The Flinchies. Chuck Pressburg

Thanks for posting this. Flinching is one of my biggest challenges.
 
I've never had it explained so clearly to me! Wow.
I need to get my dummy rounds back into the mix next range trip. I do see my barrel dip sometimes when the 1911 has a failure to feed.
 
Great vid Amp. Here I call it Making the gun go Bang instead of Letting the gun go Bang. And Yes! I still do.

I am still amazed at how many excuses people can make to Not practice Dry Firing. This video touches on that. It is mandatory to get people to do this Initially. After the fact they are set in their ways and it is Much harder to get them where they need to be.

Unfortunately , as I notice on these great posts there is little feed back from folks. Once they find out that it requires Work and constant attention, they are off to something else. In search of somebody or something that will make them better without sooo much work.

Lots of "wrong" shooting will never make anybody better. Taking instruction and not following up on it is a waste of time and money.

Folks Can watch This video and understand PIP Post Ignition Push. Few will put in the work needed.
 
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Man I’ve been fighting low left for the last couple of years.


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Interesting comment (near the end) not to depend on the 'pad' of the finger for some shhoters, which may send more nerve impulses to your brain. His advice to those 'some shooters' to get more of the finger involved. Ive done that more in IDPA where quicker shots are required. Caveat --- all shooters have a different anatomy, some are more comfortable with rifles than pistol. I can't baby the trigger on my trap gun. lol.
 
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@BatteryOaksBilly
In my case, the flinching is a very strange phenomenon. I can lay a coin atop the barrel of my 66 and repeatedly dry fire in DA without moving the coin (albeit with a very light and smooth DA thanks to springs and lots of rounds).

When I get on the range, I’ll often leave a chamber or two empty and spin the cylinder before locking it. When I drop the hammer on an empty chamber, more often than not, I see the barrel drop. :(
 
@BatteryOaksBilly
In my case, the flinching is a very strange phenomenon. I can lay a coin atop the barrel of my 66 and repeatedly dry fire in DA without moving the coin (albeit with a very light and smooth DA thanks to springs and lots of rounds).

When I get on the range, I’ll often leave a chamber or two empty and spin the cylinder before locking it. When I drop the hammer on an empty chamber, more often than not, I see the barrel drop. :(
Jep, your brain knows the gun ain't goin Bang AND when it also Might. That's the difference.
 
@BatteryOaksBillyI can lay a coin atop the barrel of my 66 and repeatedly dry fire in DA without moving the coin (albeit with a very light and smooth DA thanks to springs and lots of rounds).

I can do this too. I actually took some pennies to our local range and put them on the front sight for live fire. Of course you can't keep the penny on the sight, but my shooting was much better. I'm not sure if it's the steadiness needed to keep the penny on until the gun fires, or whether the penny gives your brain something to focus on.
 
So how many people "prep" the trigger?
 
I have known Chuck since 2014. Great man, he was the QRF Ranger Team Leader on Roberts Ridge in 2002..
 
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I keep a roll of pennies in my pocket when I am training (myself or others).
 
Ive always fought a flinch for the past 30 plus years of shooting a competitions and just fun shooting. I was very fortunate to have a ex FBI shooting instructor as a shooting coach years and years ago and he told me something that has stuck with me ' Shooting is 90% mental and just 10% physical" and this topic solidifies his concept.
Just a few things that's I have noticed over the years that has helped me,
Don't shoot a higher caliber weapon then you normally shoot or compete with. The higher amount of recoil will effect you for days or weeks till you " get used to yours again".
Diet is real important before shooting. Carb loading makes your body feel sluggish and slows your brain down a bit also. This means , before a match eat correctly and don't slug down a monster energy drink thinking its going to speed you up. Slightly slower hit beats a fast miss every day.
A calm mental state is important, thinking about your stressful job or problems at home while your on the shooting line is not doing you any good. Deep breaths, clear your thoughts before shooting and just lightly concentrate on your course of fire. Think of the Zen of shooting if that helps you.
 
Great vid Amp. Here I call it Making the gun go Bang instead of Letting the gun go Bang. And Yes! I still do.

I am still amazed at how many excuses people can make to Not practice Dry Firing. This video touches on that. It is mandatory to get people to do this Initially. After the fact they are set in their ways and it is Much harder to get them where they need to be.

Unfortunately , as I notice on these great posts there is little feed back from folks. Once they find out that it requires Work and constant attention, they are off to something else. In search of somebody or something that will make them better without sooo much work.

Lots of "wrong" shooting will never make anybody better. Taking instruction and not following up on it is a waste of time and money.

Folks Can watch This video and understand PIP Post Ignition Push. Few will put in the work needed.

It is a shame but if we are being honest most people do not have the time or the resources to improve. Shooting a handgun well is not a simple task. It is literally a moving target. One has to work on the craft, maintain and refine the skill. I know a lot of people who would like to get better. They want to shoot more & train more but they do not have the time or the resources. It is like any goal we set for ourselves. Everyday life often gets in the way of our success.

For the the flinch is ever present. It does not always rear its ugly head enough for it to show up on paper or steel but it is always there. Using your support hand to mitigate it is my personal solution to the problem. I find that if I allow the support hand to dominate control of the pistol the movement created by a flinch is not eliminated but controlled. When I drive a shot down and it shows up on paper 99% of the time it is because I lost grip pressure with the support hand. One the the keys is to shoot in a manner at the range where you can be aware of each shot but you are still shooting fast enough to develop good self defense skills. Being able to stand and slow fire perfect shots over and over again is not my goal.

I asked how many people "prep" the trigger. For me prepping the trigger really helps eliminate flinching. When I shot a lot of Sig Sauer and DA/SA guns I trained with a group started by Bruce Gray. They were big on teaching shooters to prep the trigger. As the video mentions on a longer DA pull of an DA/SA gun you have to finish that long DA pull in a single smooth and deliberate motion. It is really hard to prep a DA trigger everytime IMHO. The trigger prep really comes into play when you transition to the SA. As the gun resets being able to "prep" the trigger taking 90% or so the the pull out while the gun is cycling makes for better followup shots. It takes a lot of time and work. You have to find that point on the gun. Where the trigger has reset and you have taken most of the weight and slack out and you simple need to break the shot. When I used this technique there was a very in the moment aspect to my shooting. I was aware of the sights, sight picture and the trigger for each and every shot. I had not shot my Sig P225 in a while and last week it made it to the range with me. After about 2 or 3 mags I found myself hard prepping that trigger. The muscle memory was still present even if I had not trained it in a while.

This is the same technique I use to shoot Glocks. I use the travel of the Glock trigger to my advantage. It allows me the prep and break the shot cleanly. Now I believe that it is not as fast as a controlled slap but for me it is more accurate and more consistent. I find it is still helpful even when I push to shoot faster. Even if I am slapping the trigger in a semi controlled way I am still aware of the trigger prep but I am not relying on it. Lighter shorter pulls as Chuck in the video talks about are different. It is almost impossible to "prep" a 3.5# 1911 trigger. IMHO When you get to really short light triggers with really short resets the triggers become more and more like on off switches which is one of the reasons I like them. They allow me to control slap the trigger and go faster assuming that my other technique is holding true to form.

Getting back to @BatteryOaksBilly point how many shooters even on this board think about their shooting process to this level? I would put myself on a scale of 1-10 a very solid 6.5. 10 being a professional level shooter . I think about and analysis my shooting a fair amount but I am not an expert in anyway shape or form. I am an above avg shooter on my best day. I am not blistering fast nor am I super accurate. I am better than most people I see at the range but that really isn't saying much. How much do people even on this board really look at their shooting technique and look to improve it through informed practice and training. Unfortunately for lots of real life reason probably not that much.
 
they do not have the time or the resources.
I totally agree on the resource part. That is why Everything here is FREE. Range time and Ammo if needed. Guns galore to choose from. I honestly Try to help on the resource end.
As to the Time.....from my vantage point of 70+ years I have Always found that the people I know, regardless of money, health, position in life or TIME do exactly what they Want To Do. I fully understand that shooting is not as important to some as others. I think that may in fact be my Only addiction in life. What I have trouble understanding is people who spend their Time and Money and never follow up. Hell, maybe they find something else to enjoy. That's fine! BUT to go on at length and spend Money and spend Time and more Time and then NOT do what is even necessary to just stay at That level is a mystery to me. But alas, there are many of those in this Old Man's life.
I can tell each and every one of you this without fear of contradiction, Your TIME is THE most precious thing you have. If you do not know that today...you will one day...don't let it be too late.
To all that come here and spend time with us...thank you is poor payment, but Thank Each of You for coming here.
 
@BatteryOaksBilly, you are absolutely correct about the time thing, it is the most precious. I've known time is precious, but when my mom got sick late last year, it really put it all in perspective. Now we have no more time together. What I wouldn't do for some more time with her. Sorry for the side track.

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It takes the desire to get better. You have to desire to be better and have the confidence to believe you can be better, if you put in the work required. If you have that mindset, you will get better. At anything.

Without that you can have all the money, guns, and time in the world and not ever improve.
 
It takes the desire to get better. You have to desire to be better and have the confidence to believe you can be better, if you put in the work required. If you have that mindset, you will get better. At anything.

Without that you can have all the money, guns, and time in the world and not ever improve.

True but there is more to it than that. It’s not that simple. I think what is often missed is the level of proficiency people can and realistically strive to achieve. It is not an objective target. I have no desire to spend the time and the money to become a high level competition shooter. I want to be able to defend myself and my loved ones. I want to enjoy shooting not turn it into work. There is a fine line there for me.
 
True but there is more to it than that. It’s not that simple. I think what is often missed is the level of proficiency people can and realistically strive to achieve. It is not an objective target. I have no desire to spend the time and the money to become a high level competition shooter. I want to be able to defend myself and my loved ones. I want to enjoy shooting not turn it into work. There is a fine line there for me.

But that’s what I am saying. You don’t desire to be a high level competition shooter.

So you won’t be. It’s really that simple. I am sure there are plenty of valid reasons for your lack of desire.
 
But that’s what I am saying. You don’t desire to be a high level competition shooter.

So you won’t be. It’s really that simple. I am sure there are plenty of valid reasons for your lack of desire.

Yeah but you are presenting it as negative. Just because I don't desire to put a high level competition shooter does not mean I don't get better. It does not mean I have no desire to improve or that I don't work to do so. My point was that getting better or improving is not an objective standard. It is very much a subjective judgement.
 
Yeah but you are presenting it as negative. Just because I don't desire to put a high level competition shooter does not mean I don't get better. It does not mean I have no desire to improve or that I don't work to do so. My point was that getting better or improving is not an objective standard. It is very much a subjective judgement.

Whatever man.
 
Great discussion. Thanks for proving my point. :rolleyes:

If you really want a discussion, then don't say I am saying something that I am not saying.


Yeah but you are presenting it as negative.

Pleas show me where I presented anything as a negative.

Just because I don't desire to put a high level competition shooter does not mean I don't get better. It does not mean I have no desire to improve or that I don't work to do so.

I never said or implied you are not getting better, or that you don't desire to improve. Please reread my posts.


I, myself, am just a hobbyist. I try to improve. I want to do better, but I only desire to practice and shoot on a fun hobbyist level. Certainly nothing wrong with that.
I honestly can't understand how a pro shooter/golfer/etc can not get completely bored with it. If I shot enough to be a pro, I'd be completely bored after a few years and need to move to something else. Sure, I have "daydreams" about getting good enough to beat Todd Jarret. But daydreams never make anybody improve at anything.

So, I am certainly NOT presenting any of these ideas in the negative at all. My last post on this as I have no desire to argue about something that was just my opinion on the matter, which is why I didn't start off by quoting someone and trying to start an argument. Cheers.
 
I’m sure it was a great video. Only watched the last 6 minutes and mid 2 minutes. YouTube videos get ten minutes or less. Keep it short and simple or my kindergarten patience kicks in.
 
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