Holding on Tight: Relationship Between Grip Strength and Marksmanship Stability

Abstract

Evaluating marksmanship performance is crucial for Warfighters and competitive shooters alike. Traditionally, only accuracy or hit/miss has been used as the quantitative metric to report performance. In this study, grip strength from U.S. Army Soldiers is compared to marksmanship stability metrics recorded after a field training mission. The data analysis revealed that there is a relationship between grip strength and stability, especially in the less stable standing position. The horizontal and vertical stability measures, as well as trigger control offer new insights into weapon control during target acquisition and trigger pull. These metrics, combined with accuracy and precision, offer a more robust evaluation of a shooter’s performance. Correlating these metrics to grip strength shows a relationship between a shooter’s strength and performance, and can lead to targeted training for better performance. Future studies should continue to use stability metrics when defining performance, as well as investigate additional strength metrics.