what exercise/training can I do for stable trigger start?

I'm following Ed Hall's advice about first step of bringing up gun with eyes closed to finalize grip and stance.   Both are now set and repeatable for me.   

Ed's third suggestion is to start moving the trigger and then release it (not dry firing) without the dot/sight picture moving.   I am getting around 50% OK and 50% have movement.   I found a small bit of improvement by not gripping hard with my little finger (just hard with the other two).    Now the dot mostly moves right slightly as I apply pressure and left as I release (I am a righty) even though I am concentrating on pulling the trigger straight to the rear.

Other than repeating the exercise until my success rate improves, are there exercises to improve the stability of the pistol when I initiate the trigger?

In my opinion no. Gripping and squeezing trigger are a learned skill. Minutely changing your grip can help get rid of the dot movement. Also try varying finger position on the trigger.
Jon

Jon Eulette wrote:In my opinion no. Gripping and squeezing trigger are a learned skill. Minutely changing your grip can help get rid of the dot movement. Also try varying finger position on the trigger.
Jon

Agreed

The rule of thumb I was taught is if the pistol jumps right when the trigger breaks, move the trigger finger right (less trigger finger for right handed shooter) and vice-versa for left (more trigger finger). Give it a try, it doesn't work for me. For me what I call "trigger jump" is caused by a combination of grip, trigger finger placement, how I pull the trigger and my mental process. Grip and finger placement are pretty straight forward. Experiment until you find something that works. There are several ways in which they can cause a jump.

Mashing the trigger (snatching, jerking etc) can cause the gun to move because of the sudden movement and/or when the trigger hits the overtravel stop.

It is common, particularly in newer and less skilled shooters to move the other fingers or change grip pressure when the trigger finger moves. One experiment is to just hold you hand in front of you with your fingers in approximately their grip position. Now move the trigger finger in and out as if it is pulling the trigger. Do the other fingers move? How fast can you move your trigger finger before you see movement in the other fingers? Do this exercise regularly to develop independent movement of the trigger finger.

If the above two conditions are not occurring and the gun jumps to the right then the grip is applying pressure to the right and the trigger pull is applying pressure to the left. When the trigger releases it no longer applies pressure and the gun jumps. Adjust the pressure and placement of the thumb and finger tips and adjust the finger placement on the trigger until it goes away.

As an alternative, try gripping equally with all fingers and thumb, except the trigger finger of course.  No more pressure or less with any.  And train to get the grip pressure while on the bench, maintain it through the shot and back on the bench again before relaxing or making any grip pressure changes.  

Secondly, try holding a magazine in your off hand, with the same grip pressure you have on the gun; throughout the shot.  

In general, the better the grip, the less the trigger finger can influence the gun.  But remember, Zins is right, you will be adding pressure with the trigger finger when operating the trigger.  Check out how he describes using the trigger finger as part of the shot process.

Anyway, the point is to try different things and see what approach works best for you at this point.  

CR