One of the challenges we face is the feeling that our visor is everywhere when we start taking a picture. For the most part, that’s just our perception and not reality. With good mechanics, you can take consistently accurate photos. An exercise to show you this, as well as to work on trigger control, is the Figure-8 drill. Aim at your target at about 6 meters, then pull out all the slopes and slacker tractor. Intentionally move the front view 6 to 8 inches in a figure-8 over the target.
The supporting hand is therefore the main player in the grip, as it drives the weapon from one target to another and provides most of the force exerted on the gun. Before you go to the shooting range and use a lot of ammo, make sure your mechanics are solid with some dry fire drills. As the name suggests, make sure your firearm is empty before attempting a dry fire drill. You might even consider setting up a fictional goal so that it has a place to focus your goal.
By practicing these pistol shooting exercises, you can improve individual skills and ultimately bring them all together. With practice, you can only move your trigger finger forward until the gun safety course restart and then start your pinching motion for the next shot. This means less movement of the trigger finger and less chance that the trigger grip will move the visors out of alignment.
It’s almost as if the skin is stretched by the forward torque of the hand. Another common problem related to the trigger is when it is not pushed directly back. Often, the hand on the side of the shot shoots past the gun and causes the finger to bend when the trigger is pulled. This is called spreading the trigger and usually causes the shots to break on the support side. The trigger should be pressed with a direct and gentle movement.
For a new shotgunner learning to hit “grass clay,” it’s probably a good idea to ask them to set up the front count on or just below the clay target and break the shot. For the skeet and other high-speed shotgun disciplines, particularly those that focus on quartering or cross-firing, professional instruction will alleviate a lot of frustration for a newer shooter. In less experienced shooters, the “grip” usually breaks after three to five rounds. One of the reasons is that when taking the first picture, our focus shifts to the trigger finger and the vision image and we forget about the supporting hand.