by Sandy Keathley
McKinney Firearms Training.com
A shooting topic not often discussed is follow-through, probably because it is so simple. Well, simple in theory, but in the greater scheme of things, harder to prioritize than aiming and trigger work. It doesn’t actually happen until after the shot breaks.
In general, follow-through means to continue the fundamentals of stance and grip all the way through the shot, in the same way that a golfer or batter swings through the ball. If they relax at the moment of contact, the result will not be as good.
Shooters also use the term in a more specific way, meaning to continue to pull the trigger after the shot breaks, until it hits the frame of the gun. Granted, some triggers break very close to the frame, so there is almost no perceptible overtravel. This is generally a good thing, but either way, continuing to pull back until the trigger stops moving forces the shooter to maintain a certain discipline. Otherwise, there is a tendency to react suddenly to recoil, and that can impact the POI (point of impact) negatively. I see student’s fingers jumping off the trigger as the shot breaks. There is no way that can be good.
The next time you go to the range, try moving this up your list of things to remember as you shoot. It may take some practice, but it will help.
