My first NRA instructor told the class that sometimes he is an instructor, but he is always a student. Great words to live by. Someone else can always teach you something. As I teach more and more NJCCW classes, I am seeing my students improperly holding their handguns. This can range from poor marksmanship, (not hitting the target where they want) to safety issues. It can be a real challenge for people with big hands to properly hold some of these compacts and sub-compact pistols.
I am seeing people extending their support hand index finger along the slide of the gun. This is definitely a sign of a poor grip but could also lead to personal injury. This may work with a six-inch barrel, but shoot a compact or sub-compact and you could potentially shoot the tip of your finger off.
This is exactly what happened to a sargeant in the State Police. At the time, we were shooting the HK P7 M8. He extended his finger forward past the end of the barrel and shot the tip-off. Not only did he feel the pain and discomfort but also a lot of ribbing and embarrassment.
The other type of poor grip I am seeing is where someone wraps their support thumb around the back of their strong hand making a large “C” out of their support hand. I am not sure where this is coming from as a proper grip. Your support hand’s fingers should wrap around the pistol’s grip over top of your strong hand, and the support fingers should fit into the grooves of the fingers of your strong hand. This will give you better handling of the pistol when firing as well as control of movement.
Work on your grip and your accuracy will follow.
Please click on the link below and watch the video by Achilles Heel Tactical on proper grip.