I’ve been involved in a lot of discussions recently about gender differences and how men can teach women more effectively. It occurs to me that there are also issues for women to consider teaching men.
Men have a different center of gravity than we do, so we need to consider that when adjusting their stance. They also tend to have more upper body strength, so may not understand the need to drive out as far as possible. Body builder, or men with bulky upper bodies may not be able to achieve full extension. Bigger hands can cause issues with grip. One common one is if the gun doesn’t go into slide lock consistently when empty, check the thumbs. It is possible that he is touching the slide lock, blocking the slide from locking back when the gun goes dry.
Upper body strength doesn’t mean the wrists are locked out. Misfeeds? Make sure the wrists are strong.
I’ve had several male students who were excited to the point of being a little dangerous. They had Bruce Willis fantasies and wanted to empty a magazine as fast as possible. That’s fine, but not for a beginner. You, as the instructor need to calm him down. You can load one round at a time until you trust a little more and are ready to let him have more. I’ve actually pulled a student out of the booth and had him do some “Karate Kid” deep breathing and focus (If I had to guess I would say 5 Red Bulls in the parking lot, he was really hyper).
A lot of men come to class and hesitate to ask questions because they think they are supposed to know. Watch closely for the blank looks and don’t wait for the question.
Above all, be safe and have FUN!
Safe Shooting!
Very good advice indeed. Learning to "slow down" was key for myself when I started.
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