Taking a left turn.

[bowhuntingrn]

Figured out a couple of years ago that I was left eye dominant. All my equipment was right handed though, so I stuck with it. Not to mention the "fear" factor of trying to shoot left handed. No matter how much I shoot though, I just never got the consistency I felt I should. Just finished my second left handed session in 3 days, both were only a dozen or so arrows, and only from max distance of about 7 yards, but it's already getting a little easier. Shooting off the hand (no shelf) with my son's old 35# BBO I'm managing to keep 3 arrows in a 6"-8" "group" within 3"-4" of the spot I'm shooting at. Not great, but not bad as far as I'm concerned. It's amazing how awkward I feel, like I've never picked up a bow before. The smallest things like stance or simply "loading" the bow feel so different. Gonna give it an honest try though. If things go as I hope, I may be having a "fire sale" on right handed equipment in a month or two. Then I have an excuse to buy more bows!

[kill shot]

If you want to stay with being a righty you might try wearing glasses with something that will restrict your vision in your left eye. What I found that works is a piece of screen like off a screen door adheard to the left lens. You will be able to look thru it but it will make your right eye the dominate eye. Some cheap safety or shooting glasses will work.

[the rifleman]

bowhuntingrn,  Stick with it.  I had a lazy right eye as a kid and that part of the brain never developed with the visual aspect.  Being right handed, I tried during my youth to shoot right handed but eventually gave up and switched to left handed.  I used a crossbow for years figuring I could not shoot a bow left handed.  A friend lent me his lh compound with release and I found it easy to shoot.  After a false start with traditional I re-committed myself, bought a left handed long bow and never looked back--I only wish that I had done this earlier in life.  Like any change in form this will be a challenge at first, but I bet that after a month or two you will have it down.  I am facing some new issues---had cataracts in both eyes--center of vision (try picking a spot when the center of your vision is blurriest).  I just had my right (weak) eye done this Tuesday---boy is it clear (but still not enough vision to shoot with) and will likely have my left eye done in a few weeks.  I am hopeful that this will be successful and help my shooting.  I think you are on the right track starting out with a light weight bow to build your left hand form and control.  If I can be of any help or you need someone to talk with about this PM me and I will be happy to share my number.  Best of luck.  John

[KyStickbow]

I switched to shooting left handed in February of last year. Single best thing I have did for my shooting. Akward at first...yes....but after a couple weeks things start to become normal.

Stick with it brother...its well worth it in the end!!

[Sam McMichael]

In a sense, you really haven't picked up a bow before. All your muscle memory is in right handed mode, so it will remain awkward until you get dialed in to the new way of doing things. Good luck with the left handed progression, and we will be on the lookout for the "fire sale".

[hawkeye n pa]

A injury forced me to go left handed for a while. And I do agree it sure was awkward.  My hardest time was convincing the wrong fingers to release a arrow.  Every so often I shoot that way now..just in case.    Good Luck.

[bowhuntingrn]

That's not a bad idea kill shot, may give that a try if the left handed thing doesn't work out as I hope. I've heard from a couple others that once they got over the initial awkward phase their shooting really improved so I'm going to give it an honest try.

[mangonboat]

I went through the same issue last year except I started alternating from RH to LH every other day in my practice sessions and that helped train the muscles to switch over to the new tasks with little awkwardness. Now  my biggest challenge is to remember every morning  which hand to put my shooting fingers on and which to put a glove on for warmth. I point and shoot better with my dominant eye but the "weak" side is good enough that I would hunt with it without hesitation. Now I have too many RH and LH bows, but that's a different problem altogether...

[Homebru]

Pick up an eye patch at your local pharmacy.  That way, you're not straining to close the left eye.  I've heard that some of the "old timers" would convert their kids to right eye dominant rifle shooters this way rather than buy lefty rifles.

That being said, many in archery suggest it doesn't matter if you shoot "instinctively".
homebru

[Bowwild]

Shot right for 28 years then switched to LH in 1996. Best move I ever made in shooting.

[kat]

Time will only make you more accurate. It takes a little time to develop the muscle memory.
Remember that you already know how to shoot; you just need to get your body accustomed to using a different side.
Stay with it. It will get better quicker than you may think.

[KellyG]

I really don't know what the issue is I have shot left handed for as long as I have shot bows. No awkwardness hear.

On a serious note. I switch my son to left handed shooting when he was a kid. He was right handed so I bought him one of those cheap compounds for kids and was watching him shot it and he kept trying to put his left eye inline with the arrow. I slapped myself for not checking that before I bought the bow.

So I taught him with bow and gun to be a lefty. He shoots just fine.

Good luck and have fun.

[the rifleman]

I have heard that there are folks that are left eye dominant, but shoot "instinctively" right handed.  I have no idea how they do it and would be interested in hearing more on this--when I have tried shooting right handed it puts everything way out of line and my arrows hit a good distance (feet) to the left.  In my case the eye dominance is due to a lazy right eye--if not corrected at a very early age this part of the brain does not develop to "see" correctly out of that eye.  Not sure if shooting right handed would be an option for me as I have no concept of more balanced vision since I have little right eye vision.  The quotes around instinctively aren't meant to start an argument I just think the word means different things to different people.  Any tips or techniques other use to adapt/adjust are something I am truly interested in.

[ChuckC]

Switching was relatively easy.  It took a bit to get past the awkwardness of drawing, anchoring etc, but that went by quickly.

What takes a lot more time is the rest of being right handed. .  how you position yourself, how you sneak with the left foot forward for a shot, how you lean, even how you tend to bend when wearing a back quiver.  

Those are the harder changes, but even they happen.
ChuckC

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I have shot right handed being left eye dominant for years, and still do. at first i shot with one eye closed forcing my right eye to line up the shot, but shooting aerial targets or moving targets with one eye closed just doesn't cut it...it's like shooting a shot gun with one eye closed i suppose you could do it, but it isn't natural....

I had problems using a gap aiming method with the dominant left eye, so i adapted to what most guys call a split vision aiming technique with both eyes open. I learned the correct line up by drawing the bow with my left eye shut, then opening both eyes once i had my alignment. It took a while to get comfortable with both eyes open, but after getting used to it i rarely even see the arrow in my vision any more. i just concentrate on the spot i want my arrow to hit & it goes there...

I did the same routine switching to left handed a few years ago, and didn't find my shooting became one bit more accurate, so i went back to what feels natural....

Give it a shot bro.... but i wouldn't get in too much hurry for a fire sale. There are a lot of excellent archers that shoot cross eye dominant.

[Bigjackfish]

I am a righty that shoots left handed ,left eye dominant .Shooting left handed always seemed normal way to shoot since I was a kid playing soldier and aiming toy guns.I can not shoot right handed to save my life have tried bows and long arms.

[Jack Whitmire Jr]

I'm as right handed as they come , BUT strong Left eye dominant . Shot RH for years then got into target panic , short drawing . This I believe was caused by being Left eye dominant . Think about it , the target , arrow hand and all line eye up before reaching full draw if shooting with a non dominant eye - the dominant eye lines up before reaching full draw . Accuracy was a problem also .

I switched over 20+ years ago , best thing I ever did for my shooting . Yes it feels clumsy , awkward  and looks like you are uncoordinated . BUT your shooting will get better QUICKLY .

Nocking arrows still is awkward after all these years . Hang in there and keep doing what you are doing it will get better FAST !

I have a buddy that is LH and right eye that will not change . He is lucky to hit the inside of a barn . He is so Left handed he says he can't change . Until he does his shooting will not improve .

ANYHOW go for it and don't look back !