Improving my shots

[dudumaro]

Hi guys,
lately, when I shot my shots goes down and left from where I'm aiming.
My group is great, all my shots are 1-2 " from each other. but somehow they go down and left from each other,
Is there a way to correct it?
I'm shooting Springfield XD 9mm.
Thanks.

[k1dude]

Stop flinching.

You're anticipating the recoil.

Do dry fire practice and throw some snap caps into your mags to expose your flinch.

[XDJYo]

A few pointers. But first a few questions: What distance? How long have you been shooting?

So, first thing I tell others is the same above advice to dry practice. Keep that front sight centered and on target. Don't let it move AT ALL while dry practicing. Next, while live firing, don't look at your target. Do the same thing, hard focus on that front sight. Slooooowllly press that trigger. Say in your head "Preeeeeessssss". Don't say "Don't flinch". You will subliminally flinch. After your first shot, again, don't look at your target. Don't try and adjust your sight picture. Front sight and preeeessss. Front sight and preeeesss.... Be at one with the gun. Don't let anything else enter your mind. Don't think about how good or how bad that last shot was. Soon, you will be able to get a good grouping around the X and the 10 ring.

Start off with 2 shots at a time to avoid fatigue. Then, 3 shot groups. Don't push it too much. You're looking for consistency.

It takes a lot of practice, dry and live fire.

Also, your XD is a fantastic gun. Very easy and manageable trigger and accurate. Enjoy it!!

Happy shooting and be safe!

[dudumaro]

A few pointers. But first a few questions: What distance? How long have you been shooting?

So, first thing I tell others is the same above advice to dry practice. Keep that front sight centered and on target. Don't let it move AT ALL while dry practicing. Next, while live firing, don't look at your target. Do the same thing, hard focus on that front sight. Slooooowllly press that trigger. Say in your head "Preeeeeessssss". Don't say "Don't flinch". You will subliminally flinch. After your first shot, again, don't look at your target. Don't try and adjust your sight picture. Front sight and preeeessss. Front sight and preeeesss.... Be at one with the gun. Don't let anything else enter your mind. Don't think about how good or how bad that last shot was. Soon, you will be able to get a good grouping around the X and the 10 ring.

Start off with 2 shots at a time to avoid fatigue. Then, 3 shot groups. Don't push it too much. You're looking for consistency.

It takes a lot of practice, dry and live fire.

Also, your XD is a fantastic gun. Very easy and manageable trigger and accurate. Enjoy it!!

Happy shooting and be safe!

Thank you both of you for the reply.
I am ex Israeli army so i used to be very experienced.
I haven't shot for more than a decade.
Also, age do its thing and I notice my hands are shaking when I aim. not as steady as they used to be.
Guess i need to go back to basic, and do the slow pull of trigger first.

[XDJYo]

Thank you both of you for the reply.
I am ex Israeli army so i used to be very experienced.
I haven't shot for more than a decade.
Also, age do its thing and I notice my hands are shaking when I aim. not as steady as they used to be.
Guess i need to go back to basic, and do the slow pull of trigger first.

Ah, ok. Yes, I hear ya on the age thing. I'm nowhere near what I was even 5 years ago. I'm 53 and have had a tremble in my hands since I was in my 20's. It's difficult to train that out of my handgun grip. I seem to manage o.k. though now.

Another thing is that shooting is definitely a perishable skill. I used to shoot all of the time when I first picked it up in 2012 (I was a real late bloomer). Then, life got in the way and only hit the range a few times in the last few years. Things have gotten a bit better, so the wife and I have been going to the range more often. It took a while to get it back, but I'm getting back to where I was. In some ways, I'm now a better shooter, but in others, not so much. I guess the focus of my training has taken on a different aim.

Happy shooting and be safe!

[dudumaro]

Ah, ok. Yes, I hear ya on the age thing. I'm nowhere near what I was even 5 years ago. I'm 53 and have had a tremble in my hands since I was in my 20's. It's difficult to train that out of my handgun grip. I seem to manage o.k. though now.

Another thing is that shooting is definitely a perishable skill. I used to shoot all of the time when I first picked it up in 2012 (I was a real late bloomer). Then, life got in the way and only hit the range a few times in the last few years. Things have gotten a bit better, so the wife and I have been going to the range more often. It took a while to get it back, but I'm getting back to where I was. In some ways, I'm now a better shooter, but in others, not so much. I guess the focus of my training has taken on a different aim.

Happy shooting and be safe!

Thank you,
Let's just say, If I'll go back to be half of a shooter as I was during my service, I am good :-)
I'll just keep practicing, treating myself as a beginner and go through all the basics before I try anything fancy.
Love the XD tho, It sits perfect in my hands.

[meno377]

Thank you,
Let's just say, If I'll go back to be half of a shooter as I was during my service, I am good :-)
I'll just keep practicing, treating myself as a beginner and go through all the basics before I try anything fancy.
Love the XD tho, It sits perfect in my hands.

You probably don't need to go completely back, but just remember some basics. Shooting to the left more likely means you are jerking the trigger. Squeeze it instead. Just a reminder.

[dudumaro]

You probably don't need to go completely back, but just remember some basics. Shooting to the left more likely means you are jerking the trigger. Squeeze it instead. Just a reminder.

The flinching theory seems right for me.
It started when i flinched in the shooting range when someone shot next to me.
It continued with wither jerking or flinching while shooting.
I'll go to an open range next time. ill try to find an isolated lane and take my GoPro with me to analyze my shooting.
Step by step, I'll do all the steps i did back then in the army.

[XDJYo]

Thank you,
Let's just say, If I'll go back to be half of a shooter as I was during my service, I am good :-)
I'll just keep practicing, treating myself as a beginner and go through all the basics before I try anything fancy.
Love the XD tho, It sits perfect in my hands.

Here you go! http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s....php?t=1483014

Also, I hate to cross post, but here's another one on the XDTalk forum: https://www.xdtalk.com/threads/cutti...al-use.156561/
*Warning-VERY LOING!

[dudumaro]

Here you go! http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s....php?t=1483014

Also, I hate to cross post, but here's another one on the XDTalk forum: https://www.xdtalk.com/threads/cutti...al-use.156561/
*Warning-VERY LOING!

Thank you :-)