Anticipation Explained & How To Stop It 

I love the video! I'm a Firearms Instructor in the Coast Guard (18yrs), and can definitely say MSRT gets a hefty amount of Gov rounds to put down range, so great advice from Dakota! I just want to thank you for posting this helpful info, and keep up the good work!

2 shots right on top of each other then the anticipated shot in a straight line beneath it is cold work. Great presentation.

I really like your gun tutorials , you're a regular guy with a hell of a lot of gun knowledge, you aren't preachy or barking orders like a drill sergeant and you are appreciated 💯

Happy Memorial Day!

A simple trick - Imagine yourself moving the front sight or red dot towards you as you are moving the trigger rearwards.

Learned from a great instructor Mike at Offshore Kinetics MV and learned a simple technique that changed the game for me about anticipation. Count down as you press the trigger rearward… 1-1000, 2-1000, 3-1000, 💥 Bang… Most of the time you won’t even finish the 3-1000 before it goes off exactly where you want it to go‼️💯 Great video, great advice…

I do firearms instruction for a living currently (lots of prior LE and military) and the biggest thing I’ve found for intermediate to high beginner level shooters (can manipulate the gun well and safely but lack consistent accuracy and/or accuracy under time) is sympathetic squeezing with the middle finger to pinky of usually the primary hand. On target for a righty it’ll usually print them low left, sometimes just low or just left. As an instructor it’s not something you’d see without doing a slow motion video so it can be hard to diagnose because the muzzle dips just before the round goes off and the shooter has no idea they’re doing it. Like you said it’s all reps but the best fix I’ve found is I take the pistol and I place my index finger vertically on the front face of the grip, have them place both hands back on the gun which makes my finger in between their fingers and the gun. I tell them to get their normal grip pressure on the gun to the best of their abilities (tough for them to do given that your finger is in the way). I then tell them to focus on the front site or the target depending on siting system and squeeze the trigger smoothly to the rear. The purpose of your finger placement is for them to make a conscious effort not to squeeze your finger any harder than they are therefore isolating the trigger finger movement and eliminating their sympathetic squeezing. I usually don’t leave them until they’ve successfully printed POA/ POI 5 or so times so they can see their success thus making them WANT to replicate that success without your aid. Sorry for the rant. Just thought it was awesome to see an instructor just doing a demo and talking through remedies, nothing fancy, just informational. Just wanted to throw another tool for the toolbox out there someone may find useful. Keep up the awesome videos👍

Some of the best and logical gun advice on RU-vid. Thanks.

Great video, explanation, and resolution. When i first started i kept hearing hey you’re ‘jerking’ the trigger, and that meant absolutely nothing to me… ‘anticipating recoil’ more accurately describes the hitch.

Just finished the video, what the actual fuck, holy shit, the way you explained this is fucking incredible. All my shots immediately after reloads are low and left or 4-6 in below where I want em to be, you may have just turned me into a slightly better shooter. Will come to this comment when I hit range in day or two

Ive had my license for 5 years but just started taking this serious a month ago, your explanations are perfect. Better than any that I've seen 💪🏾👑 ... Great teaching your awesome

Great info, thanks

I'm glad I found your videos , very informative and easy to understand. Thank you , keep em coming !

The sound that comes after his first live shot on target is addictive and sooo cool to hear... Sounds like a car taking off or something but sooo cool to hear just after u make a clean first shot not to mention followed by a second in the exact spot... I'm from South Africa... U got a subscriber... Great content... Watched every video till now keep them coming 👌

Awesome video. One of the best things i did was get a red dot. You dry fire with a red dot you see every single minuscule movement of your aim. Helped me get better.

Great video, I hope your channel blows up, you deserve it!

The dopest gun channel on the tube. I honestly check every day hoping you made another video. I’m going to try those 4,000 trigger pulls because I need the help. Thanks bro!

Thanks for the video Alston! Keep going brotha. Much love from Ca! Always tuned in. 🤝💯

Thanks for the video, great content as always. Happy memorial day!

Thank u excellent video

I just ran across your channel. What a great way to explain and demonstrate "Anticipation." I've been an Instructor for 25 years and have never been able to articulate this as well as you did. The "Bomb going off in your hand" is really an awesome way to explain to shooters "Why"that they are doing what they are doing. Thanks. I subscribed and will be watching and sharing your training.

My anticipation and grip are still 🐶💩almost a year into shooting. Always looking for more input on mindsets and practice. Appreciate your vids. New subscriber.

love all your videos in West Virginia. you have one of the best channels on RU-vid. thanks for all the work you do for us..

Thank you young man

For some reason this is the first video the algorithm recommended me to of yours, and between the glowing reviews in the comments and the real world applicable lessons I’m subscribed fasho

I conceal carry a Glock 29 in full-powered 10mm, and I anticipate A LOTTTTT. This might be the best explanation I've heard about it. I think it's a bomb going off. No wonder... 750 ft-lbs out of a sub-compact is like a snub-nose full-power .357 magnum lol.

Excellent video!

Awesome video

Another decent drill I learned is if you have a second person with you you can have them load magazines for you only 1 round. But sometimes they don't load a round in the mag. You don't know whether there is one or not. But you still aim at the target and try to fire where your designated spot to aim is.

Yes. Dry fire using fire control (hold the gun tight, point don't aim the gun at the target, and pull the trigger without moving the gun) and live fire dummy rounds stop recoil anticipation.

Great video

Good advice, well presented.

Solid as always

Great info 👍🏾👍🏾

Thank you with this well presented information AT!

Great information, thank you

I dig it!

BROOOOO, this is Alex from Nashville Armory (tall one). How am I finding out you got a RU-vid now!!!! This popped up on my feed. Duuuudddeeee this is awesome!

I just started to watch your video,like the way you explain things simple and direct keep making your videos "your never to old to learn "

Great insight and explanation I’ve found that if I lean on my basic fundamentals and training and let it happen it’s on I do make the 4 to 8/10 pound pull and those are always low left More practice needed for me Stay safe everyone Respect

Super informative. Thanks Bro👊🏽👊🏽👊🏽👊🏽

Recoil anticipation is extremely typical for non natural aiming handguns, especially with awful long winded triggers. The true cause is the fear of the sonic boom. To learn to get over recoil anxiety, you first have to get over the crackle of the bullet breaking the sound barrier. Over the ear muffs help with this… it helps you ignore the noise, also, it helps you to keep your eyes open as you fire.

Thank you 4 your awesome Videos and Teaching. Muchas Gracias Alston. Bendiciones my Bro. Buen Trabajo.

Really enjoy your videos, great information.

great video sir

Very informative. Thanks.

Very good video! Even though I didn’t think I was ever doing that very often, I had a misfire just like you did but realized my gun moved even though it didn’t fire, so that’s a problem and your routine will now be enforced!Practice, practice, practice as you say!

Great video! Never thought of it as anxiety but that’s exactly what it is. "Anticipating" doesn’t really describe what’s going on. I’ll try your techniques. Thanks for the help!

Good vid. Good info. My shots were going low left a couple of weeks ago and I couldn’t figure it out. I’ll keep this in mind for my next range day.

Thank you really needed this video. Went to the gun range a week ago and my shots were centered and or down to the left but still on target.

Subconscious explains my problems. Great job

good tip thanks man.

Best gun channel on youtube. Period.

You is right

To your point about anxiety, a little self talk about how i enjoy the noise sometimes helps me.

Went to the range today and my anticipation was HORRIBLE! The instructor had me try shooting with my left hand when I’m a righty. Will be watching this video again and getting a lot more practice. I will be sharing your video with siblings. Thanks Romaine

Excellent stuff

Good stuff

Thanks 👁️ Appreciate the vlog

you sir are a natural at instruction. well done as always. new sub here.

Omg this is what I need.

Great videos, Bro. Have you ever considered making a video on your thoughts on less lethal options (i.e., Byrna, Grimburg, etc.)? Seems like you have to train with those in a similar way that you would with a standard firearm. Keep up the good work.

Amazing video

I like your instruction style. Two shots through the same hole, serious.👍

Good video 👍

I just practiced more and more on my trigger pull and that helped me a lot. Focus on trigger control and it will do wonders for accuracy and recoil anticipation

5:00 you can rack the slide, with the trigger pressed, and come back up to trigger reset??? WTF no way! This is going to help me so much lmao

@alstontraining82420 One thing that I'd fight you on is the idea that you can train out anticipation via familiarization. Yes, you can get less jumpy with a firearm, but even pro competition shooters anticipate; it's against the animal nature of a human being to ever be totally okay with the concussion from a firearm going off in the hand. One of the best ways to get rid of anticipation shots is to work with a new shooter's grip. Most of the time, they are wayyy overgripping with the shooting hand, and that anticipation is actually just sympathetic, pre-ignition movement with the trigger pull. This is also why you get anticipation shots as your hand gets tired after shooting a bunch; it has less to do with being "scared" of the gun and more to do with grip fatigue. This is why I teach my new shooters to only grip with the shooting hand enough to not drop the gun, and to clamp the fuck down with the support hand, using as much mechanical advantage as possible. Watch their anticipation shots just melt away, every time.

I like it awesome brotha.

It's kinda of amazing how I almost never see anyone dry fire at the range. It costs nothing to do it and yet it is super helpful.

Thanks pro

How to stop it. Kind of lol love that

What outdoor range do you shoot at in Nashville?

I find I’m the same way. The 50-80 rounds I’m fine and punching out the center but then after that I’m all over the place and I find myself jumping a lot. The longer I shoot the worse my aim gets.

Will any of this transfer during a potential self-defense situation when nearly everyone just slaps the trigger?

Looks like a Glock for Grandma due to the ease of the slide movement when you charge it. Great video Bruh!!! 👍🏽💯⚡

4000 Dry Fire aannnnnnnnd GOOO hahahahahaa Great video enjoy your page

The SD and SDVE are good affordable defensive pistol options. Nothing wrong with them. If you get involved in a self defense situation the police are going to take your gun. Do you want them hanging on to $350 or a $2k staccato

So if my sig doesn't require a slide reset to fire again, 4k would do it?

damn that second shot was through the first hole lol

This is why I tend to shoot low. Its strange because my mind knows that I need to stop anticipating, but my body does the opposite. Its hard to sync your mind and body sometimes.

Thx for the information. Which Glock is the gun you are practicing with, please? Also, where's this club in Nashua , it appears to be nice because my club you cannot do that without officer present

I’m in the Nashville area. What’s your website? How to book appointment for my wife?

Do you have a website, I live in Murfreesboro, and I want to learn more about training and etc

You skipped over using snapcaps with live ammo. I've been through PD, Sheriff and federal LE academies. We had our classmates skip load our magazines.

Damn brother you just get that radian ramjet/afterburner? How is it?

Part of anticipating is how HORRENDOUS movies and shows are. They see people shooting with the worst form ever, so subconsciously they do it aswell. Same reason they have bad trigger discipline because every show, movie, advertisement has someone holding a gun with their finger resting on the trigger.

Lol so I'm pretty good about not having a flinch or so I thought. With my g19 irons there isn't any noticeable flinch but with my g45 and aimpoint acro there is definitely downward flinch. 😂 feels like starting over.

because people do not press with one finger. then tend to squeeze all the fingers without knowing.

😂oh man this happens to me on the last round when the slide locks to the rear. I don’t realize it was the last round and then I press and dip….first words out of my mouth “you idiot” 😂😂

Why thinking about squeezing? Why exhaling on the push out? Just exhale on the squeeze. Exhaling on the squeeze relaxes your breathing and makes you think of nothing except trigger fundamentals; straight back. Don't over complicate it. Get the reps, don't be afraid, and smooth it out.

The first bullet didn't fire from a glock😅

Stud

Kinda scary that first round didn’t go off and you didn’t wait in case of hang fire

So we're gonna just blow by the fact that you just placed the 2nd round in the same hole?😂

Raise the ROOF 🙌 😁 Only four pounds.

No sauce??? 😩😩😩

Just get a Glock Cube and the trigger will move. A man in South Africa invented it and they are available in the USA. One shot dry fire is a no-go for me.

He probly assumed that adults know what "anticipate" means.

All this jazz.. Anticipation is simply lack of rounds down range. People make this way too complicated.