Shooting Stance with Gunsite’s Freddie Blish

By Yamil Sued Posted in #Skills

When I first started taking pistol shooting seriously, I thought stance was mostly about looking squared away on the range. Feet here, shoulders there, copy what looks cool and get on with it. After spending time on the range with experienced instructors and really listening to what they had to say, I learned that a proper shooting stance is not about style or labels. It is about control, balance, and giving yourself the best possible chance to make accurate hits when it matters.

One of the fundamentals of pistol shooting is stance, yet it is often the least understood. People argue endlessly about which stance is superior, sometimes for decades. Weaver versus isosceles becomes almost a religious debate. What finally clicked for me is that when bullets are flying, none of those arguments matter. What matters is your ability to keep your sights aligned on the threat and press the trigger without disturbing them. Stance exists to support that goal, not to win internet debates.

Why Stance Still Matters Under Pressure

Even though stance is not something you will consciously think about in a real fight, it still plays a critical role. For novice shooters, especially, the way you stand can either help or severely hurt your ability to manage recoil. Poor recoil control leads to slower follow-up shots and less accurate hits. Even for advanced shooters, stance becomes important when you are faced with a low-probability shot that absolutely must count.

A good stance sets your body up to absorb recoil efficiently. It keeps you balanced, mobile, and ready to move. If you stand upright on your heels with your weight leaning back, recoil will push you around. Your sights lift excessively and take longer to settle back on target. That kind of posture works against everything you are trying to accomplish.

The Athletic Foundation of a Proper Shooting Stance

The key idea I took away is that your shooting stance should be athletic. Think about how you would stand if you were about to catch a heavy object or defend yourself physically. You would not lock your knees or lean backward. You would bend slightly at the knees, lean forward just a bit, and keep your weight balanced over the balls of your feet.

For a right-handed shooter, start by placing your right foot slightly back so it lines up near the instep of your left foot. Then bring your feet about shoulder-width apart. Your left foot ends up just a little forward of the right. Your knees are slightly bent, not locked, and you are not crouching excessively. This is not the exaggerated FBI crouch some people imagine. It is simply a relaxed, ready position.

Now lean forward just enough so your chest is over your belt buckle. When your hands are extended with the pistol, this forward weight helps you control recoil. The gun comes straight back into your body instead of rocking you onto your heels. This single adjustment made a huge difference for me almost immediately.

Isosceles and Weaver Explained Without the Drama

There is nothing wrong with the isosceles stance. Squaring your body to the target with both arms extended can be very effective, especially if you build proper skeletal support. The misconception is that certain schools only allow one stance and reject all others. In reality, what matters is whether you can control recoil and make good hits.

The Weaver stance also has its place. In a classic Weaver, your gun-side arm is extended but not locked, while your support-side arm pulls back slightly. This creates an isometric push-pull that helps manage recoil. For shooters with smaller stature or less upper-body strength, this can be a real advantage. The Weaver can also make movement around obstacles easier, especially in tight spaces where keeping the muzzle in a safe direction is critical.

What I learned is that neither stance is the way. They are simply ways. Each brings advantages and disadvantages depending on the situation. Getting wrapped up in choosing only one is missing the point.

Upper Body Position and Recoil Management

Regardless of whether you favor isosceles or Weaver, how you hold your upper body matters. One common mistake I see is what some people call the tactical turtle. Shooters hunch their shoulders up around their ears and tuck their head down behind the gun. This blocks peripheral vision and actually reduces recoil control.

A better approach is to keep your head more upright. Think of your head as sitting on a turret, free to see and process information around you. Roll your shoulders slightly back and pinch your shoulder blades together just enough to create tension. This engages larger muscle groups and allows your body to absorb recoil more efficiently.

When I adjusted my posture this way, my sight picture settled faster after each shot. I also felt less strain in my arms over longer practice sessions. Over time, poor upper body mechanics can lead to overuse issues, especially if you are absorbing recoil through ligaments instead of bone structure.

My Takeaway After Putting It Into Practice

After shooting both my usual modified isosceles and then switching to a Weaver under guidance, the results were clear. My hits were there with both. What changed was how the recoil felt and how stable I was during follow-up shots. Understanding the why behind each stance gave me confidence instead of confusion.

Proper shooting stance is not about dogma. It is about setting your body up for success. An athletic base, balanced weight, relaxed but engaged muscles, and a focus on recoil control will serve you far better than arguing over labels. Once I stopped chasing the perfect stance and started focusing on fundamentals, my shooting improved across the board.

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