Travis Haley on Handgun Grip - YouTube

On a related note, I bought the 4-DVD set that contains this clip and so far the first 3 DVDs have been extremely informative. I only wish I could attend one of the classes live!

Haley explains the proper formation of a strong grip, but he does not do it well.
He relies too much on up-close visual cues, which is pretty useless to someone merely watching a video.
The best thing you can do is to remember what Haley said, and then have a proven, decently-skilled shooter help you to achieve it.

The very most important issue is to grip the pistol so that its barrel automatically lines up with your forearm bones as you close your hand.
The second most important issue is to grip the gun as tightly as you can, and that you do not relax your grip while you are shooting. This is harder to do than it sounds.
The rest of the technique is variable, according to your, and your teacher's, tastes. However, you must do the job exactly the same way, every time.

Originally Posted by Steve M1911A1

The very most important issue is to grip the pistol so that its barrel automatically lines up with your forearm bones as you close your hand.

Do you mean that you make almost a "V" with the forearms and the barrel forms a line directly between the V? or do you line it up with your dominant hand's forearm in a straight line?
Thanks to you both for the help!!!

So, am I to understand that being able to drop the mag with the dominant hand's thumb (without moving the placement of that hand at all) is NOT a requirement to determine if a gun fits in the hand correctly?!?

Thank you for all the help!

i was born with a gun in my hand, so correctly or not, my grip works for me...

Most likely Packard means to grip the gun so that your forearm/s and the barrel are at the same horizontal angle (assuming your not shooting the clouds of course) which in turns helps your body and your mind shoot better in a more instinctive manner. if your grip holds the pistol to a different angle it's not going to "make sense" to the mind, so to speak. it's not intuitive.

Originally Posted by BearArms2

Do you mean that you make almost a "V" with the forearms and the barrel forms a line directly between the V? or do you line it up with your dominant hand's forearm in a straight line?
Thanks to you both for the help!!!

Open your hand into a "V," and use your other hand to place the pistol into your open hand, such that the barrel of the pistol makes a direct, straight-ahead line as an extension of your radius bone. Keeping that position, close your hand around the pistol's grip.
If your finger cannot then reach the pistol's trigger, you own the wrong gun. (However, some guns allow trigger swaps, for instance the 1911.)

Originally Posted by BearArms2

So, am I to understand that being able to drop the mag with the dominant hand's thumb (without moving the placement of that hand at all) is NOT a requirement to determine if a gun fits in the hand correctly?!?
Thank you for all the help!

Almost always one must shift the pistol's position in the dominant hand, in order to reach the gun's magazine release. After the magazine change has been achieved successfully, the pistol is rotated back into firing position.
One uses the off-side hand, to help in these movements. The off-side hand presses upon the side of the barrel or slide, rotating the gun in the dominant hand's slightly-loosened grip and pressing the magazine release against the dominant hand's thumb.
To return, the off-side hand pushes the other way against the side of barrel or slide, rotating the pistol back into the proper grip.

You need an experienced shooter to show you how this is done properly.

I have to use my left hand to replace the loaded magazine and release the slide lock. My right thumb will not reach the mag release .

Originally Posted by kerrycork

I have to use my left hand to replace the loaded magazine and release the slide lock. My right thumb will not reach the mag release .

Go back and more carefully read what I wrote in post #8 of this thread. The magazine-release technique is in the bottom paragraph.
Yes, of course you need to slam the new magazine in with your offside hand. Your strong-side hand is otherwise engaged. But immediately after the magazine has been replaced, your offside hand returns to the pistol to do its repositioning job.
It doesn't matter which hand reaches the slide release. I use my offside thumb too, if I've shot to slide-lock.