Weaver vs. Isosceles vs. Fighting stance

[SA Shooter]

It's all Weaver for me. That's how I was taught, I'm proficient with it and I'll stick to what works best for me.

 

[mkwerx]

Worrying over stance and trying to shoehorn everyone in to one mold is hard to do. The modern school of gun fightin' pajama clad ninjas is pushing ISO because that's the best stance for body armor wearers if they don't want to take a cross section hit - plus it's pretty good for mitigating recoil if you do it right. It mimics a boxer's fighting stance, and if you're training in multiple defensive disciplines, this may be an easy transition.

Weaver is akin to what karate / tae kwon do practitioners call a back stance - in the school I attended this was our default fighting stance. It limits your overall cross section - gives you the ability to protect your vitals a bit better from direct (as opposed to angular) attacks, and is still a very good stance for accurate shooting. It may be a tad slower when transitioning target to target during something like an IPSC run & gun event, or multiple target engagement in a fire fight.

Body mechanics has a lot to do with it as well - as we age we can't get into some of the same positions we used to, and so going with what's comfortable while allowing you to control the gun is best. Give it 5 years, someone will discover a "new" old way of doing things stance and fighting style, and we can argue the merits of that one. Maybe one handed bullseye type precision shooting stances will be the next big thing for taking down bad guys

 

[Colts4me]

ISO is a great stance, it's won a heck of a lot of games since Leatham came out with it. It's an aggressve stance with good ability to turret your body to address targets without stepping. It was developed for going forward or lateral as the games demand but works extremely well in the prone position. My only consideration I would point out is heavy recoil guns tend to be harder to control in ISO grip.

Guys like Miculek can do an ISO on the big guns because he is built for it but your average shooter isn't him. I have seen guys try Desert Eagles with the run and gun ISO stance and the gun jams because the shooters grip was so weak the gun didn't have a solid platform to run on. To me it's about control, what am I shooting and how much pressure does it take to control the gun.

 

[Boboclown]

The best stance for me is to lean back, point the pistol forward and holding it sideways, and using my free hand to grab myself. The boys in the hood all shoot the same way. <|:•)

Jokes aside, I prefer ISO and the modified ISO. I tried weaver and never really liked it, and seeing as I have no issues with ISO in general I don't see a reason to switch any time soon.

 

[hatchj]

I tend to stick more to the "fighting" stance. It's more natural for me from playing sports to not stand with my feet next to each other.

I used to use the weaver stance because I'm cross eye dominant. (Left eye, right handed) and it made it easy to keep a pistol lined up with the sights.

I ended up having shoulder surgery, the grip for weaver doesnt do well with my shoulder.

So unforced myself to shoot both eyes open (still working on it) and switched more towards the fighting stance. I most likely use a little of all 3 without noticing I'd guess

 

[bbbass]

I might have to try the modified ISO, but it's hard to change. The Modern or Modified Isosceles Shooting Stance - USA Carry

 

[Dan Adams]

Well, after reading article after article on the topic, I have come to the conclusion that I don't give a flying bubblegum what stance you think is better, and I'm going to do what I've been doing all along because I shoot very well with it.

(No, I'm NOT going to tell you which one I use!)

I've done some coaching, and virtually all sports--except shooting--starts with teaching the basic athletic stance: feet slightly wider than shoulders, slight crouch, balanced evenly on both feet, butt down and back straight. As some of you point out, that changes depending on the situation. However, starting in the athletic stance, you can very quickly move and adjust to just about any situation. Beyond that, one of the hardest things for me to accept at first--and later get other coaches to accept--is that some people simply do certain things better in their own personal stance. As a baseball hitting (not "batting," HITTING) coach, it drove me nuts when young kids tried to emulate Ichiro, whose swing is closer to a softball swing than anyone else's in baseball. But he has exceptionally fast hands and can hold them back while releasing his hips. So...whatever works best for you, is what's best--for you. Do try weaver, isoceles, etc. and keep an open mind. The results on target will tell.

 

[bbbass]

 

[Tully Mars]

 

[Sandaholic]

So when I shoot one handed with my left I tend to cant the pistol at a 45 degree angle. I mean it just naturally does it. One handed with my right it is perpendicular with the ground.

I'm not doing it on purpose

 

[bbbass]

So when I shoot one handed with my left I tend to cant the pistol at a 45 degree angle. I mean it just naturally does it. One handed with my right it is perpendicular with the ground.

I'm not doing it on purpose

LOL.

I was taught that when shooting one handed combat/SD, I should cant the pistol at a 45... this takes advantage of natural musculature, especially if you lock your other fist into the pectoralis muscle of the shooting hand up near the shoulder bone. It's totally different than a target single hand technique.

But hey, whatever is workin for ya!! Ever try to shoot gansta style?? It's a hoot!

Personally, I enjoy laying on my back with me handgun above me head... it's just slightly hard to get in & out of. Especially while moving.

 

[EPS]

This stance your talking about is that the one where you stand STILL AND LET ME SHOOT YOU lol because the one time that I got shot at I was not standing still mmmmm I was actually running and if I would have had a gun to shoot back with I doubt I would have been using any of those stance HEHEHE JUST SAYING . TRAINED OR UNTRAINED .YOU SHOULD TRAIN FOR REAL LIFE NOT THE RANGE

 

[Diamondback]

LOL.

I was taught that when shooting one handed combat/SD, I should cant the pistol at a 45... this takes advantage of natural musculature, especially if you lock your other fist into the pectoralis muscle of the shooting hand up near the shoulder bone. It's totally different than a target single hand technique.

Sounds like Ayoob's Stressfire, one-hand version. As I'm not cross-dominant I use 15-30 degrees strong-side, 45 off-side which brings the sights over in front of my master eye.

 

[waltermitty]

"If you have to shoot....shoot, don't talk," Tuco

 

[revjen45]

At FAS the instructor said to cant the gun about 30 deg. for the above mentioned reasons. I guess 30 or 45 degs. depends on how your joints are articulated.

 

[Cerberus Group]

Some of what I see being taught works in theory, but very rarely see it used on the street. Your body will take over in what it prefers, may as well listen to your body from the start,