Back to the basics: Stance

This is the inaugural part of a multi part post.  I think it is imperative as shooters, Marksmen, and others that we go back to the basics and fine tune our selves, get rid of bad habits and tweak our Good habits so they become stronger.  In this I review the 8 Fundamentals of pistol marksmanship, and a couple of additionals that I think every shooter should observe.

If you are a novice instead of calling your right and left sides I will refer to them as Firing or Non-firing sides so that If you are Left Handed (Mutant) I don't have to explain everything as right handed or left handed

For Todays post I will start off with Stance.  If we think it about stance it is the basics of the weapon platform.  The A-10 a Weapons Platform, a M-1 Abrams Tank a weapons platform, a battle ship a weapons platform, YOU a weapons platform.  A weapons platform must be stable and have the ability to take recoil.  I have seen a few different stances in my life time but what is most prevalent to me is The Weaver Stance, The Isosceles Stance, and a combination of the Two Stance.

The first stance I will cover is the Weaver Stance.

Basically in the above picture the shooter stands so that his non-firing side is facing the target, The firing arm is locked and his non firing arm is bent at the elbowBoth hands grip the pistol and both hands pull against each other.

When I first started shooting I used this stance.  Reasons being that this stance was what I had grown up seeing on TV.

The PROs of this stance is that it offers a smaller silhouette to an intruder in your house, it offers camouflage in dark and low light conditions.

The CONs to this stance are Movement is hindered.  We walk with our hips turned towards our direction of movement, with this stance you have to adjust your body to move and stop.  (Coming in and out of your firing stance)  There is a tendency when shooting since the firing arm is taking the recoil to twist into that direction and thus your hits are to the side of the firing arm.  If you are wearing Body armor, on most types that I have used the plate does not protect the sides, so thus you are defeating your Body armor with out a shot being fired.  When in this stance our area of engagement is from about 10degrees towards the extreme of our non firing side to about 3:00 of our firing side.

Personally I do not like the Weaver Stance, I find it un-natural, uncomfortable, and does not make sense to me as a whole.

The next stance that I will cover is the Isosceles stance.

Basically in the above pictures The pistol is gripped with both hands, Chest and body are facing the target, Both arms locked, Shooter is bent forward at the waist, Knees bent slightly, the firing foot is about 6 inches behind non firing foot, legs spread about shoulder width apart.

The pros for this position is that it basically mirrors our natural body position. We can walk and stop easily from this position.  Recoil of the weapon comes straight back down the arms, to the sides of the back (Lats) to the buttocks and down the legs to the ground. If wearing body armor the armor is facing the target/ adversary.  The body van swing 90+ degrees left and 90+ degrees right of front.

This stance is adjustable for the best natural point of aim and recoil absorption stance using the following techniques:  Get in stance, Aim at target, Close eyes swing pistol left and right about 10 degrees each way and stop when you think you are on target where you were aiming before.  When you open your eyes and you are off target adjust your firing foot back or forward to adjust the sights back on target.  (Do not worry if you are low or high of target with this) try to memorize you feet and body position.  Next put your arms on someone else's shoulders.  Try to push them just by adjusting where your firing foot is.  Onec you can move them you are good.

The CONs of this stance is that it offers a larger target to your intruder or adversary.

Personally I use the Isosceles stance.  I think it makes me a better weapons platform.


I have seen people also accomplish this by using an Isosceles type stance on the lower body and shooting weaver with the upper.  Again this tries to counter unstably with stability and from what I have seen doesn't.