Target Transitions...which Way Do You Go?

[Unleashed]

NO...I am not asking if anyone goes both ways!

I have always found myself moving from left to right on a bank of targets but during dry fire last night with a heavier gun, I noticed that the transitions from right to left were faster and the gun was steadier sooner! I shoot right handed w/ dominate left eye and used to think that transitioning left to right would allow my non-dominate eye to pick up the next target faster. Now I am not sure and wanted to get some opinions on this.

I am sure this has been discussed before but I couldn't find it in a search...let me know what you think.

Edwin

[standles]

If it is an option I will shoot from right to left as I am right handed and this has me transitioning into my strength of stance. This assumes that all targets are ~ same distance from me.

At varied distances I will shoot the furthest target first (if an option) and then transition to the closer ones. This results in faster times for me.

[dirtypool40]

Just one guy's opinion here but you NEED to shoot both directions until you have no preference. Most field courses moving to the right will present targets to be shot right to left.

Shoot like you have a flashlight or a paint sprayer, cover everything as it comes into view, and only once. Obviously this can be altered by activators and the like, but in general you are going to be offered more R to L presentations than the other way around.

Practice and be comfy with either. A guy who can shoot well R to L is shooting SOONER than a guy who can only run up to the port and hose L to R.

[folsoml]

I generally shoot left to right. Like you, I am right handed and left eye dominant.

[SteveZ]

Just one guy's opinion here but you NEED to shoot both directions until you have no preference.  Most field courses moving to the right will present targets to be shot right to left.

I used to think I had a preference shooting R - L (Right handed...right eye dominant) but I've found during dryfire and live fire practice that sometimes I feel like I can go faster L - R. Honestly now, I don't have a preference...I just let the stage design dictate which is the faster way to go at the time.

[MikeFoley]

I prefer R to L because I shoot with both eyes open and I am right hand and right eye dominant. This allows me to pick up the next target with my left eye. I shoot rifle scopes the same way, and I can shift focus from one eye to the other if need be. You need to practice both ways, as some COFs will force you to shoot one way or the other at times to be competitive.

[Unleashed]

I guess I should have clarified.....

When the course design does not dictate which direction is the most efficient way to shoot a bank of targets...etc.

I've shot many stages, most of them classifiers, that don't force you to shoot in a certain direction.

I believe you should have a preference; however, be able to flex either way when the situation dictates. Dominate handed and dominate eyed, since we have two of each, presents the opportunity for one direction to work better for us than the other. I believe this is a strength that can be used on "some" stages. I am just trying to figure out what other people find to be their strength in this area and if there has been any research done on the subject.

[XRe]

I tend to shoot L to R if there's no reason to do something different. I do the same for WHO. For SHO, I tend to go R to L. However, I'm comfortable in either direction - whatever works out to be most efficient is what I do, so...

[Sharyn]

I really don't have a preference and there isn't much difference (if any) in my times L-R vs. R-L... but something that someone told me once always sticks in the back of my mind when I'm confronted with a direction of engagement choice... especially on classifier or stand and deliver type stages...

Every day, all day long, since grammar school... we read Left to Right. The muscles in our eyes are accustomed to moving L-R and our brain is accustomed to processing this information quickly.

I'm not saying this is the end all answer to the question... just something I take into consideration.

my 2, fwiw.

[Newguy]

I'm left-handed and right eye dominant. While almost everyone suggests that I shoot right to left, I'm much more comfortable the other way around. It just feels less awkward. It must be the reading thing or the stronger dominant eye picking up targets faster.

[Unleashed]

I am feeling things out with this and I am starting to think that you should put your dominant eye first in the target aquistion. If you try this in slow motion, you can see that the pistol actually obscures the target in the other direction. Has anyone else noticed this?

[Singlestack]

Every day, all day long, since grammar school... we read Left to Right.  The muscles in our eyes are accustomed to moving L-R and our brain is accustomed to processing this information quickly.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I heard this several years ago too. Consider this thought. We read L to R at a nice slow pace. What happens when we reach the end of a line? Our eyes are trained to snap back to the Left.

[Jasonub]

no preference for me.

[kimel]

On a plate rack I am significantly faster L to R than R to L when cold. After warming up a bit this difference tends to diminish although the tendency for L to R being faster remains. I think it has a lot to do with what others have mentioned about reading L to R etc.

Last summer I noticed that when shooting an array coming around a barricade I would go all the way around the barricade in order to shoot L to R instead of taking them R to L as they became available. Obviously this is slower so I had to work on it. I will still do it if I don't think about it beforehand.

[j1b]

I look more to which target I want to shoot first, or which target I want to shoot next versus which direction I shoot.

In that aspect I have no preference. L to R, R to L - it matters not to me. Sometimes it makes no sense at all too. Sometimes we'll have a stage where you shoot a bank of targets, reload, and shoot them again. I'm 50/50 on whether or not I shoot the same target off the load I did off the draw. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't . . .

The thing about this game is its all in the head. The reality is that it doesn't matter, we are analytical enough to think that it does.

J

[infinity]

something eric graufel said in another foum made sense to me as i tried it. he that, when the COF requires u to start from the Right side of the Stage and have to move towards the left it'll be much easier for the body motion to go with the flow of the momentum to go from left to right and the momentum of the force of the body is towards away instead of starting from right and u shoot right to left.

Am i making any sense?

[j1b]

That's absolutely true - and yes it makes sense. target distance and difficulty play into that as well.

J

[infinity]

a word of advice though....u tend to be comfortable with a specific direction u transition to..like the other guys said practice both so that u won't be hooked on just one way.

[stingerjg]

a majorty of the time i shoot the targets from right to left unless the targets present themselves the other way. I feel that i have a better field of view (open w/ dot) shooting from Rt to Lt.

[TriggerT]

I prefer shooting Left to Right, just feels more natural to me. However, I have no problem shooting Right to Left if there is any advantage in doing so. I think is important to be able to change which way you are going to engage targets, since you never know when there might ba an advantage in doing so.

[Jake Di Vita]

since you never know when there might ba an advantage in doing so.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Or when you might have to do so.

[Unleashed]

These are all very good points...especially the one about body motion and momentum. I never really thought of that! I am suprised that there hasn't been more research as to what direction our eyes are faster.

BTW, I tried to shoot R to L on "Front Sight" at this weekend's match.....it didn't go so well. I was really uncomfortable and the results weren't easy to figure out. I think when my dominate eye picks up the target first, it has a hard time jumping back to the sights. I am going to experiment with this some more.

Thanks for all the replies.

[diehli]

These are all very good points...especially the one about body motion and momentum.  I never really thought of that!  I am suprised that there hasn't been more research as to what direction our eyes are faster.

BTW, I tried to shoot R to L on "Front Sight" at this weekend's match.....it didn't go so well.  I was really uncomfortable and the results weren't easy to figure out.  I think when my dominate eye picks up the target first, it has a hard time jumping back to the sights.  I am going to experiment with this some more.

Thanks for all the replies.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I hope that was only on the string where you start facing the targets.

[infinity]

These are all very good points...especially the one about body motion and momentum.  I never really thought of that!  I am suprised that there hasn't been more research as to what direction our eyes are faster.

BTW, I tried to shoot R to L on "Front Sight" at this weekend's match.....it didn't go so well.  I was really uncomfortable and the results weren't easy to figure out.  I think when my dominate eye picks up the target first, it has a hard time jumping back to the sights.  I am going to experiment with this some more.

Thanks for all the replies.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i also had a hard time with that....but dry firing will help u fix that. it did for me.

[Unleashed]

I hope that was only on the string where you start facing the targets.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

300lbGorilla,

Yes that was string....I wasn't going to change the way I turned for the second string! I was much smoother going L to R, but as stated earlier, I think I will do more dry fire practice on this and see how the other direction works out. I feel that the match conditions (increased stress) may have led to my uncomfortable feeling going R to L. My left eye seems faster at picking up the targets but my hands just weren't keeping up!