By Mike Seeklander on
A fellow instructor and I were recently discussing techniques surrounding the draw process. The epicenter of the discussion was what position the support hand should be in during the draw process. The other instructor argued for the support hand to be in a higher, more “combative” position, which allows the hand to be used to protect or strike if the situation is close enough to allow empty-hand techniques.
I often encounter students who position their hand high like this, and it is something I discuss with them due to the fact that it slows their draw down because they have to bring the hand down and under the handgun to get it on the grip when forming their grip. This also affects how well they build their final firing grip and ultimately how well they shoot. Their argument is always that the high (often up near the face) hand allows them to defend their head or throw a strike. While I consider this a valid argument, I ask if they are close enough to strike the opponent, is drawing at that time (and distance) the best option? This makes them think and most of the time their answer is no.
