Pistol Shooting From a Kneeling Position: Get Smaller, Get Steadier, Stay in the Fight

Master the art of pistol shooting from kneeling positions with Rick Hogg of War HOGG Tactical, focusing on using cover effectively and developing a comprehensive dry-fire plan.

The Flat Range Isn’t Real Life

If you only train standing, square to the target, feet planted like you’re posing for a catalog… you’re training for a world that doesn’t exist.

Real problems show up around vehicles, corners, barricades, doorways, uneven ground, and bad angles. Sometimes you can’t get taller to see. Sometimes you need to get smaller to survive. And sometimes the only way to get rounds on target without exposing your whole body is to drop to a kneeling position and work from there.

Kneeling pistol shooting is one of those skills that looks simple until you actually do it under pressure. Done right, kneeling reduces your exposure compared to standing and gives you a more stable platform, especially when you’re trying to make longer shots or shoot with more precision. Done wrong, it turns into a slow, awkward mess where you expose the wrong body parts, fight your balance, and waste time trying to “find comfort” instead of finding solutions.

At War HOGG Tactical, we take real-world experience and teach it with a building-block methodology. That means we don’t just show you a position, we show you how it fits into the fight, how to build it in dry fire, how to measure it on the range, and how to improve it with data.

And I’m going to say this up front because it needs to be said every time: when the situation allows, get to your feet. Standing gives you mobility, angles, options, and the ability to move. Kneeling is a tool, not a place to live.

Why Kneeling Pistol Shooting Position Works

A kneeling position does three things for you.

First, it lowers your profile. That means less of you is visible and less of you is available to get hit.

Second, it increases stability. For most shooters, kneeling reduces sway and “floating sights,” which helps clean up your trigger press and recoil management.

Third, it lets you work around cover more intelligently. In the real world, cover comes in weird shapes and weird heights. Being able to adjust your height—quickly—matters.

But there’s a tradeoff. Kneeling doesn’t give you the mobility of standing. If you get stuck in kneeling and the problem changes, you can be behind the power curve. So we train kneeling with the understanding that it’s often a temporary fighting solution—not the final answer.

Gear That Keeps You Honest

You don’t need fancy gear to build this skill, but you do need the right tools to measure it and repeat it.

Use your normal range and firearms equipment, a live-fire range, and a safe dry-fire area. Run a shot timer (I want you training to the beep and collecting real shooting performance data), and record your reps when possible because video will show you what your ego tries to hide. Track your work in The Firearms Training Notebook so your training has structure instead of vibes.

For cover props, keep it simple: a V-TAC barricade, a folding chair, a pickle barrel, or anything safe and stable that lets you work angles and height.

The Kneeling “Tripod” Foundation

For a right-handed shooter, one of the most stable kneeling foundations is what I call the tripod: left foot, right foot, and right knee creating three points of contact that support the position. That tripod is a big reason kneeling feels “steady” when standing feels like you’re floating.

Kneeling also gives you another advantage that doesn’t get talked about enough: it can help you change the bullet angle. If you don’t have a clear backstop or you’re worried about over-penetration, changing your elevation can help manage where rounds go after impact. That’s not a technical detail, that’s Rule 4 maturity: identify your target and what’s beyond it.

Three Pistol Shooting Kneeling Positions You Need

We’re going to cover three kneeling pistol positions that show up over and over in training and real-world application: hasty kneeling, kneeling supported, and double-knee kneeling.

This isn’t about memorizing stances. It’s about choosing the right tool for the moment.

Hasty Kneeling Pistol Shooting Position

Hasty kneeling is what you use when you need to reduce exposure and get into a smaller profile without getting complicated. It’s quick to assume and quick to exit, which is exactly what you want in a dynamic situation.

The mechanics matter.

You take a large step forward with the support leg and plant that foot flat. Then you place your strong-side knee on the ground. The support leg should be around a 90-degree angle, and your torso leans forward to help manage recoil.

Here’s the part that separates thinkers from button-pushers: don’t cant that support leg outside your cover just because it feels comfortable. Your leg is not a throwaway body part. If it’s outside cover, it’s exposed, and exposed things get shot. The situation dictates how tight you stay to cover, but you should be aware of what you’re giving the threat.

And one more key point: your pistol should be out of the holster before your knee hits the ground. If you wait until you’re settled to start the draw, you’re turning a fast position into a slow decision.

Hasty kneeling can also be used when your backstop isn’t clear by changing the angle of the shot. That’s not a trick, that’s accountability with where rounds go.

Kneeling Supported Pistol Shooting Position

Supported kneeling is what you use when you have more time, more distance, and you want a steadier platform than standing. The concept is simple: once you’re kneeling, one knee or two, you use available cover to stabilize the pistol and lock in precision.

This is where a lot of people get better immediately… and also where they can get lazy.

Supported kneeling is valuable because it can remove some shooter input and help you see what the gun and ammo can actually do when you’re not wobbling. It’s also useful for zeroing a red dot pistol, especially if you’re still building the fundamentals needed to hold a tight group from standing. Supported kneeling helps clean up the human error enough to get a better zero.

Use cover intelligently. You can rest the pistol on the cover, or you can place the frame of the pistol on the cover depending on the surface and what gives you the steadiest result.

This is one of those moments where “flat range” and “real world” overlap: if you’re going to use cover, train how to use it without doing dumb things like exposing more than you have to or planting your body in a position you can’t exit quickly.

Double-Knee Kneeling Shooting Position

The double-knee position is versatile, and it’s one of the best tools for adjusting your profile when you’re working urban cover. By adjusting knee placement you can raise or lower your profile, lean around cover, and engage targets at different elevations.

You assume it similarly to hasty kneeling, except the support knee also goes to the ground. From there, the position becomes a sliding scale.

If you only have a small piece of cover, you may lean back to stay smaller. If you need the lowest profile possible, you can spread both knees out and drop your center of gravity. The wider your knees, the more stable your base, within what your body and your environment allow. Physical ability matters here. Your flexibility, your knees, and your gear all influence how well you can work this position.

Now here’s a detail that saves backs and keeps you moving: when you get out of the double-knee position, don’t roll back on your heel to stand. That can create stress on the lower back. Instead, work into a one-knee position first, then stand and regain mobility.

Remember: kneeling is a tool. Mobility is life.

The War HOGG Tactical Skill Builder Mindset: Treat It Like the Real World

Kneeling is often taken after initial engagement from standing. That means your training should reflect reality: you’re standing, you engage, you move to kneeling, you solve the problem, and you get back to your feet when you can.

If you only practice kneeling as a static “start position,” you’re skipping the transition that makes it real. And in a fight, transitions are where people fall apart.

Also, don’t train kneeling like you’re alone in the world. Treat the flat range like the real world: think about angles, cover, and where your rounds go. The kneeling position can help you manage exposure, but it can also lock you in place. So you need to build the awareness of when to use it, and when to get up and move.

Dry Fire: Build It First, Then Validate It Live

If you want your kneeling work to improve quickly, you build the mechanics in dry fire first. Dry fire is where you refine your step, your knee placement, your draw timing, and your stability without wasting ammo and without rushing the learning process.

In dry fire, focus on three things:

You move into position with intention. You don’t collapse into it like you fell off a ladder.

You keep your upper body aggressive, leaning forward where appropriate, so recoil management stays honest.

You practice getting out of the position smoothly, because the ability to leave a position matters just as much as the ability to enter it.

Then you validate it live.

Live Fire: Add Structure, Not Chaos

When you take this to the range, don’t just “try kneeling a few times.” Put structure to it.

Work each kneeling position and record what you see: stability, sight movement, recoil control, and how your hits change compared to standing. Use cover props and practice adapting your height to the cover, not forcing your body into the same shape every time.

If you’re running a red dot pistol, supported kneeling is a great place to confirm your zero and tighten up your group without the wobble of standing.

And if you’re working around a vehicle or barricade, use kneeling to manage exposure. Remember: don’t cant your body parts outside cover “for comfort.” Comfort is not the mission.

Track the Work: Data Beats Guessing

If you want improvement, you have to measure something.

Record your progress in The Firearms Training Notebook. Use your shot timer and video analysis. Those tools help translate dry-fire gains into live-fire performance because they show you exactly where you’re losing time and where your mechanics break down.

This is how you stop living off “I think I’m better” and start proving that you are.

Accountability Wins

Accountability matters in shooting performance. You can do it alone, but a partner, group, or tribe will keep you honest and keep you training when motivation fades.

If you don’t have that network, we built one. Share your marksmanship growth with us through the On The Range Patreon “CREW” members page. Mark Kelley (my co-host and co-author) and I host bi-monthly interactive Zoom calls with our CREW members where we break down the skill builder work, and we’ve even reviewed training videos live and given immediate feedback.

That’s how you accelerate growth: structure, standards, and honest feedback.

Conclusion: Put In the Work

The kneeling position is something you’re going to have to practice. Everyone’s body is a little different in how well they can work these positions, and the environment will always influence the solution.

Build the foundation in dry fire. Validate it in live fire. Use cover intelligently. Track your work. And remember: when the situation allows, get back to your feet and regain mobility, because mobility gives you options, and options keep you alive.

Train Hard, Stay Safe, and I’ll see you “On The Range” - Rick

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