2016 LH experiment

[damascusdave]

I am 64 years old and shoot both right handed and left handed on a regular basis...I can shoot close to 70 pounds both right and left handed...it all depends on how much you are willing to work at it...if I had given up after 4 months I would not be where I am today...and investing in inexpensive bows just in case things do not work out may not be the wisest idea

DDave

[Blessed One]

I am one of the odd balls who tried for a while left handed and saw no improvement in accuracy. I could still shoot RH just as well as LH, really better, being RH and Left eye dominate. But I am all messed up I grew up throwing RH and kicking with my left foot.  Shot lefty for a while, but when I shoot I don't look down the arrow shaft anyway so maybe that's why I did not see any change, and I'm sure it's cause I am not doing something right.

[Paul Cousineau]

DDave, thanks for your insight. As stated in my previous post I don't have any intentions of giving up after four months. Last time I gave a left handed bow a shot I didn't really set any goals, there was no commitment. I would take out one of my trusty right hand bows whenever I got tired of struggling with the lefty. I decided this time, that shooting left handed exclusively would be a better path to success. I shoot my bows a lot, usually every day. I will be hunting with a trad bow this fall, period. And I'll be using whatever bow I'm shooting best, right or left.

The reason I bought an inexpensive bow was not to minimize my losses in case things don't work out. My current hunting bows range from 53-58 pounds. I'd like to be shooting that same amount of weight with a left handed bow. It would have been a bad idea to try and learn good form at those weights. It doesn't make any sense either, to me to at least, to buy a expensive custom just to replace with a heavier one after a short while. If I had scads of extra money maybe I would have gotten a nicer bow. But I don't.

I'm getting better already. The little things are starting to come.

[jcar315]

Originally posted by R. W. Mackey:
Paul, I am right handed and left eyed dominant, I don't think it's strange at all. Lots of us around. I found out fairly early in my shooting career about the dominance thing. I've been shooting left handed for over 50 years now. It is the best thing I ever did, and I don't give a crap what those experts say, everyone has a stronger eye and it will dominate over the other, just a fact of nature.
  I do think your going about this thing in the wrong frame of mind. If your gonna do something, do it, don't say if it don't work in four months I'll go back to my old ways. This is something worthwhile, give it your all
  Dont over bow yourself and allow your muscle memory to develop, which takes some time, work on just your form and don't worry about any kind of distance until shooting left handed becomes natural.
  It may take two months or five months but it is doable. Worth the wait in my opponion.

RW

Well put. I too still feel "odd" nocking the arrow but I'm a-ok with that.

Switching to LH shooting was THE best thing I ever did. I would encourage you to keep after it and it will come. I felt comfortable shooting LH pretty quickly but everyone is different.

I sold ALL my RH bows when I made the switch in a "burning the ships" kind of move and never regretted it. I was committed to LH shooting from the word go.

Wishing you much success and best of luck.

[damascusdave]

It sounds to me like you are well on your way...just keep us posted, especially if you start getting discouraged...and if at all possible try to get some coaching

DDave

[J-dog]

same here, LE/RH

school would not allow left hand use - so learned everything RH.

Tried LH bow - could not get it straight in my mind. went back to RH. I shoot plenty well in my LE dominant and right handed ways      anything out to 25 yards is a dead duck if it gives me a clear shot. Course even with wheels I never shot live targets passed 25.

Good luck I commend anyone who can make that transition. Just 35 odd yrs shooting like I do just has me se in my ways.

J

[styksnstryngs]

I know a man, shooting Olympic recurve, who made the switch not because of eye, but because of back issues. He started about a year ago and he placed at indoor nationals.

[johnnyk71]

good luck. i never technically "made the switch", but i also grew up shooting right-handed a lot, because only right-handed bows were available. i am left-handed and left-eye dominant, and i shoot lefty. however, i can still pick up a bow and shoot right handed if i want to.

it's a good skill to have, i guess, but your shooting should improve dramatically when you match up your eye with your hand, especially for trad.

[johnnyk71]

also, i appreciate this thread for letting me know who all my competition is in the Classifieds, haha!

[George Vernon]

Paul,
I'm yet another right handed, but left eye dominant shooter.  I think making the switch has other benefits.  For example, shooting left handed puts the bow in the 'right' hand, which is your dominant or stronger arm.  I think this allows me to 'hold' better.  Yes, there will be a period of awkwardness as you get use to left handed mechanics.  But it will pay dividends forever.  I believe in a short period of time you will be impressed with how much more natural the shot process feels and how much more consistent your shooting becomes.

[ChetterB]

I am right handed and left eye dominate. Made the switch about 30 years ago now. My advice is do a lot of close blind bale work and just work on correct form -- whatever that is for you. Target concentration, complete the draw cycle to anchor, and let it fly keeping both hands quiet until arrow hit target.
Once this is mastered start at close target with same form and only move back once you mastered that distance. It will not take that long if you take this programmed approach, good luck Jerry.