Training Trigger Control

O

OSOK

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For training Handgun shooters, of course one of the key things is trigger control, trigger re-set (with Glock Pistols) and surprise break. I find some students have trouble getting the concept and insist upon slamming the trigger too aggressively or they may display good trigger control in slow shooting but lose it as they speed up. In addition, many courses have limited time for one on one instruction.

The 4 drills I use most for teaching this are:

1) 1 hole drills; that is, slowly shooting 5 round groups from very close range (10feet) attempting to shoot one ragged hole.

2) Loading several dummy rounds interspersed with live ammo in each magazine and having students paying attention to the movement of their front sight when they click on a dummy round

3) Trigger reset drill: that is having students paired up with one student dry firing and the second student (or instructor) watching the trigger press and cycling the slide for the shooter after each dry fire

4) Balancing an empty casing on the front sight and having the student dry fire without having it fall off.


Does anyone have any ideas, suggestions, drills or teaching analogies to aid in getting this concept across?
 
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Dry firing is one of the best exercises, the problem with it is of course that you can't easily do fast shots with dry firing on single action pistols.

Shooting lots of 22 at longer distances, say up to 25 yards, again focussing on groups... Low left (for a right handed shooter) groups are a sign of "jerking" the trigger or poor trigger control.
 
train them to flex their trigger finger (without a pistol iin their hand) without making a 'milking' motion with their middle and ring fingers, which causes low/right shots.

if a shooter insists on being agressive with the trigger, let him try slapping the trigger rather than squeeze to a surprise break. If other fundamentals are solid, this works well.
 
Shooting is a mental game once the essential techniques are understood.

Self-image is surprisingly important. If the shooter lacks confidence in their ability to accomplish the shot, the subconscious mind will screw it up. If they believe in themselves with calm determination, that same subconscious mind can do wonders.

Have them work on a positive self image before every shot and then maintain that positive self image from the time they raise the gun, through the shot, and until they lower the pistol afterwards.

Concentrate on the front sight. Don't force the shot -- take up as much slack as possible in the trigger and break the shoot calmly and smoothly while watching that front sight. Don't listen for the shot. That's anticipating it. Ideally, you don't even need to consciously be aware of your trigger finger at all after taking up the slack -- focus everything on the front sight and let it happen when the time is right, without forcing it. Trust yourself.
 
The biggest difference I found was with the grip and the "independence" of your trigger finger from your grip. A strong combat style grip will stabilize the pistol. The trigger should be a consistent pull through.
Lots of rounds down range will improve the technique.
 
I have to work on weak hand trigger control. It seems to me to be a big obstacle. Dryfiring while trying to keep a good sight picture helps.
 
One thing I do when dry firing is work on the "release".

Pull the trigger, and keep the trigger fully depressed. Rack the slide, still with the trigger fully depressed. Bring the gun up and acquire a sight picture on whatever it is you use when dry firing. Now try releasing the trigger and dry fire your next "shot".
 
rgv said:
train them to flex their trigger finger (without a pistol iin their hand) without making a 'milking' motion with their middle and ring fingers, which causes low/right shots.

if a shooter insists on being agressive with the trigger, let him try slapping the trigger rather than squeeze to a surprise break. If other fundamentals are solid, this works well.
Click to expand...

Warning: this only works with super light, single action triggers. Any gun of the "production" variety cannot be slapped with any hope of accuracy.
 
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