5 Big Shooting Mistakes Every New Shooter Makes
Tactical Elites — Short Guide
TL;DR: We teach new shooters every week. These five mistakes show up over and over. Fix these and your accuracy, speed, and confidence will jump.
Mistake 1 — Support hand too low
When your support hand sits low on the grip you lose leverage. The fix: with your firing-hand thumb pointed up, bring the support hand high on the frame so it tucks against the grip. That gives you better control and less muzzle flip.
Quick drill: dry-grip the pistol, push the support hand high and squeeze. Repeat until the position feels natural.
Mistake 2 — Not getting the web high on the beavertail/tang
If the web of your firing hand isn’t high and tight against the beavertail, you create space. Space lets the gun move during recoil. Master grip = consistent recoil control. Establish the grip before you draw or present — don’t try to fix it at the moment of firing.
Tip: Practice a smooth draw where your grip is already correct on presentation.
Mistake 3 — Standing too upright
A stiff, vertical stance hands recoil straight back. Move your center of gravity forward: slight bend at the waist, head forward over the sights, knees soft. You’ll resist recoil better and recover faster for follow-ups.
Drill: find a 45° stance leaning into the target and run 3–5 rapid double-tap strings. Notice less muzzle rise.
Mistake 4 — Slapping the trigger
A jab or slap moves the sights at the last moment. The fix is a slow, consistent trigger press: take up slack, press straight to the rear, and let the break be a surprise. Smooth pressure = tighter groups.
Drill: dry-fire slow presses in sets of 10, then live-fire 2–3 rounds checking sight movement.
Mistake 5 — Not looking at the sights
People get excited and shift focus to the target too soon. If you don’t actually see where your sights are at the break, you won’t know why shots land where they do. Keep the front sight crisp and follow it through.
Practice: aim at a 2–3” dot at 7–10 yards. Focus on the front sight for every press. Report where you THINK the sight was after each shot — then check the target.
Wrap-up — Fix these now
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Support hand high ✔
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Web of hand tight on beavertail ✔
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Lean into the shot (forward center of gravity) ✔
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Slow, surprise trigger press ✔
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Watch the sights through the break ✔
Do this work in dry fire and low-recoil live fire, and you’ll see real progress fast.