When Shooting Stance Matters—And When It Really Matters

The Myth That Stance Doesn’t Matter

Every shooter has heard it: “Stance doesn’t matter, bro.” It’s usually said right before someone demonstrates the infamous flamingo pose—one leg up, body twisted, all balance sacrificed—and still manages to hit the target.

Yes, you can fire a gun accurately from a ridiculous position. You can even do it fast. But the moment movement enters the equation, the truth becomes obvious. Stability is necessary. It’s base of the foundation.

You can get away with a bad stance when the only goal is standing still and pulling a trigger. That’s not a fight. That’s practice without pressure.

Balance, Stability, and Mobility

A real shooting platform isn’t just about connecting your body to the gun—it’s about connecting your body to the ground. From that connection flow three essentials:

• Balance
• Stability
• Mobility

You can have one without the others, but you won’t win a fight that way. A narrow stance might let you balance for a moment, but it collapses as soon as you move, pivot, or engage multiple targets.

Introduce transitions, sudden directional changes, or unexpected threats, and the weaknesses show quickly.  Shooting becomes harder. Movement becomes clumsy. Everything slows down.

A wider, more athletic stance gives you the stability to drive the gun, the mobility to change direction instantly, and the balance to stay upright under recoil or pressure.

Fighter Mindset and Forward Drive

A good stance is about more than mechanics, it reflects your mindset. Upright, narrow, relaxed posture belongs to a range day, not a gunfight.

A fighter’s stance is lower, forward driven, and aggressive. It positions your body to absorb recoil, push into the threat, and move with intent. It signals readiness. It prepares you to turn, sprint, or engage without hesitation.

The stance you take with a gun should look like the stance you’d take in a fight—because that’s exactly what it is.

The Curse of the Horse Stance

Few things frustrate instructors more than the “horse stance.” Legs spread wide like you’re riding an invisible animal, weight flat, posture rigid.

It kills mobility.

It kills speed.

It kills your ability to pivot or push off in any direction.

In a real fight, you need one foot slightly forward, not because it looks tactical, but because it lets you move. Whether left or right depends on the moment, the cover, and the angle. But it must be offset. Never flat. Never squared. Never stuck.

If you’re in a horse stance, someone should correct you, ideally before the threat does.

The Athletic Offset

Real-world shooting requires the same stance you’d use for sprinting, changing direction, or bracing for impact. That means:

• Feet offset
• Knees flexed
• Weight slightly forward
• Body ready to explode in any direction

This is the stance that supports recoil control, rapid movement, and clean transitions. It allows you to fight with your gun instead of simply shooting it.

When training gets dynamic, stance becomes the difference between being effective and being a statue waiting to be knocked over.

Remember, Train Hard. Train Smart. And build a stance that lets you fight, not just shoot.