I first noticed a decline in my shooting performance when I hit the big 50 mark.
It was at this point that I began missing shots while performing my demos.
Needless to say, my less-than-stellar performance was not helpful.
Adaptive shooting skills can help self-defense users remain safe and secure.
Fortunately for me the fix was very simple, and an insert in my shooting glasses solved my problem.
Suddenly, the front sight was in clear focus and I was back on my game.
But over time, some other challenges began to confront me.
Gloves can act as a pad to soften recoil and potentially boost precision during target shooting.
Again, I made an adjustment, and was able to terminate the performance deficit.
These symptoms typically increase as we grow older.
I have a touch of arthritis in the legs and my right hand.
Caliber selection is an important consideration when balancing power and recoil impulse. Stronger recoiling cartridges may not be as good a choice as lower-powered ones when a shooter has arthritis.
To counter that, I have to really focus hard on obtaining a tight grip with the support hand.
In the not-so-distant past, my grip was on autopilot, but now I have to really mentally focus.
When I do, my hits impact where they are supposed to.
Regular conditioning is important for mastering shooting skills and ensuring effective self-defense.
At the present time, this is merely an inconvenience.
Shooters with more severe symptoms may want to consider the following options.
Increasing the grip diameter of your handgun will reduce the range of motion your hand takes when making contact.
A shooter pulls back the slide of a classic 1911 pistol, demonstrating adequate hand strength and control necessary for self-defense.
That alone may enhance your comfort factor.
In practice sessions, consider wearing a pair of gloves that increase friction between your hand and the pistol.
I own a pair of leather PAST Professional shooting gloves, which I occasionally utilize.
A man with prescription shooting glasses trains at the shooting range. His practice session highlights the importance of adaptive shooting techniques.
My hands are pretty beat up and the padded PAST gloves definitely help my cause.
Practice with the gun you really carry, and gloves can make a big difference.
While I dont personally use ported handguns for personal defense, it does work.
If your eyes are unaffected by time, standard shooting glasses remain a key part of modern safety practices essential for self-defense and target shooting.
A simpler solution is reconsidering what sort of cartridge your pistol fires.
With that said, all my other serious carry pistols are in 9mm.
Consider that in most people, grip strength diminishes with age.
The good news is that you’ve got the option to regain and maintain grip strength through exercise.
These devices are available in different weights where you end the hand to compress a spring.
I have gotten positive results, especially when recovering from a hand injury, using one of these devices.
As the name implies, this is an egg-shaped equipment that you compress and release to exercise the hand.
To work this tool, I do about a dozen compress/releases then switch and exercise the other hand.
IronMind EGGs are available in two variations, green as well as blue.
On another note, you may also experience that racking the slide on your pistol has gotten significantly harder.
If so, consider this technique.
Take an overhand grip on the pistol just behind the ejection port and push forward with the strong-side arm.
This gets the shoulder into the act and takes far less effort than retracting the slide.
Using this technique, you’re free to easily overcome the resistance of a heavy duty recoil spring.
But like everything else on our bodies, vision degrades as we grow older.
Common refractive problems include myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism.
To further muddy the waters, one could have a combination such as myopia and astigmatism.
The best route is to have a set of prescription glasses made.
A word or two about pistol sights is also in order.
In my younger days, I could clearly define the serrations in the black front of my pistol.
Lasers and red dots may also have something to offer for the senior shooter.
Lasers use an on-target focal point and are game changers in reduced light or indoors.
Red dot sights have caught on in a big way and may be a viable solution for some shooters.
There may be something here for seasoned shooters, but its not the perfect fix for everyone.
For example, shooters handicapped with astigmatism may see a starburst rather than a dot.
Back then, I could obtain a crush grip on my pistol without even thinking about.
The end result is that I can still run my pistol very quickly and score decisive hits.
Shooting a pistol is just as much a mental process as it is physical.
And dont be a couch potato!
Some regular, moderate exercise can help your cause in a very big way.
