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Left Eye Dominate issue...

T

T Vance

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I am "Left Eye Dominant", and I hold my pistol in my right hand. Even at 5 yards when I aim at the center of the target and take my time to aim anf shoot, all my grouping goes about 2-3 inches to the upper left hand corner of where I aim. The grouping is consistant.

So yesterday I was at a range and tried an "experiment" for the first time. I continued to hold the pistol in my right, but I closed my left eye, in turn making myself "right eye dominant", and aimed at the center of the target at 5yards. The grouping wasn't as consistant (since it's hard to keep my left eye closed naturally), but most of my shots landed where I was aiming...the center of the target.

I tried holding the pistol in myLEFT hand, since naturally closing my right eye is easier, but it was much more uncomfortable than just just to be "right eye dominat".

The only other option have been able to come up with is shooting how I would naturally shoot (left eye open, pistol in right hand), and aim for the lower right corner of what I want to hit.

Any suggestions?


EDITED to change right to LEFT
 
T

T Vance

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zigziggityzoo wrote:
Shoot with your left hand.
Click to expand...
Look at the change I made in my post above. Shooting with my left hand is VERY uncomfortable. Maybe I just need to do alot more practicing. On top of that, I will have to buy a new holster now, since my current holster is on my right hand side.
 
T

T Vance

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I should also let you know that my stance is like such (I forget the term for it). I stand with my left foot forward, and my right foot to the back, with my right arm coming across my chest holding the pistol in that handle (and pulling the trigger with my right hands finger), and my left hand holding the bottom of the grip.
 
SpringerXDacp

SpringerXDacp

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T Vance wrote:
I should also let you know that my stance is like such (I forget the term for it). I stand with my left foot forward, and my right foot to the back, with my right arm coming across my chest holding the pistol in that handle (and pulling the trigger with my right hands finger), and my left hand holding the bottom of the grip.
Click to expand...

Weaver Stance?

ETA Vance, do a gooogle search for: shooting with my left eye dominant. Lots of info.
 
SpringerXDacp

SpringerXDacp

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Vance, I share some of your pain...

My left eye is not correctable-it constantly jumps back and forth-20/30 to 20/50. When you couple this with age and bifocals, range time can really be a pain in the azz-not to mentionvery frustratingat times.
 
Bronson

Bronson

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Other than learning to shoot with the off-side hand I've been shown two other ways to deal with this.

1) Hold the pistol in your right hand as normal then tilt it to the left so the sights are in front of your left eye. The man who got me interested in pistol shooting many years ago had cross-eyed dominance and this is how he worked around it and it worked well for him.

2) Hold the pistol in your right hand as normal, leave the gun where it is and simply turn your head until your left eye is lined up with the sights.

Here's a vid that shows this particular technique http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANDRm3FKWts

I don't have the cross dominance problem but lately I've stopped aiming and have beenpracticing point shooting. Out to about 25 feet I can keep 'em all in the upper torso, both eyes open and not using the sights. It has more to do with getting and keeping a good grip.

Bronson
 
G

ghostrider

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When I first started archery around ten years ago was when I first heard about eye dominance, and shooting. I know that I am very dependant on my right side (be it eye dominance, or anything else), and I started experimenting. In that experimenting, I started training my left eye to take over when desired. You might try it, but you might also check with a eye doctor first. I know I could force my left eye to be the focal lens if desired, but I have to practice it for it to happen easier.
 
Bronson

Bronson

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T Vance wrote:
and my left hand holding the bottom of the grip.
Click to expand...


By "bottom of the grip" doyou mean the bottom of the magazine?

Here's a great vid of Todd Jarret showing how to grip a pistol. It was different than what I was taught years ago but after just a little bit of practice it was easy to see it works for me much better.

ETA: don't hold revolvers this way, especially the big bore revolvers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysa50-plo48

Here's a target that can help diagnose different problems in your shooting and/or grip.

http://www.homegunsafety.com/correction_chart.gif

Bronson
 
Michigander

Michigander

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Every time I train a new shooter and find that someone has that same situation, I teach them to shoot with their dominant hand with a handgun, and shoot with their weak hand on the trigger for long guns. Not sure if that's the best way, but it has worked.

But for anyone who considers themselves a good shooter, or someone who strives to be a good shooter, regardless of what eye is dominant, it's important to practice one handed shooting with each hand, as well as using both hands at once. I suggest practicing one handing long guns as well. As in reload, clear malfunctions, engage targets as fast and accurately as possible.

There is nothing quite like getting shot to put into perspective how real the possibility of having a limb taken out of action is. Any gun you have for defensive purposes you should be able to shoot, reload, and clear malfunctions one handed with either hand.
 
G

Glock 19

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Believe it or not i was (am) left eye dominate, did not realize it until this past summer when i was out shooting with my brother at a buddies property( wasn't hitting a side of a barn door), so after finding out i covered my left eye for the rest of the day and i practice drawing my gun and closing my left eye. thats the best i can tell you i shoot better now.
 
N

Nutczak

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I am left eye dominant, but right-handed! the only way I could shoot worth a crap was to learn to shoot left-handed, my eye dominance was determined at about age 10-12 when shooting with the old-man and his friend, I was an absolute horrible shot until my fathers friend realized why.

It felt funky holding a firearm left handed, but only for a short time.

The main problem I have is getting custom-buildleft-handed firearms, not many thumbhole stock makers make them for L-H.

You may realize something neat with a handgun just as I did, I learned I can shoot equally well with either hand, Buta longgun still needs to be held lefty. I have my bolt-action rifles in lefty, but forget about a lefty semi-auto unless youget an AR-15 upper from stag arms.
The Ithaca shotguns are nice too because of the bottom ejection port.
 
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conservative85

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Try shooting with both eyes open
I focus on the front sight then line it with rear sight, then find target and shoot, it is hard the first couple times then it gets easier.
 
malignity

malignity

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Instead of shooting weaver stance (which I'm assuming you are, most people do) shoot isosceles stance. It won't matter which eye you're dominant with then. I naturally went to weaver stance when I learned to shoot, but switched to isosceles upon getting my CPL. (My instructor was anti-weaver, and I found I actually was a much better shot when I switched.)
 
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