Marksmanship Quick Tip #4

Accuracy is always paramount but not always easily done. Firing in even a slight wind can be difficult particularly at distances that require perfection in sight alignment. Body motion (back and forth) will cause a pitching (up and down) of the handgun. Eliminate most body sway by ensuring a natural break in the knees. The legs should be naturally straight but not ever hyper-extended and locked. Likewise, you don't need Rambo squats to fire a pistol. The principle here is a simple one; locked knees force the ankles to prevent swaying and the ankles don't have the leverage to complete the task. A natural knee will move you, so to speak, from standing in the wind to a double-kneed kneeling position by moving the pivot point from the ankles to the knees. The difference in both pistol and rifle shooting is remarkable. So don't lock your knees when wind buffets your body and causes you to sway.  Know that locked knees actually compound the effect of wind.