correcting eye dominance prob/shooting

[Hale on wheels]

I am teaching my nephews how to shoot. One of them is really good, which is cool because I taught him how to shoot, but he is right handed and right eye dominant like me. The other one is right handed, but left eye dominant, and it shows. I don't know if getting him to shoot left handed is best, or re-training his eyes.



Judging from his accuracy shooting left handed, I am now inclined to believe that correcting his eye dominance problem is the best solution. What is the best method to do this?

 

[snowracer69]

Easiest answer, and the way my cousin and I did it, was to learn to shoot with the other hand. I'm right handed/left eye dominant, my cousin was opposite. We learned to shoot both our bows and rifles w/ the non-dominant hand, and have each killed more than our share of animals this way. He has since dislocated his right-shoulder a couple times and can no longer safely draw his bow w/ it when set over 60 lbs, so he now shoots left handed... on all but running shots he does alright, but for running shots you need both eyes open to track correctly and he can't do it well (dominant eye takes over too much).



Oh, we also don't shoot sites on our bows (who needs that crap?) and learned rifles strictly w/ open sites... I didn't shoot through a scope till I was 13.



Many will say try to change his eyes, but why fight it? I feel retarded now when trying to handle a bow/rifle/pistol right handed because I've done it so long w/ my left, even though my right hand is dominant. It also helped me in sports (baseball primarily) by being right handed/left eye dominant... better view of the ball approaching me w/ my left eye... same for my cousin being opposite... we both batted over . 450 throughout our high-school careers.



JMHO,



Josh



ON EDIT: I'd bet good money that his accuracy problem left-handed is because, wait for it, HE'S NEVER SHOT LEFT HANDED BEFORE!!! You can't tell me you were an awesome shot the first time you put a gun to your shoulder and pulled the trigger, why should he be any different? I can't shoot 1" groups w/ my rifles right-handed, but switch it over to my left and they'll be under 1" at 100 yds... weird, huh?

 

[schu777]

Basic thing - let him shoot how he wants to... I'm left eye and left handed, so good in a since. However, I throw, kick bat right handed. It's a right handed world out there, so us lefties have to adjust to it. I'm sure that I would shoot left handed even if I was right handed since my eye is so donimant.



Michael

 

[Hale on wheels]

He wants to shoot right handed, but he wants to use his left eye also. I don't expect him to be a crack shot, but I know he is having trouble trying to hold the rifle left handed. He bats/throws/etc all right handed as well. That is why I feel it may be easier for him to adjust his eye than to adjust his hands, but I don't know.

 

[mikel]

I'm also right-handed and left eye dominant, so I have also had to fight this fight. My solution to this has been to just close the left eye. I know it degrades some types of shots, so I don't take those shots. I figure it's my responsibility to provide a humane, quick kill for whatever I am shooting at and knowing my limitation, I'd rather watch an animal run away than risk wounding it by taking a shot that wasn't the best I could take.



For whatever reason I haven't had any trouble with my shotgun shooting with both eyes open, so that's what I do. It just doesn't work well for me with rifles.



Mike

 

[Hale on wheels]

I remember some movie with Nicolas Cage where he was a pilot and had this problem, so they patched his dominant eye and made him drive a jeep around looking through a periscope on the other eye. I am sure this would not work, but it might make for a good picture to see my nephew running around like that!

 

[mgoncalves]

I am a left eye dominant, right handed shooter, with almost no depth perception.



I've never had any problems shooting, I just close my left eye and aim. That's what sights are for. I used to shoot trap a few years ago, and could hang with the best of em.



It's harder to fight your brain, than to work with it .







Matt

 

[Paul Herioux]

I grew up on Dad's farm being laughed at by my uncle and some of the employees because I couldn't hit the broad side of the barn. I went to basic training at age 17 and the drill sargent picked up on my left eye dominance. They trained me to shoot the m16 left handed and when I came home I started shooting everything left handed. \



Now I'm the only one on the farm that can take a shot a 250+ yards and know that I will positively hit. I'm also currently holding the top gun position in our local PPC league.



Moral of the story is as Matt says "Don't fight the brain". In the long run your nephew will be much better off shooting left handed. Have him learn how to use a right handed bolt action left handed also, it comes in handy if you find a "backwards" rifle thats a good shooter or if you need to borrow a weapon. My brother hates that I can pick up his 7mm which is right handed and put more rounds on target faster left handed than he can right handed. I just use the right hand to cycle the bolt while holding the buttstock in place with the left hand. NOTE: This does not work with hard wood stocks or bull barrels unless you are built like Arnold.



Paul

 

[QRTRHRS]

There are "vision therapists" that can help you correct problems like this. They work with you to evaluate your needs then teach you exercises which basically exercise your eye muscles to help you learn to overcome your problems.



Clients include well known race car drivers and other high level sports pros. Also, dyslexics such as myself.

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

My mom is right handed/left eye dominant. She shoots a handgun and crosses over - holds the gun in her right hand but pulls it over to line up with her left eye. I do all my hunting with handguns so that could be another option for him.

 

[Glen]

I too am cross dominant.

I don't have any trouble with rifles. I use a scope on all of them; that solves the problem.



I wear special glasses when I shoot the shotgun. Mine have a black spot to block the dominant eye. There are also tinted lenses that reduce vision in the dominant eye.



I never tried to shoot left handed. I was 40ish before I discovered the problem with my shotgun shooting and too set in my ways.

 

[Philip]

I am left eye dominat and left handed. But I was taught to shoot right handed by my father. It will take some getting used to on his part. Have him wear a eye patch when shooting for a while. After a while he will adjust to right eye and the patch will not be needed.



My father did this because the left handed guns were almost a unheard of item almost 40 years ago. Now I can pick something up and shoot with eather hand.