Why Your Hands Shake When Shooting And How to Fix It

You’ve got your pistol out, sights up, trigger finger ready, but your iron sights or red dot are dancing around like they’ve had one too many espressos.
What gives?

The truth is, there are several reasons you might be experiencing the “shakes” while aiming, and we can fix some of them with the right adjustments.

Let’s break it down.

Five Causes of Shaky Sights

While there are many possible factors, I’m going to narrow it down to five main culprits—though two of them are the most common.

1. Age

If you’re on the far side of the calendar, some shake is a natural part of aging. There’s no magic fix here (unless someone finds the Holy Grail), so don’t beat yourself up.

2. Over-Caffeination (or Stimulants)

Coffee is great. Five cups before the range? Not so great. Caffeine—or anything stronger—can create tremors that show up in your sights.

3. Medical Conditions

Certain health issues, like Parkinson’s, can cause involuntary shakes. These require medical attention, and I’m not a doctor…so, yeah.

4. Muscle Fatigue (The Big One)

Over-gripping your firearm can wear your muscles out fast, introducing a visible shake. Think firm handshake, not a death grip.
 Your support hand can apply slightly more pressure, but most of your stability should come from proper leverage and torque, not brute strength. Under-gripping can cause problems too, leading to sloppy, general movement of the sights.

5. Shot Anticipation (The Other Big One)

This is the mother of all misses. You’re so focused on the upcoming bang that your body tenses, your heart rate spikes, and your sights wobble. It’s not just about the recoil; sometimes stress from being watched or pushing for a perfect score can cause the shakes too.

How to Fix the Shakes

Knowing the cause is half the battle. The rest is about technique and mindset.

1. Breathe Right

Before the shot, exhale slowly. This sends a physiological signal to calm down. I take a quick “combat breath”—a pause in the chaos where you slow your heart rate, release tension, and get steady—before I squeeze the trigger.

2. Adjust Your Grip

Run a quick mental grip check. Are you squeezing too hard? Too soft? Find that “firm handshake” balance and stay there. If you need help with proper grip, come take our Pistol 1 course and check out some of my videos on proper pistol grip.

3. Distract Your Brain

If you focus on “now!” or “this is it!” you’ll tense up. Instead, concentrate on the process:

• Exhale
• Prep the trigger
• Smoothly press through (Eaassyyy…)

Your goal is not to make the gun go off, it’s to move the trigger correctly while keeping the sights on target. Done right, the shot will surprise you.

Final Thoughts

Whether it’s muscle fatigue, anticipation, or just too much coffee, shaky sights are usually a fixable problem. Breathe, adjust, focus on process, and you’ll notice your groups tighten up and your confidence grow.

Remember Train hard. Train smart. And keep that sight picture steady.