Left/Right Eye Dominant-Which way to shoot?

CHM · #1 11-03-2015, 08:22 AM

My 2 daughters (13 and 11) have been introduced to archery and love it. They have been using an inexpensive recurve to see if they take to the sport like their dad has. They have enjoyed it so much that it's time to get them a better bow.

Interesting- they are both right handed, but are left eye dominant.

Should they be learning to shoot left handed? Does eye dominance trump physical coordination?

Now's the time to deal with this matter. Good news it they're both the same so I don't have to buy both a left and right handed bow. I don't want to lead them down a path where they have to undo bad habits when they're older.

Appreciate your opinions. Thanks all.

Lefty-Canuck · #2 11-03-2015, 08:28 AM

The hand should follow the eye, but not always. Teach them to shoot both eyes open.

LC

CHM · #3 11-03-2015, 08:47 AM

Thanks for the reply. Do you mean left hand draw for left eye dominant?

Good idea to have them learn to shoot with both eyes open. I don't, but maybe I should too based on my progressive glasses prescription!

Bigfeet · #4 11-03-2015, 08:51 AM

When my son starting shooting a bow (around 10 years old when he started to want to consistently hit what he aimed at), he had trouble with his eye dominance. Neither eye was dominate, and we tried all the tests to check it out. No problems with his vision, just no specific dominance. To help him shoot, I took and old pair of sunglasses, broke out the right lens and taped up the left. He then shot right handed (his natural hand), with both eyes open and developed good shooting form. In a few months his right eye became more dominant, and not because we were shooting a lot. We weren't, and he only wore those glasses when he was taking a shot. Just seemed that, as he grew older, his eyes changed a little and his right became dominant. But, the glasses did help him develop good form. Might be something to try.

SBE2 · #5 11-03-2015, 08:51 AM

Teach them to shoot left, it wont affect anything else they do right handed. I'm right handed for everything except shooting guns and bow. When i got into archery I wasn't going to train myself the other way for more physical comfort/ability because i shoot shotgun a lot so I stayed with my left eye, and forced myself to start shooting compound bow left handed. Awkward at first, but after about 50 arrows it was not a big deal. They are young and the muscle memory won't be as big of a deal, they won't have an issue learning to shoot left, and nothing else they do in life right handed will change.

Lefty-Canuck · #6 11-03-2015, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CHM

Thanks for the reply. Do you mean left hand draw for left eye dominant?

Good idea to have them learn to shoot with both eyes open. I don't, but maybe I should too based on my progressive glasses prescription!

Yes left hand draw if left eye dominant.

I do things differently, I am left handed but right eye dominant. I acquire the target with my right eye closed. Then open the right eye before I shoot. That way my brain has the picture and the picture doesn't "flip" on me with the dominant eye taking over.

Not suggesting they learn this way though.

LC

Bigfeet · #7 11-03-2015, 08:53 AM

I should add, if their left eye dominance doesn't change I think learning to shoot with the left hand is probably best.

L.O.S.T.Arrow · #8 11-03-2015, 09:32 AM

We have many each year with the same issue, old school dictates shot with eye dominace left -left... right-right however if your like me I couldnt shoot left handed to save my life...

As mentioned sometimes people are on the border line of being ambidextrous Or able to use both eyes equally as well for dominance...with a little added assistance...

Some will have both eyes fight for dominace and during an eye dominace test the left eye may be stronger in sight so will be stronger in dominace...

If funds allow have them shoot right handed as they naturally are...however be sure to use a peep..start with a 1/4 " peep...this will train the right eye to dominace when shooting...

IMHO bowhunters should absolutely shoot with both eyes open...

Neil

Daslogster · #9 11-03-2015, 09:46 AM

I am very left eye dominant but spent years shooting competitively and taught myself to shoot right handed just because of equipment availability back then. It is easy enough to train to shoot with both eyes open (I shot competitive recurve, no peeps allowed) and when using peeps its easy. Shooting handgun I automatically use my left eye and I have a hard time shooting flying targets with a shotgun as my left eye establishes dominance but I can't shotgun left hand. Now with equipment being so readily available, I would probably shoot left for everything.

petew · #10 11-03-2015, 10:09 AM

Some are not able to switch hands, and a simple solution is to have the shooter slightly squint the dominant eye while shooting both eyes open. This forces the other eye to be the dominant eye for the shot.

NEWB · #11 11-03-2015, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CHM

My 2 daughters (13 and 11) have been introduced to archery and love it. They have been using an inexpensive recurve to see if they take to the sport like their dad has. They have enjoyed it so much that it's time to get them a better bow.

Interesting- they are both right handed, but are left eye dominant.

Should they be learning to shoot left handed? Does eye dominance trump physical coordination?

Now's the time to deal with this matter. Good news it they're both the same so I don't have to buy both a left and right handed bow. I don't want to lead them down a path where they have to undo bad habits when they're older.

Appreciate your opinions. Thanks all.

Right handed and left eye dominant here too.

I went to Jim Bows a while back. I was set up shooting on the left. Although the shots were placed good, it was very akward for me to shoot and I was geting frustrated.

I had them reset up the bow to right "eye dominant". It felt more natural to me although I had a few more challenges shooting with the right eye. Still shot well though for first time shooter.

My advice correct or not is to try out a left and right eye dominant set up and see what feels more natural to them. Not sure if that is the way it should be but it worked well for me.

freeride · #12 11-03-2015, 11:02 AM

I am right handed left eye dominant.
I descided if I was going to learn to shoot well it was going to take a lot of practice with either hand. It was differnt for a left hand draw but it didnt take very long to get used to.
My reasoning for choosing the dominant eye over the dominant hand was that the arm muscles would adapt and I wouldnt be in a situation where I would have to remember to shut one eye when dealing with a big bull or buck in front of me.

At their ages it would only take a few trips to the range to get good at drawing with the other hand. So I would vote dominant eye.

calgarychef · #13 11-03-2015, 12:28 PM

Pete hit the nail on the head and it's what I've been doing forever. Squint the dominant eye but Don't shut it, like pete says the non dominant eye will take over and the bonus is you still have your depth perception.

Bullseyeshooter · #14 11-03-2015, 12:38 PM

Hand should follow the eye

backyard · #15 11-03-2015, 12:48 PM

i was always taught to shut my eye... that was 35 years ago and I still shut my eye but I have too I tried to shoot both open and everything goes fuzzy... I was also forced to shoot right handed when I was a kid... wore a patch for a year until I could close my eye...

omega50 · #16 11-03-2015, 02:07 PM

Left eye dominant but right handed-when I took up archery I decided to outfit myself with a cheap used Left Handed Compound bow to see if I could make the switch.

Old technology Pearson round wheel Renegade with very little let-off pulling over 100lbs.
Funny to watch me try to pull that back left handed. Learned over time not to shake so bad

Eventually went to Jim-Bows and got a properly weighted LH Bowtech Old Glory.

I was thrilled with the results and accuracy of shooting LH

lmtada · #17 11-03-2015, 02:17 PM

Ambidextrous, can throw a baseball r/l hand. Left a little bit faster. Right a little more accurate. Shoot rifle R/L. Just need to remember how I sighted it.

CHM · #18 11-03-2015, 09:07 PM

Thanks All for your input! Lots of good ideas to assist in their development of their passion for archery.

ramonmark · #19 11-08-2015, 08:58 PM

With my compound I shoot left hand, which matches my eye dominantcy. I learned as a wee lad with a right hand draw bow and didn't learn that I was left eye dominant until a few years ago. At that point I switched and have had a lot better results with accuracy. My draw weight is quite a bit lower but not too bad.

Here's the funny part. I shoot my traditional bow right handed. I find with instinctive shooting it doesn't really matter what eye dominate/hand I am. It's kind of like throwing a rock or shooting a sling shot. Whatever feels most
Comfortable at the time.