Found out my son was cross dominant at the end of last season, which probably cost my boy a good buck. We figured it out by turkey and he was able to get a nice tom squeezing his left eye shut while shooting. I'm curious if anyone has had this issue/found any methods to assist in accuracy. We're probably going to keep an eye patch with us next season to help until he's more comfortable with shooting, but it feels like leaving it on would hurt vision too much and putting it on when needed would require additional movement. Really just looking for other folks experience with this issue.
Cross dominant vision
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My boys are both right handed but left eye dominant, so they both shoot left handed rifles.
This should help you.
My question is, how did he not know this prior to trying to shoot a buck? I'm assuming he never fired at a target?
My question is, how did he not know this prior to trying to shoot a buck? I'm assuming he never fired at a target?
He had shot before, but started late since we didn't have anywhere to shoot before we moved back to Tennessee. We had him out on the range several times before season and he did fine under those conditions. The bigger issue was getting him to hold his gun correctly when he didn't have a rest which is what led to discovering the issue.
Omega
Well-Known Member
Yup, best method and what I do. I didn't need to learn to hold it any different, I just naturally used my left hand as a trigger hand. Funny thing is though, I do not feel comfortable using a left hand rifle. I can, and can hit my target, but it just doesn't feel right working the action.
The trick to find your dominant eye in the video is what I used when I taught my soldiers, except instead of bringing your hands toward your eye, I just had them close one eye at a time, which ever eye lost the item in the hand aperture was your weak eye.
JN
Well-Known Member
I am left handed but right eye dominant. I learned to shoot right handed with bows, pistols, and rifles. I have shot left handed before but had to close my right eye. I prefer to shoot with both eyes open though so I shoot right handed. I am also for the most part ambidextrous so switching between right or left handed is easier for me than others. My dad is the opposite he is right handed and left eye dominant. He can't do anything left handed though so he just closes his left eye when shooting.
Randomly this reminds me that when growing up dad would always make me do certain tasks because he would say this requires someone who is left handed to do. I think now he was just making stuff up so I would have to do it instead of him.
Randomly this reminds me that when growing up dad would always make me do certain tasks because he would say this requires someone who is left handed to do. I think now he was just making stuff up so I would have to do it instead of him.
Statistically speaking a cross-eye-dominant shooter will shoot better if the learn to shoot with their other hand. If it is a slight dominance then closing the dominant eye is an acceptable solution, but learning to shoot both ways is even better. If it is something that is hard to remember to close the eye and/or get the hang of it then you just about have to teach them to shoot with their non-dominant hand
I was left eye dominant and always just closed my left eye. Mainly out 9f necessity my Dad couldn't afford left-handed guns for me only. (Middle kid out of four) and most of my early guns were hand-me-downs. So I just got used to it.
8 years ago I had Lasik surgery and got talked into monocular vision (left eye for reading, right eye for distance) and this switched my eye dominance.
I remember former baseball player, Ben Mcdonald on some of the early Realtree videos would wear an eyepatch and pull it down just before the moment of truth.
8 years ago I had Lasik surgery and got talked into monocular vision (left eye for reading, right eye for distance) and this switched my eye dominance.
I remember former baseball player, Ben Mcdonald on some of the early Realtree videos would wear an eyepatch and pull it down just before the moment of truth.
My son is right handed and left eye dominant. When he started shooting, he didn't want to shoot left handed so we used a patch to cover his left eye or I'd just cover his eye with my hand when a deer showed up. He eventually got where he could close his left eye and shoot on his own. He is 17 now and can shoot a rifle and shotgun just fine. He's killed a ton of deer, squirrels, and rabbits and can shoot skeet as good as anyone.
DomG
Well-Known Member
I had a lot of them guys in the service; it wasn't so much of a training challenge as the optics changed (Night vision & aiming lasers, ACOG, & M68) and keeping both eyes open became the primary aiming technique.
Before that era, it took a little more training & ammo to make them expert riflemen.
Before that era, it took a little more training & ammo to make them expert riflemen.
Kevin Snook
Well-Known Member
I'm that way- I shoot long guns left handed
Pistols I shoot right handed but actually hold it to the left..
Pistols I shoot right handed but actually hold it to the left..
Rakkin6
Well-Known Member
So I am an odd ball, I shoot a pistol left handed and a rifle right. I bar from the right but can also bat left, I eat, throw, and write left handed.
If it was me I would teach him to shoot from the dominant eye side. For me personally it was a lot easier going off eye dominance has opposed to hand.
Another advantage for me was during transition drills when I dropped my rifle and drew my sidearm the rifle didn't get in my way on the draw.
If it was me I would teach him to shoot from the dominant eye side. For me personally it was a lot easier going off eye dominance has opposed to hand.
Another advantage for me was during transition drills when I dropped my rifle and drew my sidearm the rifle didn't get in my way on the draw.
I didn't know this was a thing. I have been left eye dominant my whole life but shoot all firearms right handed. I just close my left eye. Also, I swing a bat left handed, and putt left handed.
So that's it!!!! I always wondered why I'd hear bang! bang! bang! and the dove/duck just kept right on going!
Yep, that is the reason.
