RH or LH

[DoubleJ1929]

Need some opinions.  My son is 8yrs old and likes to shoot with me.  Now that I am shooting a long bow he wants one too.  So I plan to get him one for Christmas.  Now for the help:
He is right handed but has a somewhat lazy right eye; very left eye dominant.  I know for a compound or shooting with sites he would have to go lh.  But if he is starting out instinctive will it make a difference?

Thanks!!!

[Dave Worden]

If shooting instinctive, eye dominance makes no difference.  Just be sure he keeps both eyes open and focused on the target.  If he tries looking down the arrow as a way of sighting, he'll have eye dominance problems, but truly instinctive, both eyes open and on the target, he should have no eye dominance issue.

[Jack Whitmire Jr]

With all due respect save your son some heartache and you some money , start him with his dominate eye . I know I started righty because I'm RH but left eye dominate . Finally started shooting LH about 15 years ago and haven't looked back . Yes I shoot truly instinctive.


Jack

[Lone archer]

I'm right handed. I have the same problem. I was born with a weak right eye. From the beginning at age 16 I started with a lefthanded bow. It did not take long to feel comfortable and I never looked back.

I have a right handed black rhino bow that I can send you and you can buy a lefthanded one and let him choose after shooting them for awhile. I'm sure he'll be more accurate with the lefthand bow.  Then you can pass it on.

Pm me if you are interested.

Rob

[jcar315]

As stated above: go with his dominant eye.

If he is left eye dominant go with left handed bow.

Right handed but left eye dominant myself. Always had both eyes open but had to "aim" way right to hit where I wanted. Switched to lefty this spring and WOW what a difference. So nice to be able to actually shoot instinctive. To be able to just concentrate on a spot and not have to orient the arrow is awesome!

[DoubleJ1929]

Thanks for the advice guys..  And Rob..  THANK YOU FOR THE VERY GENEROUS OFFER!!!  I am going to buy him a lh bow.  Just need to get him switched to lefty for all shooting (gun or bow).

[WidowEater]

Instinctive or not if your left eye dominant shoot left handed.

I fought the exact thing your son will soon be fighting with if you start him right handed.

I switched to lefty and all of the sudden everyting clicked.

[easyup]

I had to switch RH to LH years ago and still shoot both every other day, much better with the dominant eye.

[Bjorn]

They say it doesn't matter; but if you catch them early going with eye dominance is better in the long run. Who knows he may want to shoot Gap one day.

[David Mitchell]

Absolutely start him left handed.  I had years of frustration and grief trying to shoot cross dominant.  Finally gave in to suggestions of others and tried a left handed bow--WOW, could not believe the difference and I shoot instinctively.

[bear1336]

Go left handed

[BobCo 1965]

I do not know the extent of the lazy eye which may have an impact on which side I would go with.

On a normal left eye dominant, right back dominant kid, I would recommend a right handed bow. The coordination skills needed to overcome back domnance overcomes aiming skills needed.

Work with a patch over a period of time and the aiming skills needed should work themselves out especially at the shorter distances needed for bowhunting.

[cobbow]

I am glad to here that so many out there are right handed but left eye dominant. I just got into trad a few months ago. I built my first bow and it is right handed. I should have known better I knew I am left eye dominant. I shot a frinds lefty and right off the bat was shooting smaller groops. Now I already have the riser cut out for my new Left handed bow and hope to have it done by the new year. This thred has given me confidenc I have made the right desition.
Thanks

[lt-m-grow]

I just figured the only reason to choose right or left handed bows, was the dominant eye.

Otherwise it would make more sense for righty's to shoot with the right hand forward where you need the fine motor coordination for pointing which comes from your dominant hand.  The hand the pulls doesn't need as much coordination.   Lefty's would be the opposite of course.  

Obviously that is not what we do so I have to believe that the dominant eye does matter a lot and always has since someone called a right handed bow - a righted hand bow - way back when.