Grip Strength

Do You Want to Shoot Better?
Improve Your Grip Strength and Grip That Gun Strong!

Welcome back, reader! Here at Select Fire, I try to write articles that we hope are interesting and informative… and maybe help you become a little better of a shooter. That last point is what I’m aiming for here.

When people ask the question “what do I need to do to shoot better”, there can be a lot of answers. Some will mention the type of caliber of gun that you use… some will swear by a certain brand of ammunition, or a certain optic… but in watching lots of people shoot at the range (including myself), I’m convinced that the grip that a shooter has on the gun is the number one area that a shooter can work on and see immediate improvement.

Earlier this year, I wrote a three-part series called “Hitting the Target: The Big Three Factors” (if you missed that or any of our articles, you can find them on our website at http://webbynsm.com/sftc240731/posts/ Part one of that series was on grip; In that article, I talked about the details of how to properly grip a handgun for best control and accuracy. While the info in that article is certainly true, one thing we didn’t touch on much was grip strength. Having a relatively strong grip is crucial to firing and manipulating a gun well, but it’s a topic that is rarely discussed as a factor in how well you shoot. Why is a strong grip so important, and what can you do to improve it?

Why Grip Strength Matters

One of the most important is recoil control. Having a strong (and proper) grip on the gun is vital to properly controlling the gun through the entire firing sequence, especially recoil (Figure 1). For follow-up shots, it’s a big advantage to the shooter if the gun doesn’t move much after the first shot, and this can only be achieved with a strong, proper grip. This is easy to see if you watch a video of a professional shooter such as Ben Stoeger shoot (there are dozens of videos like that). When you watch, focus on the movement of the gun…you’ll notice that with professional shooters, the barrel barely rises at all between shots. The ability to control the gun to that level starts with a strong, proper grip. If you want to shoot faster and more accurately, it all starts with a really good grip… so you need grip strength to do that.

Another reason that many people don’t realize or understand is that a strong grip is actually required to even make a semi-automatic handgun work properly. If the gun is held very softly, it may not cycle properly; the action of the weapon depends on the frame being held relatively well, to overcome the return spring tension and allow the slide to move backward and eject the spent cartridge properly (Figure 2). In the shooting world, failing to do this is called “limp wristing” the gun and tends to happen more with brand new shooters who may be intimidated by the gun, and don’t grip it properly and with some strength. It can also happen with shooters who simply lack hand strength. I’ve seen this happen multiple times on the range; new shooters may tend to blame the gun or the ammo, when actually ‘they’ induced the misfire. If your weapon starts experiencing failures to eject properly, clear the weapon and try increasing your grip strength. While it’s more common with folks who lack hand strength, I have seen this happen even with otherwise strong guys who are capable of gripping properly… but for whatever reason, don’t.

A final area where grip strength commonly comes into play is when cycling the slide or disassembling the gun. Some handguns have very strong return springs in them, making it tougher to manipulate the slide. Of course, working the slide properly is crucial to operating the gun; you’ll have to cycle the slide when loading, unloading, clearing malfunctions, and cleaning the gun. The problem can be made even tougher on some guns that have smaller slides (CZ’s and Beretta’s often have a lower profile slide), giving less surface area to grip. Smaller, ‘micro-compact’ handguns can sometimes be difficult to manipulate as well, and many new firearms are a bit ‘stiff’ until they’ve been used for a bit. The problem of difficulty of operating the slide (for some demographics) has led some manufacturers to make “easy” (or ‘EZ’) versions of their guns, engineered to make slide operation easier.

So What Can You Do to Improve Your Grip Strength?

There are lots of grip trainers on the market. One of the most common types is shown in Figure 3; these can be found in a variety of grip weights online (grip weight is the amount of strength needed to squeeze the trainer)… Amazon carries many of them. They are relatively inexpensive, and they work… if you use them. That ends up being the key factor for most people; many folks will start a training program (not just grip strength, but anything) but not follow through. The key is to do it regularly, and with effort. Start with a grip weight that you can squeeze, with some effort, about 20 times. Do three or four sets of that, three or four times per

week. That may sound like a lot but doing that amount will take less than five minutes. Once you can do 4 sets of 20 reps, start adding reps… do sets of 25 for a few days (or until that gets easier) then move on to sets of 30 reps, and so on. If you do that consistently, for even as little as a month or two, you will see significant improvement in your grip strength.

Another method that’s pretty easy to do is to get a ball of modeling clay or putty, about the size of a golf ball, or perhaps just a bit bigger… and do the same routine. Squeeze it hard, with each hand, for three or four sets of 20, just like with the grip trainer. There are other training devices that you can find, from soft rubber balls, even up to a tennis ball. As you go, find something to squeeze that will challenge you, and increase your reps.

Of course, all of that only works if you do it….so set a routine and do it on schedule. Some folks will keep their grip trainer on the coffee table, and do it while they watch TV. I keep mine in my car, and whenever I come to a red light, I do a couple of sets.

So how do you know if you’re one of those folks who needs to work on their grip strength? That’s easy… if you have a hard time working the slide on your gun, or it’s hard to lock it back for disassembly, then you might benefit from working on your grip a little bit. And virtually ALL shooters will benefit from using a stronger (and proper) grip. Grip strength will not only make manipulating your gun easier, it will make you a better shooter. So, work on that grip!

Thanks for taking the time to read my articles! I hope they inform and interest you, and help you become a better shooter…and I also hope you come out and train with us here at Select Fire!

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Select Fire Training Center (SFTC) is the premiere training center and indoor shooting range facility in Northeast Ohio. Dedicated to offering a top-notch facility with highly skilled instructors, a wide range of classes and a state-of-the-art shooting range experience. We are here to serve your needs, make you feel welcome and we do this by offering you true customer service by friendly, knowledge people.