1 Weird 2 Cent Trick For Precision With A Pistol

 

Ox here with a little 2 cent trick with you that may very well completely change how well you shoot.

It’s called a “Gip”.

I first learned about the Gip from the creator, Matt Seibert…former General Manager of Colonel Cooper’s Gunsite Academy and creator of the Insight Deadly Accuracy program.

Matt’s created several things for the firearms industry that many people take for granted today.

Ever see tritium night sights? They were created when a friend of Matt’s told him he’d just gotten stuck with a shipping container from China full of teddy bears with glow-in-the-dark eyes. Matt took a couple of the bears, started drilling holes in sights, putting tritium vials in the holes & experimenting with adhesives until he found the right one, and the rest is history.

Ever see a self-healing polymer target or self-healing polymer poppers for use in indoor ranges? Again, guess who came up with the chemical combination to make it work and patented it more than 20 years ago?

Putting a scratch or mark on the front sight is something that’s been a secret of champion bull’s-eye pistol shooters for decades and Retired Navy SEAL, Larry Yatch introduced it to the Naval Academy Combat Pistol Team when he was a Midshipman, but Matt and Sherrie Seibert (Deadly Accuracy 1 Hole Group Course) coined the phrase “Gip” and unlocked the potential of this little jewel and they’re the reason why military and tactical law enforcement units across the country use it today.

So, what is the Gip?

Gip precision mark on my Glock front sight

The “Gip” on my Glock

It’s a scratch, imperfection, or mark on the front sight that is approximately the size of the head of a pin (approximately the same size as the macula in the eye.  The macula is the area of the eye with the highest concentration of cones). The Gip is smaller than a tritium or fiber optic vial.  In the picture to the right, it’s the tiny white dot on top of the tritium vial on my front sight.

The word “Gip” doesn’t mean anything or stand for anything…on purpose.  Matt and Sherrie made up the term so that it would have no pre-conceived  emotions attached to the name.

Deep, clear focus on the Gip does a few things that shooters are going to be interested in…

  1. Focusing on the Gip gets more of your brain involved in the shooting process.Stay with me here for a second, but focusing on the Gip guarantees that you’re focusing on the front sight. Most shooters look at their target, converge their eyes to center the front sight in the rear notch and on the target, and then focus on the front sight.

    In reality, most people are looking THROUGH the front sight instead of having a fine focus on the front sight because they aren’t focusing on anything specific on the front sight.  This may be fine once you’ve got your technique dialed in, but there are some big advantages to focusing on the front sight while you’re developing and refining your technique.Focusing on the Gip engages a completely different set of nerves and different (additional) parts of the eye and brain than just looking past the front sight.

    When you engage more of your brain when you’re practicing, the end result is that you get the same amount of benefit with less effort.

     

    It’s a little complicated to grasp at first, but rest assured that the concept has very little to do with whether you understand the neurology involved and everything to do with recruiting as much of your brain as possible to take part in the shooting process.

  2. In the 100 yard shooting video where I hit 5/5 shots with a Glock 26 (here), I used a Gip. The front sight on my Glock is wider than the target at 100 yards. Even the tritium/fiber dot on my front sight is wider than the target at 100 yards. It’s definitely possible, but much harder to shoot precisely when your front sight is wider than your target. By putting a small white Gip on my front sight I’m able to essentially have a front sight that is narrower than my target, making it MUCH easier to hit the target.
  3. Aim small, miss small. This concept is well known, but the Gip is key to it. If you pick the 2nd button down on a shirt instead of shooting center-mass, it’s much easier to center the front sight on that button if you have a Gip that is narrower than the button.
  4. Focusing on the Gip improves shot placement on moving targets. When you have a hard focus on the Gip, your eyes will naturally (and unconsciously) center the front sight in the rear notch and center the front sight on your target. The unconscious mind not only sees more frames per second than the conscious mind, it also processes hundreds of thousands of times more computations per second. If you focus your conscious mind on the Gip, your unconscious mind can drive the mechanical process of aiming the gun and releasing the shot.

The combination of these benefits leads to incredibly rapid quantum leaps in shooting performance. You’ve heard it said that most people only use 10% of their brain. Well, if you’re a shooter and you’re not using pursuit movement of the eye to fully stimulate the eye and engage the brain, you’re probably only using 10% of your brain…it’s THAT big of a deal.

It’s incredibly easy to put a Gip on your gun. You need either white-out, an appliance paint pen, or “sight paint” (sold at gun stores). Take a toothpick, wet the end of it (you don’t want a whole drop) with your chosen marking fluid and touch it to the top-center of your front sight, right above your tritium vial or front sight dot (if you’ve got one) until you’ve got a spot that’s about the size of the head of a pin.

In a pinch, you can use a technique that I have used at the range in a pinch…simply take a piece of tape and cut a 1/16wide piece and stick it on your front sight. It probably won’t stay on for more than a day, but in a pinch, you can use it to verify the effectiveness of the Gip before doing anything more permanent.

Easy? Yup. Almost too easy.

At this point, you probably have questions. That’s awesome. Fire away by commenting below and I’ll do what I can to answer them.

I’ve been using these techniques informally (without names or knowing the science behind what I was doing) for almost 20 years and formally for the last 6. They can truly turn someone with ordinary ability into an extraordinary shooter.

For more information on using the Gip as a tool to enter flow state or the zone and shooting at an extreme level, check out the Insight Deadly Accuracy Home Study Course by clicking >HERE< now.  The training is truly cutting edge and unlike anything else available on the market.

 

 

 

 

 

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68 Comments

  • Alex

    Reply Reply April 28, 2019

    If your point of impact is the white dot. Would having a gip above the dot, make you have a lower sight picture? Or no, because you get your sight picture then look at the gip? I can see how above the dot would be better if that’s where the poi is. Thanks

  • Alex

    Reply Reply April 28, 2019

    If your point of impact is the white dot. Would having a gip above the dot, make you have a lower sight picture? Or no, because you get your sight picture then look at the gip? Thanks

  • BT Smith

    Reply Reply January 11, 2019

    And then, there are a lot of Enlisted that are still not good sailors by the time they make CPO…

    Guess you asked the wrong Navy Vet. Not just any Navy Vet. Just sayin’ …

  • Andres

    Reply Reply July 30, 2018

    Es igual en un revolver .357 mag de 5,5 pulgadas? pintando el punto GIP en la parte superior?

  • John

    Reply Reply June 3, 2018

    Thanks for the good read. I have a Tarus G3 to which I have installer a TruGlo tritium light pipe front site. It has an orange outer ring and a green dot in the center. Will the green dot suffice? It must as there is no place to put the Gip unless on the light pipe. I believe my accurace fails because of grip (squeeze) and finger problems and recoil anticipation. What can I do to correct these?

    • Ox

      Reply Reply June 4, 2018

      Yes…the green dot will work. What you want to do is focus so that the transition from green to orange as crisp and clear as possible while you’re doing your slow training.

  • Alex

    Reply Reply March 29, 2018

    I read somewhere else about this and they said on a white front sight dot. Put a mark on the dot. Your eye will focus on it because, it’s an imperfection on the round circle. So is that okay or a mark above the white dot? Which is better? Thanks

    • Ox

      Reply Reply March 29, 2018

      The difference between the two is negligible, but I prefer having the mark ABOVE the dot.

      • Alex

        Reply Reply April 28, 2019

        If your point of impact is the white dot. Would having a gip above the dot, make you have a lower sight picture? Or no, because you get your sight picture then look at the gip? I can see how above the dot would be better if that’s where the poi is. Thanks

      • Alex

        Reply Reply April 28, 2019

        If your point of impact is the white dot. Would having a gip above the dot, make you have a lower sight picture? Or no, because you get your sight picture then look at the gip? Thanks

        • Ox

          Reply Reply April 29, 2019

          Great question(s), Alex. There are 2 answers to this…

          First, your sight alignment is going to be with your front and rear sights lined up so there is a straight line across the top and equal light on each side of the front sight. Your sight picture will have the desired point of impact directly over (not behind) the center of the front sight if you’re shooting within 25 yards. If your point of impact is covered by the front sight, and you’re using a factory barrel and factory sights, 99% of the time it means that you’re anticipating recoil and attempting to counteract recoil before the bullet leaves the muzzle.

          Second, If you have proper sight alignment and sight picture, it doesn’t matter what part of the front sight you focus on. Focusing on the bottom of the front sight vs. focusing on the top of the front sight won’t impact where the bullet goes.

          I hope that helps!

          Ox

  • Jerry Purcell

    Reply Reply March 6, 2018

    Ox
    I like the article about “GIP”. I have a Glock 43 with a red laser slide. I have noticed by dry fire pointing/aiming that my eye sight within the rear sight can change actual line of sight to target by a large amount. (Left to to right—vice versa).
    Would a rear “V” sight help to center the front sight ?? I work often on my finger pull. Jerry

    • Ox

      Reply Reply March 6, 2018

      That’s a great question, but it becomes a complicated question because “best” can have multiple meanings depending on whether you’re looking to maximize performance on a single platform or resilience across several.

      A peep sight or triangle sight are going to get you the best performance if you use them consistently enough to develop conditioned responses, but they’ll introduce a lag when you switch between guns.

      Personally, I’ve used (and loved) both peep and triangle sights on pistols, but I don’t use them anymore. Every single pistol I have has blade and post sights where the lines are all parallel for consistency and ease of switching from one to another.

      Have you shot with a pistol with a rear “v” sight? If you really perform better with it and want to switch to it, then I’d switch any pistol you have to that system. But if you focus on “equal height & equal light” on squared off sights, you’ll probably get the same or better performance.

  • Drew Rinella

    Reply Reply October 30, 2017

    Gip goo globbed on Glock. Got it. Great guidance! ¡Gracias!

  • Charles W

    Reply Reply October 3, 2016

    I had a older 45 military competitor tell me about setting in a classroom concentrating on the end of a pencil tip for extended periods. I have always shot handguns at practice with both eyes open, the only way this works for me is to partially close the off hand eye to get a real sharp picture, I also wear noline bifocals. I read pretty good and didn’t see if you close or partially close your off hand eye. Also I’m 72 so the front sight takes longer to acquire cleanly. When pistol hunting I do close the offhand eye.

  • Larry Cotner

    Reply Reply September 29, 2016

    In placing this dot on your front site in center rear where it should be seems like a good idea. I’ve got a Sig Sauer model p229 Legion in 357 sig. It shoots great has a crisp break on the trigger, I’m at the age now where I have a cloudy view on my dominate eye right from a early cataract. He told me replacement to early is not a good idea and can reoccur causing a second replacement. I can use my left eye and shoot left handed with about a 10 Percent drop in accuracy, although my vision is not so bad that I can’t put 10 Rounds at 25 ft in a fifty cent piece, not as good as a seal but fair. Anymore reccomendations for me?

    • Ox

      Reply Reply September 29, 2016

      It sounds like you’re already doing what I do…shoot right eyed with my right hand and left eyed with my left hand. Great shooting!

  • MATT OLESKOW

    Reply Reply September 27, 2016

    WOW WHAT A DIFFERENCE. I WAS ABLE TO STAY IN THE RED BULLSEYE AT 20 FEET 12 SHOTS IN ROW. WOW NOT RAPID FIRING BUT CONCENTRATED AIMING AN BANG . I LOVE IT

  • Matrix

    Reply Reply September 26, 2016

    Ooooo, the best of both worlds! A combat sight that works like a competition sight. Brilliant. Gotta go try that.

  • Art

    Reply Reply September 26, 2016

    Thank you for sharing this superb tip for improved aiming (and hitting). I am off to put some tape on my front sight and then gather up a toothpick and whiteout for a permanent dot.

    By sharing the explanation of the physiology of the eye/brain interaction, you have made it very easy for me to understand why this will work.

    Thank you again for your many contributions to safe shooters everywhere.

  • Fred Johnson

    Reply Reply September 25, 2016

    @Duaine:
    Whether you’re planning to shoot competitively or whether you plan to carry your handgun for self-defense, becoming proficient in its use can prove to be quite expensive. However, there are ways to mitigate that expense, to an extent, which I’ll get to in a moment.
    First, however, you must be chastised for your current pursuit of developing a VERY dangerous habit. What you and your sons are doing will, without a doubt, come back to haunt you if you should ever find yourself in an armed confrontation. This is due to a very well-known and irrefutable fact, which Ox has pointed out repeatedly in other articles: When you find yourself in a life-threatening situation, especially one which involves firearms, your mind and body will revert to YOUR LOWEST LEVEL OF TRAINING (caps are for emphasis only; I’m not yelling at you).
    We no longer call someone out to the street at high noon because he accidentally spilled our whiskey in the saloon, you’re not Wyatt Earp and the only reason that “style” of shooting looks so cool in the movies is because they use blanks, and the guy down the street only PRETENDS he was shot. Those are three very good reasons to STOP what you’re doing because, I promise you, even if you become so good at shooting from the hip that you hit your target consistently (and you never will, unless you’re shooting blanks and can get the target to pretend you’ve scored a hit), others at the range will neither respect nor admire you – they’ll avoid you like the plague.
    Proficiency in properly handling a firearm requires a great deal of comittment and dedication to become an expert at this particular craft. We train, not just at the range, but also in classrooms, including the brick-and-mortar type, where you’ll become well-versed in subjects such as basic ballistics, local, state and federal laws and how to safely disassemble, clean and reassemble your firearm. There are also online “classrooms” like this one, where you can pick up valuable tips, like the one covered in the article above, which are intended to ENHANCE your formal training.
    Basic and advanced firearms training is usually available at gun stores which feature an indoor range. Outdoor ranges open to the public (many outdoor ranges are “Members Only”) will also offer a selection of classes for shooters of all skill levels. Prices (or tuition) start around $150 for basic instruction (or less, if they don’t provide ammunition) and generally take eight to twelve hours to complete, including a couple hundred rounds’ worth of range time. Advanced classes cost a little more, and require proof of prerequsite training prior to enrollment. Professional training classes can cost several thousands and take up to three or more weeks to complete. Once you’ve competed your course, you’ll receive a handsome certificate with your name on it, proclaiming your achievement.
    You should also check with your local police or sheriff’s department, as they might offer free instruction from time to time throughout the year. However, this suggestion is “iffy,” at best, because a lot of law enforcement departments across the country have stopped offering these five to eight-hour classes for insurance and liability reasons. It wouldn’t hurt to ask, though; you might get lucky.
    But, just like high school or college, if you don’t do your homework, if you don’t actually practice what you’ve been taught, you will inevitably lose most of what you’ve learned. Effective shooting, contrary to what some believe, is NOTHING “like riding a bicycle;” once you learn to shoot, you MUST continue learning – you have to train on a regular basis in order to develop and retain the “muscle memory” that can only be acquired through constant and disciplined PRACTICE.
    As your skills develop, you’ll spend exponentially less on ammo. When you buy your first handgun, for example, you might go to the range and fire three hundred rounds once a week. As you become more proficient, you may only need to fire a hundred rounds for a month or two, and then, when you’re proudly showing off the targets with quarter-sized holes where the ten ring used to be, you might only need to fire fifty rounds per week to keep your skills razor sharp. That’s when others at the range will begin to approach you and ask questions such as, “How do you do that?” or, “What’s your secret?” I gotta tell you, it feels REALLY GOOD when you look them in the eye and say, “Training, practice and quality ammo.”
    I’ve known SO many people who make the most unforgiving mistake they can when it comes to range shooting: they buy the cheapest ammo they can find, believing they’re saving money when, in fact, they’re wasting their money AND their time. Cheap ammo is cheap because it’s cheaply made. The lands and grooves inside the barrel of a handgun or rifle make the projectile spin around a horizontal axis as it travels down the barrel and exits the muzzle. This provides an element of accuracy that cannot be achieved with a smooth bore, as centripital force supresses the projectile’s natural tendency to “yaw” as it travels through the air. Good, high-quality ammo is manufactured to be as close to perfectly balanced as they can make it. Cheap ammo, on the other hand, is NOT balanced, and therefore will be inherently MUCH less accurate, resulting in untold frustration and confusion at the range. It would be like driving your car without having the wheels balanced; the heavy side will cause the wheel to wobble, and the same is true of ammunition. If you buy match-grade ammo for your range time, you’ll understand why the extra expense is more than justified, because your shooting skills will improve much more rapidly, which will give you more confidence in your abilities which, in turn, will free your mind to better concentrate on hitting the target rather than trying to figure out “what’s wrong with this stupid gun?”
    I’ve seen this happen, literally, HUNDREDS of times. More often than not, their weapon isn’t the problem – it’s their ammo. So, being the kind-hearted person I am, I’ll give this struggling, misinformed shooter enough rounds to fill one of his mags, and ask him to try again while I watch. Once he or she is finished firing and they’re smiling again, I’ll offer a brief (I know – hard to believe, ain’t it?) explanation concerning the true economics of shooting. Yes, match-grade ammo IS very expensive but, believe me, you’ll save money if you use it for targets more than ten yards away, ESPECIALLY if you’re new to shooting. Over the years, I’ve probably given away a couple thousand rounds of match-grade ammo, but the benefits I’ve received in return are incalculable. It’s worth it to see confidence replace a furrowed brow when someone just can’t figure out why they can’t hit the same place twice.
    Please, PLEASE abandon your quest to become an old-west style gunslinger. Invest in yourself, and your boys, and enroll in a basic firearms safety course. There, you’ll begin building a solid foundation for a valuable skill set that you’ll all enjoy for the rest of your lives.
    I hope this helps, and good luck to you.

  • john robison

    Reply Reply September 25, 2016

    Thank you, Matt, and thank you, Ox, for the “gip”. Instruction that is pure gold.

  • cecil caywood

    Reply Reply August 23, 2016

    i m going to try the gip You guys are amazing and i look forward to each email loaded with tons of information

  • cecil caywood

    Reply Reply August 23, 2016

    i started using the dry fire cards last week and i have already improved . thank you .

  • Albert6 Nygren

    Reply Reply August 23, 2016

    I may be stupid but I want you to show us what you are talking about in a video so I can see what you are trying to explain how to do what I can’t understand from your writing!

    • Ox

      Reply Reply August 24, 2016

      I’ll be happy to help you, but I need a specific question to answer. If you’re wondering about the gip, it’s the tiny white dot on the front sight that I show in the picture…does that help?

  • Keith Sheehan

    Reply Reply August 23, 2016

    Wow, Ox, I’ve been shooting, handloading, and hunting for more than 50 years. I got my training from a coach named Tito Balestrieri, a guy you’ve never heard of, but, he won two smallbore gold medals in the 1932 Olympics. He was also the Head Coach of the St. Johns All-Star Rifle Team, who were undefeated for nine years straight. My point is that my groups with my handguns (marred by Parkinson’s and requiring extremely focused trigger control) have reduced by an average of close to 50% since I started using the gip. Many thanks.
    By the way, which are your favorite brand of knee & elbow pads? All the best, Keith Sheehan

    • Ox

      Reply Reply August 23, 2016

      That’s awesome to hear, Keith! Thank you for sharing.

  • Larry Crocker

    Reply Reply February 9, 2016

    Hi Ox,
    Great article! I have gone through the INSIGHT Deadly Accuracy thumb drive 4-5 times now, and the INSIGHT thumb drive on Eye Dominance a couple of times. For those of us over 50, being able to really focus on the GIP is an issue. I had to get glasses made from an eye Dr. who is a shooter. Really helped – one lens let me see downrange, the other let’s me focus on my GIP. You mentioned “the Zone” and I think I know what you mean, what it is. My question is: How does one gain the ability to get into “the Zone” quickly, and then sustain it, for the duration of the number of rounds in the magazine? I know you may have to check with Matt and Sherri before giving out too much info on this, but are there any tips you can give me? Thanks. And, I completely understand if you are not free to share this info in this forum. You really are putting out some of the most practical tips that I have seen online. Thanks so much.

    • Ox

      Reply Reply February 9, 2016

      That’s getting into stuff that I can’t say in a public forum…I’ll contact you directly. Thanks, Larry!

  • Mark Evans

    Reply Reply February 8, 2016

    This really looks to be a good idea for longer shots but the story lost a lot of credibility when you said it was conceived of by a midshipman. Ask any navy vet and they will tell you midshipmen are walking liabilities that may or may not become good sailors about the time they make Lt. JG.

    • Ox

      Reply Reply February 9, 2016

      Mark,

      You may want to re-read the article. It was not conceived by a midshipman and I didn’t say that it was 🙂 That being said, even if it was conceived by Larry (A Navy SEAL) when he was a midshipman, it’s an incredibly effective tool.

      As to the distance where the Gip is effective…it’s effective at any range you want to be precise. From 6 feet on out.

      • Mark Evans

        Reply Reply February 9, 2016

        Whops, yes Ox, a little fussy writing and a little over fast reading on my part. “introduced”. Anyway, it is a great idea, but trust me on the midshipman thing. 🙂

        • Ox

          Reply Reply February 9, 2016

          My mom used to be on the selection committee for Annapolis and The Zoo and I’ve spent a LOT of time around midshipmen and cadets…I know what you mean, but a good percentage of them grow into their shoes.

  • Don

    Reply Reply February 8, 2016

    That 10% thing is crap, we use nearly 100% all the time, even in sleep. However, here’s a quote from neuroscientist Paul King:
    “It is often said that 2/3 (60%+) of the brain is “involved” in vision. However possibly less than 20% of the brain is dedicated to “visual-only” functioning. The other 40% is doing vision+touch, or vision+motor, or vision+attention, or vision+spatial navigation, or vision+meaning, etc.”
    So 20% is fixed on the gip and 40% is the aforementioned unconscious section calculating and swinging into action.
    Great tip. I’m waiting for my package to arrive from Prescott any day now.
    Thanks Ox,
    Don

    • Ox

      Reply Reply February 9, 2016

      Hey Don,

      I’m glad you mentioned that. What you’re referencing is a very common mis-application of the fact that fMRIs (Functional Brain Imaging or Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) tell us that we’re using the majority of our brain all of the time.

      Are there neurons firing in the majority of the areas of our brain the majority of the time? Yes.

      Are there neurons firing in the majority of the areas of our brain FOCUSED ON A SINGLE TASK the majority of the time? No.

      For many people, the pursuit movement of the eye to the Gip is what allows people to silence the audio soundtrack or punchlist going in their head (focus, breathe, press…focus, breathe, press) & mute performance anxiety, second guessing, and anticipation (anticipatory jerk). They go from “looking” at the front sight and having lots of mental noise to “focusing” on the front sight, quieting and focusing the mind, and dedicating all available and appropriate mental resources to the task at hand.

      I try to show videos demonstrating the benefits and write about it, but…like your comment illustrates…it’s really difficult to fully convey the process without experiencing it. I’m not sure if that makes sense or not…let me know if you have any more questions and enjoy the course!

  • Lt. Donn

    Reply Reply June 27, 2015

    You are assuming that us “Old Timers” can actually see the Gip….lol

    • Ox

      Reply Reply June 27, 2015

      Yes…I am, and you bring up a GREAT point. Thank you.

      1. If you don’t have well established neural pathways and can’t focus visually, you’re only going to be shooting with a small fraction of your brain…kind of like putting an RPM limiter on a car that you’re going to run at the track.

      2. One solution is to have your eye doctor set up glasses with one of the diopters set to be able to read a business card clearly at arm’s length. Better yet, find a eye doctor who’s a shooter and set the diopter to focus on your front sight.

      3. There are eye exercises that you can do to improve your vision. The same flacidness and lack of flexibility that affects other muscles and connective tissue as you get older also affects the muscles that control the eye. There are eye exercises can help with both sight & target clarity as well as acquisition and transition speed here: http://ShootersVisionGym.com There are free drills there, but get the whole course if you’re serious.

  • Berlin Carroll

    Reply Reply June 13, 2015

    Ox,

    I am an associate instructor with Insight’s only franchise location in Lima, OH working under Matt’s protégé Steve Farmer. I just wanted to say thank you for your article as I enjoyed reading it as well as your outstanding responses to the comments and questions. It just so happens that I assisted with a deadly accuracy class today. The power of Matt’s “gip” is truly amazing!

    • Ox

      Reply Reply June 15, 2015

      Hey Berlin,

      Thanks for realizing how awesome it is and going through the instructor process. I’m almost there myself.

  • Dean

    Reply Reply June 11, 2015

    Great article. I recently placed XS big dot sights on my VP9. Will the GIP method also work for these sights? I know the XS is not intended for precision shooting.

    I also recently won a glock 19 and will try this on the standard sights. I told myself I will not make any mods on this gun until I’ve put 1000 rounds through it first. The GIP doesn’t count :-).

    • Ox

      Reply Reply June 15, 2015

      Hey Dean,

      I’m not positive what the best way is to put a Gip on XS big dots. Is there black space above the dot?

  • Larry

    Reply Reply June 10, 2015

    When you paint or put the paint drop on the sight(top center)aren’t you changing the point of impact?…………Larry

    • Ox

      Reply Reply June 10, 2015

      The short answer is no…

      There’s a couple of things going on.

      First, it’s difficult to shoot groups smaller than your sight.

      Second, the main point of the Gip is to force a pursuit movement of the eye and engage more of the brain in the shooting process…specifically the right hemisphere of the brain. Doing this will trigger some cool things that happen between the eye and the brain, namely a desire to center things to 1/1000th of an inch. When you get a hard focus on the Gip, your eyes/brain will pull your sights into alignment like a bungie cord. It’s not QUITE that simple, but it’s the best way that I know of to describe the phenomenon.

      • Brad

        Reply Reply February 6, 2017

        i like that analogy.

  • ScottyP

    Reply Reply June 6, 2015

    I have stock sights on my glock 19 and 26. I know many people change the sights, but i like them. If i add a gip, does it make sense to black out the white front sight with a marker? Would that make my eyes focus on the gip even more? Thanks

    • Ox

      Reply Reply June 6, 2015

      There’s no need to black out the white front sight. There’s 2 things that you can do…

      1. Put a smaller white dot (Gip) above your existing front sight dot. (easier option)
      2. Put a tiny black dot (Gip) in the middle of your existing white front dot sight. (harder option)

      Both will drive process to help you engage more of the brain into the shooting process.

      • ScottyP

        Reply Reply June 6, 2015

        That makes sense thanks

    • Brad

      Reply Reply February 6, 2017

      the white outline, dots. bars.whatever on factory sights arent for using to sight in the target..they are to make it easier to Initially find the sights as a whole. once found the WHOLE sight is used. the “gip” helps to keep your focus where it needs to be. dont try to ALIGN dots bars etc up align the physical sights as a whole. lots of competitors do black out the front and rear sights . its really wherever helps YOU most as an individual.

  • Val

    Reply Reply June 5, 2015

    For Duaine, isn’t old West style really TV style? For Ox, will using a gip improve my accuracy as I am learning to shoot? I’ve been shooting less than a year and I am typically pleased if I actually hit the target. I’ve yet to hit a bull’s eye, but I am getting closer. I have a problem with anticipating recoil and sort of freaking out a bit. That’s just gonna take more practice. But the aim thing is also a challenge.

    • Ox

      Reply Reply June 6, 2015

      Great question…

      First off, congratulations on actually shooting after getting a gun! Many people don’t, and expect to be able to use it successfully if they ever need to. I liken that to someone owning (but not ever driving) a car for a decade and then deciding that they can handle driving in 5 lanes of traffic at 80 miles per hour. The real world just doesn’t work like that and I commend you.

      Second, I recommend that everyone start off by getting PROFESSIONAL live firearms instruction. There are some nuances that you just can’t LEARN from a book or the internet. As an example, making an incision and closing it back up with stitches is something that you should really learn in live training. Once you’ve got that live training as a base, there are some great videos you can watch and books that you can read to refine your technique and give you ideas on how to do things better.

      Same with firearms training. Start with live training from a professional. Try to find one at a range that has several guns for you to try. You should be able to find a gun that you’re comfortable enough shooting that you don’t flinch. (with proper form, you’ll be able to shoot MOST guns comfortably. I have a .357 magnum snub nosed revolver made of scandium (incredibly light) that hurts ME to shoot, so keep in mind that some guns are just more painful than others and you don’t need one of those guns.

      At first, I don’t care if shooters have to drop down to a .380 or a .22. I just want them to develop a positive mental feedback loop with shooting…and that means associating shooting with FUN and dopamine instead of fear and freaking out. Again, don’t worry about how good of a defensive gun/caliber it is at first…find a FUN gun.

      Once you’ve got that taken care of, I’d STRONGLY suggest getting Dry Fire Training Cards, 3010Pistol.com, and/or Concealed Carry Masters Course and a SIRT inert laser training pistol to practice your technique without ammo, at home, until you’re comfortable and natural manipulating pistols. (This will completely eliminate your anticipatory flinch AND the freaking out part)

      Next, I would suggest going through the http://1holegroup.com home study course…or fly out to Prescott and take it live. It will completely reprogram your mind as to what is possible with a pistol and I can almost guarantee you that they’ll take you from where you’re at now to shooting 1 hole groups in less than 20 minutes on the range. They’ve done it with more than 5,000 students before you and they can do it with you.

    • Ron

      Reply Reply June 11, 2015

      Val, It is great that you are shooting, I found that one of the biggest challenges I had was believing that I could shoot better with a handgun. Believe, that with practice, you will improve. By practice I don’t mean pointing toward a target, firing the whole mag, then seeing what you hit. I found slowing down and loading one round at a time and just concentrating on making that one shot count, worked for me. Fundamentals breathing, sight alignment, trigger pull. Lastly go to the range spot someone who shoots well and talk to them. Good luck. BTW I like the idea of the GIP and will try it, thanks.

  • Sam W.

    Reply Reply June 5, 2015

    I had to widen the rear notch to get the correct sight, factory on mine was less than a hack saw cut. Made it easier to focus on the front sight, and I still center it in the rear. There is a ghost ring available would that be an improvement over the notch?

    • Ox

      Reply Reply June 5, 2015

      There are ghost rings available…for me it’s just a matter of wanting the simplest, straight line solution possible that won’t compromise my neural pathways when I switch to other guns.

      • Sam W.

        Reply Reply June 5, 2015

        So since I already use a ghost ring on my rifle, things should work.

    • Brad

      Reply Reply February 6, 2017

      personal preference..but having a ghost ring/ contained rear sight opening does keep one from looking OVER the rear at the front…forces you to look THROUGH the rear.

  • Al

    Reply Reply June 5, 2015

    Am looking forward to trying this. are you aware of any other names/labels for this technique? Also, I like your tritium story, but the 1st I heard of tritium sights was a salty old Marine at Weapons Training Battalion in Quantico in 1990. Something along the lines of “what good’s a glow in the dark compass if you can’t hit anything when you get there? I’m going to figure out how to put tritium on sites – then we’ll stop shooting helicopters out of the sky on night shoots.”

    • Ox

      Reply Reply June 5, 2015

      Matt came up with the name, Gip, and if there’s another name for it, I don’t know it. The tritium sights for pistols came about in the mid-80s and for rifles before that.

  • jlbrody

    Reply Reply June 5, 2015

    Excellent read. I wish I had read it yesterday. I was at a match and not happy with my groups.
    I will definitely be giving this a try.
    Paratus et duro!

  • LEE GARRETT

    Reply Reply June 5, 2015

    When I’m focused on the front sight or Gip, then the center of mass is not in focus – the button? What button!

    • Ox

      Reply Reply June 5, 2015

      Good point…you don’t need the button OR center of mass to be in focus. The subconscious takes care of that while your conscious mind is tied up focusing on the Gip. The MOST important thing is to have your front sight centered in the rear notch. If your front sight is off to the right or left 1/8th of an inch, your shots will be off 7 1/2″ at 20 feet (depending on barrel length). But if your sights are aligned, you’ve got to move the gun a LONG ways to be off that far…even if your target blurs out.

      On the 100 yard shots, I’m not wearing glasses or contacts and can’t even see the target 🙂

    • Brad

      Reply Reply February 6, 2017

      the button. the bullseye. the letter whatever focal point on the target that you are setting your sights on..even though your FOCUS is on the front sight…the rear sight and the target point should still be visible although out of focus.

  • Duaine

    Reply Reply June 5, 2015

    Duaine here and new to shooting handguns. Thank you for the gip article. My sons and I set up a can waist high and shot 10 rounds at it from the hip. Each miss we got to take one step closer. The first one to hit it from the least amount of steps won the pot. Not the CO kind. None of us hit it even when we were 5 ft from it. Is there any tips to shooting old west style and making a shot count.

    • Nomadr

      Reply Reply June 5, 2015

      DUAINE, when point shooting you still have to aim, even if its sub-consciously. 1st you should always start closer to your target and then work your way farther away from it. 2nd You can try setting up a small mirror to shoot at instead of a can, and practice drawing several times before you actually shoot. Alternatively you could add a laser pointer and again practice drawing or “dry firing” many more times than you actually shoot. Good luck!

    • Jeff

      Reply Reply June 6, 2015

      There’s a reason this style (Western from the hip) is not taught. It is inaccurate, and you are creating a liability for yourself, and a possible loss of life for an innocent every time you send a bullet downrange.

      You said that you are new to shooting a handgun. Well, go take a course. If you don’t have the money for a course, get on youtube and look for respected instructors’ video clips. Don’t be the guy that brings his kids to the public range to “learn how to shoot” and you or them flags people, handles a firearm unsafely, or has a negligent discharge (not accidental—NEGLIGENT).

      If you think I’m picking on you, I’m not. You are risking peoples’ lives. How much time did you take at home, with your cleared pistol, to familiarize yourself with it. Dry-fire practice, handling/manipulation, etc? Or, did you take it to the range without even doing a detailed stripping/cleaning of it?

      Last summer, I took my niece to the range. We ended up leaving because of a father and his two children. He was ‘teaching them how to shoot’ and he didn’t have a clue himself. After the third time they flagged us (I asked him to keep the firearm pointed downrange and not at us after the first time). As we were leaving, he shot the ground about ten feet in front of him. All this was after I asked him if he wanted me to give him a intro to his pistol (after the first flag).

      • Ox

        Reply Reply June 6, 2015

        Hey Jeff,

        I wear a CAT tourniquet on my belt when I’m shooting…not so that I look like a high-speed ninja commando combat medic, but to CONSTANTLY give people a visual reminder about how serious shooting is. I know the possibility exists, but I seriously doubt that I’ll ever need to use it at a range. That being said, I like to think that seeing it serves as a reminder to people who might be having “too much fun” or who’s brains are too flooded with adrenaline and endorphins to think clearly and help them get their mind back where it needs to be.

        For people who don’t know, “flagging” is pointing your gun at someone who you don’t intend to shoot.

      • Dennis

        Reply Reply May 26, 2017

        Excellent response. Like an instructor of mine said, “Every bullet comes with an attorney”.

    • Brad

      Reply Reply February 6, 2017

      Duaine, before you can “hip” shoot /Point Shoot. you have to develop your POINT OF AIM, its your feel of how the weapon points in relationship to its position.
      In order to develop that or any other instinctual/point shooting technique, you have to “master” using your sights…practicing with them OVER and OVER until it becomes second nature…everything begins with the PROPER use/training with your sights. learn sight alignment and use , THEN you can start to develop some point shooting skills…get your basic range skills down…..baby steps. jumping past the first steps doesn’t get you anything but bad habits….hope this helps.

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