As a means of self defense, a pistol is an equalizer when confronted by a physically stronger attacker. But to be decent shooter, grip strength plays a factor on whether or not you can use a pistol effectively. It’s possible to hit your target with an improper grip, but if you miss or need follow up shots to defend yourself, you need the ability to hold that pistol firmly. Basic pistol fundamentals include a firm grip on the gun. So the greater your grip strength the better. But how much is enough?
According to this study on grip strength in relation to shooting performance, it seems that the stronger your grip is, the better. In short, the study compared scores on a standard pistol qualification test vs. the grip strength of male and female police officers, with higher grip strength correlating to better scores. The study suggests that either lack of grip strength or heavy trigger pull weights resulted in poorer performance. Therefore, increasing grip strength or adjusting the trigger pull weight could improve performance.
The key takeaway from this is that improving your grip strength can most likely improve your shooting. I’ve been training with Captains of Crush grippers for a few months now and have observed a noticeable improvement in my shooting performance.
The study suggested that in order to score 85%-90% in the pistol proficiency qualification test, grip strengths of 80lbs – 125lbs is required. I think close to an 80lbs grip strength is good enough for shooting, and the more you can work up from there the better.