Male instructor seeking information

[waddy]

With your permission, I posted this earlier in the "Instructors Only" forum and so far have gotten no response. Here is my post:

I'm willing to bet that most of us have had to instruct new shooters to lean forward, or weight forward. Have any of you noticed that (to me at least) there appears to be an even greater tendency for female shooters to lean backward? I have observed it almost universally in my classes, and it is readily evident in the videos posted on YouTube. What I am wondering is if I might possibly be doing a disservice to my female students by asking them to lean forward. It occurs to me that the different structure of the female body might not require such a forward stance, or at least not to the same level as a male. I would really appreciate if the female instructors would weigh in on my question, tell me I'm over thinking it, or if there is, in fact, something to it. I don't notice it in professional shooters such as Julie Golob, or Il Ling Nu. At any rate, I would appreciate any feedback from my fellow instructors. Thanks for your time.


I would very much appreciate your input in this matter. I am constantly trying to improve my instruction. It is amazing how much things have changed over the years. Thank you for any and all responses. I hope this does not come across as offensive, it is definitely not meant that way. Thanks to all!

 

[wolf_fire]

When I have helped female shooters, I too have notice that more of them tend to lean back when first shooting. You are not over thinking it. All shooters need to lean forward. This helps with balance but more importantly recoil.

Try this test: have the student hold their hands out like they were holding a gun but instead of having their finger point, have them ball their fingers like a fist. Have them stand leaning back and lightly push on their fists, they will stumble backward because they do not have good balance. Now do the same with them in a proper leaned forward stance. You will notice that they stand their ground. Good balance, and it will help with recoil.

I suspect, that some shooters want to "back away" from the gun and this is why they lean back. It does not help them and with larger calibers will actually make them have to step backwards when the gun goes off.

 

[irongoat]

Try this test: have the student hold their hands out like they were holding a gun but instead of having their finger point, have them ball their fingers like a fist. Have them stand leaning back and lightly push on their fists, they will stumble backward because they do not have good balance. Now do the same with them in a proper leaned forward stance. You will notice that they stand their ground. Good balance, and it will help with recoil.

I agree, As a female Instructor I have had that test done to me.
It is not so much that women are trying to "back away" but we do tend to be top heavy and we try and compensate for this.

 

[waddy]

Wolf_fire, I do use that demonstration, but not enough. Thanks for the reminder. Irongoat, you are on track with what I was thinking. As long as I am not trying to correct an anatomical difference that should not be corrected, I will be more ready to correct the backwards leaning posture. Thanks for your replies. Anyone else wanting to chime are most welcome.

 

[tcox4freedom]

It will come with practice. Most women don't have the conditioning in their arms, upper body, back & shoulders that men naturally do. Combine that with the anatomical difference and their natural inclination is to lean back. My wife & I have seen this in most of the women we've worked with. My wife herself did the same thing when she started out. But, training & upper body exercise helped correct the problem.

Just remember, it may take time to strengthen the necessary muscle groups and training sessions may be shortened because of lack of stamina & fatigue for a short time. So, be patient and encourage exercise & dry fire practice at home.

eta-
One thing that I find in working women who have this problem is that using a Weaver (or modified weaver) stance where they can use the forward leg to help support the weight of the upper body & firearm seemed to help them pick up proper technique a little bit faster.


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[wolf_fire]

I agree, As a female Instructor I have had that test done to me.
It is not so much that women are trying to "back away" but we do tend to be top heavy and we try and compensate for this.

It didn't occur to me since I have seen some men lean back as well, but your reasoning makes sense why I have noticed more women lean back then men. Thanks for the insight.

 

[waddy]

Wonderful replies! As long as I will not be doing that simply goes against female anatomy, I can confidently encourage a weight forward stance. Even more importantly, I can explain the "why" to those feeling more comfortable leaning too far back, which is at least as important as the lesson itself.