If the best way to win a gunfight is to not be in one, then the second best option is to get the first good hit. Notice that I didn’t say to be the first one to get a shot off. You need hits—several of them, actually—and they need to be properly placed. And getting good hits starts with a good draw.

Seemingly innocuous on the surface, the drawing of a firearm from a holster is one of the most potentially dangerous elements of gun handling. Speed and safety can be, and often are, diametrically opposed to each other. Staying safe and shooting accurately is not difficult; it just takes knowing the right technique and practice—lots of practice.

The traditional draw stroke has the gun traveling from the holster to the shooting position in a straight, diagonal, upward stoke. The problem with that technique is twofold: First, the gun will not be in a good firing position until the arm is nearly fully extended, so even a close threat can not be engaged with very much effectiveness; and, second, in tight confines, such as behind a steering wheel or table, the gun is likely to hit the object and foil the draw.

While that traditional draw has been with us for several decades, a new method, the right-angle draw stroke, has been gaining popularity for the last 10 years or so. The right-angle draw, sometimes referred to as the close-quarters draw, has the gun angled toward the target as soon as the gun clears the holster. The gun is drawn up the side of the chest along the ribcage, where it meets the support hand, then extends toward the target as far as needed, but can be fired effectively just out of the holster.

The right-angle draw is my preference because it has the gun on target much faster than the traditional method and the gun will clear close objects, since it’s tucked tight to the chest before the extension.

A proper grip is essential to putting rounds on target. The gun should be placed in the web of the hand in line with your arm’s skeletal structure. Your hand should be high on the gun’s grip; the closer your hand is to the slide axis, the more control you have over recoil. Your fingers should grasp the gun tightly, with your middle finger pressed tightly upward under the trigger guard. Your thumb should be along the side of the gun pointed at the target.

To start the draw, life the gun straight out of the holster.

If your fingertips are not turning white, you are not gripping tightly enough. Target shooters, not concerned with recoil, prefer a loose grip because it offers better trigger control. Defensive shooters are more concerned with recoil control for fast follow-up shots than with extreme accuracy, so the tight grip works best.

With a two-handed grip, your support hand should wrap around your gun hand. The index finger should be pressed tightly upward under the trigger guard and your thumb should be underneath your strong hand thumb and pointing at the target.

Don’t just stabilize the gun with your support hand; use it to strengthen your grip which will help to control recoil. Your support hand should actually tighten your dominant hand’s grip by squeezing it.