Eye Dominance

[fro65]

Boy do I feel better! I've always thought I was the only oddball with this issue. When I was young, there were no left handed rifles so I've always shot right handed and worn a patch over my left eye to take it out of the equation. It's worked for 40 years. I do sometimes get someone asking me how I lost my eye.

 

[gregkl]

So do you folks think I should try the left eye obscured thing? Right now I just adjust a little to favor that eye.

I think this may be part of the reason that when I pull the trigger, I lose front sight picture and have a heck of a time reacquiring it!

 

[KJQ6945]

So do you folks think I should try the left eye obscured thing? Right now I just adjust a little to favor that eye.

I think this may be part of the reason that when I pull the trigger, I lose front sight picture and have a heck of a time reacquiring it!

Learn to shoot left handed. With a gun it's pretty easy, no strength issues unless you go to a bow.

 

[brichindy]

I'm right handed but left eye dominant also. For the most part I have retrained and use my right eye when shooting any type of firearm. What helped me tremendously was putting tape on my shooting glasses over the left dominant eye. This made only the right eye focus on sights/target as it was the only eye available.

I did get some strange looks at the range from the guys though , but it was worth it.

 

[gregkl]

I'm right handed but left eye dominant also. For the most part I have retrained and use my right eye when shooting any type of firearm. What helped me tremendously was putting tape on my shooting glasses over the left dominant eye. This made only the right eye focus on sights/target as it was the only eye available.

I did get some strange looks at the range from the guys though , but it was worth it.

I am going to try this. I was just now trying to use my right eye and I am able for a few seconds but when I blink my left eye kicks in. I think the tape will help.

 

[exbrit]

Had to switch eyes!

I was right eyed dominant and was fine until I had a detached retina. I have regained most of the sight in the right eye but the very center of my vision is distorted and I cant get a sight picture. I was about to give up when I decided to try using the non dominant left eye. Wow it was really hard and very uncomfortable at first. Several people told me to shoot left handed as well. That was a real joke!
After several months of hard work and frustration, it finally reached the point where I was getting really good scores on my targets again. So my regular shooting style now is right handed but using the left eye. Sounds unconventional but for me it works!
Guess the real answer is to shoot the way that suits you, a few sessions at the range will soon show you how you shoot best.

 

[Pete]

I saw a technique to get used to shooting with both eyes open on Handguns on the Outdoor Network.
I cannot find a link to it but it consisted of closing the eye you are used to closing, then opening the eye to shoot both eyes open just as the shot is broken. It was presented as a way to "train" your brain which image to use when shooting with both eyes open.
I too am left eye dominant & shoot right handed. Has anybody got experience with success using this technique?

 

[KJQ6945]

I tried several different things such as tape on the glasses etc. Any of the ideas discussed will work at the range. But they are impractical for a hunting or a tactical situation. You don't always have your shooting glasses with the tape on, or if you do you've lost a lot of vision. Are you going to go hunting with your dominant eye taped shut?

Shotguns (as in birds) are more about form than aiming. Practice and you can do it with either shoulder.

Learn to shoot a rifle left handed. It's easier to teach your left hand how to pull a trigger than it is to teach your weak eye how to be dominant.

 

[gungirl65]

Look at the light switch across the room.

Now hold out both hands, palms facing out and make an hole with your forefingers and thumbs (touching them together).

Close your left eye, now close your right eye.

With which eye do you see the light switch?

This worked. Why did it work? I already knew I was left eye dominant and right handed this just further confirmed it for me. I have been trying to work on closing the left eye and opening the right eye but I don't seem to see as well out of my right eye. As odd as it sounds it's almost as if I subconsciously hold my breath when I try to use the right eye. Does anyone else do this?

Being left eye dominant really sucks for me when shooting rifles. I am petite and have short little arms so it's not like I have a lot of room to try and compensate with.

 

[brichindy]

I tried several different things such as tape on the glasses etc. Any of the ideas discussed will work at the range. But they are impractical for a hunting or a tactical situation. You don't always have your shooting glasses with the tape on, or if you do you've lost a lot of vision. Are you going to go hunting with your dominant eye taped shut?

Shotguns (as in birds) are more about form than aiming. Practice and you can do it with either shoulder.

Learn to shoot a rifle left handed. It's easier to teach your left hand how to pull a trigger than it is to teach your weak eye how to be dominant.

You're right, and what works for you may not work for me and vice versa. But I will say this, tape worked for me. I've trained with tape so much that I don't use it anymore because my right eye became my shooting eye from repetition. From the split second I start bringing up sights to my eyes, my brain says alright guys time to switch roles for a minute . haha

Going hunting is no problem at all, have never lost a buck that was solely due to eye dominance issue.

 

[MrsTuesday]

My 7 year old daughter is also cross dominant (right handed, left eye). We decided to start her early learning to shoot left handed. We figured this way she'd be a heck of a shot no matter which hand she ended up having to use! Plus, with 3 left handed kids on top of a left eye-dominant, buying left handed firearms was going to be practically a necessity anyway. She's doing well with firearms and with bows learning to shoot left handed. Fortunately, we discovered it while she was young enough to train her muscle memory to match her eye dominance.

 

[Mackey]

Many people have overcame this difficulty, Jeff Cooper was right handed and left eye dominate! You can retrain your eyes - but it is very difficult! Apache pilots have probably the hardest task's training their eyes - with the HUD, etc. I understand they actually get to the point their eyes work independently. I have read that most firearm trainers try to find alternate methods to accurately fire weapons rather than re-train the eyes. https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/ccm-columns/behind-the-line/the-cross-dominant-shooter/

I'm right handed mostly and STRONGLY left eye dominant. I just tried to "retrain my eyes" and I think you almost made me have a stroke! It actually seemed to really mess with my brain matter. It was like a headache was coming on.
I will not be doing that. I'd rather retrain my handedness.
ouch

 

[DRAIN SURGEON]

There is really no need to switch shooting hands . If you are right hand and left eye dominate just close your left eye when useing iron sights on a rifle or peep sights on a bow and with a scope your only useing one eye. Eye dominance only comes into play when using both eyes.

 

[DemolitionMan]

There is really no need to switch shooting hands . If you are right hand and left eye dominate just close your left eye when useing iron sights on a rifle or peep sights on a bow and with a scope your only useing one eye. Eye dominance only comes into play when using both eyes.

Yeah, not so much. I'm right handed but left eye dominant and cannot shoot straight using only my right eye. I have tried several different methods to train myself to shoot as you describe but I cannot do it.

As a youth I compensated by leaning my head across the rifle stock so that I could shoot right handed but with my left eye. That worked pretty well and I won several shooting competitions that way. Then I entered the Army and tried to shoot an M16 that way, with a helmet on. Every time I tried, the helmet would *thunk* on the carry handle.

One of the DI's saw me doing this and (after kicking me for being stupid) taught me how to shoot left handed. I have shot rifle and shotgun left handed ever since. I will shoot pistol with either hand, since I use both eyes for that.

There are a lot of times it makes sense to train the body to do something new, but I don't see any benefit in forcing a cross-eye dominant person to shoot with their non-dominant eye. It's a lot easier to learn how to pull a trigger with your non-dominant hand.

 

[gregkl]

I am reading a lot here about switching to the other side instead of working with the eyes.

I am so imbalanced when it comes to doing things right handed. Most anything I try to do left handed just does not work well.

I want to be open to changing, but I am 53 years old and I am just not very confident that I can make the switch, not to mention that the controls on my firearms are predominantly set up for a right hander.

I'm not concerned with the hunting aspect as I no longer hunt and if I was it would be much slower than an action pistol event. When I use a scope I have no problems looking through it with my right eye.

If it is possible to train my right eye to be dominant, then that will be the track I take.

 

[KJQ6945]

Gregkl, at your age, I wouldn't try to change much. Demolition man and myself were kind of forced to change by the army. I was 18 and hadn't shot a lot. That was 30 years ago, and I'm glad they made me change hands. Shooting a BB gun or a 22 as a kid I looked pretty goofy, but I think I would have hurt myself if I had tried to shoot something that actually kicked. Picture me holding a Mosin right handed trying to sight it with my left eye. I would be missing teeth!

I wish you luck on "training" your eyes, I tried for years, but couldn't do it.

 

[KJQ6945]

There is really no need to switch shooting hands . If you are right hand and left eye dominate just close your left eye when useing iron sights on a rifle or peep sights on a bow and with a scope your only useing one eye. Eye dominance only comes into play when using both eyes.

If it were only that easy, it wouldn't be an issue. I can't close just my left eye.

 

[Thegeek]

Learn to shoot left handed. I'm right handed, left eyed. Took some getting used to. Now, shooting right handed feels foreign.

My dominance test is pretty simple. Give a thumbs up at arms length. Focus on your thumb. Now choose something in the distance and cover it with your thumb, but keep focus on your thumb. Now, close one eye. When your dominant eye is open, your thumb will still cover the object at distance.

 

[BKExpress]

Me too. When shooting long range rifles I will shoot with both eyes open and pretty much don't have much of an issue anymore.

 

[JettaKnight]

There is really no need to switch shooting hands . If you are right hand and left eye dominate just close your left eye when useing iron sights on a rifle or peep sights on a bow and with a scope your only useing one eye. Eye dominance only comes into play when using both eyes.

Yeah, not so much. I'm right handed but left eye dominant and cannot shoot straight using only my right eye. I have tried several different methods to train myself to shoot as you describe but I cannot do it.

As a youth I compensated by leaning my head across the rifle stock so that I could shoot right handed but with my left eye. That worked pretty well and I won several shooting competitions that way. Then I entered the Army and tried to shoot an M16 that way, with a helmet on. Every time I tried, the helmet would *thunk* on the carry handle.

One of the DI's saw me doing this and (after kicking me for being stupid) taught me how to shoot left handed. I have shot rifle and shotgun left handed ever since. I will shoot pistol with either hand, since I use both eyes for that.

There are a lot of times it makes sense to train the body to do something new, but I don't see any benefit in forcing a cross-eye dominant person to shoot with their non-dominant eye. It's a lot easier to learn how to pull a trigger with your non-dominant hand.

This was true for my wife. Her shooting improved DRAMATICALLY just by switching to her non dominate hand.

Plus, it's nice that I can just by LH rifles and we'll both be happy.