Rob Leatham: Five Tips to Torso and Leg Positioning

Developing the right shooting stance is vital if you’re going to have success in shooting sports, and there’s no better candidate to show you what that entails than renowned pro shooter Rob Leatham. In a blog post for Springfield Armory, Leatham follows up last week’s discussion on the upper triangle of a shooting stance with an exploration of torso and leg positioning.

“I typically stand with my offhand side leg forward of my stronghand side leg, about hip distance apart,” Leatham writes, when discussing how to achieve a forward-balanced, recoil-controlling posture. “The distance forward will vary based on the shooter. Experiment with what you like and what allows you to remain in balance.”

Attempting to shoot with a perfect natural point of aim is unrealistic in action shooting, Leatham explains. There are too many variables, including movement and awkward positions, to expect to end up with a perfect leg / foot position.

In terms of hip positioning, “Hips should be forward of the rear foot,” Leatham writes. “If you draw a line between the centers of your feet on the ground, rarely should your hips be behind that line. Your rear end should never stick rearward of your back foot (unless shooting from a low position).”

Leatham next covers torso and shoulder positioning. With regard to the former, “Your back should be straight at minimum, or arched / leaning forward preferably,” he says. “Never arch your back, with shoulders rearward. Never let the gun push you to a backward-leaning position. If it does, you are not standing in an aggressive enough forward-balanced position.” The shoulders, meanwhile, should be in line with or forward of the hips, never behind the hips.

Finally, it’s important that you lean forward against the force of the gun recoiling. “If you are heavy and relatively tall like I am, the angle with which you will lean into the gun will be less than for someone lighter and shorter,” Leatham advises.