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Dominant eye

Comm

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2011
Messages
138
Location
Nicholasville, KY
Hi all,
I have been shooting for many years. Handguns, Rifle with and without scopes, shotguns and bows. I am right handed and habe always shot this way. Recently I have noticed my aim is low right, and for the life of could not figure out why. Then at a class to teach kids how to shoot bows, we learned to use the eye dominate test to see if any kids where right or left. A fellow instructor asked me to do the test on ourselves and guess what! I was left eye dominate!

The class wanted me to try to shoot a left handed bow and to use my dominate eye. I could see an improvement in my aim, but it was too awkward for me to use my left hand. They suggested that I try a right handed bow but to keep both eyes open and try that, which now it seems like my shots are high left.

Was wondering if anyone else has this problem and what fixes or suggestions you may have for me to try. I am very comfortable shooting right handed and shooting left handed is too awkward:banghead:

Thanks, Comm.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Rusty Young Man

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2013
Messages
1,548
Location
Árida Zona
SNIP...
A fellow instructor asked me to do the test on ourselves and guess what! I was left eye dominate!

The class wanted me to try to shoot a left handed bow and to use my dominate eye. I could see an improvement in my aim, but it was too awkward for me to use my left hand. They suggested that I try a right handed bow but to keep both eyes open and try that, which now it seems like my shots are high left.

Was wondering if anyone else has this problem and what fixes or suggestions you may have for me to try. I am very comfortable shooting right handed and shooting left handed is too awkward:banghead:

Thanks, Comm.

My mother is also "cross-wired" as a left eye-dominant righty; she uses a modified Weaver stance that is borderline "isosceles" so that she can have her left eye look straight down the sights while using her right-handed grip. Not the best fix, but shooting left-handed is pretty uncomfortable for her to do, so she only does it for drills.
 

solus

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2013
Messages
9,315
Location
here nc
so you are going to give up any thought of improvement in the shooting sports after a couple of attempts to shoot left handed simply cuz it is more comfortable to shoot the wrong way instead of expending the effort learning how to accomplish the tasking properly.

ya i understand that mentality remain mediocre doing it wrong vice engaging in some practice to improve ...now why did you post again?

ipse
 

wrightme

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2008
Messages
5,574
Location
Fallon, Nevada, USA
Hi all,
I have been shooting for many years. Handguns, Rifle with and without scopes, shotguns and bows. I am right handed and habe always shot this way. Recently I have noticed my aim is low right, and for the life of could not figure out why. Then at a class to teach kids how to shoot bows, we learned to use the eye dominate test to see if any kids where right or left. A fellow instructor asked me to do the test on ourselves and guess what! I was left eye dominate!

The class wanted me to try to shoot a left handed bow and to use my dominate eye. I could see an improvement in my aim, but it was too awkward for me to use my left hand. They suggested that I try a right handed bow but to keep both eyes open and try that, which now it seems like my shots are high left.

Was wondering if anyone else has this problem and what fixes or suggestions you may have for me to try. I am very comfortable shooting right handed and shooting left handed is too awkward:banghead:

Thanks, Comm.

Eye patch on left eye.

Or, swap hands.
 

WalkingWolf

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
11,930
Location
North Carolina
You can retrain your eyes, I notice if I try I can shift eyes for aiming. You can use a aperture on your right eye and shoot both eyes open. What you will see once you get used to it is much like the focus ring on a slr camera. Just line up the sights in that focus ring, since you only have aperture on your right eye, problem solved. It also helps with older eyes. I find I can shoot faster with both eyes open using the aperture, though for combat shooting I only use the front sight.
 

skidmark

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Messages
10,444
Location
Valhalla
I am opposed to all "aids" and gizmos for addressing cross-dominant issues mostly because when the <fill in favorite phrase> you will most likely not have the "aid"/gizmo and even if you did you most likely would not have the time to mount it.

Shifting your stance can be done. It takes practice and often the help of someone to both teach you the what/how to and to observe you and provide correction when/as needed. I strongly encourage you to invest the time and effort doing that.

For folks who are more concerned with self-defense scenario shooting, as opposed to scoring hits on circles, there is the heretical notion of point shooting by whatever name you want to give it. The various shooting games are a good place to learn and perfect this, even if many of their scenarios set out beyond 10 yards would have me diving for cover as opposed to standing square to the BG and trying for a partially-blocked head shot. Full disclosure: I point shoot because I can either see my front sight or the target, not both at the same time, and quite frankly I am more concerned with seeing what the BG is doing than setting up the perfect sight picture. Obviously, YMMV and that makes for wonderful discussions that are often settled at the range.

stay safe.
 

Orion_13

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2013
Messages
71
Location
Paducah, Kentucky, United States
I'm also cross eyed dominate. But I really don't understand your issue. I train using both left and right hands. I just adjust for right handed shots. If it is for self defense only and is really causing problems, get a laser.
 

JamesCanby

Activist Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2010
Messages
1,480
Location
Alexandria, VA at www.NoVA-MDSelfDefense.com
I'm left-eye dominant and shoulder long guns on the left side. However, I carry handguns strong-sided on the right and use the isosceles stance. With the firearm centered in front of me and concentrating on the front sight, eye dominance does not seem to matter. I do need additional practice, however, in firing using the weak-side hand. I do NOT use any artificial aids such as an eyepatch for the reasons given by Skidmark.
 

since9

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
6,964
Location
Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
I'm right-handed, but when it comes to eyes, I use either one. For example, when I shoot pistol, I use my left eye. When I shoot rifle and shotgun, I use my right eye.

Similarly, I use my right eye while shooting bow, both eyes for shooting blowgun, and my left eye when I shoot basketball.
 

golddigger14s

Activist Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2010
Messages
2,068
Location
Lawton, OK USA
Right handed, and always shot RH and Right eye with no issue. (The Stinger missile I shot in the Army HAS to be fired right handed) Towards the end of my career I had a blood vessel break in my R eye. Turns out I was L eyed after all these years. So I'm now shooting rifle/shotgun LH/LE, and handgun RH/LE. (no bullpup rifles for me) Still a little awkward, but I'm slowly getting used to it.
 

davidmcbeth

Banned
Joined
Jan 14, 2012
Messages
16,167
Location
earth's crust
Right handed, and always shot RH and Right eye with no issue. (The Stinger missile I shot in the Army HAS to be fired right handed) Towards the end of my career I had a blood vessel break in my R eye. Turns out I was L eyed after all these years. So I'm now shooting rifle/shotgun LH/LE, and handgun RH/LE. (no bullpup rifles for me) Still a little awkward, but I'm slowly getting used to it.

Who were you shooting stinger missiles at?
 

MAC702

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
6,331
Location
Nevada
I, too, am cross-dominant. By the time I learned about its issues, I'd been shooting for 30 years. I've played with shooting from the side of my dominant eye, but I've decided it isn't worth it. I'm very well-practiced at closing my dominant eye and shooting with my strong side and non-dominant eye.

Only in shotgunning is it really an issue, and then it's a HUGE issue. But for rifles and pistols, it's not nearly as big a deal as some make it out to be.
 
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