How to stop flinching

Tabby Lynn said:
When you graduate into revolvers you will find that for the most part semi auto calibers do not compare to the power and effectiveness of real handguns. They shoot harder, go faster and are way more accurate than most semi autos. Take for example, a 357 mag has heavier bullets, goes faster, has more energy and hits harder than even your beloved 10mm, and thats just for starters. You also don't have any semi auto action to take up the recoil. If you are flinching the only way to stop flinching is to concentrate on proper shooting techniques, quit jerking the trigger. The only way you can flinch is if you know the gun it going to go off. If that is the case you are jerking the trigger and expecting the recoil. If you are properly pressing the trigger you will not know when the gun is going to fire, thus you cannot flinch.

Breathe in, breathe out, hold your breath, aim and press the trigger. Once you hold your breath the gun needs to fire within 5 seconds or your vision will start to blur and you will begin to tremble. No shot in 5 seconds, stop, relax, go back to a ready position, take a breath and start over .
Click to expand...
"The only way you can flinch is if you know the gun it going to go off. If that is the case you are jerking the trigger and expecting the recoil. If you are properly pressing the trigger you will not know when the gun is going to fire, thus you cannot flinch.

Breathe in, breathe out, hold your breath, aim and press the trigger. Once you hold your breath the gun needs to fire within 5 seconds or your vision will start to blur and you will begin to tremble. No shot in 5 seconds, stop, relax, go back to a ready position, take a breath and start over ."

Obviously shooting techniques can vary between shooters. My experience is different.

Years ago, I was a serious film photographer for about 15 years. I learned very early that 95% of all photographic failure is camera movement. In the Nikon School of Photography the very first lesson is how to minimize camera movement. Gently pushing the shutter button at the bottom of your exhale is the proper technique. Since shutter speeds can vary, once the shutter is released your finger should not move off the shutter button for a spit second, it's like follow though. Holding your breath is a no-no. Your CO2 level in your blood goes up quickly when you hold your breath causing muscle contractions and shaking. Your subconscious immediately goes to DEFCON 4.

I have always practiced the same technique at the range when working on POA/POI. I make myself conscientiously aware of my breathing and trigger release. It's become fairly automatic, but I still focus on my breathing when I'm sighting in for accuracy.

For extreme target accuracy at the range, when I press the trigger I want to know precisely then it fires a round. Holding the trigger after firing helps to keep me from flinching.
 
I recently watched a vid by Jerry Miculek. He said he has students get to a safe place, point the gun into a berm, close their eyes and fire the gun. He said no one flinches when their eyes are closed. He recommended firing several times and imprinting the feel into your brain. Then return to the firing line and the issue may be resolved.

I haven't tried it but I'd buy into whatever Jerry says!

 
You are way ahead if you know you've got this problem, so kudos to you,
You can weigh all the responses here but pay special
attention if a trainer comes on who can show how he successfully trained this out of his students.
This is an autonomic response so the solution needs to address the subconscious process.
Are you wanting to be a better bullseye shooter
or are you wanting to win a gunfight?
Are you wanting to make better split times; thinking of competition shooting?
For defensive shooting at combat ranges be aware that your adrenaline response, fight/flight reaction, tunnel vision etc will be a much bigger factor in losing the fight than flinching. I have seen countless mag dump videos and nobody is flinching, but neither are they hitting either.
Let us know what works for you.
Kind Regards,
BrianD
 
Empty gun and dry fire.
If using a semi auto, dry fire with 4 or 5 nickels on the slide. When you don't drop any, use dimes. Concentrate on your front sight.
 
Provided a person's doesn't have arthritis or something, tolerance to recoil can be built up with practice.

Dry-fire or using lighter recoiling loads are great ways to build trigger control without beating yourself up.

Shooting heavy recoiling loads is somewhat physchological. Once your mind realizes you are not going to get injured, it will calm down and deal with recoil better.

This comes with practice -- the ugly "p" word.
One thing about practice though, once you start flinching, put the gun down. Maybe take a break or shoot a lighter recoiling gun.

Don't let flinching become an ingrained response.
 
The key is to relax. That's why I always light a few scented candles, chill some dry white wine and put on my favorite Anita Baker CDs from the '80s.

Wait a sec. That's what I do when I take a bubble bath bath. Never mind.
 
Flinching is 100% mental. My approach is to focus on the front sight, and think of reaching out to the target, It takes my mind off of the action of pulling the trigger and subsequent recoil. This level of concentration takes regular practice. Any job goes better if you concentrate on results rather than effort.
 
Speaking of the 375, back when I was active gun trading, one of my specialties was left-hand rifles.
And on two different occasions, I had Mauser 3000s in 375.
So do I regret not shooting either one of them?
No, not really. But I do regret not keeping some of the ammunition.
 
chief38 said:
Practice trigger control with an empty gun (use dummy rounds or snap caps) and do not rush or anticipate the shot. Trigger control is slowly squeezing the trigger with slowly increasing pressure on it until it fires - never pull or jerk a trigger When the gun fires it should be somewhat of a "surprise" as to the precise moment it goes off. You can start off live shooting with a .22 and work up from there. Do not move up until you are flinch-free with the lighter and smaller calibers. When you pull the trigger your gun's barrel should not move downward. Focus on your sight picture - it is perfectly ok to have the target be somewhat blurry. The human eye is incapable of keeping the rear sight, front sight and the target all in focus at the same time. Squeeze, do not pull. Gently increase pressure until you hear the bang. Master that and you have mastered trigger control and eliminated the flinch.

If you don't have a 22 revolver you might consider buying or renting one (or shooting with a friend that has one. Just buy some ammo for it. Stay with it until you master - no more flinching.
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I never flinch with a .22. No recoil to anticipate so no flinch. I'd start with light .38
 
kbm6893 said:
I never flinch with a .22. No recoil to anticipate so no flinch. I'd start with light .38
Click to expand...
My personal suggestion might be to revisit trigger control. If the trigger is squeezed correctly you won't know exactly when the gun will fire hence there shouldn't be any flinching. That should apply to any caliber no matter the actual recoil. Just suggestion of course.
 
Wfevans4 said:
How do you stop flinching? Other than man up!!! 357 (rarely 38) and 44 mag is what I'm shooting.

I've shot mostly Glocks and other semi-autos most of my life and now that I'm getting into revolvers, I flinch more than I want to. Especially double action.
Click to expand...
Trigger control. Press straight back and stay focused on the sights to hold them where you aim. Dry firing may help as well. Muscle memory on the trigger will help. For giggles leave two chambers empty, spin the cylinder and then shoot. You'll see what you are doing with the flinch when you hit an empty chmber.
 
Buy a Smith & Wesson Model 617 revolver. It is a ten shot 22LR. You can practice a lot, and for not a lot of money spent on ammo. Mine always goes to the range with me and I shoot it more than anything else. It has taught me how to shoot double action and greatly increased my accuracy. The shooting skills I have developed have carried over to my 357 Magnums.
 
A10 said:
I recently watched a vid by Jerry Miculek. He said he has students get to a safe place, point the gun into a berm, close their eyes and fire the gun. He said no one flinches when their eyes are closed. He recommended firing several times and imprinting the feel into your brain. Then return to the firing line and the issue may be resolved.

I haven't tried it but I'd buy into whatever Jerry says!

Click to expand...
When I was shooting a lot of 3D archery, I had an archery coach tell me something similar as a way to combat "target panic," which is similar to flinching with a firearm, both being mental/ anxiety related issues. It is common to do what's called "blind bale shooting" in archery where you shoot at a target at very close range to ensure that your arrow won't go astray, and concentrate ONLY on shooting form, the mechanics of the shot and the release, without aiming, maybe even with eyes closed. This method definitely helps, so Jerry is right (of course) in that the same principle works with shooting firearms.

And definitely supplement your CF handgun shooting with a good .22 revolver or semiauto, not only for helping calm your nerves, but it is inexpensive practice!
 
when I was starting out I found I was flinching with the .44 magnum. I almost always shot with a friend. I'd have him load the gun for me (revolver). I'd have him occasionally slip in an empty round, sometimes more. It cured me pretty quick. One time when my buddy was not shooting well, I put am empty round in for him! His flinch must have been a foot into the air. We both got cured and it improved our follow-through on the shot.
 
Flinching is a difficult problem to fix on one's own.
It is a technical flaw ingrained on a subconscious level.

Some of the suggestions offered here, such as dry fire and "ball & dummy" practice, are on the right track. Other suggestions, such as"just buy a .22 revolver", are ridiculous.
Yes, flinching can and will continue once learned even with a .22.
The old saying "practice makes perfect" is not entirely true. More apt is "practice makes permanent".
Bad habits once learned must be systematically worked at to correct.
You can't buy your way out of it with new toys or do a quick fix on your next range visit.

That means professional help.
To fix the problem right, you need a coach.
My suggestion is to find a good established gun club with a competitive smallbore or airgun program and seek out a good coach.

Unfortunately, we are losing gun clubs in the United States. More people go to "gun store/ranges" than are willing to join an NRA or CMP affiliated club.
This is a huge problem!

What do most people here think of when they hear "CMP"?
Chances are, "Oh, that's the place that sells cheap M1 Garands".
But, it is in fact called the "Civilian Marksmanship Program" for a reason!

Please, please, visit the CMP website at:

thecmp.org

Home - Civilian Marksmanship Program

thecmp.org thecmp.org

Then, use the toolbar to get to the "find a club" page. Hopefully, you can find a nearby club. At least, explore the website resources and check out their forum and huge library of online videos.

Get involved, find a coach, and do the work.
Or not, and flinching will keep holding you back.

(I'm hoping there are at least a few folks here that got started on the right path with a good smallbore program or something similar who'll chime in!)
 
6string said:
Some of the suggestions offered here, such as dry fire and "ball & dummy" practice, are on the right track. Other suggestions, such as"just buy a .22 revolver", are ridiculous.
Yes, flinching can and will continue once learned even with a .22.
The old saying "practice makes perfect" is not entirely true. More apt is "practice makes permanent".
Bad habits once learned must be systematically worked at to correct.
You can't buy your way out of it with new toys or do a quick fix on your next range visit.
Click to expand...
Agree that bad habits don't go away just by reducing recoil, but it certainly helps to focus on shooting fundamentals and ingrain good habits into muscle memory when your hand isn't being hammered on every shot. It's also much cheaper to get in the necessary reps with a .22 to help you undo those learned bad habits. If you can't afford the cost of enough ammo to fix it, it's harder to fix it. Anticipating recoil is one factor in inducing flinch, so reducing recoil is helpful in being able to focus on shooting fundamentals.
 
Used to do a lot of long-range shooting with a 44. When the 454 came out as production a buddy's girlfriend bought him top of the line FA. (yes, he married her). One cylinder of that and I learned that if I can't do it with my 44 then I need a big rifle ;) and developed a flinch. Back to the 22lr and a whole piss pot full of slow careful deliberate shooting.
 
Wfevans4 said:
How do you stop flinching? Other than man up!!! 357 (rarely 38) and 44 mag is what I'm shooting.

I've shot mostly Glocks and other semi-autos most of my life and now that I'm getting into revolvers, I flinch more than I want to. Especially double action.
Click to expand...
It's hard ... but the best way is go back to light recoiling loads... light 38 Special and light 44 Special koads ...
Resume shooting these and when you can beat the flinch with them ... move up to a little heavier load . Reloading your own ammo is a big help .
Srart9ng a new shooter with magnum loads usually leads to flinching ... Startor step back to low recoiling ammo and work up slpwly .
And ... Use good hearing protection when
shooting ... it helps big time with the flinch !
Good Luck ,
Gary
 
As long as you are concentrating on sights, practice moving your trigger finger so it is the only finger that moves on your hand. This can be done at a desk but it is an easy skill to lose. Obviously, you don't have a gun in your hand just concentrate on moving your trigger finger only.
 
5 Cent Solution!
I know I'm late to this party, but except for one other response, nobody else touched on this effective technique.

Take your gun. Clear it and the room of all ammo. Double-check that it's clear of all ammo.
OK, now find a TV Show (Like Great British Bake-Off on Netflix) or a fun Colion Noir YouTube Video and sit down.
Place a nickel on the flat space just behind your front sight.
Press play on your show, sit back, and extend your gun in an isosceles grip toward the TV.
Begin slowly dry-firing your gun, double-action, only. Don't let the nickel fall off. If it does, pick it up, replace it, and do it again.
This will be harder than you think unless you have a PC action job or the gun is well-worn.
Do this for the duration of the show or at least 25 minutes. Don't worry so much about aiming, for now. Just keep that nickel on the barrel.
What this does...
It is an incredibly effective way of teaching perfect trigger control. This learned trigger control will jump your accuracy across the board from .22 plinkers to long-range rifles.
By focusing on a smooth and consistent trigger press, you will become more fluid and eventually faster without dropping the nickel.
Before you next go to the range, repeat this for about 15 minutes.
At the range, use your sights and your newfound trigger mastery. After your first perfect shot, you may begin anticipating the recoil. I do recommend target .38 rounds (at least a box or two) to do your initial practice. Verbally (Yes, out loud) say, "I know you will recoil. That's OK" (I know this sounds stupid, but everyone is wearing earmuffs and can't hear you.) Doing this audibly tells your brain, in your own voice, that it's OK and not to worry about it. As many others have suggested, you can intersperse an empty cylinder or spent shell so you don't see when it's up next.

BTW, this also works flawlessly on double-action pistols. For Glocks, you have to reset the trigger while holding the nickel each time, so it's a little more cumbersome, but it also works.

I'd love to hear your feedback on this simple but highly effective technique.
 
wproct said:
I am quite familiar with flinching. Mine started about 5 years after I started trapshooting. One thing that I have found, a lot of mine is driven by sound. The more ear protection I have the better it is. I will use ear plugs plus earmuffs. Then, I try to put total focus on trigger control for handgun and rifle. If your mind is totally focused on one thing it will help you ignore the other, or in other words ignore the report you are gonna hear. Anyway, we are all different, and that's what works for me. But, you will never get over it, just try to deal with it.
Click to expand...
Trap shooting affected me also - I think the time pressure of 'letting it get away' made me start jerking the trigger, and throwing aim off. With any firearm, in any situation, wproct is right: focus on one thing, and that's trigger control!
 
Wfevans4 said:
How do you stop flinching? Other than man up!!! 357 (rarely 38) and 44 mag is what I'm shooting.

I've shot mostly Glocks and other semi-autos most of my life and now that I'm getting into revolvers, I flinch more than I want to. Especially double action.
Click to expand...
I have worn out 2 smith 44 mags shooting long range silhouette. All of the previous advise is very good. I found that the conscious mind is stupid and can only do one thing at a time. It needs a job to keep it busy and that is intense concentration on the front site. Don't let it get involve with any thing else.
Try walking a straight line while looking at your feet and see what happens.
 
It seems as if there are as many reasons for flinching and methods of overcoming a flinch as there are individuals. Fortunately, the "man up" attitude seems to be dying a slow death. Concentration is good, but one day, I was concentrating so hard to make those tiny groups with my .22, I developed double vision! It was not permanent, but made for an interesting drive home. I don't do that any more. after all, it's supposed to be FUN, Right?
I'm not sure I can ever overcome my tendency to flinch, except for only shooting my .22 LR guns. I have an inherited condition that makes me extremely sensitive to loud noises...sudden or sustained...panic attack sensitive. Earmuffs help, and I'm going to try foam ear plugs in addition.
One day, I was shooting my revolver, and decided to shoot my .22 rifle. I flinched, and I know The .22 doesn't bark or bite!
It seems as if recoil sensitivity/flinching can be cumulative. Jim Carmichael, who was an editor for one of the sporting magazines years ago, was also a big bore competitor. One day, he wrote, he had to quit in the middle of a match due to a massive flinch, which had built up over the years. He quit competitive shooting for a while, and developed a couple of wildcat cartridges that recoiled less...a .22 round and a 6.5 mm, which he used in competition.
 
chief38 said:
My personal suggestion might be to revisit trigger control. If the trigger is squeezed correctly you won't know exactly when the gun will fire hence there shouldn't be any flinching. That should apply to any caliber no matter the actual recoil. Just suggestion of course.
Click to expand...
I don't flinch with .22 at all. For me, the flinch is anticipating the recoil. It's not a trigger issue for me. I shoot my Model 18 WAY more accurately than I do my Model 67, and it's basically the same gun.
 
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