Occluded dot - for training or for competition too?

[SaspDad]

Tried an occluded dot on my kid's optic pistol and it seems to work really well.  Is this just meant to be a training technique or can you compete this way as well?  It seems weird but it also seems to work .

[outerlimits]

tried a match that way once-had real trouble with partials.  

[Joe4d]

ive tried it a few times and it has never worked for me.. I cant see why you would want to use it at a match though, seems like you are blocking your best eye

[shred]

If you have prescription glasses, the impact point can vary a lot occluded-to-not, so check that before jumping in both-feet.

 

Also hard leans and vertical slats are hard occluded.

 

[Dr Mitch]

It’s a training handicap.  The occlusion helps some people who don’t understand how to aim using a dot, silly as that sounds, if they do it in dryfire.  It’s extremely uncommon for anyone to actually shoot well with an occluded dot.

[Twilk73]

I see people shoot occluded in competitions. just remember the idea is to use the technique as a training aid to get to a point where you don’t need it.

 

 Yes you can use it at matches though. 

[dgl503]

I've been shooting occluded in my local matches for well over a year and feel it is not handicapping me. I actually like it. I haven't shot with it off in a while and unsure how I would do but I usually place somewhere at the top with it on. Maybe I'll try taking it off next time.

[MHicks]

I have done dry fire occluded practice. I have one of the slip on plastic covers and just leave it on. I know a lot of people put tape over the optic. Do they block the whole optic or just a strip of tape that would occlude the dot? Also what type of tape, translucent or not? 

I'm really curious which methods shooters use who actually shoot matches successfully occluded.

[SaspDad]

I bought one of the plastic dot covers that Ben S. sells and we just leave it on now.  The dot seems to show up better against the black.  This is also for a right handed/left eye dominant shooter and I wonder if occluding the dot may be more helpful for cross dominant shooters?

[MHicks]

It would seem like a whole different thing if a right hand shooter is left eye dominant. Completely different from the standard right hand shooter, right eye dominant.

[Blackstone45]

4 hours ago, MHicks said:

It would seem like a whole different thing if a right hand shooter is left eye dominant. Completely different from the standard right hand shooter, right eye dominant.

Theoretically it shouldn't be different. The shooter will still naturally align the dot with their dominant eye, and their non dominant eye will look at the target.

[togmaster]

I leave it on all the time.  Actually helps a lot on early stages when the sun is low on the horizon.

[dgl503]

10 hours ago, SaspDad said:

I bought one of the plastic dot covers that Ben S. sells and we just leave it on now.  The dot seems to show up better against the black.  This is also for a right handed/left eye dominant shooter and I wonder if occluding the dot may be more helpful for cross dominant shooters?

I use black tape and cover the entire front lens. 

 

5 hours ago, Blackstone45 said:

Theoretically it shouldn't be different. The shooter will still naturally align the dot with their dominant eye, and their non dominant eye will look at the target.

I agree. I am cross eyed dominant (right handed and left eye dominant) but I don't think it should be any different. I just line it up to my left eye.

[CZsandSigs]

17 hours ago, shred said:

If you have prescription glasses, the impact point can vary a lot occluded-to-not, so check that before jumping in both-feet.

 

Also hard leans and vertical slats are hard occluded.

 

This is interesting. I'm cross dominant and wear Rx glasses and noticed the POI is different when occluded. Any idea why Rx glasses would have that effect?

[ColoradoNick]

17 hours ago, Dr Mitch said:

It’s a training handicap.  The occlusion helps some people who don’t understand how to aim using a dot, silly as that sounds, if they do it in dryfire.  It’s extremely uncommon for anyone to actually shoot well with an occluded dot.

I made GM shooting occluded. Lately I've shot 100% of matches occluded. The only time I could see taking it off is for indoor matches where there are a ton of hoser stages. It slows me down in that sense just a little bit but it's probably more in my head than a reality. I don't see any drawbacks otherwise. 

Edited June 22 by ColoradoNick

[shred]

On 6/22/2024 at 11:18 AM, CZsandSigs said:

This is interesting. I'm cross dominant and wear Rx glasses and noticed the POI is different when occluded. Any idea why Rx glasses would have that effect?

I don't know why, but it's a thing for me for sure.  Occluded POI is about 2 feet low at 20 yards vs not.  I experimented with "micro occlusion" with just a small dot of tape in the center of the lens and that didn't show it, so it's something to do with how the eyes and brain combine the image I think.

 

Easy way to see how occlusion could hose you in a match is dry fire with a doorway:  Set up on the edge of the doorway so your muzzle and strong eye can see through the gap and your weak eye can't.

[StefVanHauwe]

I regularly use it in my technique mode trainings with specific focus on sight pictures and transitions, but not in matches.

[MHicks]

ColoradoNick. What method do you use to occlude the dot? Plastic cover over dot, tape partially covering the optic? Thanks.

[ColoradoNick]

6 hours ago, MHicks said:

ColoradoNick. What method do you use to occlude the dot? Plastic cover over dot, tape partially covering the optic? Thanks.

I use the SBGW cover but have also used electric tape completely covering the front. 

[motosapiens]

i only occlude for the worst sun glare in a match, but ive seen several gms who tun that way full time with great success. its pretty effective at keeping you from focusing on the dot toouch (which slows you downn).

[Yagi]

Occlusion is not for me. All it does to me is make my target focus NOT so clear

[SaspDad]

At some point should shooters wean themselves off occlusion for matches? Is it mostly a transitional training tool to teach target focus?  

[shred]

 

What questions didn't get answered the first time around?

 

Btw, my eye-thing is not glasses, it's the eye/brain combo.  Easy check is hold a hand up blocking your dot-eye and look at something small at distance.  Uncover that eye and if the image jumps significantly, occlusion may not be for you.

 

[marszns]

It's all personal preference. I always have POI shift problem with occluded dot. So I only use it in dry fire

[seako_916]

I did it for a few months then in a class at the advice of the instructor I removed it. I noticed my POI was being shifted by a couple inched on 15-20 yard shots. My eyes didnt work with it. 

It was a good tool to verify that Im target focused.