First and foremost, a solid grip makes for a quality shooter. Your grip can make or break your shot the second you press that trigger. Too weak and you won’t control the shot. Too strong and you’ll overcompensate causing your round to travel to destinations unwanted. That grip as important as it is, starts at the holster. From the second you draw until the time you re-holster, the grip should not change. It’s critical to practice this so that the grip is the same every time you draw from the holster. The only exception is if you have to clear a malfunction or do a magazine change.
To become a skilled shooter you must be consistent in everything you do. From your stance, your grip, draw, sight alignment and sight picture, your trigger press and the follow through must all be the same.
You cannot grip the pistol one way this time, another way the next time and expect the same results in your shooting.
The key is to maintain solid control of your firearm by having as much physical contact between your hands and the firearm as possible. When setting up your grip, the firearm should be gripped firmly into your firing hand like you are making a fist, with the web (the “V” of the hand between the thumb and index finger) of your hand high and centered on the back strap. The firing hand thumb should be high, to create a space for the support hand.
As the pistol is being drawn from the holster, wrap fingers (middle, ring and little finger) around the grip of the pistol and below the trigger guard.
Keep the index finger straight along the slide, outside the trigger guard and off the trigger until ready to shoot.
Wrap the fingers of your support hand firmly around the firing hand with the index finger pressed firmly against the bottom of the trigger guard and the meaty part of your support hand nestled into the open space on the grip left open by the firing hand.
This creates the perfect “seal” between both hands, the thumbs are stacked pointed forward.
No part of the firearm grip should be visible between your fingers, or between the strong hand and support hand.
Isometric pressure should be applied from the front and the rear (with the shooting hand pushing forward, and the support hand pulling back, described as the push-pull method). This aids in recoil management.
If looking from above, the tip of the trigger finger, when placed along the slide, should be directly across from the tip of the support thumb. Many shooters will find their support thumb being much farther back than the tip of the trigger finger, by correcting this and rotating the support hand farther forward, it results in the “thumbs forward” grip.
