Guys, I grew up with the Outdoor Life Book of Shooting and the handgun section written by the great Jeff Cooper.
As a result, shooting either a revolver or a semi auto, I have tended to use Jack Weaver's original style and place my left hand thumb perpendicular to my right hand thumb, which is horizontal. (Jack had huge paws. Mine are medium sized.)
But when I look at current semi-auto technique, both thumbs flow forward. I will have to practice a lot to retrain muscle memory, but it seems this gives more control of the handgun, especially in recoil. This will be important with my new carry piece, a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield in .45 ACP
How do you hold your weapon for defensive use?

The newest and latest isn't always the greatest.

I have been shooting a modified weaver for going on 40 years I hit what I shoot at and won matches with it.

I am not going to change.

I shoot with my left thumb mostly forward with a sight bend.

Not forward not perpendicular ether.

Is it going to be worth spending all the time doing away with all you have.

I tell all my students I don't care how you hold it or how you stand as long as you are safe and hitting the target,

If you are not hitting then we well work on getting you to hit it.

A one and only grip does not work for every body just because some one wins a match with it doesn't mean it well work for you.

Your hand size and hand strength is your own don't be afraid to modify your grip to suit you the best.

But don't just change because someone else is doing it.

Take what you like and works for you. Modify as you see fit.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
The newest and latest isn't always the greatest.

I have been shooting a modified weaver for going on 40 years I hit what I shoot at and won matches with it.

I am not going to change.

I shoot with my left thumb mostly forward with a sight bend.

Not forward not perpendicular ether.

Is it going to be worth spending all the time doing away with all you have.

I tell all my students I don't care how you hold it or how you stand as long as you are safe and hitting the target,

If you are not hitting then we well work on getting you to hit it.

A one and only grip does not work for every body just because some one wins a match with it doesn't mean it well work for you.

Your hand size and hand strength is your own don't be afraid to modify your grip to suit you the best.

But don't just change because someone else is doing it.

Take what you like and works for you. Modify as you see fit.

+1 Great, well thought out advice. If it ain't broke, don't fool with it.

You're practicing to engage, shoot, and kill an adversary, if what you have been doing for years would do so, don't overthink the habits you've built up.

quote:

+1 Great, well thought out advice. If it ain't broke, don't fool with it.

When under pressure one normally reverts back to their first training.

It took me many times and years to modify my old first CPR training to the new and improve types.

Even then if SHTF and I had to preform CPR again I might revert back to what I first learn in 1975 or a modification of one of the many changes over the years.

So when training people for the first time it is very important that that don't developed bad habits,

Getting rid of them is hard and time consuming.

A little story about instructors trying to make every body shoot the PROPER STANCE and GRIP.

I went to my 2nd police academy at 32yoa.

I been shooting pump shotguns for 23 years and I was an accomplished shooter.

During one of our training sessions one of the instructors who shot competition trap. He preached high elbow position.

I shoot a fairly low elbow position for several reasons one is not to stick your elbow out from cover and get it shot.

That particular course of fire was a reloading drill where one had to reload and shoot as many clays as one could as fast as the instructor could throw them.

I ran the first five then had to start reloading. The instructor stopped me and said my elbow was to low.

I reload and he started to throw clays again I ran the first five and started reloading dropping a round in the chamber slamming the action closed shooting the clay targets one handed while reaching for another round to reload.

After running the next 10 clays as fast as they could be thrown and breaking them all one handed.

I ran out of ammo. I turned to the instructor and said is my elbow still to low.

He just looked very surprised.

Again if it is working don't fix it.

Good stuff, P Dog Shooter. Thanks for sharing your wisdom.
This little Smith Shield even has the thumb safety about where it would be on a 1911 -- more muscle memory gets to play.

And thats why I stay with a 1911;because I don't have to think;if you need to ask;don't.

I think we are comparing apples and oranges here, a bit. The "new" technique by competition shooters AFAIK is designed to shoot very fast , with full size guns where a miss loses you points but that is all. The main differences are not so much the thumbs (which is the most visible) but rather the position and angle of the left wrist. That wrist is cocked "down" so as to counteract the upward recoil. Does it work? Yes? The shooting skills displayed seem to be superior to those in previous years. Does that mean you have to change? If you intend to successfully compete at the top levels of IPSC then, yes! If you can't commit to spending the time drawing and presenting at home, as well as practicing at the range, every day, then stick with what works for you.
A lot of what we use for equipment, and a lot of our technique, was developed by competition shooters and folks who go back and think "is there a better way of doing this"? What we see in competition is what works for them! If many different shooters use the same equipment or the same technique, then presumably it has a widespread application. After all, these guys make their living this way!
Just my 2 cents.
Peter