Fore-end hand?

Hiya folk.

I've been of work for a few weeks due to a back injury so ive been watching a lot of shooting DVDs etc.

I noticed a strange thing that a lot of top shooters(sporting mainly) appear to do when shooting.  Why is it when they mount the gun onto the shoulder and onto the clay do the sort of fiddle with their fingers on the forend just before the pull the trigger, it sort of looks like finger fidgeting? 

I thought that if 1 or 2 people do it,  it may be a fidget type thing but if most if not all the top shooters I've been watching seem to do it, I thought there must be a very good reason.

Can anyone please explain why they might do this and what advantage does it  offer the shooter. 

Many thanks 

Steve

Each to his own I guess - however for me (I am no top shooter tho, but I do it occasionaly) it is a timing thing - like metrnomer in music to get a rhytm - on clays with l-o-o-o-o-ng shooting window (slow incomers etc...) that keeps me from moving/mounting/triggering too soon. 

My husband and daughter both do that - habit I think.  I think it helps them, its part of their shooting routine.

FreeShot said:

Each to his own I guess - however for me (I am no top shooter tho, but I do it occasionaly) it is a timing thing - like metrnomer in music to get a rhytm - on clays with l-o-o-o-o-ng shooting window (slow incomers etc...) that keeps me from moving/mounting/triggering too soon.

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Yeh like I say Im not sure why it is done.  It seem to be on slow targets, fast targets even before they call pull etc, so unsure as to why they do it.

Sian said:

My husband and daughter both do that - habit I think.  I think it helps them, its part of their shooting routine.

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Can you aske them why? .  Im wondering if it is to do with hand and arm relaxation etc to help consistently with their swing ??

Cheers guys

Steve Brew said:

Yeh like I say Im not sure why it is done.  It seem to be on slow targets, fast targets even before they call pull etc, so unsure as to why they do it.

Can you aske them why? .  Im wondering if it is to do with hand and arm relaxation etc to help consistently with their swing ??

Cheers guys

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I can tell you it has nothing to do with their swing- it is a subconscious thing that is just part of their taking a bird.  They do it just before they take a shot. I guarantee if I asked my husband he would just look at me and say "what?"  

It just seems strange how they all seem to do it. I understand everyone has individual different habits etc but almost identical habits seems very strange in that there must be a meaning.? 

Steve Brew said:

It just seems strange how they all seem to do it. I understand everyone has individual different habits etc but almost identical habits seems very strange in that there must be a meaning.? 

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These are my daughter's exact words:

Habit, it just feels wrong if I don't do it. It's not a conscious action, but if I don't do it feels like I'm unbalanced. Like I'm not comfortable.

I do it on targets  like crows that hang there for a long time, just helps my timing and I stop as I pull the gun right in tight before I pull the trigger.

It's just something I started doing as a habit really, wasn't intentional.

I saw this on our PSCA TV broadcast in the first season and Dan Carlisle explained it was to keep the front hand loose and nimble rather than clamping down into a death grip. At least that is what I think I remember I will try to find a video clip. 

I do it quite often, I think its because I play trumpet in a brass band and sometimes forget which hobby iam doing.

Thank f**k you don't play the drums!

Hoop said:

I saw this on our PSCA TV broadcast in the firs season and Dan Carlise explained it was to keep the front hand loose and nimble rather than clamping down into a death grip. At least that is what I think I remember I will try to find a video clip. 

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Yes please do if you can mate 

Okay here we are 

psca.com 

go to the "watch" page season one episode 3 Cory Kruse is shooting and Dan Carlisle Talks about it at 25:25. 

My best guess it serves the same purpose as the "waggle" in golf.