I don't think I have ever fired any gun left handed. I am just a really right handed guy. However ...

Recently I stumbled clumsily in a parking lot and caught myself with my right hand on the side of my truck. Thing is, I kind of jammed my right wrist, which was already getting a little arthritic.

Just gripping a handgun now is painful. So I am concerned that I would make any pistol into a single shot. So I really need to get to the range and practice one hand, left hand.

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You're shy a few manners.

Practicing with the Weak Hand = ive done it for years....now im reasonably accurate with both hands.....

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There's nowt so queer as folk

Heard it called, "the other strong hand". Like that better than weak.

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I'm ambidextrous. I don't have a weak hand

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Retired Career Security Guard

Yup, same here. Every range session some weak hand shooting. I consider it a must. For me. YMMV

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America First

In our area IDPA and USPSA matches frequently require weak hand shooting as part of a course. I have become reasonably adept with weak hand. First rule is slow up a bit and concentrate on trigger pull. I have fellow shooters who are so bad weak-handed they refuse to try. I have also observed that natural lefties are much better weak hand than righties.

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Bob.
SWCA 1821

when you shoot with your "weak" hand do also use your "weak" eye?

Weak hand shooting is a very good training tool. Every time out I shoot a few with my weak hand. After a while you will become more proficient You never know when you will stumble in a parking lot like the OP, or get shot in the weak arm/shoulder area during a gun fight. Reloads are tough, racking the slide with one hand is tough also, but with a little practice both can be accomplished.

I was also wondering if anyone ever carries on the weak side. Obviously, if you get injured during a fight, that would be a different situation.

But say you hurt your strong hand in a accident like I had and it took months to heal ... Would you go so far as to get a weak side holster?

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You're shy a few manners.

I have considered it. At some point I will probably get a lefty holster to mirror my current right-side holster, but for now I can carry my 642 on my left side in a pocket holster if need be.

I do practice with my non-dominant hand from time to time. I think it is a good skill to have. I've also practiced using my left hand to draw my gun from my right-side holster. A benefit of using an IWB holster with a clip larger than my belt is that I can use my left hand to shift the gun/holster combo to give me a little better draw angle.

When I do shoot left-handed, I shoot one-handed because the time I'm most likely to need that skill is if my right hand is not available, for whatever reason (injured, disabled, etc.).

You want to have some real fun? Try doing a one-handed, non-dominant hand reload with a J-frame.

BOTH eyes are kept open with either hand.....

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There's nowt so queer as folk

I've had to carry on the other side from normal for extended times twice. Both times were from injuries to my arm or hand.
Every time I shoot I do drills with both hands now. Some times it's 5 rounds each hand other times I switch every magazine.
Same with long guns right shoulder and left shoulder every drill. I try for the same number of rounds on both sides.
Only exception for it is my bullpup AK. Shoot it left shoulder and the bolt will smack you in the face.

In my 31 years of annual law enforcement qualification always had to shoot 6 rounds weak hand from 25 yards behind barricade as part of score. Those were the ones that usually brought your score down a bit.

Quick reloads could also get "interesting" if not practiced one handed or weak handed. Might be a really good reason to carry a high-cap semi-auto.

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You're shy a few manners.

I try to shoot weak at least 25% weak hand every range trip and it's paying off. While I'm still more accurate strong hand I can easily hold my own weak hand. Funny thing is I write and eat left handed but everything else is right handed. At first it was really awkward but the more I practice the better I get.

I don't like the strong hand or weak hand terminology. I use shooting hand and support hand, but it boils down to the same thing.

I always recommend a little practice with the support hand. One day your shooting hand might be injured or occupied. Then you might need to use your support hand. When trying to save your life or someone else's is not the time to learn to use that hand.

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Freedom isn't free.

Technically, "weak hand" isn't the best term. In healthy adult males, there should only be about 2 pounds or less of a difference in the grip strength between the hands. But the non-dominant hand is definitely not as coordinated, adroit, agile, smooth, and in the case of the right-handed, literally not dexterous. I prefer the term goofy hand.

Some people are completely useless with their goofy hand. That's not good. Not only could you be injured during a fight, taking a round or even being knocked to the ground in a parking lot before you even get a chance to draw, injuring your hand on rebar, gravel, broken glass, or any such detritus commonly found in parking lots, you could sustain an injury to your fingers, hand, wrist, elbow, shoulder, or anywhere in between some weeks before any confrontation. You could be in a sling or a cast for 6 weeks or more. Not only that, but an injury to your lower body could cause you to use a cane with your shooting hand. It could be argued that, in a sling or walking with a cane, you are at once both less able to escape or defend yourself and are a more attractive victim. While you are injured is not a good time to be learning off-hand manipulation for the first time. And what are you going to do, not carry until you are all healed up?

You could do grip, wrist, and forearm exercises, but there is a phenomenon in exercise science called the SAID principle, Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand. That is, if you want to shoot well with your support hand, practice shooting with your support hand. I always put a few cylinders or magazines of rounds downrange using my left hand every range session. And I dry practice left-handed manipulation every time dry fire. It's that simple. Try it today. It's even fun!

It's also a good idea, if you wear glasses, try a mag/cylinder or two without them. In a stress situation, you might not be able to put them on, they might fall off, or get broken. Just because you can't see clearly doesn't mean the fight's over.

good thread I think it would be a challenge to start shooting with my other strong hand

As if Arthritis wasn't enough to work around.....
Good luck with the recovery.

A while back, Rastoff posted his third challenge ( Rastoff's Challenge III - Different Positions ) and I printed a stack of them. I keep some in my range bag and hubby and I run the drill one or twice per range session.

First few times I did it, I really stunk. Felt very awkward transitioning from the usual Isosceles stance. Over a year later, I'm only marginally more accurate, but I'm noticeably more comfortable doing it, and faster.

My go to has always been "non-dominant . . . "

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

I shoot/practice with each hand every time I go to the range. I do not care what terms they are called.

IMHO, it is not possible to practice 'too much' with your non-dominate hand. That includes reloads. Years ago, I had the Carpal Tunnel operation done to my right hand. I carried and shot exclusively with my left hand for a month. Yes, I was a little slow, but I was armed and fairly self confident. ....

Yes. Actually, I buy holsters for both sides for most of my guns. My heavy soft clothes or off duty carry is my 3 inch Model 13-3 right with my 2 inch Model 12-2 left and the Model 642-2 in a pocket or on my ankle. (BTW, I HATE ankle holsters!) Normal soft clothes or off duty carry is the Model 12-2 right with the Model 642-2 somewhere on me. I also know what it is like to go about with only one wing working. I had my left elbow rebuilt and was unable to handle even 9 mm recoil for about 2 years. The sling provided a handy place to stash my Model 640, though!

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CPT, Armor (Ret)
Luke 22:36

I have never used my weak hand shooting,i'm going to start doing it at the range.

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Life is short,live it fully.

I have premature arthritis in my right wrist that flares up periodically, due to an old break that never healed right. I've been practicing shooting Left Handed for the last 10 yrs.

I do have holsters for those days when I need to carry left handed.

When I first took up revolver shooting, I was strongly advised to practice with either / both hands, and did so. Some years later, when I was an auxilliary officer, that paid off: the department required that we qualify not only with our duty weapons, but also with any weapon we might carry off-duty. Qualifications that year came about 10 days after the surgery transposing the ulnar (funnybone) nerve in my dominant arm; I had to shoot the course with 7 different handguns, weak-handed all the way. Didn't set any records, but no difficulty qualifying.
Bottom line is that you just never know what's ahead, so prep the best you can.

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de minimus non curat lex

I got a little time on the range yesterday and did a little wrong handed shooting. (just to throw in another piece of terminology)

I have to slow down a little and think a little more about fundamentals, but the result is usually good. I'll keep practicing it.

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America First

I am fortunate that while being left handed ( shoot bullseye lefty) I carry on right side and shoot defensive type matches right handed. No weak or strong for me. Makes for easy good scoring on the weak hand only stages seen at some matches. Based on a class I attended taught by a respected instructor, every one should practice with both hands since there is a statistic that the primary gun hand is very commonly injured in a fight

I just call it my left hand. "Appendix" iwb and practice my draw as well.
Part of my regular training.

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Halfway and one more step

I can shoot with either hand, not as accurate left handed but rounds are still on target. I write left handed but can do everything else with either hand.


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That guy shooting at you may very likely have his vision focused on
your shooting hand/gun. Therefore, it is not unusual to get shot in
the shooting hand. My classes included a couple of drills using the
opposite hand.
How about using your same holster on the opposite side, but use the
inverted cavalry draw?

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In Omnia Paratus

My constant carry gun is a 360PD AirLite .357 I have learned to load it with .38's as recoil is vicious with magnum loads. Muzzle blast with .357s is like setting of a flash bang in your hand.

I have always shot and trained with both hands but suffered a cut to my left hand that severed the tendons which had to be re-attached surgically sort of splicing them together to return the use of my three lower fingers. My trigger finger was unaffected. (see thumbnail for surgery photo).

It took many weeks of rehab to return my grip strength to about 70% of my right hand. I wouldn't even think about firing my light J frame left handed, even with my .38 defensive loads. Now I only shoot 9mm with my truly weak had.

Realizing that in today's World 5 shots may not be enough I generally carry a semi-auto as backup to my snubby, using a NY reload, which I find is faster weak handed so this is my preferred carry:



I don't find carrying my 3914 DAO ISWB weak side along with my J frame strong side AISW cumbersome. They both conceal nicely, even under a loose T shirt. The 3914 actually conceals better than the J frame, being flatter and riding lower, although it weighs nearly twice as much loaded and holstered than the 360 (still under 30 oz though).

Alternately if I carry a .40 (In my case a 4040PD) I'll carry both on my dominate side:



While it is possible to reach around with my left hand to get the 4040 it's a bit awkward so I'll most likely just drop the snubby after expending it's five rounds and draw the 4040 with my right hand. A true NY reload.

Carrying both strong side gives me a choice (if I'm given that choice) of drawing the .40 first, although I'm much faster out of AISW carry than from a pancake carried at 4 O'clock.

digiroc

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For this reason I look for pistols with ambidextrous controls. With age my offhand side eye has become the stronger of the two. Range work from both sides can help improve skills from strong side.

I always shot right handed until....
I have a motor nerve condition and my right hand, as my neurologist put it, has profound weakness. He described my left as having moderate weakness.
I quickly learned to shoot left handed.

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Keep on Chooglin'

When I was in the USMC Security Force Battalion (Atlantic), we were taught "weak hand" shooting and "one hand shooting". This was done with both pistol and shotgun. Our school was patterned after the Gunsite course being taught at the time. Weak hand shooting with a pistol does need to be practiced on a regular basis, and I still do to this day. One hand weak hand shotgun (pump action) can be a real challenge, especially when you put the reload into the equation. We called it weak hand back then and that is still what I will call it.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

When I first started we luckily had an FBI instructor. Tuff, but fair. As we progressed the other hand was introduced as a routine part of the class. During the IPSC days it proved quite handy at the barricade.
I still practice at every range session. It is the only ambidextrous task I can do.

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"from my cold dead hands" C.H.