Pistol Shooting

Everyone talks about follow-through like it sounds like a broken record!

Follow-Through is the continuation of doing after the shot release, what you were endeavouring to do before the shot. Somewhere from start to end the pistol goes bang or Pfft as in air pistol. But the common thing is, that no matter what pistol, all shots need to have follow through. Like standing and holding motionless after the shot release.

Even revolvers with double action, such as Service/wa1500 etc need to have some follow-through. Some shooters lack follow-through on the trigger in such a way that as soon as the pistol goes bang, within a milli-second the finger is released from the trigger. OK, you say in multiples in Service you cannot follow-through on trigger. But you can. I didn't say how long the follow-through had to be.

Continue to press the trigger even after the shot has been released. Pressing into "overload" is what is generally spoken about. If the weight of the trigger is 500grams to fire the shot, keep pressing through the shot, past that weight. Revolvers with double action need to pressed into the trigger stop, then release the trigger finger but do it at the same speed as the press to eliminate a jerky trigger release.

In most ISSF matches, it is important to follow-through on the trigger in such events as air and 50m pistol due to the longer barrels or slower velocities they may have. For training days, shooters should "extend" the follow-through time on sighting and trigger to overcome any delay as to when the shot has gone, and when they think it has gone.

Shooters are also asked to do this in a match, during sighters, so that they are really seeing sights through the shot and extending their follow-through time. Once the match is underway, after a few shots the follow-through time tends to come back to normal time and they are able to get into the match as per the normal shooting technique.

Click here to see a video of trigger follow-through. Note the time from shot release to pistol returning to bench. Follow-through is also the continuation of seeing sights through the shot.