Common used phrases: pulling or squeezing the trigger

As many people in the world I've seen my share of movies, bingewatched a lot of shows and played too many games, but sometimes a certain phrase comes by so often that is gets me thinking; is it really true?

In this case it's a sentence that's mostly used when a rookie gets a pistol pushed into their hands and the well seasoned veteran tells them to "not pull, but squeeze the tigger" (also followed by the standard recommendation to "breath slowly")

Now, I have never used a gun before and hopefully never will, but maybe some of you duders have experience in this matter and can confirm if this is really true. Just out of curiosity of course, so I can take this advise seriously or if I can roll my eyes every time this phrase comes up in future enjoyed entertainment.

Also, to maybe make this topic more interesting, do you have any often used phrases in any form of entertainment and wondering if it is really true? Let's clear up some stuff.

I ain't here to please

Just playing tease

I squeeze my mac

Then come the facts

Pulling or yanking the trigger is a large enough action to throw off your aim, it's better to find the "break" in the trigger and squeeze slowly through it focusing on aiming, breathing slowly also reduces movement, your aim is much more likely to be still when your upper torso isn't rapidly inflating.

Telling someone to "squeeze, not pull" the trigger of a gun is advice for trigger control. Trigger control is an important skill in shooting. "Pulling" the trigger refers to jerking it too quickly (usually due to unregulated anticipation), which can throw the shooter's aim significantly off target. I've never heard professional firearms instructors use that simplified phrase; instead they say something like "apply smooth and continuous pressure to the trigger until the sudden break." But it's easier to remember and say "squeeze, don't pull," so that phrasing has been circulating long enough to become a cliche, which popular media trades in.

It's accurate enough, it's just trigger discipline. It's going to take more training than a simple phrase can impart.

But the basic idea is sound. You shouldn't 'pull' a trigger because it implies a sudden movement which will impact the shot.

Now that I think about it, you're never actually 'pulling' a trigger are you, because pulling implies moving something away from its starting point. You're either squeezing or pushing it towards the controller (or IRL gun) case.