{"id":4587,"date":"2016-03-03T16:27:07","date_gmt":"2016-03-03T21:27:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/?p=4587"},"modified":"2016-03-10T17:50:20","modified_gmt":"2016-03-10T22:50:20","slug":"whats-wrong-grip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/whats-wrong-grip\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s Wrong With My Grip?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The first time someone pointed out\u00a0that I had problems with my handgun grip was at Tom Givens\u2019 Rangemaster<\/a> Instructor Development course in 2013. It was\u00a0the most challenging class I\u2019d attended to date, and it was the first time I was pressured to shoot faster than I was accustomed to.<\/p>

Tom marched past me on a drill and said, \u201cAfter every shot you readjust your grip.\u201d<\/p>

I wasn’t\u00a0aware that I was doing it up to that point, but now that he mentioned it, it was glaringly obvious\u2014and frustrating.\u00a0Why couldn\u2019t I seem to keep a consistent grip?\u00a0Tom\u2019s recommendation to me was that my double-stack Glock was simply too big for my hands, and once I moved to a smaller gun, I would likely see improvement in my grip.\u00a0Unwilling\u00a0to give up my double-stack capacity, I saw little improvement in my recoil control at high rates of speed. My left hand would break from the gun, and my splits (the time between shots) would increase.<\/p>

I soon realized\u00a0that asking the questions, \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with my grip?\u201d and \u201cHow do I fix it?\u201d would lead me down a rabbit hole and through a Wonderland of theories and advice from competition shooters, strength coaches, engineers, and a half dozen more instructors.\u00a0I went looking for a cure for my own grip issues\u00a0and came out the other side with a better understanding of gripping mechanics, and a better instructor.<\/p>

Reasons For Handgun Grip\u00a0Problems<\/strong><\/h2>

1. Lack of Strength<\/strong><\/h3>
\"Karl<\/a>
Karl Rehn instructing a student.<\/figcaption><\/figure>

At the top of my list of people to talk to when I started researching grip issues was Karl Rehn<\/a>. Rehn\u00a0is a IPSC Grand Master who started competitive shooting around the time I was born. In addition to taking almost every shooting class available from every major\u00a0gun school in the country, he\u2019s also an instructor who is well-versed in the history of shooting and technique.<\/p>

Rehn’s\u00a0master\u2019s degree in electrical engineering encourages him to look at things analytically. I contacted him after learning he\u2019d done an extensive in-house study on grip strength and performance in relation to gripping techniques.\u00a0Rehn began his grip study after seeing frustrated students (particularly women) who would experience their grip breaking.<\/p>

\u201cI got tired of dealing with people who kept pushing their thumb down,\u201d says Rehn. \u201cIn my school, they call them thumb pushers. What happens is, when you go to pull the trigger your thumb moves in tandem with your trigger finger, and I kept trying to figure out why these people are having this problem, and why, when I tell them to stop doing it, they can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>

Karl began his research in grip with the two different types of grips humans are capable of: clamping, which uses the strength of the fingers without the thumb, and a crush grip, which adds the strength of the thumb in the form of a fist. He went on to explain that the modern thumbs forward grip commonly used in shooting schools today is using a clamping grip which, though optimal in performance, requires a certain amount of strength that\u00a0some people just don’t have.<\/p>

\"thumbs<\/a>
Rehn believes a thumbs forward grip is ideal for those who have sufficient strength and hand size to execute it properly.<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Rehn conducted his study by passing around grippers that required 60, 80 or 100 pounds of grip strength to close. He found that those with over 100 pounds of grip strength saw the maximum benefit of a thumbs forward grip, but those who had less than 60 pounds of grip strength were the ones who had the most problems utilizing it, or even operating their pistols in general.<\/p>

\u201cPeople that don\u2019t have 60 pounds of grip strength generally can\u2019t rack the slide on a 9mm pistol. They can\u2019t grip the slide hard enough,\u201d says Rehn. \u201cThat\u2019s why, when they can\u2019t operate this gun most of the time [it\u2019s due to] lack of grip strength\u2014grip and forearm strength\u2026 The thumbs forward grip works optimally if you are above the threshold strength, particularly in the little three fingers of your shooting hand. If you aren’t above the threshold strength, then having someone tell you to grip the gun that way and to just keep trying doesn\u2019t work.\u201d<\/p>

His proposed solution was either to gain strength or switch to a crush grip that was advocated by Massad Ayoob in the 80\u2019s and is still taught in some schools today.<\/p>

\u201cFolding both thumbs down and basically making two fists, that technique works for everybody regardless of grip strength. It\u2019s not optimal, but it works for everybody,\u201d Rehn says. \u201cYou don\u2019t get the same wrist rotation. You don\u2019t get as much counter-torque on the pistol, but people can actually grip the pistol.\u201d<\/p>

\"Ayoob<\/a>
If an effective thumbs forward grip is not possible due to insufficient strength, Rehn recommends the “crush grip” advocated by Massad Ayoob.<\/figcaption><\/figure>

2. Injury<\/strong><\/h3>
\"Paul<\/a>
Paul Sharp<\/figcaption><\/figure>

What if you are trying to shoot, practice, and improve, but you have an injury to your hand, wrist, arm, or back that is affecting your ability? Maybe its one you will heal from, but maybe not. How can you learn to grip a handgun that works around your physical issues? Paul Sharp<\/a> might have some advice. He is certainly no stranger to an effective\u00a0grip despite multiple injuries.<\/p>

\u201cI was having a hard time even closing my hands to make a fist…and I had an elbow injury, too… so that\u2019s what got me pursuing that whole approach to recoil management.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>

Sharp\u00a0is a black belt in Brazilian Ju Jitsu, an eighteen-year veteran police officer, firearms instructor, weight-lifter, and has a particular affinity for fighting, having spent his childhood both wrestling and boxing.\u00a0One of his particular passions, however, is firearms grip issues and recoil management.<\/p>

\u201cAt the time, I started training the D.R. Middlebrooks FIST-fire method, and I had a bunch of hand injuries from mixed martial arts and boxing, so having a really strong grip was something that just wasn\u2019t going to happen for me at that time,\u201d said Sharp. \u201cI was having a hard time even closing my hands to make a fist…and I had an elbow injury, too… so that\u2019s what got me pursuing that whole approach to recoil management.\u201d<\/p>

In addition to the hand injuries, Sharp also had tendinitis and a partially torn bicep. His shooting slowed, and his hands came apart from the gun when he fired.<\/p>

\u201cIt was really hard for me to make that torquing motion and squeeze at the same time,\u201d says Sharp. \u201cIt was just really painful. I had to figure out a way to get around that and get around crushing the gun, so to speak.\u201d<\/p>

When asked what method he found to overcome these issues, he explained, \u201cI started focusing more on pulling through the pinky of the left hand\u2014the support hand, for me, because I\u2019m a right-handed shooter. So, I started focusing more on putting a lot of pressure through the pinky, against the bottom of the front strap and that helped tame the gun\u2014the lift of the pistol in recoil. That helped settle the pistol down and keep it flat. And I started focusing on driving my right hand into that pinky\u2014almost like a Weaver-esque isometric tension-type thing happening there where I\u2019m pushing with the right hand as hard as I can and pulling back with the left as hard as I can. It\u2019s coming from the shoulders because I had that messed up bicep, and I couldn\u2019t pull with my arm bent so I would use my shoulders to push and pull. And that really tamed the pistol, really made it settle down and sit flat for me, and I was able to get my follow up shots.\u201d<\/p>

Paul figured out how to work around his injuries to maintain a solid grip on his gun. In the process, he found that his ideas on grip often also helped those without a hand injury control their firearms more effectively.<\/p>

3. Poor Instruction–One Size Does Not Fit All<\/strong><\/h3>
\"Ernest<\/a>
Ernest Langdon<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Ernest Langdon<\/a> is a full-time firearms instructor and industry consultant who has been teaching firearms and competing since the late eighties. He\u2019s a graduate of 35 different formal shooting schools and holds numerous instructor certifications from the military, the FBI, the NRA, and has trained over 4,000 students in advanced shooting skills.<\/p>

After taking a class with him and being thoroughly impressed with how well he evaluated my own shooting errors, I was compelled to collect his thoughts on grip for others.\u00a0He was quick to point out the importance of physical strength.<\/p>

\u201cThe first thing that I would say is that improving your grip strength is critical,\u201d says Langdon. \u201cIf you want to shoot a handgun well you have to know the stronger your grip, the better you\u2019re going to be able to shoot it. And being able to control recoil and put rapid shots on target relates to strength, and there\u2019s no way around it. No technique in the world is going make up for lack of horse power.\u201d<\/p>

“For most people, a significant amount more effort with their support hand when they\u2019re shooting a two-hand grip will help in controlling the gun.”<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>

As to the actual technique, Langdon had this to say, \u201cHigh on the gun as you possibly can. As much surface contact area and skin on the gun as you can. As few gaps as possible. Learning to lock the wrists\u2014both strong and support hand\u2014in a way that helps control the muzzle flip of the gun. For most people, a significant amount more effort with their support hand when they\u2019re shooting a two-hand grip will help in controlling the gun.”<\/p>

\u201cFor most people with smaller hands who do not have a lot of grip strength, I also advocate a push\/pull between their strong hand and their support hand to try to help mitigate recoil and mitigate their support hand from slipping off the gun.\u201d<\/p>

Ultimately, however, Langdon explained that grip is a personal thing affected by many factors such as the gun itself, the shooter, their strength, size of hands, length of fingers, injuries, etc.\u00a0Langdon cautions anyone against\u00a0either teaching or accepting one universal technique\u00a0for all shooters.<\/p>

\u201cIt becomes difficult because what someone has figured out works for them, they want everyone else to do it the exact same way, and that doesn\u2019t necessarily work for everybody because one size does not fit all,\u201d says Langdon.<\/p>

4. Gripping With Only Your Hands<\/strong><\/h3>

As a small-handed shooter, I wanted to get the input from someone else who was small but also an accomplished shooter. I didn\u2019t have to go very far to find my friend Annette Evans<\/a>. She\u2019s a petite lawyer with small, thin hands who is also a competitive shooter with Team SIG. She started her competitive shooting career in 2010 and is a\u00a0IDPA Expert in ESP and USPSA Production B Class shooter with ambitions of going all the way to Grand Master. While she\u2019s now a professional shooter and instructor, she\u2019s had her share of struggles along the way.<\/p>

<\/p>

\"Annette<\/a>
Annette Evans. Photo by Carol Lane.<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u201cWith the size of my hands, it was very difficult for me to find guns that were comfortable in my hands and that I could manipulate and shoot well,\u201d says Evans.<\/p>

Finding a suitably fitting gun was not her only problem. Her performance also suffered.<\/p>

“When you don\u2019t have average grip strength, when you think you\u2019re gripping really hard, maybe [you\u2019re] not.”<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>

\u201cMost of the problem was that the sights weren\u2019t tracking predictably for me, and they certainly weren\u2019t tracking up and down.” She could run the trigger fast but couldn\u2019t get accurate follow up shots.<\/p>

Her turning point was in a class with five time US IPSC National Production champion and instructor, Ben Stoeger.<\/p>

\u201cHe demonstrated, hands on, exactly how hard I should be gripping with the left hand,\u201d says Evans, \u201cThat really gave me a better tactile feel for what people meant by gripping really hard. When you don\u2019t have average grip strength, when you think you\u2019re gripping really hard, maybe [you\u2019re] not.”<\/p>

\u201cThat was the first, ah ha moment of, \u2018Oh, when you meant hard, you meant really<\/em> hard.\u2019\u201d<\/p>

Evans explains that her grip and process for managing recoil relies on far more muscle activation than just her hands.<\/p>

\u201cI start my grip up in my shoulders now and in my core,\u201d she explains. \u201cI\u2019m trying to make the back tips of my shoulder blades touch each other so I\u2019m really bringing my shoulders back and I\u2019m squeezing my armpits together. If you do that and stick your hands in front of you you can see how the bottoms of your hands start touching and it becomes a vice. That\u2019s where a lot of my grip strength comes from right now.\u201d<\/p>

Symptoms\u00a0and Diagnosis of Grip Problems<\/strong><\/h2>

Many people can tell\u00a0if there\u2019s something wrong with their grip. Sometimes, however, it takes someone else pointing out their struggles to them.<\/p>

Symptoms of a poor grip usually include:<\/p>