What I have found is the more you think the less you shoot. Let your body and brain do the work. When a waitress carries a tray of drinks they don’t look at it. If they do look at it it’s more likely to spill. Your brain and body knows what to do. When you watch what you’re doing you interject micro movements that messes things up. Just relax and have fun. Look at your target and shoot the target. That’s all
@HKGunPlay For sure, what I'm working on right now is bridging the gap between dry and live fire times. On a string of 5 transition shots and a draw (pedendum, for example, a SC stage), I'm about .5 to .8 from dry to live. Doesn't sound like much but .8 is an eternity in SC
This is completely or almost completely correct. Our subconscious brain is more fast, precise, etc than our conscious brain could ever be. Once you understand this things start making more sense, and it applies to other things in life also.
I think the blade of the samurai sword is supposed to be face up. The same way it's wore. I remember hearing that when a samurai dies his sword is displayed with the blade facing down. But I'm not sure if it's true I imagine swords didn't go long without an owner because of how well made and rare they would have been at the time.
Thank you so much for those tips. I’m struggling with the same exact thing. I have been really struggling with shooting left and I thought it was trigger pull issues but I realize now it’s not. Huge help!
Happy New Year. I bought two of your books the other day. I got dry fire reloaded and uh...Skills and drills reloaded. I'm just happy to financially support the famous Stoeger creative process(Scottsdale chicks, ammo, whatever else you like doing). Happy new year!
😂 "I have been pretty quiet on social media" I love your videos, Ben. Your hilarious trolling but also your honesty about stuff. But most importantly, your very helpful shooting tips and "tutorial", if you will call them like that. Thank you! And a happy new year.
"Child, do not look at bark on tree. For you must look at whole forest. Do not battle recoil, Daniel-son" - Ben Siggler (American Samurai Ninja with China made Ronin Dot)
Super helpful video. I've been stuck with the exact same issue for a while now. The ROs always feel the need to tell me what they think I'm doing wrong, but none have said this advice yet. I'll try this this week. Thanks, Ben!
I do this especially on my double action for my shadow 2. I don't have much issues with single action but the first shot, I'm pushing left (I was working on 1 shot DA shots yesterday). This is very timely Ben. Looking forward to training with you one day soon!
I disagree. It's definitely positional neural pathway enhancement of the extensor digicarpi radialus pressures enabling synaptic response desirable to the termination of boreline deviation. 🤣🤣🤣🤙🏼
Thanks for the low left info. Just switched back to a Glock from m&p and first range trip trying to zero new dot, this was what I was doing. I thought for sure it was a grip issue, but what you’re saying makes more sense.
...thanks for sharing this explanation of low/left...all the other experts telling people to "counter grip" are actually making it more difficult to correct.
The return drill is a good idea never heard of that. One thing people used to do to expose their problem is just have someone else load their mag with a random snap cap. It will expose what they are doing wrong when they hit the snap cap.
When guys say “slow down” it tells me they don’t know what they are trying to convey properly or they don’t know what they are talking about. I missed you Ben
My two cents on shooting left and low and why it works fine slow and not fast. I had this problem myself and tended to happen was that when shooting slow I could move only the two last joints on my trigger finger (with that I mean fingertip joint and joint after that)which meant the trigger went straight back. But when going faster I started to move the first joint and monkey handing it like you do when you can`t separate the fine motor skills for your trigger finger from the rest of the hand. To work on it I just hold my hand like I`m shooting at the roof. Then I could see that the faster I moved my finger the more I started hooking and moving the whole finger not just the two last joints straight back. So all I did was practice moving my finger (without the gun) as fast as I can straight back using only the last two joints. And when I at the range I always try to keep the thought in the back of my mind to pull the trigger back and a bit to the right. Then also important to have enough training to were you can let the aiming work on it`s own. Then all focus is just feeling and focus on the trigger and finger all the time. Don`t know if this makes sence. It`s easier to show then to explain in text. 5:34
I have the opposite problem. Intentional slow and attempting accuracy ( eg dot torture)> low left. Bill drill - better. I think, with me, the slower the more anticipation. The faster - the more I am just focused on the sights/ dot and target.
You’re spot on about anticipating the recoil and subconsciously trying to counteract it. Two things that really helped me out (and this is probably all common sense to you and anyone experience but not obvious to a beginner) is to only release the trigger ever so slightly on your follow up shots just enough to reset it and not let the trigger out all the way and secondly is when you grip the gun don’t just take your left hand (assuming your right handed) and try to squeeze as hard as you can, but rather clamp down from top to bottom almost like if you were to take your fingers and put them together and then bring your palms together after like how a nutcracker works and because of the pivot point you can clamp the grip so much tighter that way. Like I said these are things you already know and I probably learned them from You but I wish as a beginner someone told me this stuff
MSB, modern samurai Ben, I love it! I do have a serious question, how do you get guys to practice or to train well as an instructor, if they don’t think that they are the issue? Like, “ I don’t dry fire, because it doesn’t really help me” etc.
Happy New Year! Always enjoy listening to your advice on shooting. I live in a city and only have an indoor static range lane to train on 🙄 Any advice on how to train effectively with this being my only option?
I have a different take on why the gun goes low left, for me most of my low left deviation was because of my trigger finger, a disconnect between my brain saying pull the trigger straight back and that not happening in reality, in short I was pulling the trigger from the joint closest to my hand, in essence my whole finger, I've found isolating that first joint by feel and pulling the trigger from the second joint solved my problem, put a glock in your hand and put you finger on the trigger, remove the gun without moving your primary hand, bend your finger at the crease closest to your hand like your pulling a trigger and you'll see it,
Your videos are always so helpful. I’m having trouble with the focusing on the spot part. If I do that I don’t see my sights and I’m not accurate, if I look at the sights, I’m too slow. What to do?
It's not always recoil anticipation. I know, because I'm rapid firing in AceXR and there's no recoil. But the gun is driven left by the tension in the trigger finger hand. No matter what I've tried, when I fire rapidly (either double taps or just a fast string), the red dot traces a line from upper right to lower left and back. It gets better when I do what you could never do with a real pistol... I grab the muzzle with my left hand and hold it. THEN I'm able to fire rapidly without the gun moving. But, obviously not a way forward. :) How to shoot relaxed enough that the trigger finger movement doesn't move the gun is something I'm still really having trouble with.
Your diagnosed sounds correct from your explanation. Your firing hand is twitching and your finger isn’t coming straight back. I believe this is what you’re saying? Try the trigger press at speed drill in dry fire. Pressing the trigger fast at speed without the hand twitching takes practice. Don’t be afraid to experiment to find what works for you. I also like hand yoga but I’m not explaining that. Just because it’s dry fire doesn’t mean you should relax your support hand, stay firm or it will effect your live performance. Experiment with pressure from your firing hand. But mainly you just need to work at going faster. I did the dry fire at speed drill for awhile and still do from time to time. I often do it without a timer so i can get more reps in but i treat every press like a rep and i do sets with breaks so im not blowing out my arms and hands.
What I've found, through mantis training, is too much tension in the dominant hand. The whole dominant side is too tense causing torquing to the left. I gotta stop and mentally think "left hand strong" and relax my right side except for the trigger muscles. Usually straitens right back up after that.
Ben, with your great explanation on this gentleman pushing the pistol left and down at times....I'm finding this same situation rearing it's ugly head during rifle shooting...are the things you mentioned also pertain to rifle? Thanks
Hey Ben. Looking to get into the 2011 game. I can’t justify 2500 on a handgun, so I’m going with the prodigy. Do you recommend the 4.25 or the 5 for “duty”/mainly range and maybe entry level competition?
Hello Ben ,Happy New Year I have bought some of your books. Like Skills and Drills and Dry fire reloaded and Practical Pistol. The question is ,referred to the distances,how to scale down, adapt to IPSC targets. The alfa zone is about 30% smaller than the A zone en USPSA. So do I reduce the distance by 30%??? I live in Argentina and here it is mainly IPSC and some IDPA. What is the best way to contact You,in the podcast section via You Tube, or by mail en the Homepage under miscellaneous???? In the future I am going to have more questions. Thanks so much. Hubert
With the decor change, I was expecting a 2hr talk about straight blade vs. curved, single edge or double blade and all i got was practical dry fire advice. What the hell has happened to the internet?!
Maybe this is old, but I just watched that Creature Commandos cartoon on HBO MAX and there is a dude that looks like a knockoff Ben named "Tanner" / "NoSoiBoi86" He's interviewed in beginning of the first episode and uses a Glock to headshot the fish chick near the end of the second episode.
Buys a Ronin red dot. Immediately buys a fucking Katana. Ben is on the path of Bushido. Looking forward to his haikus.
He’s gonna start posting his meditations. I cant wait
I think he already had it. Check out his "Realistic" training video.
He already dropped one. About bark on tree. I hope he leans into this hard af, lol.
he is on the warriors path now
He’s got the hair started for it
While we were partying on New Year's, Ben studied the blade
On a roll…Ben has posted a video every single flipping day this year…he’s a monster.
“Pretend to be a Japanese warrior of some kind”😂😂
Benshido.
lol, Ben could try selling a grip technique named after some sort of force of nature!
You are my favorite Japanese Unicorn Warrior guntuber. Great to see you embrace it.
The way one of Ben’s eyes glares at you through the optic glass is hilarious 😅
2:21 Why be a Samurai when the Universal Soldier is so close? One piece of tape away.
Le Universal Steggler.
What I have found is the more you think the less you shoot. Let your body and brain do the work.
When a waitress carries a tray of drinks they don’t look at it. If they do look at it it’s more likely to spill. Your brain and body knows what to do. When you watch what you’re doing you interject micro movements that messes things up.
Just relax and have fun. Look at your target and shoot the target. That’s all
There is definitely something to what you are saying. After the right stuff has been trained and ingrained.
@ yea I figured most who watch Ben train in some kinda way and have the fundamentals down.
Another thing you can do is record yourself shooting and rewatch it to see where your fundamentals are lacking.
@HKGunPlay For sure, what I'm working on right now is bridging the gap between dry and live fire times. On a string of 5 transition shots and a draw (pedendum, for example, a SC stage), I'm about .5 to .8 from dry to live.
Doesn't sound like much but .8 is an eternity in SC
This is completely or almost completely correct. Our subconscious brain is more fast, precise, etc than our conscious brain could ever be. Once you understand this things start making more sense, and it applies to other things in life also.
That dryfire trigger pressure tip is great.
Haven't seen you since last year Ben
Dad?
HILARIOUS!!!
BOOOOOOOO!
We need a Reactive and Predictive katana class.
He’s practicing ancient art of Bukkake.
Katana are traditionally stored edge up on the sword rack, not edge down.
As others have mentioned, Katana are displayed edge up, handle to the left. Tachi, which are longer, are displayed edge diwn.
Happy New Year and good tactics on removing stuff from your phone to get disconnected.
I think the blade of the samurai sword is supposed to be face up. The same way it's wore. I remember hearing that when a samurai dies his sword is displayed with the blade facing down. But I'm not sure if it's true I imagine swords didn't go long without an owner because of how well made and rare they would have been at the time.
Bro, I'm pretty sure even if Ben knew he wouldn't care.
Thank you so much for those tips. I’m struggling with the same exact thing. I have been really struggling with shooting left and I thought it was trigger pull issues but I realize now it’s not. Huge help!
Move eyes, transistion. Beyond dot, target appears. Flow like water, smooth.
The sword goes well with the Ben Kenobi mystique :)
Your sword is mounted backwards and upside down. Handle on the left, curve up.
Happy New Year. I bought two of your books the other day. I got dry fire reloaded and uh...Skills and drills reloaded. I'm just happy to financially support the famous Stoeger creative process(Scottsdale chicks, ammo, whatever else you like doing). Happy new year!
BRILLIANT ADVICE and so spot on. Much appreciated.
Love to hear the skills and training videos. Love gear and stuff too but prefer this stuff for sure.
😂 "I have been pretty quiet on social media"
I love your videos, Ben. Your hilarious trolling but also your honesty about stuff. But most importantly, your very helpful shooting tips and "tutorial", if you will call them like that.
Thank you! And a happy new year.
Thanks for the low-left instruction. I'm dealing with this as well, so it's like I got a much-needed lesson from a pro. 👍
"Child, do not look at bark on tree. For you must look at whole forest. Do not battle recoil, Daniel-son"
- Ben Siggler (American Samurai Ninja with China made Ronin Dot)
Happy New Year Ben
Great advice as always! Thanks Ben.
Super helpful video. I've been stuck with the exact same issue for a while now. The ROs always feel the need to tell me what they think I'm doing wrong, but none have said this advice yet. I'll try this this week. Thanks, Ben!
Happy New Year! I’m looking forward to your class in March, in Texas.
Looking forward to this
Ben is the king! thank you !
Happy New Year Ben... Best wishes for a great year..
Happy New Year 🎉
Great insight. See the forest through the trees.. 🤔
Thank you for this as I do tend to push left on cold start
Happy New Year Ben.
I do this especially on my double action for my shadow 2. I don't have much issues with single action but the first shot, I'm pushing left (I was working on 1 shot DA shots yesterday). This is very timely Ben. Looking forward to training with you one day soon!
Happy New Year Ben!!
Happy New Year Ben!
Golden feedback.
But what about ocular myelenation feedback training?
Lold
I disagree. It's definitely positional neural pathway enhancement of the extensor digicarpi radialus pressures enabling synaptic response desirable to the termination of boreline deviation. 🤣🤣🤣🤙🏼
Can you do a katana tips and tricks video?
Thanks Ben happy new year! 🎉🎉🎉
Thanks for the low left info. Just switched back to a Glock from m&p and first range trip trying to zero new dot, this was what I was doing. I thought for sure it was a grip issue, but what you’re saying makes more sense.
...thanks for sharing this explanation of low/left...all the other experts telling people to "counter grip" are actually making it more difficult to correct.
💥Happy New Year all 💥
Ben is slowing but surely becoming Tom Cruise in the Last Samuri
Happy New Year homie 😊
Thanks for advice
Happy New Year
Cant wait for the last samurai arc.
The return drill is a good idea never heard of that. One thing people used to do to expose their problem is just have someone else load their mag with a random snap cap. It will expose what they are doing wrong when they hit the snap cap.
When guys say “slow down” it tells me they don’t know what they are trying to convey properly or they don’t know what they are talking about. I missed you Ben
My two cents on shooting left and low and why it works fine slow and not fast. I had this problem myself and tended to happen was that when shooting slow I could move only the two last joints on my trigger finger (with that I mean fingertip joint and joint after that)which meant the trigger went straight back. But when going faster I started to move the first joint and monkey handing it like you do when you can`t separate the fine motor skills for your trigger finger from the rest of the hand. To work on it I just hold my hand like I`m shooting at the roof. Then I could see that the faster I moved my finger the more I started hooking and moving the whole finger not just the two last joints straight back.
So all I did was practice moving my finger (without the gun) as fast as I can straight back using only the last two joints.
And when I at the range I always try to keep the thought in the back of my mind to pull the trigger back and a bit to the right.
Then also important to have enough training to were you can let the aiming work on it`s own. Then all focus is just feeling and focus on the trigger and finger all the time.
Don`t know if this makes sence. It`s easier to show then to explain in text. 5:34
Canik report? Eager to see how it went for Ben and his Canik. I love my steel Canik, Im guessing Ben was smoking his TTI?
dunno about the tti but that sf canik is primo,, I only upgraded to the 226 x5, but it's twice the price
Hell yeah!!!
Bens back!!!
I have the opposite problem. Intentional slow and attempting accuracy ( eg dot torture)> low left.
Bill drill - better.
I think, with me, the slower the more anticipation. The faster - the more I am just focused on the sights/ dot and target.
I now know Japanese Samurai’s, a Korean Samurai, and an American Samurai… what a way to start 2025.
Nice katana sir. Happy new year
I can see from the background the Ronin Optic is slowly working.
You’re spot on about anticipating the recoil and subconsciously trying to counteract it. Two things that really helped me out (and this is probably all common sense to you and anyone experience but not obvious to a beginner) is to only release the trigger ever so slightly on your follow up shots just enough to reset it and not let the trigger out all the way and secondly is when you grip the gun don’t just take your left hand (assuming your right handed) and try to squeeze as hard as you can, but rather clamp down from top to bottom almost like if you were to take your fingers and put them together and then bring your palms together after like how a nutcracker works and because of the pivot point you can clamp the grip so much tighter that way. Like I said these are things you already know and I probably learned them from
You but I wish as a beginner someone told me this stuff
MSB, modern samurai Ben, I love it! I do have a serious question, how do you get guys to practice or to train well as an instructor, if they don’t think that they are the issue? Like, “ I don’t dry fire, because it doesn’t really help me” etc.
New drill. 2 A zone shots plus lateral katana slash
Happy New Year! Always enjoy listening to your advice on shooting. I live in a city and only have an indoor static range lane to train on 🙄 Any advice on how to train effectively with this being my only option?
Happy new year. Please turn up side down your katana.
He is now Stoeger-san
Ben dropping the solution to the exact problem. I’m having. Great way to start the new year.
I have a different take on why the gun goes low left, for me most of my low left deviation was because of my trigger finger, a disconnect between my brain saying pull the trigger straight back and that not happening in reality, in short I was pulling the trigger from the joint closest to my hand, in essence my whole finger, I've found isolating that first joint by feel and pulling the trigger from the second joint solved my problem, put a glock in your hand and put you finger on the trigger, remove the gun without moving your primary hand, bend your finger at the crease closest to your hand like your pulling a trigger and you'll see it,
4:00 i did this yesterday. So frustrating. Shooting low left Ds. Even though it feels right on.
The sword is upside down Ben
Your videos are always so helpful. I’m having trouble with the focusing on the spot part. If I do that I don’t see my sights and I’m not accurate, if I look at the sights, I’m too slow. What to do?
It's not always recoil anticipation. I know, because I'm rapid firing in AceXR and there's no recoil. But the gun is driven left by the tension in the trigger finger hand. No matter what I've tried, when I fire rapidly (either double taps or just a fast string), the red dot traces a line from upper right to lower left and back. It gets better when I do what you could never do with a real pistol... I grab the muzzle with my left hand and hold it. THEN I'm able to fire rapidly without the gun moving. But, obviously not a way forward. :) How to shoot relaxed enough that the trigger finger movement doesn't move the gun is something I'm still really having trouble with.
Your diagnosed sounds correct from your explanation. Your firing hand is twitching and your finger isn’t coming straight back. I believe this is what you’re saying?
Try the trigger press at speed drill in dry fire. Pressing the trigger fast at speed without the hand twitching takes practice. Don’t be afraid to experiment to find what works for you.
I also like hand yoga but I’m not explaining that.
Just because it’s dry fire doesn’t mean you should relax your support hand, stay firm or it will effect your live performance. Experiment with pressure from your firing hand. But mainly you just need to work at going faster. I did the dry fire at speed drill for awhile and still do from time to time. I often do it without a timer so i can get more reps in but i treat every press like a rep and i do sets with breaks so im not blowing out my arms and hands.
What I've found, through mantis training, is too much tension in the dominant hand. The whole dominant side is too tense causing torquing to the left. I gotta stop and mentally think "left hand strong" and relax my right side except for the trigger muscles. Usually straitens right back up after that.
Ben, with your great explanation on this gentleman pushing the pistol left and down at times....I'm finding this same situation rearing it's ugly head during rifle shooting...are the things you mentioned also pertain to rifle? Thanks
Hey Ben Happy New Year! Our guys are getting twisted up about when/how to check the Glock LCI. How important is it you and when do you check it?
Can you do classes in Michigan? Or will you do them in Michigan?
Ben, your sword is not sitting correctly. Should be displayed with the blade up.
Eighth!
Hey Ben, what techniques can you share on transitions with targets that has varying heights?
When are you going to post something about the sig 365.
😂lol I don’t run registration. Ben is successful enough that he doesn’t run registration guys. Get with the program
First a Ronin red dot, now a sword...what's next? That Sig money is paying off! ;)
Hair style, Ronin optic, Katana.
All you are missing is Scientology membership, once you have that we can remake “The last samurai “.
Are you going to try the grayguns p320 upper you have and review it?
My issue is I have to forcefully bring the red dot down, it’s not a natural return. What am I doing wrong?
Damnit! I just shot my TV.
It’s been a year Ben ! What the heck 🤷♂️
"Ben Stoeger Samurai Skills & Drills June 2025" - make it a thing
Hey Ben. Looking to get into the 2011 game. I can’t justify 2500 on a handgun, so I’m going with the prodigy. Do you recommend the 4.25 or the 5 for “duty”/mainly range and maybe entry level competition?
Some broad was asking Ben "where's Bill?"
What are your thoughts on the Ruger RXM
Do you think it will hold up to extended round counts as well as the glock does?
Hello Ben ,Happy New Year
I have bought some of your books.
Like Skills and Drills and Dry fire reloaded and Practical Pistol.
The question is ,referred to the distances,how to scale down, adapt to IPSC targets.
The alfa zone is about 30% smaller than the A zone en USPSA.
So do I reduce the distance by 30%???
I live in Argentina and here it is mainly IPSC and some IDPA.
What is the best way to contact You,in the podcast section via You Tube, or by mail en the Homepage under miscellaneous????
In the future I am going to have more questions.
Thanks so much.
Hubert
With the decor change, I was expecting a 2hr talk about straight blade vs. curved, single edge or double blade and all i got was practical dry fire advice.
What the hell has happened to the internet?!
Maybe this is old, but I just watched that Creature Commandos cartoon on HBO MAX and there is a dude that looks like a knockoff Ben named "Tanner" / "NoSoiBoi86"
He's interviewed in beginning of the first episode and uses a Glock to headshot the fish chick near the end of the second episode.
Don’t use a t shirt on any optic you don’t want scratched
Hey Ben, Do you still dry fire? Just curious if there becomes a point in training were you would dry fire less and shoot more? Thanks man .
Hoo de eggg roll, fri pok ric only
But is that sword signed by Randy Jackson...?
HI BEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111111111
SeGuuuuuraaaaaa