Ask any firearms instructor who is easier to train - a man or a woman - and they will invariably respond, "a woman." After a woman selects a firearm, the real challenge begins - learning to shoot.Shooting training can take a variety of forms. If you have a range or offer firearms safety classes, this is where your skills in customer service really shine. One thing to remember is that proper training is even more important for women than it is for men because of a woman's smaller size and strength. Most men can use their additional body mass and strength to overcome recoil and still shoot decently.
For women, proper stance, grip and sight picture are essential to handling recoil and good shooting. The first areas that need to be addressed when training - for both men and women - are the psychological and legal aspects of a self-defense shooting. If a woman has made a commitment to defending herself with a firearm, she needs to be aware of all the ramifications.
Women usually respond better to a more explanatory and friendly teaching method. Encouragement and helpful tips will go very far in getting a woman to relax and enjoy her shooting experience. There are hundreds of tips on how to get a shooter started on the path to shooting. Here are a few that can help with trigger control and make a woman's first shooting experience more informative.
One of the problems with training someone to shoot is that the instructor gives verbal instructions, but it's difficult to physically demonstrate a technique. For example, most shooters firmly believe that they are holding the gun steady and not flinching when the gun goes off. They think the only reason they're missing the target is because the gun is so powerful they can't control the recoil.
You can show them that they are in fact contributing to the movement of the gun by having them practice dry firing with an empty shell casing placed near the front sight on a semi-auto or on the top of the frame on a revolver. This shows the student how much their hands and arms are moving in anticipation of recoil when they're firing their gun. This can be a real eye opener for a lot of people. This training method is excellent because it can be practiced at home or on the range.
Another concept that's difficult to describe verbally is a smooth trigger pull. It sounds simple, just slowly sqaueeze the trigger. However, many people find a slow steady press difficult. An everyday item like a turkey baster can help you demonstrate a smooth trigger squeeze, and help the student gain trigger control.
Fill the turkey baster with water and hold it tip down. Have the student, using their trigger finger, slowly squeeze the baster until one drop of water falls at their feet. Be prepared for a deluge, as most people will squeeze too hard. Allow your students to practice this a few times and they will soon get a feel for the slow and steady pressure needed for accurate shooting.
Another technique to teach steady trigger pull is to ask the student to acquire the proper shooting stance facing downrange. Then stand behind or beside the shooter and place your finger on top of the student's trigger finger. Then demonstrate proper trigger pressure by slowly squeezing the trigger. This helps the student feel how much pressure is applied and at what pace. Try this without ammo at first and then later, load the gun and try it a few more times. Your student will soon get a feel for the pressure needed.
COPYRIGHT 1997 Publishers' Development Corporation
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group
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