Shooting with Glasses

[macksdad]

I started out wearing glasses to read and do up close work, I am finding myself wearing the glasses most all of the time anymore. I like to take them off when I shoot but it is getting harder to focus. My problem is that my anchor is my middle finger in the corner of my mouth and my hand hits my glasses before I get to anchor and makes for uncomfortable shooting and it distracts me from my focus. I guess its kind of a catch 22 . I guess I could change my anchor and retrain myself, I really hate wearing glasses hunting becuase of the glare that they produce, they have to be like a strobe light in the woods. Anybody else have this problem and what do you do about it?

[BuckyT]

I'm fortunate that I don't need to wear glasses but I have plenty of friends who do need glasses.

All of my buddy's who require glasses wear contacts.  None of them hunt with glasses on.

Or you can save your money and have Lasik surgery done.

My uncle did that and says it was the best decision he's made!

[Northwest_Bowhunter]

When I wore glasses I didn't have trouble with anchor but since I hunt in and around a rainforest most of the time I had fogging troubles.  There were so many things I thought would be better if I didn't wear glasses and I was right, Lasik surgery was the best money I spent and aiming and everything is better.  I used to, just prior to release, have to close one eye slightly but that cleared up when i got rid of glasses as well.

[Stumpkiller]

I can see about seven inches distant without my glasses, so I have no choice.  I get small lenses that sit close to my eye and shoot split finger without leaning my head in much.

[bowgy]

You might try some other frames.  I wear glasses for reading etc. I tried shooting with them on once and had the same problem with the string hitting the frame. I do lots of stump shooting with sunglasses on though and it works fine.

[dnovo]

I' ve been wearing glasses most of my life and shooting with them. I have no trouble at all with hitting them when shooting, so our form must be really different . I also anchor with the middle finger in the corner of the mouth. I actually had to get up and try it to see where the string was. I guess if the glasses are a large frame or do you do something with your hand besides come straight back into anchor?
I have no contact at all, so am not any help

[Ric O'Shay]

If your head is not canted, or if it is upright, you probably will hit your glasses with the string. I've worn glasses since before we had TV and shot with them with no problems. Check your head position, cant your bow and tilt your head; turn your body a little towards the target. That should clear the specs easily.

[ncsaknech1ydh]

After watching Rick Welches latest DVD a little over a year ago, I have been shooting my longbow vertical, but unlike Rick, because of my large rimmed glasses, I also keep my head vertical and it works great for me. Like you, when I tried tilting my head to get my nose on the string, my glasses would hit and really mess me up!

[FrankM]

I don't have that problem and wear glasses. But I have a fat head. Anyway, maybe you could find some glasses with a different shape?

[njloco]

Unfortunately guys, Lasik cannot fix everything. I have lost a lot of distant and close up ability and it's from getting old and there isn't any technology available as yet to fix it except with glasses.

My guess would be your glasses are just to large, try a smaller framed set.

[cbCrow]

There is a real simple fix for your problem that won't cost you a penny and is right in front of your nose. Try using your index finger, it will take a little getting use to ( it took me about 20-25 arrows) and I actually think it improved my release. Been using it for about 3 months and am quite pleased.

[trad_in_cali]

If it helps, I have 3 pairs of glasses. Only 1 works with shooting, the other two are either too big, or the corrective part of the lens is not in the right place.
Marco

[bsoper]

I wore glasses for a long time. I switched to contact lenses when I started shooting trad and it helped me a ton. If the glasses aren't sitting properly on your face it can mess up your shot.

[LA Trapper]

njloco is correct.  Lasik will slip (eyes will change).  Some do, some don't.  Mine did and I am back to shooting with contacts.  Can function well without glasses, just can't focus on the target.  Had to go back to contacts.  I struggle with glasses.  Worn them almost 50 years.  I can shoot with them but everything changes with glasses vs contacts.  Tough flipping back and forth.

And glasses FOG UP at the worst time.

Good luck.  I hope you work it out.

Billy

[calgarychef]

I shoot middle finger anchor and wear glasses and no problem with that at all.  I shoot a very upright stance and rarely cant my bow.  All I can suggest is play around a bit with opening or closing your stance or try some different glasses.

[bolong]

I wear glasses most of the time. They don't interfere with the string, I seem to shoot about the same with or without. They are just a hassle keeping them clean, dealing with rain, fogging over etc. I have never tried contacts and probably won't at my age.

[Bud B.]

I wear glasses too and I haven't had any problems with anchoring middle finger to corner of mouth - two finger under. I have found that canting the bow helps with any possible problems. Not alot, but just enough.

[Richard in OK]

Some of us can't wear contacts (e.g., my astigmatism is too severe; the lens would just rock on my eye). Sometimes after I shoot I find string wax on my lenses, but that doesn't seem to hurt my shooting. That mostly happens with large lenses. I also anchor with my middle finger (switched from index because the middle finger puts my eye closer to the arrow.) Talk to your optician, even take in your bow and show him the problem. That's what he's for.

Richard

PS: I've been wearing glasses about 58 years.

[Ed Q]

I've worn glasses and contacts for almost 40 years.  My eyesight is bad enough that without corrective lenses, I'm legally blind, and Lasik is not an option because too much of the cornea would have to be cut and reshaped, risking corneal ectasia.  So in short, I have no choice but to wear either one.

Like others have said, glasses can and often do fog up at the worse moment.  Because of this, I choose to mostly wear contact lenses, which provide a much greater freedom, for me at least, than eyeglasses.  You won't have to worry about hitting your frames at draw or having your glasses fog up, fall off or move slightly down your nose, possibly distorting your vision or refraction enough to affect your aim.

You mention you use your glasses for up close reading, which makes me surmise that you're farsighted, as opposed to nearsighted (myopic).  Just curious, but is your farsightedness pronounced enough that you still can't see the target down range, or does it affect your periphal vision in relation to the arrow point for gap tight shooting?