You’ve seen it in every Western ever made. John Wayne or Clint Eastwood just flicks their wrist, and somehow, the bad guy drops. It looks cool. It looks effortless. But honestly, if you try that at a range without knowing what you’re doing, you’re mostly just going to turn money into noise and probably piss off the RSO. Shooting from the hip—or "point shooting" as the pros usually call it—is one of those skills that people either think is a magic trick or a total myth.
It isn't a myth. But it also isn't magic.
Most people think shooting from the hip is about being fast, but it’s actually about proprioception. That’s just a fancy word for knowing where your body is in space. Think about it. You can point your finger at a light switch in a dark room and get pretty close without seeing it. Your brain just knows where your hand is. Point shooting is basically just an extension of that biological GPS, but with a firearm.
The Reality Check on Shooting From the Hip
Let’s get one thing straight: nobody should be doing this at long range. If someone tells you they can consistently hit a bullseye at twenty-five yards from the hip, they’re lying to you or they’re an outlier like Bob Munden. Munden was a legend, often called the "Fastest Man with a Gun Who Ever Lived." He could draw and fire in less than two-tenths of a second. But for us mere mortals? This is a close-quarters skill.
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We’re talking ten feet. Maybe fifteen if you’re really dialed in.
Why even bother learning it? In a real-world self-defense scenario, you might not have the luxury of bringing the gun up to eye level, finding your front sight, and squeezing. You might be shoved against a wall. You might be holding someone back with your off-hand. In those messy, terrifying split seconds, the ability to shoot from the hip—specifically from a "retention" position—becomes a literal lifesaver.
It’s Not Just About Style
There’s a massive difference between "Hollywood hip shooting" and "tactical retention shooting." In movies, the gun is usually out away from the body, dangling near the holster. In reality, that’s a great way to get your gun taken away. Real-world shooting from the hip involves keeping the gun tight against your ribs. Your elbow is tucked back. The muzzle is pointed forward, but the weapon is indexed against your body. This gives you a point of reference.
If the gun is touching your side, your body knows exactly where it’s pointed.
I remember watching a demonstration by Fairbairn and Sykes—these guys were the pioneers of close-quarters combat for the British Commandos in WWII. They didn't care about "proper" stance or sight alignment when someone was two feet away. They taught "Applegate point shooting." It was all about aggressive forward movement and using the body’s natural pointing instinct. It worked because it was simple. Simple is good when your heart rate is 160 beats per minute.
Common Mistakes That’ll Get You in Trouble
Most people fail because they try to "aim" with their eyes while the gun is at their waist. You can’t do that. Your brain gets confused. If you’re looking at the target and trying to see the gun in your peripheral vision, you’ll almost always shoot low.
Another big one? "Wrist flicking." People think they need to snap their wrist to get the gun on target. Nope. You keep that wrist locked. The movement comes from your shoulder and your hips. You treat your entire arm like a fixed boom on a crane.
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- Looking at the gun: Stop it. Focus on the target. Your hand follows your eyes.
- Limp-wristing: This causes jams. Hold that thing like you mean it.
- Being too far away: If you're trying this at 15 yards, you're just wasting ammo.
- Static feet: In a real situation, you’re moving. Practice with a slight bend in the knees.
The Physics of the "Point"
If we look at the mechanics, shooting from the hip is about creating a consistent "index." Think of your body as a tripod. When you draw and tuck the gun into your side, that contact point—the grip of the gun against your iliac crest or just above it—is your anchor.
Rex Applegate, in his book Kill or Get Killed, emphasized that the human body is naturally symmetrical. If you face your target squarely, your "center" is naturally aligned with the threat. By keeping the gun on that center line, you’re using your whole torso to aim. It’s less about your hand and more about your belly button.
Seriously. Point your belly button at the target, and your shots will follow.
The Role of Muscle Memory
You can't just decide to be good at this. It requires thousands of repetitions. But here’s a tip: start with a SIRT pistol or a dry-fire laser trainer. You don't need to burn through expensive 9mm rounds to learn the index. Stand in front of a mirror (with an unloaded, cleared weapon, obviously) and practice drawing to that tucked retention position. Do it until you can do it with your eyes closed.
Then, open your eyes. Is the muzzle level? Is it pointed at the "threat" in the mirror? If it's pointing at the floor, you need to adjust your elbow height.
When Shooting From the Hip is Actually Necessary
Let’s talk context. This isn't for the range. It’s for survival. If you are in a crowded area and an immediate threat emerges, bringing a gun up to your eye level creates a "lever." That lever is easy for an attacker to grab or deflect. By shooting from the hip—specifically the retention position—you keep the gun in your "workspace."
It’s much harder for someone to take a gun that is pinned against your ribs than one that is extended two feet in front of your face.
Ed Calderon, a non-permissive environment specialist, often talks about the "shivworks" style of fighting. It’s ugly. It’s close. It’s violent. In those spaces, the traditional marksmanship you learned in a basic CCW class often goes out the window. You need a way to put rounds on target while using your other hand to shield your head or push off an attacker. That is the true home of shooting from the hip.
Legal and Ethical Hurdles
Here’s the part people hate hearing. If you shoot someone from the hip, a prosecutor might try to argue you were "reckless" or "firing wildly." They’ll say you didn't even look at your sights. This is why it’s vital to understand the "why" behind the technique.
You aren't firing wildly. You are using a specialized close-quarters technique necessitated by the proximity of the threat. Being able to explain that—to articulate that you used a retention shooting stance because the attacker was within arm's reach—is just as important as the shooting itself.
Training Progressions That Work
Don't just go out and start blasting. That’s how accidents happen.
- Dry Fire Indexing: Practice the draw to the side of the ribs. Use a mirror. Ensure the muzzle is horizontal.
- The Laser Phase: Use a laser trainer. Draw and fire from the hip. See where the dot lands. You’ll be surprised how often you’re hitting "dirt" or "sky" at first.
- Live Fire - Close Range: Start at 3 feet. Yes, 3 feet. Feel the muzzle blast. Feel the recoil while the gun is tucked. Wear a heavy shirt to protect your skin from any hot brass that might bounce back.
- The Step Back: Move to 7 feet. This is the "sweet spot" for point shooting.
- Movement: Try drawing and shooting while stepping backward or to the side. This is where it gets real.
Is It Still Relevant?
In a world of red dot sights and high-tech optics, some people think shooting from the hip is a dead art. It isn't. Electronics fail. Lighting is bad. Rooms are tight. Sometimes, you just don't have the time to find a dot.
The human body hasn't changed in 100,000 years. Our ability to point at things instinctively is hardwired into our brains. Leveraging that instinct with a firearm isn't "cowboy stuff"—it's high-level bio-mechanics.
If you look at modern instructors like Craig Douglas (Southnarc), they are still teaching versions of this. They call it "position two" in the draw stroke. It’s a transition point, but it’s also a firing point. If you can’t get to position four (full extension), you better be damn sure you can hit from position two.
Taking the Next Steps
If you want to get serious about this, stop watching movie clips and start looking for "Extreme Close Quarters Battle" (ECQB) courses. Look for instructors who have a background in both grappling and shooting.
- Invest in a solid holster: You need something that won't shift when you're moving aggressively. Kydex is usually best for this.
- Work on your grip strength: Shooting from the hip puts more strain on your wrist because you don't have the support of your second hand.
- Study the masters: Read up on Jim Cirillo and the NYPD Stakeout Squad. These guys were in more shootouts than almost anyone in modern history, and they had a lot to say about point shooting versus sight alignment.
Start by practicing your "index" at home tonight. Stand in your normal hallway, pick a spot on the wall, and see how naturally your hand points to it. That’s your foundation. Build on it carefully, and you’ll have a tool in your kit that most people at the range don't even realize they're missing.
Consistency is everything. Don't aim for speed first. Aim for the "feel" of the gun being level against your body. The speed comes later, almost as an afterthought. Get the mechanics right, and the results will take care of themselves. This is about being a complete shooter, prepared for the 1% of situations where the "correct" way to shoot just isn't an option.
Final thought: Keep your thumb flagged if you're using a semi-auto near your body. You don't want the slide to catch your shirt or your skin. That’s a mistake you only make once. Respect the tool, respect the technique, and keep your training grounded in reality. This isn't about being a gunslinger; it's about being prepared for the messiest moments of life.