What Is Thumbing?

I was reading the Error Analysis and Correction Chart article on Encyclopedia and saw one of the errors is "Thumbing".  While other errors are explained this one is not.  What is Thumbing?

The thumb should not be part of your grip on a 1911. Sometimes you will see a shooter with his thumb tight against his middle finger and obviously placing pressure on the "side" of the pistol. Increases or decreases in that pressure tends to move the group left and right.

Len

I looked for a picture of my grip and found one holding a 52. Pretty much the same for a 1911. For me. Some shooters need more grip.

When I was young and strong I didn’t use thumb pressure, just pressure from the heel of my thumb. Now that I’m older and have arthritis I absolutely have to use my thumb. I actually now think I would have shot better using thumb pressure when I was younger. If you use the thumb you have to learn how to be consistent with it just like your gripping fingers. My 2 cents
Jon

Jon Eulette wrote:When I was young and strong I didn’t use thumb pressure, just pressure from the heel of my thumb. Now that I’m older and have arthritis I absolutely have to use my thumb. I actually now think I would have shot better using thumb pressure when I was younger. If you use the thumb you have to learn how to be consistent with it just like your gripping fingers. My 2 cents
Jon

This is some excellent advice. Much of the writing about shooting is for 20 something soldiers who might shoot 8 hours a day for 6 months of the year. Most of the Bullseye community is 20-40 years older and gets to shoot 8-10 hours a week if they are lucky. Even then they have to work with bodies that the manual authors never considered. 

I found that with Ortho grips more thumb was bad with the 22. On the other hand with slabs on the 45 I used the thumb as part of the grip. It was a dichotomy that was not helping my 45 scores or my 22 shooting. I switched to slabs for both and saw rapid 45 improvement and 22 improvement as well. Then again, I focused on the 45 for about 6 months as well shooting the 22 only occasionally or when forced to for league. 

Your mileage may vary.

Thank you gentlemen.

Back about 20 years ago when I tried Bullseye for a couple years (just got back into it last year) I had a guy direct me on my "thumbing" problem. He finally told me, imagine there is a thumb tack with the point outwards on the grip under your thumb. You can put a little pressure on that point, but if you put too much pressure, it's going to hurt. His explanation has stuck (pun intended) with me.

More than half the problem is the "Wheel of Misfortune", Figure out what it takes to put a shot on call and then do it again and again. Sight alignment and trigger control.

jmdavis wrote:More than half the problem is the "Wheel of Misfortune", Figure out what it takes to.put a shot on.call and then.do it again and again. Sight alignment and trigger control.

had a few high power guys tell me basically the same thing years ago, 

I was reading everything I could (Al  Gore had not invented the internet yet) and was trying to apply it as best I could,

one friend told me when I was observing him, and a few other state team guys, to look, see, and apply what bits worked for me, 

the basics are fine, but everyone is different,
different in strength, ability to get into and hold position etc etc, 

try stuff, use what works, get rid of what does not

This is the better training aid. Not all of the shot displacement causes in the old aid were right.

At least with your chart Wobbly, I know I am getting the straight skinny.

LenV wrote:,...Sometimes you will see a shooter with his thumb tight against his middle finger,...

Just how big are your paws? 

Some of us have a hard time just reaching the trigger.

I had my wife model how to do it wrong (small hands) Then I took a selfie of me doing it wrong. Well wrong for me. I understand why some prefer this method.

Wobbley wrote:

This is the better training aid.  Not all of the shot displacement causes in the old aid were right.  

that is awesome!!!

printed (several) and right click saved!!!