Kid is cross eye dominant

[kamber]

Crazy how I found this thread just through some random browsing on this board and never realized how many other people are cross-eye dominant.

I found out I was cross-eye dominant when my team first hit the flat-range with our service Glocks. I was new at pistol shooting in general, so of course I sucked in general, but couldn't for the life of me stop from seeing double and having things blur up while trying to focus on the front sight post. I have astigmatism in both eyes as well, so I'm sure that also contributed too. Eventually, one of the guys trying to help teach me fundamentals asked me if I was cross-eye dominant. I had no idea, so he showed me me how to do a quick "test" by putting my index fingers and thumbs together to form a triangle and look through it in a certain way; I'm not sure exactly how it went anymore, but we determined I was left eye dominant while being right handed. Been shooting pistol with my face slightly tilted to the right ever since, leaving my dominant left eye positioned behind the sights. Never had an issue with shooting rifle, but I've also never shot rifles using iron-sights besides for zeroing BUIS. With optics, both magnified and unmagnified, I had no trouble shooting both eyes open.

For those suggesting just swapping hands to shoot long gun; oh man, you guys must be quite ambidextrous to begin with! It would take a LOT of effort for me to train shooting weak-handed to the point where I'd be comfortable shooting that handed by default.

[mgkrs]

More advice from a professional shooter:

 

 

[theautobahn]

My son is cross eye dominant. He's right-handed and left-eyed. He shoots handguns righty and long guns lefty. When he tried shooting rifles righty, he'd try to crane his whole head over the stock to use his left eye.

I used to be left eye dominant, but developed some slight scarring on my left eye - just enough that I made myself right eye dominant over the years. Most of the time it's fine shooting righty, even both eyes open, but sometimes I'll pick up the front bead on a shotgun with my left eye if I'm going too fast on clays. But my point is... when I was a kid, I started shooting left-handed because I was left-eye dominant. I found that having started that way, it's easier to now shoot rifles with my off hand. So I'm hoping the same holds true for the kiddo.

[Desk-Jockey]

My son is right handed and left eye dominant.   So far long guns work best lefty.  TBD on handguns.   It creates some interesting challenges for instruction. 

[99mpower]

Cross eye dominant. Right handed, left eye dominant. I have trained myself to shoot right eye'd. Felt more comfortable, and I started that training as soon as I started shooting. Had a good instructor who helped that day.

 

Been 10+ years, and am 100% glad I switched eyes. Right handed, shoot pistol right, and rifle right. Makes transitions easier when carrying a primary/secondary weapon, makes weapon manipulation easier since I'm using my strong hand/side. All around, I'm more comfortable and happy.

[SLICE]

On 5/13/2020 at 5:28 PM, theautobahn said:

My son is cross eye dominant. He's right-handed and left-eyed. He shoots handguns righty and long guns lefty. When he tried shooting rifles righty, he'd try to crane his whole head over the stock to use his left eye.

I used to be left eye dominant, but developed some slight scarring on my left eye - just enough that I made myself right eye dominant over the years. Most of the time it's fine shooting righty, even both eyes open, but sometimes I'll pick up the front bead on a shotgun with my left eye if I'm going too fast on clays. But my point is... when I was a kid, I started shooting left-handed because I was left-eye dominant. I found that having started that way, it's easier to now shoot rifles with my off hand. So I'm hoping the same holds true for the kiddo.

i excatly the same way as your boy, i never thought of this until about 2 years ago a vet told me i had the best of both worlds as a shooter, he explained

shouldering the rifle on my left and being a righty if things were getting real bad i could still hold the rifle and draw my side arm.

always gotta look at the positives  

[Zack15]

I have this same issue.  I’m left eye dominent but I shoot everything right handed.  For pistols, I don’t find this to be too much of an issue. I just seem to present the gun more in front of my left eye.  Not a crazy amount but my left eye is the one focusing on the front sight.  As for rifles and more so with AR/M4 with a red dot. I just shoot right handed and I’m able to keep both eyes open.  Which really helps when shooting with other people in the room. 

[BoyGlock]

2 of my children are rt eye left handed. At their very start I trained them to shoot rt handed to coincide w/ their rt eye dominance. Both hg and rifle/sg, bcoz 99% of guns are made for rt handed. They Never had any difficulty. 

[Zack15]

On 3/26/2020 at 7:12 PM, kamber said:

Crazy how I found this thread just through some random browsing on this board and never realized how many other people are cross-eye dominant.

I found out I was cross-eye dominant when my team first hit the flat-range with our service Glocks. I was new at pistol shooting in general, so of course I sucked in general, but couldn't for the life of me stop from seeing double and having things blur up while trying to focus on the front sight post. I have astigmatism in both eyes as well, so I'm sure that also contributed too. Eventually, one of the guys trying to help teach me fundamentals asked me if I was cross-eye dominant. I had no idea, so he showed me me how to do a quick "test" by putting my index fingers and thumbs together to form a triangle and look through it in a certain way; I'm not sure exactly how it went anymore, but we determined I was left eye dominant while being right handed. Been shooting pistol with my face slightly tilted to the right ever since, leaving my dominant left eye positioned behind the sights. Never had an issue with shooting rifle, but I've also never shot rifles using iron-sights besides for zeroing BUIS. With optics, both magnified and unmagnified, I had no trouble shooting both eyes open.

For those suggesting just swapping hands to shoot long gun; oh man, you guys must be quite ambidextrous to begin with! It would take a LOT of effort for me to train shooting weak-handed to the point where I'd be comfortable shooting that handed by default.

I agree with what you said.  It would be almost impossible for me to learn to shoot weak handed with a long gun to the point of me being comfortable with it.

[Paulie]

My eye dominance changed without me attempting a conversion or anything.

 

Maybe the COVID two a day dry fire did it. 

[leam]

I found an issue using an Isosceles grip, I was canting the gun in my primary hand. Instead of holding it straight back into the webbing, the backstrap hit my thumb knuckle with every shot. It was painful. I need to work on this.