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Eye dominance and Handed shooting


Localizer

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I am right handed but very strongly left eye dominant.

 

I shoot left handed for rifle shooting (hunting & competing).

 

I was advised to compete RH for pistol shooting since I can bring the sights up to my left eye.  I also notice that a lot of my speed issues and inability to call shots are because of my natural tendency to attempt to align sights to my right eye.

 

During practice yesterday I noticed two things help me with sight tracking & shot calling:

 

1.  Turning my head or body 45deg to the right of the target helps me align sights to my left eye.

 

2.  I can exaggerate head position to bring sights up to my left eye.

 

What do y’all think? Continue with some form of the workarounds above or do like rifles shooting and go leftie and overcome the week-hand issues?

 

Thanks again in advance.

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I am left handed but right eye dominant. This problem is really not as complicated or debilitating as people think.

 

It will take reps and time for your natural index to develop and be quick, make no mistake about it but it is not bad at all. Make your draw to one shot part of your daily dry fire and you won't even notice in a few weeks as it will be natural. Do that drill for 3-4 minutes straight daily. I promise you will see any hesitancy go away.

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I am right handed but very strongly left eye dominant.
 
I shoot left handed for rifle shooting (hunting & competing).
 
I was advised to compete RH for pistol shooting since I can bring the sights up to my left eye.  I also notice that a lot of my speed issues and inability to call shots are because of my natural tendency to attempt to align sights to my right eye.
 
During practice yesterday I noticed two things help me with sight tracking & shot calling:
 
1.  Turning my head or body 45deg to the right of the target helps me align sights to my left eye.
 
2.  I can exaggerate head position to bring sights up to my left eye.
 
What do y’all think? Continue with some form of the workarounds above or do like rifles shooting and go leftie and overcome the week-hand issues?
 
Thanks again in advance.
I have the same issue you do. I shoot with both eyes open as the left eye's natural dominance will take over. If I need a clear front sight picture, instead of target focus, I cant my head slightly right top give my left eye more detail.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

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I have the same issue you do. I shoot with both eyes open as the left eye's natural dominance will take over. If I need a clear front sight picture, instead of target focus, I cant my head slightly right top give my left eye more detail.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

This. I always explain it as rolling my chin towards my right shoulder.

Sent from my VS996 using Tapatalk

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37 minutes ago, Localizer said:

I am right handed but

 

I shoot left handed for rifle shooting

 

Have you tried shooting pistol left handed ?

 

But, since I shoot with both eyes open, doesn't matter if I shoot them

left or right handed, I see the sights just fine, either way.    :) 

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23 minutes ago, Hi-Power Jack said:

 

Have you tried shooting pistol left handed ?

 

But, since I shoot with both eyes open, doesn't matter if I shoot them

left or right handed, I see the sights just fine, either way.    :) 

I shoot with both eyes open also.

 

thing is when the sights are aligned and on target, if I close my left eye, the sights are off target. Closing my right eye doesn’t matter or affect the sight alignment.

 

i think per advise this far, I’ll have to keep practicing drawing to my left eye...and maybe turning my head a bit too...

 

Im hoping not too many folks encourage me to try shooting leftie...i’d cry cause holsters are $$$

Edited by Localizer
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I’m th same and shoot long guns lefty.

 

When I was younger I closed my left eye and shot right handed.

 

If I’m stuck with iron sights then I still do the same

 

but since I’ve been needing reading glasses more and more, I’ve moved to red dots.  That’s allowed me to go to both eyes open 

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36 minutes ago, Localizer said:

Yabbut, don’t you still need to align the dot? With your dominant eye?
 

When you have both eyes open, you automatically align the dot with your dominant eye.

 

And, with a dot, if you can see the dot with your weak eye, the bullet still goes straight.    :) 

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2 minutes ago, Hi-Power Jack said:

When you have both eyes open, you automatically align the dot with your dominant eye.

 

And, with a dot, if you can see the dot with your weak eye, the bullet still goes straight.    :) 

That there’s just crazy talk...

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10 hours ago, Localizer said:

That there’s just crazy talk...

Jack is correct. The whole point of red dots is that you don't have to align sights. The shot will go wherever the dot appears, no matter what position your head is at. Otherwise there wouldn't be much point using red dots over iron sights. Just take a red dot, aim it at a target, then move your head slightly. The dot will also move but will always stay on target.

 

This is why you shoot a red dot with target focus instead of front sight focus. The point of front sight focus is to make sure the sights are aligned. You don't need to align a red dot.

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DON'T SWITCH HANDS! DON'T DO ANYTHING CRAZY!

 

All you need is reps to develop your natural index....Just up your dry and live fire, draw to one shot and live fire pair until it is instinctual. Where is Tim Herron when you need him. 

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18 hours ago, Localizer said:

I am right handed but very strongly left eye dominant.

 

I shoot left handed for rifle shooting (hunting & competing).

 

I was advised to compete RH for pistol shooting since I can bring the sights up to my left eye.  I also notice that a lot of my speed issues and inability to call shots are because of my natural tendency to attempt to align sights to my right eye.

 

During practice yesterday I noticed two things help me with sight tracking & shot calling:

 

1.  Turning my head or body 45deg to the right of the target helps me align sights to my left eye.

 

2.  I can exaggerate head position to bring sights up to my left eye.

 

What do y’all think? Continue with some form of the workarounds above or do like rifles shooting and go leftie and overcome the week-hand issues?

 

Thanks again in advance.

 

Do you have experience shooting pistol and if so what hand were you using before? Don't switch. Being left handed if that is what you're used to for other shooting types isn't a detractor. Yeah some holsters are harder to find but that is about it. 

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For pistol use whichever hand is more comfortable. I’m strongly right hand dominant and moderately strong left eye and shoot shotgun left handed but can’t imagine shooting pistol left handed all the time.  Miculek had a vid about it and his recommendation was “keep it simple and bring it to your dominant eye”. Simple seems to be pretty effective approach.

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Don’t switch hands. Simply do enough dryfire that it’s automatic to present the handgun in front of the other eye.

 

Just dryfire. No need to turn your torso, head, or anything else 45 degrees... or any other nonsense that won’t work on match day. When you’re backing up to your left, while shooting targets in some unusual position, or something similar.

 

Don’t overthink it. Just move the gun over 1.5” at arm’s length. Squint your right eye until the draw is complete if you need mental encouragement to get the gun in front of the left.

 

Just do this...

 

 

Edited by MemphisMechanic
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I am left handed, right eye dominant and shoot pistol left handed. For me personally, I wouldn’t do it any other way. As others have said, after some practice you will naturally draw to your dominant eye and never know the difference. 

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My son is left eye, right hand.he taught himself to shoot pistol left handed.  

 

A work around is Scotch tape on the left lens to force right eye. Just a small piece.

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