a solid physics explanation, plus anatomy, plus a lefty grip demo. Hallelujah.

"I smoosh all of the meat that I possibly can down into that gun"... I love these technical talks and with these technical terms!

Learning has occurred!

Nerds uniting around guns....I would have never predicted this. HA the engineer in me really appreciated this, I knew my palms were doing most of the work but had not considered the longer radius of the pinky finger applying a lot of torque. Guess that explains why the gun jumps a ton when shooting without a mag extension on a shorter grip gun. Thanks John - you have me thinking...need to get to the range and test out a few ideas.

One of the best videos I have watched regarding gripping a pistol appreciate the lesson

Best explanation of grip dynamics I've ever seen. The pinky explanation was an eye opening. True geekdom and with a degree in mechanical engineering I am able to follow everything you showed. Great job...

Your thumbnails are looking like Bond villains. Love it

Dear John, I’m a plastic and hand surgeon from Germany and a great fan of your videos! You’ve just explained the anatomy and physiology of the hand tendons perfectly right, and I‘ve learnt a lot from your explanation for the use of a hand gun. Keep on with your GREAT TEACHING!! You’re just a genius!!! ❤️

Great video! I didn't know that the smallest finger makes the biggest difference!

You called the FLEXOR muscles, "extensors". It is the other way around. Secondarily, it is neurologically impossible to intentionally activate only one-layer of flexor at a time in.maximum contraction. Hence, grip size, shape and angle need to be designed to emphasize the effective force direction (though this is a relatively small effect). However, one could make an argument for variable sizes and shapes to enhance index finger vs middle & ring finger vs pinkie. Likely, these variations would make surface less-uniform and adversely affect smooth-draw mechanics. Yes, I have 2-doctorates and qualified in more than one specialty. You descriptions and biomechanics-to-physics were otherwise very solid.

This has been one of the most informative videos from ASP, never knew the why of the way I was taught to hold a pistol, actually learned something useful in my handgun usage.

Thank you for going over this John. For the longest time I've been hearing about locking wrists and had no real idea if I was doing it right. Only in the past week did I discover using your ring and pinky is a big part of it, and then bam, I see this. Never got the impression my wrists were "locked" until I started engaging those fingers more. I liked how you explained the importance of the pinky as well, NO other grip video I've seen has broke it down as well as you did here.

Hey John, congrats on still kicking butt on your health progress through the holidays!! You look great! 👍

Without question some of the best tutorials available for shooters. Thank you John

damn you talking all this logic stuff really motivates me to push myself when i go to college

Thanks John. I've had a lot of helpful pieces of "advice" about gripping a pistol in my life, but for me-- this was priceless! I wish I would've had this 20 minute instruction 30 years ago!

Excellent explanation of grip, the best I have seen by far! You are the man!

This is the best explanation of grip I've ever seen, thanks John 👍

Holy shit, I haven't seen an ASP video in a while, and I was honestly shocked to see John in such an amazing condition! Excellent job, John, keep it up!

John, best discussion about the dynamics of firearm torque characteristics and role of the proper grips to control muzzle movement.

This is the absolute best video I have ever seen on control and hand position!! Very good. Thank you for this , John.

John, you are so unique in your approach to your channel. Great teaching that is something a shooter can take with him to become a better shooter. Keep it up and thank you.

Incredibly helpful video. Thanks for taking the time to explain the science element. That makes more sense to me than anything else I've been told on gripping properly. 👍🏻

Great stuff. Will be sending to some newer shooters. I learned a few things as well. I’ve got to admit though, I’m always a little disappointed when John doesn’t tell us how to cover our ASP at the end.

These grip lessons changed my shooting big time.

You are really getting skinny! Good job!

I ordered a Mantis X10. While I'm waiting for it to arrive I've been watching dry fire videos. I watched this video after trying to do the "dime drill" about 20 times and only succeeding once. After 2 days of applying these ideas, particularly concentrating on applying rearward pinkie pressure, I'm able to balance a dime on my front sight and from a compressed ready, present , press the trigger and return to a compressed ready without dropping the dime about half the time now. With more practice I will get even better. Can't wait until my X10 arrives.

John, I know some people don't like to hear all the "science" involved but, I gotta say I enjoyed watching and learning more about my grip. Thanks for sharing! Be safe! Randy

Well, I just learned a ton! Thank you for this video.

Outstanding. John Ruiz and Jeff Gonzales both talk about pinky power.

Best I've heard. Worth reviewing and re-listening many times. Thanks.

Holy smokes, havent checked the channel in a while, looking good! I remember you saying a while back you were pushing yourself to be more healthy overall and it looks like youre sticking through. Good stuff!

John, best and most logical explanation about grip mechanics. It makes sense to utilize the “pinkie” finger as it is working on the longest torque lever, therefore has a mechanical advantage.

*With my experience* when you explain the whole pinky thing, I've noticed there is such thing as gripping too hard, you'll break shots left or right with shot anticipation and gripping with your whole hand. In the end you touched briefly on separating your trigger finger from the rest and I think that's definitely important to highlight a bit more.

Great explanation! I’ve been shooting since I was 6, now over half a century and I still took something away. Love your channel. Have a great Christmas.

Absolutley fabulous explanation! Thank you John

Really enjoyed this video, please do more of these!

most under rated video on your channel. love all the content john. thank you

Hi John. Just picked up a MantisX last week. I love it, great training tool.

♿♿I learned more in this one video than I could have imagined! WOW, I've been told how to grip before but your explanation put all the pieces together in a way that really makes sense. Please keep doing what you guys do. I'm starting to save up so that I can get a Mantis. Once I reach that goal, I'm going to start saving money for one of John's classes. (Hopefully he doesn't retire before I reach that goal. 😉) Thanks for the great content!!♿♿

One of your best and most practical yet. You keep getting better and better.

It is really interesting that you say: "Of course, we haven't designed that gun yet". I think this is a matter of marketing. The flip side to a "perfect" gun design with no upward recoil would be that all the recoil would go straight back into your shoulder. That might be a very effective gun in a self defense situation where you have to put multiple rounds on a target quickly, but people would complain about it making their shoulder sore after some practice with it.

Which is why a slight forward pinky extension is helpful for short grips

Great video John!

This one and the trigger press video are my favorites from both channels now. I even created a playlist to save them. If you ever remove these from KZfaq, I will go in to immediate vapor lock. But then I wouldn't have any need for self-defense. Thanks John for always keeping it juicy!

Great video. Thanks for making.

Excellent content as always John. These videos help me out tremendously!

I’ve had physics and engineering professors who would’ve butchered this explanation. More science days with John please!

Great info that does help. Thank you.

OUTSTANDING video John! Great explanation.

The why is always helpful with application. Thank you!

Thanks for the light physics explanation. As a scientist I like how you made it simple and plain. Also one could argue that the torque is a facet of why "lazy shots" dip left due to the introduction of unmanaged torque. Think physics and the "right hand" rule of the direction of the force induced via torque. But that's the geek in me "over thinking". LOL!

can't wait to try this out during my dry fire tonight! ...and see how things go during my next range trip. Thanks john!

Thanks for a great explanation!

You are doing really good work John. This one tickled my interest a lot, being an engineer. Your biomechanics analysis is very useful and wow, who would have thought, pinkies rule! A minor quibble. The primary force from the discharge is aligned to the bore center, not the recoil spring. That is why high bore axis (relative to hand) guns seem to kick more than low bore axis (hammer fired vs Glock). The induced couple is greater, even if the magnitude of the primary vector is the same. Recoil spring location doesn't matter just hand to bore. Keep up the good work!

Thank you for sharing John, that pinky tip is huge.

I really enjoyed this video - love the geeky stuff !

Great video sir. In my opinion, this is the most important lesson to work on with pistols.

Very great lesson.

Great video on recoil management. The part about focusing your not only high up but on the low part of the handgun is really going to help.

Nerd shooter here... Loved this video! I was always a decent shot before (Navy as well), but now that I have to shoot fast for IDPA, controlling recoil is where I need to focus! Thank you for the physics lesson! I'll be asking for a Mantis X10 for Christmas!

Outstanding!

Well explained....👏👏

Excellent scientific video. Really wonderful that you could do this. Thank you.

Very well explained. God Bless John.

I'm catching up on this and some other old videos of yours. I started college in pre-veterinaty

Great presentation. Appreciate the science.

This video was so helpful thank you

Geeking out totally pays off!

Very informative video. With your discussion I drew an vector analysis where your thumb and index finger form a fulcrum. The higher the fulcrum the more leverage the fingers have against the recoil of the gun. Longer grips allow the pinky to have greater leverage the farther away my pinky is from the fulcrum. This fact along with arthritis make full double stack grips more comfortable to hold an allow greater counter recoil leverage for me. Compact and subcompact pistols, for me not too good. Thanks again for the great videos.

Very helpful, thank you!

Awesome information. Thank you very much... i just ordered a strength trainer (newbie) and when my p226 arrives i’ll be adding a Mantis X. Loved the physics explanation.

Yeah, Science!

Physiology & Physics Overload!!! haha Really excellent training John!!! Thanks!

You are really looking great! Keep up the good work! Thank you for this video...it explained so much about recoil...can you do one with revolvers? I have a Ruger LCRx revolver. 38 Special snub nose! First time I fired it I could only shoot 10 rounds...my thumb was killing me! But then I learned to make sure the grip was in the fleshy part between my index finger and my thumb...I was able to 30 rounds the 2nd time...no pain! Now, I am going to concentrate on my support hand pinky placement!TY

John, There is a oversight mistake in this video. Your description of the extensor digitorium's functional mechanics is actually the flexor digitorum in the forearm. There is something interesting your readers might gain from -for loosening the grip of an assailant. I am a retired Occupational Therapist. We learned that the mechanics of the flexion/extensors can be called upon to loosen the grip of someone's hand off of an object or while in a fist. We would use this when working with the affected contractured hand of a stroke patient, while doing gentle passive exercises to temporarily loosen the tone in the affected hand. You position their wrist into flexion and it weakens the flexors as the extensors are passively incorporated into action to straighten the fingers. To test this- give someone an object to hold tight. Then gently and slowly bend their wrist - of that arm - forward. They typically will have a much harder time holding the object. (Here is more info about the actions and mechanics of our structural body mechanics). The extensors of the arm are on the top side when palms are down. A muscle basically shrinks itself and relaxes to cause an effect . The muscle typical gets a stimulus from the brain and contracts or shrinks itself momentarily, or sustains the contraction. When a muscle affects things connected to it-the effect is a pull due to that contraction or shrinking. The contraction is momentarily or sustained, then a relaxing. Think of the placement of a string & it's pull. Where would a string need to be placed on the forearm to produce the movement described. Generally through out our body's whole muscle system, the extensors pull to straighten what ever the flexors have bent or curled. In the forearm the extensors uncurl the fingers out of flexion and straighten them, the flexors curl the fingers into flexion that grips items well because of the 3 joints in each digit. The extensors (as in our backs) are on the back side of the spinal bones to stand us up straight, the flexors of the spine help us move portions forward to sit, stand stabilize. Flexors and extensors working together stabilize us. In the forearm the extensors are on the back, top, and/or dorsal side (also called posterior side) of our forearm - (top side when palms and soles of feet are down = dorsal side) of the arm. The forearms flexors are on the under, inside, of our forearm (called ventral side that rests on a table top when we sit). The flexors curl up segments of fingers, legs, torso to the extend of their connection points to tendons, bones, and muscle. My Professor in Occupational Therapy at KU used to tell us the genius design of the human forearm is that our whole arm doesn't curl up when we flex out index finger joints. to signal a child to "come here". Don't be embarrassed John, the anatomical position terminology has a lot of discrepancies & seeming contradictions in it, such as ventral and dorsal when it comes to certain areas of the body.

I finally got around to watching this video. Great training. I've always thought my problems came from my trigger finger. I think my grip could use some work. You tip on the support hand pinky placement was a good one too. I'm going to have to try this at home for a bit then verify at the range. After the COVID lockdown my last trip to the range was less than inspiring.

Very interesting content, John! I was following along with my (unloaded) Glock 19 and your recoil control explanations made perfect sense. Edit: I'm subscribed to the extra channel now.

Great Explanation of the use of the hands! THANKS for the demonstration of the Mantis System. Finally clarifies the advantages of dry firing w computer analytics you can see displayed on your own Smart Phone. This is one of the few phone-applications that seems to have real value to me. Sorry, I'm coming from four decades of working with Multiple 30-inch monitors for the animation work I've done, Where I really Need to check individual pixels for some processes. Not really interested in watching vids on a 4.5" screen. Guess I'm a little spoiled.

Great advice. Focusing on the pinkies definitely upped my scores. I went back and forth between low 90s and high 90s each time I lost focus and refocused on pinkies. I feel like there's something else happening in addition to just pinky grip when that refocusing is done because it's hard to believe THAT much control rests in that 1 little thing. But, if 30+% grip strength is affected by pinkies, I guess so?

This video is 🔥🔥🔥

great discussion and your schematics highlight why glocks are lighter than other striker pistols yet most experience less muzzle flip. that is high grip yet ability to generate plenty of counter torque with the frontstrap. from perspecive of physics the higher grip angle makes a lot of sense despite it's lack of popularity. a more upright grip angle will by definition experience more flip all else being equal.

great video!!! dont forget to get out and practice.. but its really hard to do now...

LOVED THAT LESSON 🥰🥰🥰👍

Great explanation

Greatly explained! Love your videos. "Judy chop" must have learned that from Mike Seeklander 😉

Three things: 1. I appreciate that you are left handed as well. 2. Why doesn't MY new X10 have the same "Share" option that your screen shows on the muzzle motion plots? 3. The nerd (Mech E) in me insists on expressing that you ignored the CoG and the moments of inertia that are in play and independent of your grip (but admits that the genereal descriptions of the force reactions is spot on). Also seems hard to demonstrate recoil control with dry fire since all "recoil" is generated by your hands and trigger pull. :P You've earned a new subscriber! :) Loved this content.

I'm going to get the MantisX when I can.

Great video for sure. I will say though, I've never seen a pistol with a trigger that went anywhere but to the rear in either a straight or pendulum motion. Grip is most useful for recoil mitigation. You can shoot quite accurately with only a thumb and index finger of one hand on the gun. Keep the sights lined up on target and press the trigger. That's all there is to making a single accurate shot. I like to simplify things though lol.

In light of one of your recent instagram posts in which you upgraded your NRA membership; myself, and I'm sure other supporters of your channel would love to see a video discussion on why us as supporters of the 2A, should support the NRA, regardless of some of their recent controversial decisions. Seems like a lot of "cool" gun guys have a strong opinion regarding not supporting them. Would love to hear your thoughts man! Keep up the great work! God bless.

Watched video. Ordered pinky extensions for all the 10 round mags for my P30sk

Great stuff! No Bob Vogel style rotational torque/clamping forces in your grip?

Thanks. Almost changed the channel on SCIENCE .... I trained on the Trident plant in USN. Wondered where you got dem smarts.

I had no idea about the pinky. My compact carry gun (VP9SK) has a shortened grip that only has room for 2 fingers with the flush floor plate mags. I had got used to my pinky hanging off or curling under the mag. But I've gotta try with the extended floorplates...

So it's the cartridge case pushing the slide back not the bullet leaving the barrel? Your explanation sheds light on why Glock and Steyr and CZ have the Luger grip angle. Thanks

I really need to purchase a Mantis X

...3:37 (ish) "a-peewwww"... 😂🤣😂. Omg that.. Im dying right now!! Omg. Hahahaha

This explains why the old "cup & saucer" grip isn't as silly as it looks

We need more nerds with your character and well meaning demeanour John . Americans with guns scare me ... but if I knew they had to have instilled the discipline and training before gun possession well like a driving licence for example then that is more reassuring .. great stuff buddy !

Navy nerd - the ultimate gray man 👍