whacko:
I'm not quite ambidextrous, but close. My right had is stronger and definately dominant. I shoot pretty well one handed with either hand. I shoot two-handed with my right hand dominant fine. If I try to shoot two-handed with my left had dominant, I always push my shots to the left. So...to answer the question, I shoot with my weak hand every couple of range visits. I've given up on trying to shoot two handed with my weak hand. My one handed groups are good enough.
I first decided to try weak-handed shooting based upon Murphy's Law: What happens if my right hand/arm is disabled?
Currently my shooting is about 40% weaver style, 40% offhand strong hand, and 20% weak hand. My weekly shooting is with the pistol club at school, where mostly bullseye type shooting is done, although I split it up and practice weaver and other stuff. It's with a S&W 1911 trainer in .22, but its about the best I can do every week. A couple times a month I also go to a public range, that is a mag or two off weakhand and offhand, and everything else with 2 handed grips.
That's the truth! I've noticed when practicing my DA first pull on my 239 that I creep SO MUCH MORE with my weak hand. You're already re-learning the fundamentals in reverse, and that long and somewhat hard DA pull just compounds the issue.
Slow and easy wins the race - perfect practice makes perfect, and speed will come with time. That's what I always have to say to myself when I blow a shot.
Yes, I practice a bit of off-hand shooting. Nothing fancy though, just close range DA work.
If you must use your non-regular hand it is probably because you've been wounded. Based upon that assumption if I would still need to fire I can also assume that it will be very close range so pinpoint accuracy isn't needed.
Sometimes I practice off-hand shooting around a barricade but not as much anymore as I really cannot see me needing this skill.
I'm naturally left handed, but when I was taught to shoot as a child, I was taught to shoot right-handed. I never thought much about shooting with my off hand until my CCW instructor had us do it. It felt strange, but I had the best groupings out of all of the students. I think this is because I'm just naturally a lefty.
Since then, I haven't spent much time on it. Every once in a while I'll shoot a few rounds with my off hand, but never with great results.
After reading on this thread at how others have imporved in such a short time, I think I may add it to my shooting routine.
I'd like to say I do it everytime but in reality it's still about 2-3 times a month. I will also practice weak hand draw, fire and reholster while I am there and if I have time I will also add one handed reloads and racking the slide.
My Dept (as do many others) require that you shoot with your weak hand unsupported as part of the qual course. But it is only 5 rounds from 7 yards. It is not the most natural feeling, but I try to do it on my own as well and from greater distances.
If your strong hand becomes disabled, you need to stay in the fight.
Thanks for the compliment, but if I cannot hit COM at 7 yards even with my weak hand, than I should not be carrying a firearm. If guys practiced weak hand more often, I think that hitting 10 shots at 15 yards should be the requirement.
My dad always stressed to me to fire off at least a magazine with my left hand every range trip. I've tried to stick with that - and it's made a world of difference.
1/3 of all rounds downrange support hand
1/3 of all rounds downrange main hand
1/3 of all rounds downrange both hands
practice everything like you really mean it, train as you will need to fight or you will fight as you trained
ZERO inches out to at least 25 years, in small changes of distance
which also means practice with your flashlight even in the daylight, move and move some more, if legal fix blade ECQC
always carry handgun and backup handgun preferably same type handgun without manual safety with extra magazines preferably same magazines that fit both handguns; flashlight and if legal fix blade knife - better to have all and not need any than to need any and not have any
Every range visit, along with many other drills.....
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