When the gun clears, angle it toward the target.

The first action in the draw stroke is actually a combination of three actions that should happen simultaneously. One, your body should shift into a combat position by moving your weak-side leg forward and outward into a slightly open stance while leaning your upper body forward to distribute your weight for recoil absorption. Two, your support hand should be placed against your chest to keep it from straying out in front of the gun. This position also readies it to meet the gun as it rises. Three, the gun hand should have a proper grip on the pistol.

If the grip on your gun is not good it is important to re-grip before you draw. It never works to try to re-grip after the draw, and to start shooting with a bad grip means that you most likely won’t make your hits.

With all the other movements in place, it’s time to lift, meet and extend. Lift your gun straight up out of the holster. Once it has cleared, angle the gun upward at a right angle toward the target. Slide the gun upward along the side of your chest and meet your support hand at the center, or right of center, of your chest. (Left of center if you are left-handed.) Extend into your line of vision and toward the target.

Done right, you will notice something interesting: The gun is ready to be fired once it has left the holster and has been angled upward toward the target. Actually, once that is done, the gun can be fired anywhere along the rest of the path toward full extension. And if you want a good retention position, all you have to do is stop the gun once it has cleared the holster and has been angled toward the target.

Slide the pistol up and along your chest to meet your support hand.

These are the building blocks of the two-handed draw. Even though most people shoot better with two hands—myself included—it is important to practice one-handed draws because your support hand may not be available in a fight. It may be injured, might be controlling family members or other bystanders, may be carrying something, dealing with light switches and door knobs, or, very likely, may be engaging the threat directly by exerting forward pressure or striking the assailant. I often practice drawing at close distances while striking the target with my support hand to simulate such an event.

Traditionally, the one-handed draw has the strong-side leg forward—just the opposite of the two-handed draw. I’m not a big fan of having multiple techniques. Under stress, I don’t want to have to make a decision as to which technique to use, so I prefer to keep my body position the same as the two-handed draw and just use one hand. Clenching your support hand into a fist will induce a sympathetic response in your dominant hand, helping tighten its grip.

While working on these fundamentals, be mindful of other basics such as trigger control. In the case of a single-action trigger, the trigger should press against the middle of the pad of your trigger finger. I find that when using a double-action trigger, the longer, heavier trigger is best placed against the first joint. Some instructors prefer the trigger pressed against the middle of the pad regardless of the trigger type. Test both and use whichever works best for you.