Both eyes open, or one?
- Thread starter Millie
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That's funny. The first video says only move the weak side leg. The second video says only move the strong side leg. We need a third video for the tie breaker.
OP
Much better! Thanks.
Yes, I think I get it. Might be a good use for the cat's laser toy, tape to gun, do the drill and see where the light ends up? Then when it's in the middle of the target, remember what the stance felt like. Have I got the basic idea?
OP
I think I got the basic idea, depending on which side of the target I end up on. Lol.That's funny. The first video says only move the weak side leg. The second video says only move the strong side leg. We need a third video for the tie breaker.
I would skip the laser. Make sure the gun is empty and clear. Draw the gun "properly" and drive it to the target look for the sights. The sights will tell you were the bullet would have gone. Correct your stance in order to get better alignment. Once you have found your natural stance and natural point of aim practice practice practice. Start with your eyes open verifying your point of aim. Once you have built in some consistency you can then start to do it with your eyes closed. Lots of training for shooting pistols well can be done without putting rounds down range and at no cost.
Think of it like bird hunting. When you first start out you take your time aiming, placing the bead of the shotgun a specific distance in front of the bird, and pay attention to follow through with your sweep (kind of like painting the bird with the shot). The more I did this, the more instinctual it became to automatically know where to point, and to maintain my follow through.
When you are shooting in a defense scenario, you're not going to take the time to close one eye and line up the shot, which is why I recommended shooting pistols with both eyes open. It'll be harder to break a habit once it is ingrained, so we want to learn the way we plan to engage threats. That's also why I suggest taking up IDPA, as you'll develop muscle memory and will perform functions automatically after learning what to do.
When you are shooting in a defense scenario, you're not going to take the time to close one eye and line up the shot, which is why I recommended shooting pistols with both eyes open. It'll be harder to break a habit once it is ingrained, so we want to learn the way we plan to engage threats. That's also why I suggest taking up IDPA, as you'll develop muscle memory and will perform functions automatically after learning what to do.
That's funny. The first video says only move the weak side leg. The second video says only move the strong side leg. We need a third video for the tie breaker.
I would probably go with Jarrett I think he has won some sort of shooting competition somewhere. LMAO
You need to learn to walk before you can run. Way too soon for IDPA. Also many people do not recommend using IDPA to develop muscle memory for defensive shooting. Some of what you learn from shooting IDPA can help you in a defensive situation others will get you killed in a real gun fight. YMMV
OP
I'm not even remotely at "drawing the gun" yet. I'm at the point of picking it off the table at the range, standing like I was taught to, getting my grip right and pushing the gun out in front of me. Then I spend a while getting the sights lined up, and then I shoot...usually low left. Lol.
When I used to shoot with my dad, we grabbed the gun one-handed and stood side-on to the target and shot!
You're giving me way, way too much credit! I have NO draw..... But I'll revisit these posts when I do get a draw going....
You guys might be giving tips to someone who is too new to take advantage of them (yet).....sorry about that!
OP
I get that, and I might be crawling, not even walking right now....very discouraging! But I did start walking before 9 months, which I was told was good for the times, so maybe I'll get hold of some of this soon!
Keep in mind you are getting advice from folks that have advanced a good ways in their shooting. Not that it's bad advice BTW. But their advice may start even further along than you actually are.
I don't want to get too far down this rabbit hole, but just to let you know. In close shooting some of us are putting rounds on target before the gun is leveled and sights are aquired. Personally, I usually have 3 shots on target before I aquire my sight picture. It's a bit of a controversial technique, but it's certainly doable close in. And with some guns I don't even bother to use the sights.
Some of it is like hitting a baseball, or catching one. You end up staring at the ball and your body puts the bat in position without looking at it. When Miss Lily mentioned focusing on the target instead of the sights in a defensive situation, it's a similar idea. Your hands will go where your eyes are focused. When you get to drawing you can use that to your advantage by developing your draw to come up to where you are looking at the target. So you can get the gun in play without moving your eyes off the target.
OP
Oh, most definitely the advice has been way farther along than I am....lol...but I'll use the tiny bit I can "get" at the moment, and as I progress I hope the other stuff will begin to make sense....
I know lots of you people have been at this for many years and some for decades...not to imply anybody is "old"...but lots of you started shooting way before I decided to "get serious" about my shooting.
Maybe in 20 or 30 years, I'll be where some of you are now....maybe!
You did notice that in both videos both eyes were closed or blocked from the target. And you thought I was just funnin'! I am a freaking genius I tell ya.
This right here. ^^^ IMO you will be way better off to form good habits from the start and not have to spend practice time unlearning bad habits later on. I learned to shoot with one eye closed and it took quite a while to learn to shoot with both eyes open. See the target, focus on your front sight and let your peripheral vision do the rest.
If you are going to practice a draw, you first need to learn HOW to draw. It’s very important and most people are terrible at it and never practice it. Learn it from professional or someone with actual experience using the draw.
Both open.
Wider field of view allowing the shooter to see what targets are coming into the arena.
One eye tends to set me off balance when shooting on the move.
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Wider field of view allowing the shooter to see what targets are coming into the arena.
One eye tends to set me off balance when shooting on the move.
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OP
I tried with both eyes this morning, everything was a blur.
I'll keep working on it, but my trainer says for now to do it like I can. I imagine we'll get to that in a few more sessions maybe.
OP
I'll ask the coach about that next lesson. I'm sure he can steer me in the right direction. He got my grip a bit more straightened out last lesson, and today I did pretty well on the targets. I think it's just going to take time, which makes me wish I'd started sooner, but I've started, at least...lol.
You have to figure out which eye is dominant. Has the instructor.gone over that with you? Is the instructor primarily a teacher or is it just one of the guys/gals that works in the shop which helps people out with shooting upon request?
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I am right handed, left eyed. Both open.
OP
He is a nice young guy, and he does know, as I have improved by listening to his ideas. He got my grip better sorted out the other day and I think it worked pretty well for me today.
And yes, he seems to know how much info I can take in in a lesson, and it'll be slow going, but I'm sure I can learn a lot from him.
It must be kind of weird to teach people what probably is second nature to these trainers by now. I'm not sure I'd be as nice or as patient!!
OP
When I called there weeks ago and asked for a trainer, they gave me his name. You have to book his time ahead and he seems to be pretty busy! I think there's one other trainer, too.
As for eye dominance, I close my left eye, not sure if that means the right is dominant. I'm right-handed. We haven't discussed it beyond the fact that I can see better with left eye closed, and he said just do that for now. I've tried both eyes open and it's just a big blur.
We'll probably be addressing this in a future lesson. I think he wanted to get my grip and trigger finger sorted out last time. Which is going pretty well, as I didn't have to "try" to remember the spot we discovered was the perfect placement for my finger to be when shooting alone this morning! Lol. I think that's huge, right there! The grip seemed better/tighter to me too, but I'll let him look at the next lesson and see what he thinks. He should have seen one of my targets by now, texted to him by the other trainer!! I hope he thinks I did well.