vision terminology question

[p7fl]

It is difficult to ask a question and get helpful answers if I don’t know the correct terminology.

I am right handed and shoot with my right eye only. Left eye closed. I cannot shoot with two eyes open as that creates a headache.

10 years post Lasik my right eye is for distance and left eye for near in. My vision is great for everyday use. But I cannot see a clear front sight with my right eye. I can with my left.

If I try and shoot right handed using my left eye. What is the term for this?

Has anyone tried reversing the eyes they use? Success, failure or general experiences would be appreciated.

Thx

jon

[Steve J]

Cross-dominance vision or cross eye dominance.

Here's some information from a Google search for you. http://www.google.com/search?q=cross+eye+dominance+shooting&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=&oe=

[p7fl]

Steve:

thx.. that is what I as looking for.

[gohuskers]

Lots of shooters have cross-eye dominance including Brian and Dave Sevigny. You just have to adjust over time. I'm cross eye dominant and it's not a big deal.

[Neil E.]

It's to bad you can not shoot with both eyes open. It helps a lot for cross-eye dominance. It has helped me a lot to have both eyes open.

Edited October 19, 2010 by Neil E.

[Aloha Robert]

Actually what the OP is describing is not strictly cross dominance. That is a term for people who “naturally” shoot with primary vision opposite to dominant hand.

I don’t know if there is a term “yet” who for surgical reasons have altered the near focus eye to opposite side and shoot that way. The medical term of art is monovision and most lasik that is done give the non dominant eye the close up correction which is opposite of what shooters want.

And it is VERY hard to close to impossible to “learn” cross dominant technique. Kind of like a natural R hand batter trying to learn lefty. Some can do it but most cannot.

However +s to Steve J for the references The Ayoob article

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_9_53/ai_n27320034/

summarizes how the various different shooting stances need to be modified for cross dominance. The Ayoob article does not cover all techniques as there are others that make it much easier to compensate for but that is another topic altogether.

[Dwight Stearns]

Many good shooters use target focus rather than front sight focus. I know it goes against most teachings but it can work very well. The trick when using target focus is maximum oncentration on the sight picture even though the sights are fuzzy. It is actually the more natural/instinctive way to shoot. Some form of inhancement in your front sight like fiber optic will help you when using target focus.

With your post lasik, distance focus, situation I believe switching to target focus will be easier than trying to switch eyes, especially since you are not naturally cross dominant.

Dwight

[Steve J]

Many good shooters use target focus rather than front sight focus. I know it goes against most teachings but it can work very well. The trick when using target focus is maximum oncentration on the sight picture even though the sights are fuzzy. It is actually the more natural/instinctive way to shoot. Some form of inhancement in your front sight like fiber optic will help you when using target focus.

With your post lasik, distance focus, situation I believe switching to target focus will be easier than trying to switch eyes, especially since you are not naturally cross dominant.

Dwight

Name some of them. You simply can not ever be any good without front sight focus. It may be fast and minimal on point blank targets, but if you're going to hit at 10 yards and beyond you can not be looking beyond the sights at the target. It won't work.

[p7fl]

I’m the OP.

About 10 years back I spent a one on one day with Frank Garcia and he asked me in the afternoon if I was looking at the front sight or the target. I knew the right answer and said front sight. But, much later on I realized it was the target I was looking at.

Yes, it works well depending on the distance. My issue is finding one way to shoot. I read the cross eye dominance posts on the net and most of the suggestions deal only with range time. Another trainer suggested wearing glasses that had an inner corner correction for distance. Wearing glasses all the time that I don’t need is not a reasonable option.

If there were 3 choices:

A. Deal with the problem and continue shooting right hand right eye focusing harder

B. Try again to shoot with both eyes open which improves the sight picture slightly

C. Use my left eye only and hold the gun with my body way out of a natural position

How would anyone approach this?

thx

[Aloha Robert]

I’m the OP.

About 10 years back I spent a one on one day with Frank Garcia and he asked me in the afternoon if I was looking at the front sight or the target. I knew the right answer and said front sight. But, much later on I realized it was the target I was looking at.

Yes, it works well depending on the distance. My issue is finding one way to shoot. I read the cross eye dominance posts on the net and most of the suggestions deal only with range time. Another trainer suggested wearing glasses that had an inner corner correction for distance. Wearing glasses all the time that I don’t need is not a reasonable option.

If there were 3 choices:

A. Deal with the problem and continue shooting right hand right eye focusing harder

B. Try again to shoot with both eyes open which improves the sight picture slightly

C. Use my left eye only and hold the gun with my body way out of a natural position

How would anyone approach this?

thx

When I first read your post I thought about recommending reverse correction glasses(you are now reading left so it would make reading R and distance left). That is an option but most folks can not tolerate a monovision reversal without getting nauseated or dizzy, however if you can tolerate it, will give best results for iron sights shooting..

A wont work well because you wont get a sharp front sight focus.

B will work better if you can do it but you will have to combine with C to get an "unatural" cross dominance which is hard as I explained like a R handed batter trying to learn lefty.

If you try B or C read Ayoobs article on modifications of traditional stances or use a more modern technique that is easier to accomadate.

The Best solution will of course be Red Dot. An even better solution is Red dot with correction of lens only on left to distance which should not give you nausea as you will go back to binocular vision even though focus will be fixed for distance, (infinity)

OP has taught all of us a valuable lesson if we consider lasik monovision.

[calishootr]

I am naturally cross-dominant(no vision correction) and your body is not going to be horribly 'askew' if you stay right handed and look w/ the left eye, if anything its a simple minor cocking of the head, me personally i can shoot w/ both eyes open naturally, only closing down to one eye on really tough/long shots...as one poster put it, the dot does help, now your focus is on the targets and notthe sights...an option

[Dwight Stearns]

Many good shooters use target focus rather than front sight focus. I know it goes against most teachings but it can work very well. The trick when using target focus is maximum oncentration on the sight picture even though the sights are fuzzy. It is actually the more natural/instinctive way to shoot. Some form of inhancement in your front sight like fiber optic will help you when using target focus.

With your post lasik, distance focus, situation I believe switching to target focus will be easier than trying to switch eyes, especially since you are not naturally cross dominant.

Dwight

Name some of them. You simply can not ever be any good without front sight focus. It may be fast and minimal on point blank targets, but if you're going to hit at 10 yards and beyond you can not be looking beyond the sights at the target. It won't work.

How about Matt cheely or even Eric Grauffel. Now I don't consider myself any where near the league of those two but I am considered a good shooter. It's just that target focus can work if done correctly, and not just on close targets.... try clay birds at 100 yards. I'm not saying target focus will work for everyone but is is something to try, especially for a shooter with vision issues as described at the beginning of the thread. Sometimes ya gotta think outside the box.

Dwight