Left Eye Dominance Solved?

[Matt Cheely]

Keep him shooting left handed.

[Mark K]

I would like to know where the idea that because you are left eye dominant, you should shoot left handed came from.

With Pistol shooting, there is absolutely NO advantage to it. At the risk of repeating myself, I was a member if the US International Shooting team in the late 1980's and early 1990's, and a member of the USAMU. Lots of knowledge there, and with rifle shooting, the idea is since you are bringing rifle up to your eye, it would be BETTER if your hand and eye dominance were the same side. However, if you had already learned the complex neuro-muscular skills involved with shooting with say your right hand side, and you then learn about eye dominance, you do not try and change over to the other side.

If you are cross dominant, you just have to compensate with a rifle by using some vision blocker, to block your dominant eye from seeing the target, not blocking everything.

Same goes with Pistol shooting - you need to know which eye is dominant, and sight with that eye. In no time, a person will find that they are drawing to that eye. It effects nothing else.

Again, the cross eye dominance and handedness is really only a relevant discussion when talking about Rifles and Shotguns.

Mark K.

[Wendytww]

I would like to know where the idea that because you are left eye dominant, you should shoot left handed came from.

With Pistol shooting, there is absolutely NO advantage to it. At the risk of repeating myself, I was a member if the US International Shooting team in the late 1980's and early 1990's, and a member of the USAMU. Lots of knowledge there, and with rifle shooting, the idea is since you are bringing rifle up to your eye, it would be BETTER if your hand and eye dominance were the same side. However, if you had already learned the complex neuro-muscular skills involved with shooting with say your right hand side, and you then learn about eye dominance, you do not try and change over to the other side.

If you are cross dominant, you just have to compensate with a rifle by using some vision blocker, to block your dominant eye from seeing the target, not blocking everything.

Same goes with Pistol shooting - you need to know which eye is dominant, and sight with that eye. In no time, a person will find that they are drawing to that eye. It effects nothing else.

Again, the cross eye dominance and handedness is really only a relevant discussion when talking about Rifles and Shotguns.

Mark K.

When I started, I shot right handed and was getting very frustrated. My husband suggested that I try left handed and I felt a LOT more in control and as a bonus, I was able to rack the slide easier. I have a much better grasp of shooting now than I did (not hard when you know nothing to start) so I just changed my rig to right handed this morning and WOW it is HARD. This is going to take some serious practice!

Edited July 17, 2009 by Wendytww

[Mark K]

I would like to know where the idea that because you are left eye dominant, you should shoot left handed came from.

With Pistol shooting, there is absolutely NO advantage to it. At the risk of repeating myself, I was a member if the US International Shooting team in the late 1980's and early 1990's, and a member of the USAMU. Lots of knowledge there, and with rifle shooting, the idea is since you are bringing rifle up to your eye, it would be BETTER if your hand and eye dominance were the same side. However, if you had already learned the complex neuro-muscular skills involved with shooting with say your right hand side, and you then learn about eye dominance, you do not try and change over to the other side.

If you are cross dominant, you just have to compensate with a rifle by using some vision blocker, to block your dominant eye from seeing the target, not blocking everything.

Same goes with Pistol shooting - you need to know which eye is dominant, and sight with that eye. In no time, a person will find that they are drawing to that eye. It effects nothing else.

Again, the cross eye dominance and handedness is really only a relevant discussion when talking about Rifles and Shotguns.

Mark K.

When I started, I shot right handed and was getting very frustrated. My husband suggested that I try left handed and I felt a LOT more in control and as a bonus, I was able to rack the slide easier. I have a much better grasp of shooting now than I did (not hard when you know nothing to start) so I just changed my rig to right handed this morning and WOW it is HARD. This is going to take some serious practice!

My point was that eye dominance is not a reason to change what hand you shoot with. If you are shooting better left handed, go with it.

Mark

[Matt Griffin]

I would like to know where the idea that because you are left eye dominant, you should shoot left handed came from.

With Pistol shooting, there is absolutely NO advantage to it. At the risk of repeating myself, I was a member if the US International Shooting team in the late 1980's and early 1990's, and a member of the USAMU. Lots of knowledge there, and with rifle shooting, the idea is since you are bringing rifle up to your eye, it would be BETTER if your hand and eye dominance were the same side. However, if you had already learned the complex neuro-muscular skills involved with shooting with say your right hand side, and you then learn about eye dominance, you do not try and change over to the other side.

If you are cross dominant, you just have to compensate with a rifle by using some vision blocker, to block your dominant eye from seeing the target, not blocking everything.

Same goes with Pistol shooting - you need to know which eye is dominant, and sight with that eye. In no time, a person will find that they are drawing to that eye. It effects nothing else.

Again, the cross eye dominance and handedness is really only a relevant discussion when talking about Rifles and Shotguns.

Mark K.

Not defending the idea, but at a guess it probably came from bullseye and Weaver, where it makes a difference. Modern Freestyle grip it isn't a hindrance at all.

H.

[Flyin40]

Hang on, folks. Couldn't it be argued that shooting is similar to golf, and that if you learn cross-handed, you're actually at an advantage? Consider:

1. The grip. A great grip is one where the support hand leads, and the "strong" hand concentrates on working the trigger. Cross handed would help here.

2. Mag changes. Strong hand pushes a button. Weak hand moves to belt, grabs new mag, and inserts at highest possible speed. Where do you want your smart hand in this scenario?

3. SHO/WHO stages. If you're constantly training your dumb hand to shoot, then you'll naturally be better at both, since the less-trained hand was smarter to begin with.

4. Stage design. Valid point, and one that irks me as a lefty as well. DOORS CAN BE HUNG ON EITHER SIDE, USPSA! Of course, you occasionally get a stage designed against righties, but it's 1/5 at best.

5. Equipment. It does have an effect on used equipment, granted. It also is a pain on 1911s and other anachronisms that only have one-sided controls. Past a certain point your training overcomes these issues, but it is definitely annoying as a beginner.

H.

There are top shooters who switched hands based on which eye was dominant. It is an option, especially if your a beginner. I know I could switch to being right hand without much of an issue. It would just take alot of dryfire for several months. I'm left handed, throw a baseball right, kick right footed, throw a football left handed, golf right handed, can bat either way. This is just do to being left handed.

Something alot of people don't realize is being left handed has a big advantage over most people, not all but most. When your learning any sport or whatever chances are 99% of the time the coach or whoever is showing you how to perform a certain task is right handed. A left handed person has to learn how to translate everything that is shown to them to the opposite hand without seeing how it is actually done with that hand. Just ask a left handed person to show you how to do something with their left hand then try to do it with your right, something new that you don't know how to do. It can be done but your mind isn't programmed to think that way. If I show people something about shooting I will start out with my left but will also show them how to do it with my right hand so they absorb it better.

Also since the majority of equipment is for right handed people sometimes kids just start using that equipment because thats all they have to use.

I don't think it really matters what hand you shoot with as long as your comfortable

Flyin

Edited July 17, 2009 by Flyin40

[Hartmann]

Hey all, long time lurker, first time poster here, so go easy

I'm the same as many here: right hand/left eye, but my solution seems to differ from those posed above. My solution is simply to close my left eye during the draw and shot. It's an automatic and consistent action, I have usually shot in the top 5-10% in the gun course skills tests I have taken. (I haven't taken the USPSA qualifier yet so I don't know my Class)

Closing the left eye has some problems, the worst of which I have found is that by closing one eye, the right eyelid sort of gets "squished" down too (parasympathetic response?). This seems to result in my sometimes not seeing the FS lift; my logic being that since the right eye is somewhat closed, it's just that much easier to blink during recoil.

Shooting rifle though, I have begun recently experimenting with switch to firing left side, and I find this especially helpful for long shots.

I'm tossing this out as another option, but also to get feedback from those with more experience than I have.

[Duane Thomas]

When I started, I shot right handed and was getting very frustrated.

Why, just out of curiosity?

[Duane Thomas]

I'm tossing this out as another option, but also to get feedback from those with more experience than I have.

I'm afraid you're not going to be able to find very many experiemcned shooters willing to buy off on the idea of deliberately closing your dominant eye and using the non-dominant eye.

[Duane Thomas]

Keep him shooting left handed.

Why?

[Hartmann]

I'm afraid you're not going to be able to find very many experiemcned shooters willing to buy off on the idea of deliberately closing your dominant eye and using the non-dominant eye.

OK, why is that?

[CJDOUBLETAP]

I'm afraid you're not going to be able to find very many experiemcned shooters willing to buy off on the idea of deliberately closing your dominant eye and using the non-dominant eye.

I could see that being an option for a long gun.

[Wendytww]

When I started, I shot right handed and was getting very frustrated.

Why, just out of curiosity?

I think I was trying to move the gun over without knowing what I was doing. My stance was really uncomfortable because of that and my grip suffered. I did our monthly steel match today rgith handed and it went ok. It is a little like starting over but not quite. It is better than when I first started shooting and I think I will get over the awkwardness fast.

[FillYerHands]

Thanks all for your comments and suggestions. Here are some other observations:

He uses a very even isoceles stance, so the "turning the head" option isn't in play. He just shifts he gun left about a half inch and he's lined up.

He shoots with both eyes open. So do I and I have no problem.

We are going to try the left handed option for a while and see how it goes. He played with it some this weekend and he can get the mag release with his index finger, so I said go with it. Heck, he's young, if he decides after 10 years to change he still has plenty of time to correct it.

Plus, I think he will really do well on single handed "weak" hand stages. It will almost be cheating.

Now I need to go buy a left handed holster. For now he has one of my IWB holsters clipped to the belt but it's floppy as heck.

[GrumpyOne]

Left eye dominant / right hand? I had this problem for 41 years and just now finding out about it? When I was taught by my Dad, 36 years ago, he handed me a .22 rifle, said "Shoot this at that", and that was pretty much it. Do what is comfortable to YOU, not what someone else thinks you should be doing because they do it this way. As a result, I write right handed, play golf right handed, play pool left handed, play baseball right handed, shot a long gun left handed, shoot a pistol right handed. Natural is fast and accurate. PS. I also close my non dominant eye when I shoot!

[Duane Thomas]

I'm afraid you're not going to be able to find very many experiemcned shooters willing to buy off on the idea of deliberately closing your dominant eye and using the non-dominant eye.[/quote}

OK, why is that?

Because the reason we call it the dominant eye is that it's either slightly or considerably stronger than the non-dominant eye. It's able to focus better, to bring things into sharper sight in less time, to switch focus in and out faster. That's the eye want to be using to do our aiming.

[Hartmann]

Because the reason we call it the dominant eye is that it's either slightly or considerably stronger than the non-dominant eye. It's able to focus better, to bring things into sharper sight in less time, to switch focus in and out faster. That's the eye want to be using to do our aiming.

Good point. I recently found that my (non dominant) right eye has slight astigmatism, which isn't apparent until I am aiming at targets beyond 100 yds. Clearly my brain decided a while ago that since my left eye sees better, it'll be the dominant eye.

I will begin giving the turn-your-head-slightly approach a try and see if it is better.

Edited July 21, 2009 by Hartmann

[Duane Thomas]

Cool.

[t0066jh]

I'm right handed, left eye dominant. Dry fire taught me what's best for me. Two eyes open for short targets. Left eye open, right eye closed. Try it yourself. Draw to short, medium and long targets and find which way is best to get an acceptable sight picture. Then repeat, slow, then faster etc. Twenty minutes a day will form the habit in just a few days.

For a medium distance target, I'll turn my head slight right, focus on the target with my left eye open, right eye closed and draw to the sight picture and let the round go.

That's how it works for me.

Edited September 11, 2009 by t0066jh

[Flyin40]

Thanks all for your comments and suggestions. Here are some other observations:

He uses a very even isoceles stance, so the "turning the head" option isn't in play. He just shifts he gun left about a half inch and he's lined up.

He shoots with both eyes open. So do I and I have no problem.

We are going to try the left handed option for a while and see how it goes. He played with it some this weekend and he can get the mag release with his index finger, so I said go with it. Heck, he's young, if he decides after 10 years to change he still has plenty of time to correct it.

Plus, I think he will really do well on single handed "weak" hand stages. It will almost be cheating.

Now I need to go buy a left handed holster. For now he has one of my IWB holsters clipped to the belt but it's floppy as heck.

Looks like he is on the right track. How is he progressing??

Flyin

[Loves2Shoot]

Let him pick is my vote.

When I first started shooting, an experienced shooter told me to shoot left handed as my left eye is slightly more dominant, but neither eye is dominant enough for me to see one crisp sight picture without obstructing the off eye. I have found no down side in obstructing the off eye with tape or a frosted lens in the proper spot. Most of the theories I've heard espoused that is is bad or is a disadvantage just don't hold water in my personal experience. I can shoot fine with both eyes (either eye) but I prefer the crystal clear sight picture of obscuring my off eye when pushing the limits.

To this day I feel that you should switch from your naturally dominant handing was some of the WORST advise I've been given. I spent over a year using my left hand, so I did give it a real go.

[Duane Thomas]

When I first started shooting, an experienced shooter told me to shoot left handed as my left eye is slightly more dominant

Obviously a true expert.

[ajg308]

I am the same way. I learned to shoot left handed, I think it is the way to go.

[Flyin40]

When I first started shooting, an experienced shooter told me to shoot left handed as my left eye is slightly more dominant

Obviously a true expert.

So you saying you don't agree??

Flyin

[Duane Thomas]

Yes. If you're right-handed, why on Earth would anyone choose to shoot left-handed? Not only are you deliberately handicapping yourself by using your less dextrous hand, but now you've got controls are on the wrong side of the gun for best manipulation.