7 thoughts on “Easy choice

  1. Oh, I don’t think the grip is “messed up”. She has small hands … but she is using both hands on the gun, using the overlap technique so the gun doesn’t “bounce out of her hand” when she fires. Obviously, she has decided that she has a “weak grip”, so she chooses a grip technique which works for her … even if it doesn’t seem preferable to you. With more experience, she may experiment with other techniques … but not if she faces condemnation for early attempts.

    (BTW .. I see nothing wrong with her present techniques.)

    Why do you contend that this is an inadequate or inappropriate grip?

    Heck, I’ve been competing in IPSC/USPSA since 1983. I’m a 6′ tall, 200 pounds male, and I’ve been using that same thumb-over grip because my hands are too BIG for a single-stack 1911. The “thumbs pointing forward” grip doesn’t give me the control I need for fast, accurate shooting.

    I’ve continued with the same grip on my STI EDGE in .38 super as well as 10mm double-stack and .45acp single-stack. Even with a “fat” gunstock, I found that a firm grip is paramount to consistent, accurate shooting at speed.
    The thumbs-over grip works for me, to my satisfaction. When you criticize her, you discourage her continued competition.

    Let her learn by experience, okay?

    I think you’re too ready to criticize folks for the grip that works for them.

    I’ve been reading your blog for years, Joe, and I generally admired your opinions. But I think you’re wrong on this issue.

    We all want to see more ladies competing, but we don’t all know the challenges they face. It may be that the better way to “Grow The Sport” is to encourage female contestants … whatever techniques they find works for them … than to criticize them because their techniques do not conform to our masculine assumptions.

    (Counter-arguments are gladly encouraged)

    Jerry The Geek … Corvallis, Oregon

    • I’ve donated lots of bandaid to new shooters using that thumb position. It also prevents getting the axis of the bore as close as possible to the axis of the arm bones for less muzzle flip.

      But what I thought was really odd was that the trigger hand is on the outside of the other hand. Does this mean they draw or pull the trigger with their weak hand? Or does it mean they rearrange their grip after drawing?

      It may be the best option for them but I’m very skeptical.

      • I thought she has two index fingers on the trigger. I’ve seen people with weak or small hands do this. I don’t recommend it, but if you can’t pull the trigger reliably with one finger, use two, until you can build up enough strength in your “strong” hand.
        I think as we get older and more arthritic, you’ll see this more. And if you want to get historic, the Colt .38s made for the Philippine Constabulary in the early 1900s had elongated trigger guards so the smaller-handed Asians could use two fingers on the trigger.

        • Is that a double action gun?

          I’m not seeing two fingers on the trigger, but I could be wrong about that.

    • She looks as though she’s never fired a pistol in her life, is the point on that issue. If she were to pull that trigger in that pose, the gun would just about flip clean out of her two hands. It reminds me of those videos in which Bubba puts a 44 Mag or a 500 Smith in his girlfriend’s hands just so he can record her messing up and getting smacked in the forehead by the gun.

      While I agree with the main point of the poster; would it be so terribly difficult to find someone who can hold it right, or at least to coach the model so as to appear convincing? Then again there is a plethora of images wherein the model is clearly being coached as the photo is taken.

      This is a very difficult sort of thing to fake, so my point would be; don’t fake it. Just plan on photographing the real thing, and then it’s not an issue. Leave the faking to the authoritarians.

  2. When you blow up the photo, it looks like she is wrapping her left hand over the right hand, including the trigger finger. I don’t recognize the gun, but the forward trigger location leads me to think it is double action, at least as it is currently being held. I’ve seen females do this. If they need to increase the trigger pull strength, this is much better than trying to use two fingers from the same hand, as gun control suffers greatly doing that.
    I’ve also seen the middle finger used for the trigger, as that is usually stronger than the index finger. Not to be used on a revolver!

    • I accept that as plausible. I don’t want to encourage a lot more debate on the topic as it’s way off the main point I wanted to make with this post.

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