I have an affliction that affects my shooting

G

greyson97

New member
reference:
Todd Jarret on Shooting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysa50-plo48

This is sorta embarassing, but

I have soft smooth hands from working on a computer most of my life.
When I got into shooting, this didnt bother me too much cause i didn't know how to hold a gun properly. After watching and learning how to shoot properly, I hold the gun, and i cup/wrap my supporting hand ontop of my main hand fingers infront of the grip, just like you see in the video

however, since both of my hands are soft and smooth on both sides, they are constantly slipping off each other when i try and grip more firmly. I mean, i can place them on top of each other fine, but when I apply pressure to hold the pistol firmly, it starts to slide. and if my hands get sweaty its magnified.

also, certain checkering and strapping on pistol grips, esp polymer ones hurts my hands :p

however in regards to grips, i know i can get hogue replacements

as for hand on hand, Shooting gloves might be an option, or i can find some way to callous my hands, but i really dont want to do that.
 
Grab an ax and chop a few cords of firewood LOL, my hands are the same way right now. I have some fingerless gloves I wear that make rolling a wheelchair easier on the hands.

Rubbing your hands on a sheet of sandpaper should scuff them up a bit, as long as you don't go overboard...maybe some 400 grit or so?
 
Ditto... go out and dig a few trenches. Climb some trees. Go clean up the elderly neighbor's yard. Toughen up. Get away from the computer.
 
Go pound sand...

I kid you not... That's what one of our martial arts instructors used to have us do. You could use uncooked rice or some other similar materials as well. You'll need to do it over time of course...

Don't just punch the sand - doing so will only strengthen the outside & knuckles. Also use an open hand and jab sharply into the sand in a straight motion.
 
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Hand strength is your fly in the ointment. Calluses will build up from regular shooting and become less of an issue. There are a lot of gizmo's out there that will strengthen your hands, wrists and forearms but a simple rubber ball, (tennis ball works fine), or you can spend the extra money on a grip master or the old handles with the spring at one end commonly called crushers will work. Since I hurt my back and can't work anymore I lost most of my calluses too bu6 my hand strength is still good because I squeeze a little ball while laying in bed reading or in the car waiting for my sister to come out of the grocery store or waiting for the computer to load a program. It costs little, are small and I can have half a dozen of them laying around without being drawing a lot of attention to them.

When I was competitive shooting I did the twisting a rolled up newspaper back and forth till it fell apart and a short length of a broomstick tied to a cord tied to a small coffee can. I had lead in mine but sand will work or water. It wasn't the weight that was important but the act of twisting the stick to roll the cord up then down then up then down. It didn't take long to put a king size hurt in my cramping muscles but I got used to it and finally settled on 3 full cycles of up and down to keep me in shape. 12 cycles took to long and hurt to much, the coffee can half full of lead might have been a bit much. I had a couple of buddies that used 1 quart plastic milk jugs half full of water and that worked for them.

You will be surprised how much your grip improves when your hand gets strong and your forearms are rock hard . Best part is it doesn't take as long as you think, a few weeks will show a lot of difference, after that its just a matter of keeping it up, 3 or 4 times a week will keep you in shape.
 
Old Grump: I distinctly remember a buddy of mine doing that "roll up, roll down" exercise when we were in Iraq. I'd forgotten about it until you mentioned it. Thanks for the reminder, I really need to start working on the ole grip strength.
 
Old Grump: That roll up/roll down exercise is very popular among rock climbers as well. It's a tough exercise and will give you Popeye arms. You'll sure be able to get a grip on a handgun.
 
Most adult men - have more than enough power in their grips to hold a gun firmly ... unless you have a physical problem ( nerve damage, arthritis, etc )..

Sweaty hands can be a big deal ...especially in a warm climate ...and gloves might help. I don't usually use them for my handguns / but on hot days shooting shotguns at Sporting Clays, I have used them ...and the gloves I like are golf gloves, winter gloves sold in pairs, FootJoy rain grip gloves ...

http://www.footjoy.com/catalog/productview.asp?c=45

I always have a pair in my shooting bag ... they're microfibre / so they'll soak up the sweat, etc ...

I don't think its the lack of callouses on your hands that's the issue / its more about the style of grip you might be using / how much pressure you use ( like 70% with the off hand / 30% on strong hand ( so you can manipulate the trigger smoother and faster ) ... and the style of gun / stocks on the gun that you're shooting.

I do have Hogue grips on some of my smaller guns ( like a Sig 239 ) / because I need the extra size to fill my hands. I have big hands / so a small gun walks around on me a little. In my 1911's / I like a heavily checkered stock on my guns / and a heavy checkering on the front strap, etc ....helps me hang onto it. So I'd suggest you try and shoot some different guns / try different stocks(or grips) and see how they feel. On my revolves I favor a stock with finger grooves in it / helps me get a positive feel of the gun - or a more heavily checkered stock ( not a smooth wood stock like on a lot of Colt's ) ... but you need to figure out what works for you.

I'm 6'5", 290 lbs ....and sometimes the arthritis in my hands is acting up / I've had shoulder surgery / elbow surgeries ....sometimes thinks just don't feel good / and I can't see too well either ( getting older isn't for sissies ). But if I want to shoot a 1911 in 9mm ...when my buddies are all shooting .45's ...and they want to abuse me, I can take it ( and dish it out too ) ....and whip their butts most of the time. It isn't always about being bigger and meaner ( usually ) ... but not always ....
 
http://www.leehayward.com/heavygrips.htm

I endorse these. With the right equipment you can be a man even if you are a computer geek.:D I couldn't get by with smooth, soft hands. I work with construction workers and some of these guys have really calloused hands which is neither desirable or necessary. My wife teaches K and her hands are harder and stronger than some of her male colleagues. You can toughen your hands in a week and strengthen them in a couple of months.
 
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+1 for the heavy grip hand workout. Work well when you're waiting for a query from SQL server which is taking 2 hours.. sit back and work out :)
 
There are only a couple of places a man doesn't want callouses:eek:,........well, never mind all that:D Get some heavy grips, 100 pounds will get you started and after you have overcome it and are using a 150 you can give the 100 to your wife or GF.
 
The computer will be the death of many of us. I have always been used to doing physical labor but the computer does occupy more and more of my time. Get in the habit of mowing your own lawn, trimming your own trees, repairing your own car, chopping your own firewood and doing manual labor. Not only will it toughen up your hands but you will generally feel better. Manual labor is a blessing as long as you're not doing it in prison.:D
 
they are constantly slipping off each other when i try and grip more firmly. I mean, i can place them on top of each other fine, but when I apply pressure to hold the pistol firmly, it starts to slide. and if my hands get sweaty its magnified.
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Personally, I don't think the problem is hand strength, per se, though you do have to grip the gun like you mean it.

I use a rosin bag when doing dry fire drills. Come to think of it, I keep the bag in a vest pocket at matches, too. The rosin does a pretty good job of absorbing moisture and helping grip.

The other thing I found that helps me to get my weak hand gripping well is to rotate it in, i.e. that the 2nd joint of my weak hand fingers is on top of my strong hand knuckles (as opposed to the 1st joint of my weak hand over my strong hand knuckles). On the draw, I get my weak hand on the grip early, well before I fully extend the gun (with the 2nd joint over the strong hand knuckle). When I extend the gun, the weak hand cams down on the strong hand and I have a very strong grip.
 
I have fairly smooth hands, but also a grip from hell...been riding motorcycles for 20+ years, no car. Big heavy clutch on the left, front brake and throttle on the right. That'll do it!
 
For strength and range of motion, try this; open a sheet of newspaper. Hold it by a corner with one hand. Crumple the sheet using the one hand only, until it is a small ball. Perform using left and right hands.

Don't forget to wash your hands afterward. Newsprint is quite dirty.

Good luck, and please let us know how you improve.

Monty
 
First thing I would do is throw away any videos that you saw that shows "THIS IS HOW YOU'RE SUPPOSE TO HOLD A GUN". The right way to hold a gun is whatever is best for you, keeps the gun stable, allows you to reach all the controls, and allows you to hit what you're aiming at accurately and consistently.

I remember in the 80's I was at a golfing fund raiser in Austin Texas. It was amateurs (Who play a lot) as well as some professionals and celebrities. Good cause to raise money for Leukemia. In our 4-some we had one pro golfer. (Name not important). But what was embarrassing was that the other two in our 4-some, who I didn't know, didn't know this particular golfer. Right after teeing off the 2nd hole, we all took our 2nd shot. One of the amateurs said to the pro-golfer: "That was a really nice shot, but you'd probably do better if you held the club properly". I was embarrassed. The pro was truly a pro and thanked him for the "Tip". I mentioned to him that the others obviously don't know who you are. But I did ask: "Is there a right way to hold the club?" He asked me: "Does the ball go where you want it to"? I said yes.... He said: "Then you're holding the club right". What a freakin concept.

So, my opinion, is that before you go out there chopping wood, doing reps with a Bokken, (I've done a LOT of that), or other methods of toughening your hands; is to determine if you are happy with the way you hold your pistol. Find a grasp that you are comfortable with, can hold it steady for 30-60 seconds still on target, can reach the controls, and you're happy with what you're hitting when you pull the trigger. If you feel your hands are still slipping around, it's possible that maybe you're just holding on too hard. You should be able to, AND PRACTICE, shooting with 1 hand. It's quite possible you could need that some day. With 2 hands, the 2nd hand is simply to provide balance. Without using your 2nd hand, it would simply be hanging there. Don't hold on so tight.

P.S. On a side note: All guns were NOT meant for all people. Just like a person should NEVER buy a gun for another person. Each gun is different for each person. Some people don't want to admit this, because they just HAD to buy this particular gun because...... well everyone says it's the best!!! E.g. There's a lot of people who buy a 1911A1, glock, etc... when they shouldn't be shooting that particular gun. I've probably sold 5 guns in my life that I bought because I thought it's what I really wanted. After a couple of times shooting I realized; this gun isn't for me. Anyway, just a thought.
 
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Soft, weak hands, oh dear. :o:o

You need to do manly things to have manly hands. If you don't have interest or time to do manly chores, at least go to the gym 3-4 times a week and workout with metal dumbells/barbells, the kind that have checkered metal grips---without using gloves. :o Bicep curls, hammer curls, tricep extensions, etc, will do the trick.

And don't stop training just because your hands toughen up, make it part of your lifestyle! You'll feel much better about your whole life when your body is in tune! There are probably way too many gun owners out there that neglect hand to hand skills/muscle/cardio training, you should still have these skills!
 
i never said my grip was weak. i dont know where people got that from. my grip is fine. my hands slide off each other when i apply pressure. its physics. calloused hands prevent slippage for obvious reasons. my hands are not calloused. they are not weak.
 
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