Wobbly shooting arm

[Garry]

As per title, my right arm keeps wobbling and my hand gets quite shaky when I'm shooting my pistol. This has started over the past couple of months.
Would some sort of exercise or weight training for arms help at all?

Thanks a lot
Garry

[titan bearcat]

Hi Gary, I have just taken up pistol shooting and suffered from exactly the same. I think it is just a natural thing that some people suffer from more than others.I have a HW75 pistol and I try and practice every day for five minutes by just cocking the hammer and coming on aim , getting the breathing right and gently squeezing the trigger. It seems to be working for me and my groups are getting tighter. It could be something to do with upper arm strength, or maybe too tight a grip on the pistol. I hope this helps you. I guess practice , practice , practice.

[bulls_hitter]

Although i dont personally shoot pistol i saw a man with a rubber bungee strap around his right arm and right foot. when he lifted the pistol into the aim position he stretched the rubber putting the arm under more load.
when i asked him why he said ten minutes regular training with the restriction was worth an hour without also when you remove the band for final prep before a match or comp the pistol felt light and the arm strong.
Hope this is of some help.
Steve

[psf32]

this lot should help

Exercise 1:

-Place elbows into your ribs where they naturally hang.
-Hold resistance band in your hands and pull outwards in each direction
simultaneously. Right hand pulls right and left pulls left.
-Be careful to maintain your elbow position.
-Do many for work out, 10 for warm up before shooting.
-You can pull out as fast as desired, hold for a second, then release tension
slowly.

Exercise 2:

-Loop band around the back of your neck and put the ends in your hands.
-Extend your arms straight out in front of you.
-Using just your shoulders, push out as far as you can and as fast as you
desire.
-Hold for a second then let your shoulders back slowly.
-Do as many as desired for work out, 10 for warm up.

Exercise 3:

-Loop band around something at shoulder height and put both ends in your
hands.
-With your arms parallel to the floor, pull your elbows back letting your
forearms point forward.
-Do not let your elbows go past your body. When they reach this point,
pinch your shoulder blades together.
-Hold for a second, then release slowly.
-Many for work out, 10 for warm up.

Exercise 4:

-Same as exercise 3 but with upper arms at your sides, elbows bent and
forearms parallel with the floor.
-Pinch the shoulder blades the same way.



Hope it helps!

[hwtyger]

What pistol are you shooting? Might be its too heavy or the balance is off.
Also, what technique do you use to get on target? If you start off wáy high that only strains muscles without any gain..
How hard do you squeeze the grip? Too hard and you'll start shaking..
You didnt have these problems before? What changed? Doing any physical labour?
If the problem is lack of muscle strength than exercize helps.

[Garry]

Thanks for the replies.
It's a Gamo Compact, so it's quite light.
I'm aiming with a fair gap between the sights and the black, i can't seem to bring it up to get the black just above the sights without wobbling.
I won the SSP category at the UBC meet in Oct, but it's been downhill since then!
I'll try the exercises mentioned for a week, and then shoot another 60.

[hwtyger]

How often do you practise and how many shots? Maybe yr over practising..
Have you been ill lately?

[Garry]

I shoot 60 twice a week plus occasional dry firing.
I was diagnosed with diabetes in Nov, but I don't know how that would have affected me as regards wobbling.

[psf32]

I started with a gamo try and put a bit of lead on the end of te pistol will help, also 60 shots 2 times a week is a good start but try dry firing 2 to 3 times a week and for at lest 30 mins each session.

[hwtyger]

I dunno much about diabetes, but I can imagine, that a too low bloodsugar affects you. Too low bloodsuger (or when yr hungry) you'll start to tremble.
Is yr medication set already? Or are you still in the try-out phase?
It could also cause fatigue. Maybe yr meds are off?
I'd keep a good eye on yr blood levels for now.

[Just Jacques]

First let me say that having diabetes should not affect you at all, you should be shooting not necessarily on an empty stomach but on a stomach which is not digesting food, I shoot at least an hour and a half after a heavy meal, or an hour after a light meal. I always have my main meal midday if I'm shooting in an evening and just have a sandwich in the evening but you will have to obviously resolve this with your diabetes and sugar levels.

Secondly try not to grip with your little finger on your pistol grip, that will just throw your shots low. Try and grip with your middle finger as a dominant finger and that will help your trigger finger to pull more easily.

Remember also your stance, of either being standing in line or 45° and how to take up your stance prior to shooting. Take what you think is your usual stance, shut your eyes and lower your pistol to the bench, now with your eyes closed come up as you think to the aim, and you should be in line with your target. If not shuffle your rear foot round until you are in line, and repeat the process until it works out that you are in line with the target when coming up to the aim.Do NOT now move your feet until finishing your target detail

Some muscle exercise and strengthening will help but a lot of excellent shooting is done by technique. I've known many lady shooters of little strength be excellent shots. If you still have problems please feel free to PM me
Best,
JJ

[antwarrior]

Hi Gary,
The traditional exercise is to holding the yellow pages at arms length for 10 minutes at a time in your usual shooting stance. Another great training aid for is the Nintendeo Wii fit. The yoga exercises are excellent for building the core strength for standing shooting and the Wii gives a very accurate way of measuring how still you are.

[Garry]

Thanks for the replies.
I've added extra weight in the form of blue tack, and tightened my middle finger up a bit, and it's going better now. Also doing cycling a few times a week for exercise.
Cheers
Garry

[Just Jacques]

Well done Gary!!!!!!!!!!

[mouse 1948]

Hi Garry,

I had the same sort of problem doing standing rifle,but after weeks of practice and a few mods to my Ruger10/22 i got it sorted,i added weight to the stock because it was front heavy with the bull barrel.I think its practice and more practice.