No matter how hard and tight you hold the gun it will still recoil. Understanding the recoil cycle will help you to focus on each shot placement. There are two factors (among others) to deal with in recoil. The first is rearward push and the second is muzzle rise.
Controlling Rearward Push
Body position, weight distribution and gun mount all factor into controlling rearward motion. Try to keep an aggressive stance. Use an athletic stance, head in front of shoulders which are in front of hips which are in front of knees etc… Weight distribution should be even over both feet and with about 75% of your weight on your toes. What about weird shooting positions you ask? Try to bend your knees for better balance and control. Bend a little and roll with the punches. Gun mount (or upper body form) should be a natural and especially a neutral stance. Pushing or pulling with the hands or upper body will do nothing but drive the gun in the same direction, (there goes sight alignment). Grip tension was covered in the last tip. Using all of the above information should give you a comfortable stance and mind set to achieve any of your most difficult shots.
Can you control muzzle rise physically? Very little. Understanding it’s cycle will help you use muzzle rise to your advantage. The recoil cycle: After all of the preliminary controls have been exercised (sight alignment, trigger squeeze) the gun goes off, the muzzle will rise, (straight up? were you pushing or pulling with your hands or upper body?), The muzzle will pause at the top of the arc, (are you watching the follow through? If this was your second required shot on paper and it was acceptable then at this point you will start to drive the gun toward the next target.), then the muzzle will return back down on target, (are the sights aligned for an acceptable second shot?). Knowing the recoil cycle will help you to focus on each shot placement, not just the first one. Pointing the gun and pulling the trigger 2 times is wrong, (unless the target is at very close ranges, and even then you should watch the recoil cycle to assure your hits.)