Dominant eye changing

[murkish]

I had lasik 4 years ago. Prior to that, I was strongly right eye dominant with roughly 20/200 uncorrected vision in each eye. I am right handed so no real issue. After lasik, I have 20/10 vision in my left eye and 20/20 vision in my right. Recently, I have noticed that I am much less right eye dominant even to the point that I barely have a dominant eye. I was dry firing earlier tonight and noticed that I could shift from using my right eye to using my left with out much difficulty. It is a neat trick and, while it might come in handy if my right eye becomes unavailable at some point, it is disconcerting during the heat of a stage to discover that my brain cannot decide which eye to use.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

[EricW]

Welcome to my world. If I had the answer, I would happily share. Unfortunately, I don't. The only answer I know of is to work your ass off to reprogram your head. That's what I'm doing.

If that doesn't work, I'm considering shooting with a clear right lens and a tinted left lens (tint yet to be determined) to try and force right eye dominance without occluding my left eye entirely. I tried tape. I didn't care for it.

Edited April 18, 2008 by EricW

[hanexp]

I am cross dominant, right handed/left eye dominant. Have also had lasik. My right eye is corrected for reading. My left eye corrected for distance. Very messed up for shooting. I have done a bit experimentation and found it best to correct my right eye for distance and leave my left eye uncorrected with my shooting glasses. Fortunately and unfortunately I have still have some residual nearsightedness in my left eye (its not perfect at distance) that enables me to focus the front sight with my left eye.

So, in effect, I am correcting my vision to mono vision with shooting glasses to be opposite the mono vision I have normally from lasik. This must sound complicated. Adding to the challenge is my hard won senior status. (I have a theory is that changing mono vision back and forth is an exercise that keeps my brain from atrophying as I age).

Anyway, I am of the opinion, that one will probably perform best by going with the dominant eye flow (left or right) and not struggling against it (not that it sounds like you are). And, I'm hoping my comments are constructive to your problem.

"I reserve the right to get smarter."

[Stuck in C]

I'm right eye dominate, but as I enter old farthood the vision in my right eye is getting much worse than my left. Which seems weird-I can't see as well with the dominate eye.

[dajarrel]

I only started shooting with my left eye as dominant about three years ago. I noticed it came with a gradual loss of visual acuity in my right eye.

I can't say if I have always been left eye dominant or if the change in vision made my brain see my left eye as dominant.

Talk about screwed up

But...when I started shooting open in January, I was finally able to shoot with both eyes open. It literally opened a new world of visual awareness that had been missing with the one eye closed.

FWIW

dj

[BNorth]

Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

Yes, same problem here. I've been trying to train my brain to use my right eye. I use a small piece of tape on my left eye and still find myself closing my left eye on long range shots.

[shooter757]

Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

Yes, same problem here. I've been trying to train my brain to use my right eye. I use a small piece of tape on my left eye and still find myself closing my left eye on long range shots.

Why would you want to force something that is not natural? As far as I know, cross eyed dominance for right handed pistol shooters is a gift. Your brain that processes the shooting on that half of the brain helps you out more.

[BNorth]

Well if it is a gift, I don't know how to use it. When I focus on the target, I see two sets of sights. Both are about the same clarity (both are slighty fuzzy but one isn't any more clear or fuzzy than the other). If I draw my focus in....to the front sight, I see two targets side by side. Again, both targets are of the same clarity. I've learned to shoot at the one on the right.

[EricW]

Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

Yes, same problem here. I've been trying to train my brain to use my right eye. I use a small piece of tape on my left eye and still find myself closing my left eye on long range shots.

Why would you want to force something that is not natural? As far as I know, cross eyed dominance for right handed pistol shooters is a gift. Your brain that processes the shooting on that half of the brain helps you out more.

Sorry to be a smartass, but what address would you like me to send my "gift" to? This isn't a righty/left-eyed dominance problem. It's a "my brain cannot determine my dominant eye" problem. Sometimes you're looking down the gun. Sometimes you see one side of it. It's a royal bitcheroo because it's very challenging to apply a fix that works consistently.

=================================================================================

FWIW, I tried a colored lens over the "supposed to be non-dominant" eye and used a clear over my right tonight. I actually think I might be onto something. What tint works will certainly vary with varying light conditions, but for the couple dozen mounts I tried with it, I did *not* see the left side of the gun once. I'm going to try it at the range tomorrow.

I also may try some type of photogray lens if I can find one and see if that will be autoadjusting enough.

[BNorth]

Interesting

[shooter757]

well then i can't relate. I am cross eyed dominant as well and all i do is aim with the dominant eye and shoot. I don't see two of anything and i shoot accurately.

[EricW]

Definitions are in order at this point.

Cross-Dominance: Being right or left-handed, but left or right-eye-dominate. This is an issue for shooters. This was not the topic of the first post, however.

Weak/Indeterminate Dominance: Either eye may become dominant depending on ambient lighting, visual cues etc. This manifests itself in sometimes seeing a set of aligned sights, then in another instant seeing the left or right side of the gun. People with weak/indeterminate dominance cannot simply switch from lefty to righty or vice-versa and "correct" the dominance problem. One cannot ignore the problem, because it invariably results in misses on the order of *feet* when the eyes trade dominance.

==========================================================

I shot (at) about 300 targets today with a darker lens over my non-dominant eye and clear over my right. It may be a Trick Du Jour, but it seems to work. Best of all, it's very "transparent." It's totally unobtrusive to the user. You really have no awareness that you're using two different lenses. It's MILES better than tape over your glasses. And there's no weird visibility issues (or lack thereof) making L to R transitions. I was able to successfully break long (40+ yard) crossers going from my non to dominate eye with this setup - and in poor lighting. The long crosser in the dark has been the bane of my existence, so it was a good day in that regard.

It's not the most visually appealing set of glasses to others, but I don't plan on going to a fashion show any time soon.

[murkish]

Weak/Indeterminate Dominance: Either eye may become dominant depending on ambient lighting, visual cues etc. This manifests itself in sometimes seeing a set of aligned sights, then in another instant seeing the left or right side of the gun. People with weak/indeterminate dominance cannot simply switch from lefty to righty or vice-versa and "correct" the dominance problem. One cannot ignore the problem, because it invariably results in misses on the order of *feet* when the eyes trade dominance.

Eric has accurately described my issue and proposed a potential solution that I am definitely going to try. Thanks, Eric!

[kitestir]

I am cross I dominant, but it is actually much worse for me. I cannot see through binoculars or microscopes without seeing 2 images of everything. Makes shooting with 2 eyes open impossible........

[BNorth]

Weak/Indeterminate Dominance: Either eye may become dominant depending on ambient lighting, visual cues etc. This manifests itself in sometimes seeing a set of aligned sights, then in another instant seeing the left or right side of the gun. People with weak/indeterminate dominance cannot simply switch from lefty to righty or vice-versa and "correct" the dominance problem. One cannot ignore the problem, because it invariably results in misses on the order of *feet* when the eyes trade dominance.

Eric has accurately described my issue and proposed a potential solution that I am definitely going to try. Thanks, Eric!

I'm going to give this a try also. Looks like I need to find some glasses that I can switch out the lenses independently.

[EricW]

BNorth,

If you stalk the classifieds, you'll generally find a deal on used Rudys every now and then. I'm using Post4's simply because I have them and they're easier to swap out lenses on. I also find that they give me a sharper image than Rudys. The downside is that the lenses offer less protection than Rudys.

I'm going to shoot again tomorrow and see if I still feel the same way about the change.

E

[EricW]

Well...it "worked" yesterday. Today, not so well.

Finding a reference object in the field to focus your attention on before the shooting seems to be the most consistent "fix." I went back to a pair of clear lenses. Maybe I'll reserve the dark left lens for when everything else has failed.

[David Sinko]

I was strongly cross dominant before my corrective vision surgery and that did not change after my surgery. I shoot right handed using my weaker non-dominant right eye (both eyes wide open) and have never had any issues. When I shoot one handed I sometimes squint the opposite eye and get by just fine.

Dave Sinko

[JThompson]

I've been learning to shoot irons with both eyes open... I'm not convinced it's a big advantage if any. Brian seems to think there isn't a lot of difference as well. He explains the reasons on one of the Burkett videos. For those that have an easy time of it I think it's worth it... if it causes major issues for you, I think the time could be better spent elsewhere.

The OP... I'm happy your vision is sooo much improved... I know you will find a way to take advantage of it.

[NetJunkie]

I shoot right handed but am left eye dominant. I'm working on shooting with both eyes open but so far it's still in progress. I do see some people put scotch tape over one side of their glasses to help with the training.

[benos]

I had lasik 4 years ago. Prior to that, I was strongly right eye dominant with roughly 20/200 uncorrected vision in each eye. I am right handed so no real issue. After lasik, I have 20/10 vision in my left eye and 20/20 vision in my right. Recently, I have noticed that I am much less right eye dominant even to the point that I barely have a dominant eye. I was dry firing earlier tonight and noticed that I could shift from using my right eye to using my left with out much difficulty. It is a neat trick and, while it might come in handy if my right eye becomes unavailable at some point, it is disconcerting during the heat of a stage to discover that my brain cannot decide which eye to use.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

I've always been right-handed and left eye dominant. At various times over the years, I experimented with aiming with my right eye, left eye, both eyes, with tape (over one eye or the other), closing or squinting one eye - pretty much everything you could think of.

At one point, I could shoot equally well with either eye. And for some stages, there might be an advantage to shooting with one eye over the other. So to handle the "disconcerting" part, after doping the stage, I'd firmly decide which eye I'd shoot with. I wasn't using tape then, so to help me get started with the "correct" eye, I'd slightly squint the eye I wasn't going to use during "shooter ready...".

But I only kept up the multiple eye thing for about 6 months though. In the end it felt better to pick one eye and stick with it.

be

[mike_pinto]

Hi, I'm Mike and I too am cross eye dominant.

I had to pick just to live with the fact that I have to shoot with both eyes open but see the sights with my left eye. Kinda hard to get used to but gives me another excuse for those less then stellar performances..

[jhe888]

I am pretty strongly cross dominant. With pistols I just use the strong eye, and hold the gun over a tiny bit. No big deal at all, especially free style.

With shoulder arms, after years of shooting right handed, I have not been able to effectively switch shoulders. With a rifle or a carbine, I can do it pretty well, but with a shotgun on moving targets, it has proven more than the limited practice I can give it can overcome. So I use tape dots on my strong eye, and find this works quite well. I use a dot that just barely covers the bird when I am over the gun, so I have a lot of binocular vision left. I might try the different colored lens trick and see how that works.

[priceg]

I have to practice alot to keep my brain from switching eyes on me.

[rvbgtr]

I've got similar problems as Murkish and EricW. I started competitive shooting just after Lasik with one eye adjusted for distance and the other for reading, and noticed that my eyes had changed to Weak/Indeterminate Dominance shortly thereafter, I think. Asked my eye doctor about it and he sort of dismissed it as not possible. Typically, this results in a cross dominance situation. Basically resolved to tape right lens and seems to be working. Maybe time for anther eye doctor.