I own a pair of hands the size of a nine year old girl. Holding a pistol that high means horrific slide bite. Can't do it.

I prefer the 'thumbs forward' method, with the supporting hand thumb on the frame and the shooting hand thumb over the supporting hand thumbs back knuckle.

This seems to work for the dainty shooters I have shot with.

H&K-Guy

quote:

Originally posted by oldRoger:
There is little point in me trying to do the kind of all encompassing wrap around hold, my hands simply are not large enough.

I have to work with the hands I have and the grip simply won't work for me.

Exactly right. It doesn't matter if your hands on the left side of the gun look just like XXXXX's if you can't reach the trigger properly.

I try to look at what good shooters are trying to accomplish with particular aspects of a grip and try to get as close as I can to achieving that goal, not achieving the exact hand position in a photo.

A thumb-forward grip has been widely taught in the fed.gov circuit for about 15 years now.

Extend your support hand as if you're offering it for a left-handed handshake, thumb more-or-less parallel to the ground. You've already established a solid, high grip on the weapon before fully breaking retention on the holster. Your support hand fingers "wrap" your dominant hand fingers as you're presenting the weapon. The tip of your support thumb generally winds up approximately "even" with your trigger finger if your trigger finger is riding the frame.

If your support thumb is where it should be, it's not interfering with the slide in the least.

Yes, it feels as awkward as all-get-out when you're trying it for the first time, but it's surprisingly comfortable for many after the initial "break in."

quote:

Originally posted by DennisM:
Yes, it feels as awkward as all-get-out when you're trying it for the first time, but it's surprisingly comfortable for many after the initial "break in."

Agreed. I was originally trained in the Weaver stance some 20+ years ago...60/40 grip, push-pull, etc. I don't recall being told how to arrange my thumbs but I ended up with a thumb-over-thumb grip. In the last few years I ended up practicing with more of an Isoceles stance and thumbs forward grip with semi-autos, and now it's my preferred method as the gun seems to "track" better between shots. It's helped me shoot more consistently.

I still use thumb-over-thumb with revolvers, though.

quote:

Originally posted by henryarnaud:

quote:

Originally posted by DennisM:
Yes, it feels as awkward as all-get-out when you're trying it for the first time, but it's surprisingly comfortable for many after the initial "break in."

Agreed. I was originally trained in the Weaver stance some 20+ years ago...60/40 grip, push-pull, etc. I don't recall being told how to arrange my thumbs but I ended up with a thumb-over-thumb grip. In the last few years I ended up practicing with more of an Isoceles stance and thumbs forward grip with semi-autos, and now it's my preferred method as the gun seems to "track" better between shots. It's helped me shoot more consistently.

I still use thumb-over-thumb with revolvers, though.

I'm in the same boat, generally speaking. Started in Weaver, then was taught a "modified" Weaver, then was shepherded into the thumbs-forward grip. With this grip, point-shooting has become MUCH more effective for me. On our qual course, the sights might as well not exist until past the 15-yard line. Nice side benefit.

I imagine trying it with a revolver would be rather painful. At least, the first time.