Practice Using non-Dominant Hand

atlctyslkr · December 22, 2010, 07:25 PM

Do you practice/prepare for a senario where you may not be able to use your dominant hand? Say your right handed and get hit in the right arm/shoulder area. Can you left hand handle that hot ammo you're carrying?

tony pasley · December 22, 2010, 08:48 PM

It is wise to practice strong hand, weak hand,one hand reloads, one hand clearing jams, to know you can do what is needed.

demigod · December 22, 2010, 09:17 PM

I don't carry stupid hot ammo. I suppose most of us could always benefit from more support hand practice though.

vytoland · December 22, 2010, 09:48 PM

i am right hand and right eye dominate. for me a typical range session is.....................

single handed grip, DAO, 60% left hand, 40% right hand, 8" x 11" target @ 32 feet

Buzzcook · December 22, 2010, 10:40 PM

I usually do a couple targets with my weak hand.

kraigwy · December 23, 2010, 01:30 AM

Quote:

Do you practice using your non-dominant hand?

All the time. I do most of my pistol/revolver practice with one hand. I learned a long time ago, is my "cop" days that you very seldom have both hands free. Building searches 'n such, you always have a flashlight, mirror, or some other item in one or the other of your hands.

If peeping though a door way on the right side, you might want to have the gun in your left hand for example.

Win_94 · December 23, 2010, 02:55 AM

I shoot both left and right handed with a rifle. I haven't with my pistol but will now.

I reload one handed with my pistol. I never thought about doing it with my rifle but will now.

booker_t · December 23, 2010, 08:50 AM

Concur with vytoland; the majority of my practice these days is weak-hand only.

For me, it's all about making the most out of my practice sessions. Go with a plan of what I want to accomplish, work on 1 or 2 skills where I have identified weakness, and call it a day. I don't measure the value of a range session based on the volume of lead downrange.

Plus, I feel as though 3 or 4 short sessions are far more effective than one or two long ones. Push to failure to learn the skill, then repetition and consistency to reinforce it.

Mobuck · December 26, 2010, 08:25 AM

I've always been fairly good with my off hand. Having grown up in a left handed household, I learned a lot of things left handed. Two years ago I had hand surgery on both hands-the left one first. Prior to the first surgery, I did quite a bit of practice with the left hand so that after the right hand was fixed, I would be prepared for left hand carry. I changed my primary carry pistol to a single action due to contiued weakness in the left hand, carried with a loaded chamber hammer on 1/2 cock. Still unable to release the non ambi safety with my left trigger finger, I was able to easily cock the hammer with the cast on my right hand and assume a steady hold quite quickly.

AH.74 · December 26, 2010, 11:56 AM

I've always practiced with my off-hand. My goal has been to know that if I have to be, I can be proficient enough to be comfortable and in control.

When I took my first CCW class the instructor had us shoot some rounds off-hand. I swear there were people who admitted that the thought to do so had never occurred to them.

"You have two hands, people" is what I was thinking.

Capt. Charlie · December 26, 2010, 01:35 PM

If you practice shooting from cover (barricade), it's an important skill. If you're right-handed, it's easy to shoot from the right side of a barricade and keep most of your body behind cover.

Shooting right-handed from the left side though, exposes a lot more of your body to your assailant.

That said though, I'm so lousy with my weak hand, I have trouble scratching my head with it, and I find that I really have to force myself to practice weak-hand shooting (especially if other shooters are watching to see how tight my groups are

.)

steve54 · January 10, 2011, 07:10 PM

I always practice the same amount with each hand.
One handed reloads and drawing from the holster with the weak hand ( unloaded)

smince · January 11, 2011, 11:18 AM

I don't consider it strong hand/weak hand or dominate/non-dominate.

I just shoot left-handed and right-handed.

A couple of years ago I had to wear a brace on my right wrist for about 8 weeks. I just started carrying my G19 in a left-handed holster and went about my business.

Deaf Smith · January 11, 2011, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Practice Using non-Dominant Hand

What is that?

Why should one hand be more capable at defending yourself than the other.

It is not hard to learn to shoot with either hand.

I shoot with either one, and yes I'm right handed.

Deaf

December 22, 2010, 07:25 PM	#1
atlctyslkr Senior Member Join Date: March 6, 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 613	Practice Using non-Dominant Hand Do you practice/prepare for a senario where you may not be able to use your dominant hand? Say your right handed and get hit in the right arm/shoulder area. Can you left hand handle that hot ammo you're carrying?

December 22, 2010, 08:48 PM	#2
tony pasley Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2006 Location: western north carolina Posts: 1,641	It is wise to practice strong hand, weak hand,one hand reloads, one hand clearing jams, to know you can do what is needed. __________________ Every day Congress is in session we lose a little bit more of our Liberty.

December 26, 2010, 01:35 PM	#11
Capt. Charlie Moderator Emeritus Join Date: March 24, 2005 Location: Steubenville, OH Posts: 4,446	If you practice shooting from cover (barricade), it's an important skill. If you're right-handed, it's easy to shoot from the right side of a barricade and keep most of your body behind cover. Shooting right-handed from the left side though, exposes a lot more of your body to your assailant. That said though, I'm so lousy with my weak hand, I have trouble scratching my head with it, and I find that I really have to force myself to practice weak-hand shooting (especially if other shooters are watching to see how tight my groups are .) __________________ TFL Members are ambassadors to the world for firearm owners. What kind of ambassador does *your* post make *you?* I train in earnest, to do the things that I pray in earnest, I'll never have to do. --Capt. Charlie

December 22, 2010, 09:17 PM	#3
demigod Junior member Join Date: March 13, 2008 Location: AZ Posts: 1,129	I don't carry stupid hot ammo. I suppose most of us could always benefit from more support hand practice though.

December 22, 2010, 09:48 PM	#4
vytoland Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: Illinois Posts: 614	i am right hand and right eye dominate. for me a typical range session is..................... single handed grip, DAO, 60% left hand, 40% right hand, 8" x 11" target @ 32 feet

December 22, 2010, 10:40 PM	#5
Buzzcook Senior Member Join Date: November 29, 2007 Location: Everett, WA Posts: 6,126	I usually do a couple targets with my weak hand.

December 23, 2010, 02:55 AM	#7
Win_94 Junior member Join Date: August 21, 2010 Location: Ohio Posts: 214	I shoot both left and right handed with a rifle. I haven't with my pistol but will now. I reload one handed with my pistol. I never thought about doing it with my rifle but will now.

December 23, 2010, 08:50 AM	#8
booker_t Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2009 Posts: 797	Concur with vytoland; the majority of my practice these days is weak-hand only. For me, it's all about making the most out of my practice sessions. Go with a plan of what I want to accomplish, work on 1 or 2 skills where I have identified weakness, and call it a day. I don't measure the value of a range session based on the volume of lead downrange. Plus, I feel as though 3 or 4 short sessions are far more effective than one or two long ones. Push to failure to learn the skill, then repetition and consistency to reinforce it.

December 26, 2010, 08:25 AM	#9
Mobuck Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2010 Posts: 6,846	I've always been fairly good with my off hand. Having grown up in a left handed household, I learned a lot of things left handed. Two years ago I had hand surgery on both hands-the left one first. Prior to the first surgery, I did quite a bit of practice with the left hand so that after the right hand was fixed, I would be prepared for left hand carry. I changed my primary carry pistol to a single action due to contiued weakness in the left hand, carried with a loaded chamber hammer on 1/2 cock. Still unable to release the non ambi safety with my left trigger finger, I was able to easily cock the hammer with the cast on my right hand and assume a steady hold quite quickly.

December 26, 2010, 11:56 AM	#10
AH.74 Junior member Join Date: October 13, 2008 Location: Hermit's Peak Posts: 623	I've always practiced with my off-hand. My goal has been to know that if I have to be, I can be proficient enough to be comfortable and in control. When I took my first CCW class the instructor had us shoot some rounds off-hand. I swear there were people who admitted that the thought to do so had never occurred to them. "You have two hands, people" is what I was thinking.

January 10, 2011, 07:10 PM	#12
steve54 Member Join Date: March 17, 2008 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 29	I always practice the same amount with each hand. One handed reloads and drawing from the holster with the weak hand ( unloaded)

January 11, 2011, 11:18 AM	#13
smince Junior member Join Date: October 9, 2004 Location: Northeast Alabama Posts: 2,580	I don't consider it strong hand/weak hand or dominate/non-dominate. I just shoot left-handed and right-handed. A couple of years ago I had to wear a brace on my right wrist for about 8 weeks. I just started carrying my G19 in a left-handed holster and went about my business.