Aircooled6racer Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Hello: If this has been posted before I just could not find it. What I am going to try to do is switch from just using my right eye to focus to using both eyes open. I was just wondering what others that have done this have done to speed up the process. I am getting double vision problems (no I have not been drinking) and found I have to focus more on the target. Then the front sight is in focus. I have been only shooting a pistol for just over 2 years now and I am needing something to help me move up the ladder. I figure shooting with both eyes open has to be faster on transitions and just helpful seeing the targets. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfwmiket Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Yeah, this has been discussed quite a few times, but I can't for the life of me tell you the correct search criteria. What I do right now is put a piece of tape on my glasses over the non-dominant eye to clear up the double vision. Gradually, you'll be able to go to smaller and smaller pieces of tape,and then eventually none at all. ( I haven't gotten that far yet, but tape and both eyes open is much better than closing an eye, at least in my experience.) You may find that it isn't worth the hassle, and stick with what works for you, even if that is closing an eye........but don't be afraid to experiment. -Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranDoc Posted May 31, 2008 Share Posted May 31, 2008 (edited) Just ran a search. Start on the 'Advanced Search' page and use the phrase <"tape" and "lens">, or <"taped lens">. There are detailed descriptions of where to put the tape. Experiment to see what works for you, YMMV. If you wear corrective lenses, and especially if you wear bifocals, consider monovision lenses (dominant eye focused on front sight). I used to squint, changed to tape and monovision shooting glasses. MUCH better, IMHO. Edited May 31, 2008 by FranDoc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herky Posted May 31, 2008 Share Posted May 31, 2008 I took my Ruger 22 and brick of ammo to the range everytime I practiced and shot mag after mag with both eyes open. Took awhile and I still go to one eye on shots 25 yards and out. Kind of like muscle memory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted June 3, 2008 Author Share Posted June 3, 2008 Hello: Thanks for the replies. I appreciate it. I think for me it will be a case of just trying it and shooting that way all the time. I went to 2 matches this past weekend and actually shot a couple of stages with both eyes open. It is amazing how well it works when you are on the timer ;-) The closer shots are easier right now. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark K Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 I am fairly new to USPSA shooting, but have 20 years experience as an International Rifle shooter witht he Army. 1st it is a well know fact that the eyes react in tandum with a change in light - cover one eye, and the other eye will dialate (sp?) slightly, even though it does not need the additional light. SO if you need to cover one eye, make sure you don't change the amount of light. I shoot right handed, though I am left eye dominate. However, my right eye still confuses the sight picture for me, so all I do is stick a small piece of translucent tape in the spot in my right lens where it blocks my right eye from seeing a sight picture, but does not block any other vision for the right eye. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 Hello: I shot my first match with both eyes open. It was a local match with lots of steel. I did very well on the paper targets but the small steel gave me some problems. I think it helps on target transition alot. I also found out most of the guys shoot with both eyes open in our club. Why didn't they tell me this 2 years ago when I started shooting. I will need more practice at this but I think it is the way to go for me. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDRODA396 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 When I started shooting both eyes open, I had a hard focusing on the front sight against a plain background, like a full size target. So I put a black pasty in the lower middle of the A Zone and it gave me some to focus on instead of blank brown cardboard, this helped immensly early on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Suber Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 I just switched to Open and I am having the same problem. 16 years of shooting Limited, I always used a bit of tape on my left eye (non-dominant). I had to in order to prevent double vision on poppers, plates etc. When I switched to Open back in May, I was told the tape was not needed anymore. Well, I shot a classifier with 2 close targets - I saw 4 targets. So, another shooter told me to dry-fire with a paster over the CMore lense. He said this would help me learn to look through the dot. Helped in dry-fire but not shooting. Poppers, plates, and targets with verticle hard-cover (stripes especially) ate my lunch this past weekend. So, I tried tape again yesterday. That seems to be the ticket. I definitely can pick up the dot faster and can discriminate the edges on hard-cover a lot better. I am glad I am not the only one with this problem....I thought I was really messed (other than the obvious)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IL-SIG Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 I don't mean to be argumentative, but if shooting with one eye open is the most comfortable for a person - wouldn't that be a good way to go? Then spend practice time on better trigger prep, dry-firing, follow through, reloads, etc. I would think that in total, all of the other aspects of shooting will have a bigger impact on your shoting than whether you have one or two eyes open. For the record, you should always have at least one eye open Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted June 16, 2008 Author Share Posted June 16, 2008 Hello: Shot another match today using the 2 eyes open method. It is getting easier but still takes some time. I notice the transitions are alot faster with both eyes open. The double vision is less now than it was but still there on some targets. I know it will take time and practice. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JThompson Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 I don't mean to be argumentative, but if shooting with one eye open is the most comfortable for a person - wouldn't that be a good way to go? Then spend practice time on better trigger prep, dry-firing, follow through, reloads, etc. I would think that in total, all of the other aspects of shooting will have a bigger impact on your shoting than whether you have one or two eyes open. For the record, you should always have at least one eye open There's nothing wrong with shooting with one eye blocked or shut... some just squint a bit. Brian touches on this very thing in one of his books or interviews with Matt. He came to the conclusion that he didn't think it much mattered because his field of view with one eye was such that target acquisition via peripheral vision was enough that he wasn't losing any time acquiring. I have done some research in this are and came to this conclusion. If it's an easy transition and your eyes/mind are suited to it I would use both eyes open. I would not spend hours and hours in training to use both open... I don't think it's worth the time... others may disagree. JT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee King Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 I am right handed but left eye dominant as well. I used to just squint my right eye closed. But I found I was actually struggling to pick up the sight after the first shot. Transitions were horrible too. I tried a piece of tape on my glasses and found I can snap from target to target much faster and pick up the sights for the 2nd shot way better than before. For me the trick was to have the tape high enough so that when I lowered my head just slightly per my normal stance it blocked my eye, but high and small enough that I could see targets out of my peripheral vision. Having said that, I was rushed walking up to my first 2 stages at the local match this weekend and forgot to switch glasses. I tried just squinting a little with my right eye. Partially closed. The first was "Can You Count" and not really an issue because the targets were so close. The 2nd was my best stage of the day. I don't think squinting had anything to do with it. Just that it didn't make a difference. I don't remember if I squinted or not after the first couple of shots. But to a degree that sort of reinforces the idea that I may not really need the tape now. It will be interesting to play with that during some live fire practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Smith Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 Like Lee, I am right handed - left eye dominant. Unlike Lee, I suspect, I have old eyes (58) and my left eye is worse, so I shoot right eye only. I've tried tape on the glasses - which only served to confuse me on transitions. What does seem to work is to close my left eye enough (squint) to force my right eye into focus the moment before the shot. And like JT says, the both eyes philosophy may be outdated. It's largely a carry over from defensive pistol which teaches the importance of peripheral vision for threat assessment. But even that is changing. I went through a two day defensive pistol course this spring and here is what the instructor told me concerning my particular situation, "When your life is on the line, textbook answers aren't worth spit." He teaches a lot of police and special weapons classes and emphasizes that, at close range, you should be depending more on muscle memory than your sights - the sight becomes a guide as speed is the most important factor. At middle distance, speed and accuracy become more balanced, you should have a good sight picture, but don't waste time getting it. At distance, accuracy is key - even he closes one eye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chp5 Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 There's nothing wrong with shooting with one eye blocked or shut... some just squint a bit. Brian touches on this very thing in one of his books or interviews with Matt. I agree with this. IMO, everyone's eyes work differently. I agree with the advice of shooting a lot of .22 on plate racks. Also - there's not one single answer - in other words, sometimes you shoot with 2 open, but close 1 for tough shots or steel. You have to experiment and see what works for you. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genghis Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 YMMV, but most of what's been said is true for most people: * Over a period of time, closing one eye causes fatigue from squinting. * Closing one eye tells the brain it's dark, which conflicts with the signal coming from the other eye, so your pupils don't know whether to dilate or not. A lot of people solve this problem by putting clear tape on their glasses in front of their weak eye. Dark tape or pasters block light, but clear tape just disrupts the focus and forces you to use the strong eye. Take a shooting position (without the gun, of course) then have a friend look at your eye and put the tape on the glasses lens to block your line of sight. Make sure there is no dust on the tape or lens. This method helped for me, but I know some people who shoot with one eye closed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bountyhunter Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 Hello: I shot my first match with both eyes open. It was a local match with lots of steel. I did very well on the paper targets but the small steel gave me some problems. I think it helps on target transition alot. I also found out most of the guys shoot with both eyes open in our club. Why didn't they tell me this 2 years ago when I started shooting. I will need more practice at this but I think it is the way to go for me. Thanks, Eric They probably got tired of getting into arguments with people who say "everybody knows you have to close your left and and focus on the front sight" to shoot a gun. I think I got into a few of those threads here. For a while, they had "the Don Quixote of target Focus" in my name block. If you want to research it, you might try "target focus" or "indirect sighting". Michael Plaxco has a section on it in his book "Shooting From Within". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crabby Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 I have tried shooting with both eyes opened ... and have not moderate success. I have applied tape over my non-dominate eye lens and this helps greatly. But for longer shots or smaller targets (small poppers, etc.), I still used dominate eye only. For me (and I know that everyone is different), I can't see much difference shooting one eye vs. two eyes. I really believe that after I have finished "experimenting" - I will end up doing what I have been doing: keep both eyes opened for close targets and use dominant eye only for targets that are medium range or further. One thing is for sure: I am convinced that shooting smaller targets or distant targets require the extra precision of using only the dominant eye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stockton Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 The issue is "double vision". Hold your thumb out at arms length and look at you thumbnail. Now, with you arm and thumb still extended, focus on something further away. You now see TWO thumbs! Think of the triangle your eyes make with the thumb or further object. They can't converge on both at the same time! So, when you focus on the further object (further focal plane), your eyes are not converging on the thumb (or sight/dot) in the nearer focal plane and this causes the double vision on the near object. Ditto for the further object if you focus on the closer object (a sight/dot). This is simple physics and cannot be changed. So... What you are really trying to do is gradually force greater dominance in your dominant eye. The plate rack and .22 idea is great, but a FREE way to do it is by just holding a pen or something out at arms length and focus on objects at various distances while ALSO trying to watch the end of the pen with your dominant eye. Start by slightly squinting your non-dominant eye to force the dominance to your dominant one. Eventually, you should be able to force dominance at will to your dominant eye even with both fully open. Now, the next trick (as people in this thread have figured out) is WHAT you focus on when you shoot... Near object (sights/dot) or far object (target). However, I respectfully defer to Brian's excellent book- and the multitude of threads- on this subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chp5 Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 Well said Stockton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted June 22, 2008 Author Share Posted June 22, 2008 Hello: I shot a match today using both eyes open and using my right eye with a slight closing of my left eye on long shots. It is getting alot easier and I am now feeling comfortable using both eyes open. I have read Brian's book, twice actually and his thoughts on sight pictures has helped also. I appreciate all the help you guys have given me. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueridge Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 You may find more benefit than you expect shooting with both eyes open. I was taught to shoot with both eyes open since I started shooting handguns. I was at a match one Saturday and was having trouble with my left eye ( I'm right handed, but left eye dominant), and I naturally changed to shooting with my right eye without realizing it. I wear contacts of which my left one was giving me problems. I don't know that I would have been able to make the transition had I not already shot with both eyes open. I have also found that when shooting around barricades and such that I can change to the eye on the side I am shooting from without much problem if I need to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonyman65 Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 I would practice at the range with both eyes open. my groups would be bigger, not as accurate, but after a while I would learn my NPA after about 3 months of eyes-open practice, my groups where just as good using both eyes open as it (originally) was using the one eye. You should always use both eyes when shooting, one on the front sight, one on the target/surroundings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PINMAN44 Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 I like both eyes open. I focus all my attention on that front sight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted July 18, 2008 Author Share Posted July 18, 2008 Hello: Thanks guys for all the kind words. It is still a little more difficult using both eyes but getting better. I am going to the eye doctor next week to see how bad my eyes are now and if I need glasses My wife says I need a laser but I am not sure if she is saying for my eyes or ? Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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