Advise needed

[Firefighter154]

Hello all, I'm fairly new to traditional archery an I'm trying to introduce trad gear to my brother. He became interested while I was shooting arial targets with Flu Flu's. I asked him to try and he fell in love quick. He got to hitting everything I threw at him. Then we went to stationary targets. His shooting was not so great at still targets. When he would come to full anchor he would miss every time. He later mentioned he was left eye dominate, shooting right handed. He wants a right handed bow because it feels natural to him but he is not accurate. I recommended he get a left handed bow, but has it in his mind that he can learn with a right hand bow. Has anyone come across this problem? Thanks for any suggestions.

[Jim Wright]

He can definitely become proficient shooting a right handed bow even though he is left eye dominant. He is "not accurate" because he just started shooting.

[Drewster]

My son shoots right handed and is left eye dominant.  He just closes his left eye.  Don't know if that's the best way to do it, but it works for him.

[damascusdave]

i shoot both ways all the time...it is possible...just gotta be patient

[Morpheus32]

I am left eye dominant and right handed.  I long ago gave up fighting it.  Shoot left handed.  It is very hard to shoot instinctive when instinctively your body, ruled by your dominant eye wants to shot left.  Easier to train memory muscle in your body than force eye dominance.

[Rick Richard]

I had this problem too thinking I could shoot just as good right handed and in most cases did OK...at targets.  However, when live game such as a big buck appeared all went to hell if I did not force myself on concentrating shooting with the other eye...not good.

I went to a seminar sometime later featuring one of the Wensel brothers and had an opportunity to chat.  I brought up the idea about changing to Southpaw.  His recommendation was to do it and don't worry about getting comfortable with it since it would come quicker than I could imagine.  And you know what?  I was feeling comfortable with in a month of switching and my shooting improved a bunch...no more worry about making sure I was aiming with the correct eye.

So, show him this thread from voices of experience and maybe he can learn from us.

[Firefighter154]

Thanks everyone for the help. I told him I felt like someone on tradgang has come across the same problem and would have some helpful insight. Thanks again.

[ddauler]

Plenty of folks shoot great with cross dominate eye. Also a lot of folks can shoot moving targets well at close range but struggle at stationary ones in the begining. I think it is because the shot is "dynamic" on moving and "static" on still. It takes tons of practice to have good "static" mechanics. You must keep back tension all the way to follow through. Beginers do well until the MIND gets in the way!

[Rob DiStefano]

i believe it was howard hill who was left eye dominant and he shot righty.  it can surely be done.

[md126]

In my opinion, it has less to do w/ eye dominanace and more to do with "instinctive" vs. "aiming"

When he was nailing the aerial targets he wasn't "aiming" with his eyes. He was merely pointing the bow w/ hand/eye coordination and releasing the arrow when it felt right. Many would define this as "instinctive" shooting (which it is). On staionary targets he is "aiming" and having muh less success. Its why compound shooters can drill targets at 60yds but can't hit aerial targets. Different shooting/aiming methods. One (aiming) is conscious and the other (instinctive) is sub-conscious.

The way he shoots the aerial targets is, to me, a more effective way to shoot/hunt. He just needs to apply the same feeling and technique to the stationary targets. Like someone suggested, it will take some time but if he aims less and shoots by feel more he will greatly improve over time. Shooting by instinct requires experience.

Just my 2 cents...

[eflanders]

My son had the dominate eye issue when he first began shooting.  He happens to be ambidextrious and throws a ball right-handed so he naturally started to shoot the same way.  Well he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn this way so we switched him over to shooting left-handed and he out shoots his 'ol man now.

I too am left eye dominate but shoot right-handed.  I have tried many times to switch over but I never could do it any better.  But keep in mind I shot right-handed for the better part of 40 years before even trying to shoot left handed.  In this case, the old saying of "trying to teach an old dog new tricks" was true.

Based on what you have told us and my personal experience, I would definately teach your new shooter to shoot left handed now before they truly develop a "habit".

[7 Lakes]

An old shotgunners trick that I have to use...

Put a small sticky dot on your shooting glasses.  Right handers will put the dot on the left lens just at the spot that blocks the left eye at the point of shooting.  

Even if you don't use this for archery applications, I guarantee it will help him with his wing shooting (shotgun).

[macbow]

My wife is right handed left eye dominate.
She used to,shoot with a patch over her left eye because,she,also can't close her left eye and keep the right open.
Last year she had me,make her a left handed bow. She likes it much better.

[nineworlds9]

I'm a "crossed" lefty myself, ie I am left eye dominant and right handed...I REALLY recommend he start shooting a left handed bow...why not?  It is a great advantage to have the arrow on the same side as your dominant eye...yeah sure you can learn to compensate and shoot right side but why bother?  Why volunteer for a handicap, I don't want to start a war but to me that's what that is.  You shoot on the side of your dominant eye and you're letting the visual info flow direct to your brain, not rerouting it.  Better yet he can train ambidextrous and have more shot opportunities.  Yes, shooting lefty will feel weird to him at first but over time as his muscles get use to it he will reap the accuracy benefits.  Another factor is improved steadiness from holding the bow right handed/dominant hand.