Eye Dominance

[bowsage1999]

Hello all, I am about three weeks into shooting traditionally. I have a 50# Samick Sage takedown Recurve at 62". Shooting 400 Spine Arrows with 125 Grain field tips. Brace height at 7 3/4 and Nock point at 5/8. I am a left handed person. I do everything left-handed, always have. However, I am cross dominant (right-eye). I have had several people tell me a mix of things. I can either switch hands and learn to shoot right handed. Or I can continue to shoot left handed and close my right eye. Others say I should shoot with both eyes open however I am very inaccurate with shooting left handed with both eyes open. I have the hand dexterity to draw my bow and shoot it with my right it would just take time. Is there a set bit of advice I should take? I can't seem to find a consistent answer as to what is best. Thank you!

[JC Jr]

There are always exceptions to the rule and too many folks use those exceptions to dispute those rules.  There’s no doubt that in any shooting sport it’s best to shoot with the dominant eye—those exceptions notwithstanding.

[McDave]

Three weeks is not a very long time to learn to shoot a bow.  You say you shoot worse when you shoot with both eyes open.  Oftentimes if has been my experience that when a person tries something different, they shoot worse for a while.  I have no doubt that if you really want to shoot left handed with both eyes open, you will eventually be able to do it accurately.

Now, is that the best thing for you to do?  That is a harder question to answer.  As Jim notes, in the majority of cases, it is better to aim with the dominant eye.  Most people can learn to change from right handed to left handed (or vice versa) in a few days or a few weeks at most.  Some, like me, like to learn to be proficient shooting either way.  It is not only fun to shoot either way, it is better for your body, as it keeps your physical structure in better balance.

If I had my druthers, I’d have you learn to shoot a right handed bow, perhaps a little less than 50#, and stick with it until you become proficient.  Then continue to shoot both ways with both eyes open.  But this is not a question anyone else can answer for you.  Some very proficient archers aim with the “wrong” eye and do quite well for themselves by squinting, closing, or just learning to ignore, their dominant eye.

[Lehtis]

Put a (semi-transparent) shade (opaque plastic, cardboard etc.) on your cap in front of your right eye and shoot both eyes open. This forces you to use your left eye for aiming. Just closing your right eye prevents relaxed aiming. I know several archers using that shade technique and they do perform fine.

[Todd Cook]

I close my left eye( right handed) because of astigmatism. I shot instinctive for years with both open but I do much better gapping with one closed. Dave said the most important thing though. 3 weeks is still brand new. Give it 6 months and you'll have a much better idea what works best.

[electricstart]

Depends how you shoot . Instinctive both eyes open you should be ok your brain should adjust to the spot your shooting at. Gap or walking string will be like a site so you will have to patch or close one eye or switch hands .

[Sojurn]

In firearms we call it cross-eyed dominance. I'm the same way, right handed and left eye dominant.
 I find that it very rarely makes any difference. Only once have I had to have a shooter switch hands because of eye dominance.
  With a bow, if your shooting gap, AND you're the 1 in 100 that is so strongly cross-eye dominant you're constantly shooting several feet to the right, then switch hands. Other than that, keep working on form.
  McDave gave some great advice,  reread that post, and do the over think your eye dominance.

[woodchucker]

This just caught my eye...

My youngest son Little Bear, started shooting a bow 20 years ago, at age 3 
When he was 14 and ready to gun hunt, I put him in a Trap league where we found that he was left eye dominant.
I taught him to shoot (guns) left handed. We had a funny moment in a gun shop where he told the guy behind the counter "Oops! I forgot I'm left handed" 

I explained that he IS right handed, just left eye dominant....
At 23, He still to this day shoots his bows right handed. Rifles & Shotguns left handed, and pistols right handed.

Over the last 20 years, he's developed "shooting methods" that work for him!!

[Stagmitis]

Bowsage,

If you close one eye you lose your depth perception which regulates you elevation- Unless youre using a sight and know the distance I wouldnt go there. Ill pm you

[JC Jr]

Bowsage,

If you close one eye you lose your depth perception which regulates you elevation- Unless youre using a sight and know the distance I wouldnt go there. Ill pm you

So... If I walk up to the target or watch that deer walking in, then, draw, anchor and squint and eye I lose my perception of distance?  Don't think so, unless of course, you can provide a medical or ophthalmology report proving it.  It's not like you're running around with one eye squinted all the time.

[Captain*Kirk]

I have the same problem...left eye dominant, right handed.
I can't shoot left handed. It just doesn't work.
I initially solved this by shooting with my left eye shut. The main issue was, I had no depth perception. Gradually I began using both eyes and made it work, but it took a long time...over a year...for my groups to be getting close to what they were with one eye shut. You have to allow your brain to compensate, and that's never an overnight process.

[JC Jr]

From the Nova Vision Center:

"..Now I want you to look out your window off in the distance, there is probably a car and a building.  Which one is closer too you?  Now close an eye, is it more difficult to tell?

It shouldn’t be.

At distances greater than arms length we really do not use binocular vision.  We can judge depth with one eye or both eyes equally."

From the National Library of Medicine:

"Humans can perceive depth when viewing with one eye, and even when viewing a two-dimensional picture of a three-dimensional scene..."

[Stagmitis]

In a very polite way I will say that for every article you google for monocular vision not hampering with depth perception I can find at least twice as many or more that refute it and talk about binocular vision needed to determine distance.

We learn by memorizing the trajectory of the arrow and use depth perception to determine how far below or how far above the target the arrow needs to be in order to hit it.

[JC Jr]

Good.  I love to learn and don't mind at all admitting I was or could be in error.  So.... how about posting twice as many quotes from articles?

[Stagmitis]

Jc we have a difference of opinion and thats OK. 

You can google "monocular vision and depth perception" on your own if you like and come to your own conclusions. 

My apologies if I offended you in any way.

[JC Jr]

Offended?  Heavens no. To quote your post, "If you close one eye you lose your depth perception..." 

I simply wanted to point out that depth perception is not "lost" when closing one eye.

[Captain*Kirk]

Offended?  Heavens no. To quote your post, "If you close one eye you lose your depth perception..." 

I simply wanted to point out that depth perception is not "lost" when closing one eye.

"Lost", no. Affected? In my case, yes.