Advice for a nearsighted eyeglass wearer

[Learner]

First, a little background:

I've worn corrective lenses for nearsightedness (bad distance vision) since I was a youngster.  Very strong prescriptions.  To give you an idea of just how strong:  I've worn trifocals for many decades.  The kind with the "lines" inside of a central semicircular region at the bottom of the lens.

Additionally, a couple of years back I experienced a problem with my left eye (non-dominant, thankfully) which significantly degraded my central vision in that eye, although the peripheral vision in that eye is still good.

Here's the issue: for those who also have strong prescriptions, you have probably noticed that the "properly focused" zone is when you look straight ahead.  But with trad archery, you are looking out of the left corner of your right eye.  In this location, the object of your gaze (the target) will not be in proper focus.  At least mine has not been.

So how do you all deal with this?  Contacts, though they would certainly help, are not a good option for me.  Neither is laser surgery.  But are there those here who have successfully adapted their shooting to be successful at longer distances, while still wearing strong corrective lenses?  Or are there other options?

Thank you all, and Best Wishes,
Frank

[JMR]

I think I remember reading an article by G .Fred Asbell recently about opening your stance more to help your eyes focus better. I'm sure the article was in Traditional Bowhunter but I can't seem to find it right now.
Basically, if I remember right, he was saying to square your shoulders more to the target so that you aren't looking out of the corner of your eyes so much. Hopefully someone will chime in with more information.

[LC]

I don't have as severe nearsightedness as you but when you say you use to have "lines" in your old glasses and you don't now, that kinda makes me think you have progressive lenses. Maybe I'm wrong. But they have a very narrow field of vision and yes you have to look straight through them. Go back to "lines" or single prescription lenses to shoot with. Not sure this is your problem but maybe someone else will chime in.

[Pine]

Let the people know who makes your glasses .
Have them put the focal point in the corner of the lens .
Rifle target shooters do that .

[Archie]

I know what you are talking about, as I have some pretty strong glasses... although not that strong.  I have to work to turn my head hard to the left (right handed shooter) to get a clear view with my right eye.  

I heard about someone once who shot right-handed but left eye dominant, and he drew his bow back to his left eye instead, while shooting right handed.  You might consider making that kind of change, although it might mean you'd have to start shooting lefty and then pull back to your right eye.

[Stumpkiller]

I'm right there in the mole category.  20/200, 20/250.

I told my optician where I needed to me able to focus and showed him a pantomime anchor and he made a few dots with a marking pen on the lenses in the frames I was looking at, got another frame and recommended them and had a grind made that allowed me to focus right out to the corner.

He did very right by me.  But the vari-lux bi(multi)focal takes more getting used to.

[Learner]

Originally posted by JMR:
I think I remember reading an article by G .Fred Asbell recently about opening your stance more to help your eyes focus better. I'm sure the article was in Traditional Bowhunter but I can't seem to find it right now.
Basically, if I remember right, he was saying to square your shoulders more to the target so that you aren't looking out of the corner of your eyes so much. Hopefully someone will chime in with more information.

This helps somewhat.  However, this also shortens my draw by more than one inch, as my bow arm needs to move towards my chest to bring the arrow under my right eye, when using such a stance.  It also prevents me from keeping my right elbow in line with the arrow.

Best wishes,
Frank

[Learner]

Originally posted by Graps:
Let the people know who makes your glasses .
Have them put the focal point in the corner of the lens .
Rifle target shooters do that .

Thank you....I didn't know this could be requested.

Best wishes,
Frank

[Learner]

Originally posted by Stumpkiller:
I'm right there in the mole category.  20/200, 20/250.

I told my optician where I needed to me able to focus and showed him a pantomime anchor and he made a few dots with a marking pen on the lenses in the frames I was looking at, got another frame and recommended them and had a grind made that allowed me to focus right out to the corner.

He did very right by me.  But the vari-lux bi(multi)focal takes more getting used to.

LOL!  "Mole category", indeed!

Thanks!  I will try this.

I don't have varilux, just standard trifocals.

Best wishes,
Frank

[Learner]

Originally posted by Archie:
I know what you are talking about, as I have some pretty strong glasses... although not that strong.  I have to work to turn my head hard to the left (right handed shooter) to get a clear view with my right eye.  

I heard about someone once who shot right-handed but left eye dominant, and he drew his bow back to his left eye instead, while shooting right handed.  You might consider making that kind of change, although it might mean you'd have to start shooting lefty and then pull back to your right eye.

Thanks, but that won't work for me due to my previously mentioned degraded left eye center vision.

Best wishes,
Frank

[Ryan Rothhaar]

I started with glasses when I was 10 yrs old. Couldn't tell the difference between a person and a car at 50ft without them.  When I was at Ohio State in grad school I had Lasik done at the University by one of the pioneers of the procedure.  At the time it cost 5000 bucks.... lots of money for a grad student.  I borrowed it from my parents, best money I ever spent. I think it costs a fraction of that now. I went from 20/250 and 20/300 to 20/15 and 20/20 in about 3 days.  The first time it rained I went outside and looked up... you mole guys know what I mean.... freedom!  Amazing how much easier it was to shoot a bow, I couldn't understand how guys without glasses could miss.  Don't know if its an option for you, but corrective eye surgery is a true miracle of science.  That was 21 years ago for me.

R

[meathead]

I have some terrible eyesight.  My eye Dr. has worked with all sorts of shooters, mostly rifle but a few archers too.  Talk to yours they will make them to fit your needs.  And have them make you a pair of single vision glasses for shooting and hunting.  I couldn't hit the ground if I had to shoot with my bifocals.

[goingoldskool]

I too have the same problem....  degraded left eye used for peripheral vision only...  nearsighted in the rt eye.  I've been wearing glasses since I was 16 MONTHS old ( I'll be 49 next month).  I use G. Fred's method of squaring up to the target with a fairly decent cant to the bow, which allows my eye to line up with the arrow.

My trifocals don't go all the way to the sides of my glasses, but they are pretty wide.

Good luck, shoot straight and God Bless,

Rodd

[Stumpkiller]

I have crappy eyes and an astigmatism.  Just lucky, I guess.  My eye doctor has not yet recommended corrective (Lasik) surgery as I was on the periphery of success.  

I'm not willing to risk none for potentially more as long as lenses get me to 20/20 (and better until the last few years).  

Glasses are a nuisance . . . but a few years back I managed to bounce a wayward fencing staple across my right cornea leaving a 3mm tear and I know it doesn't take much to bring the whole thing down.  I'll suffer glasses - though if I was 20 it might be worth the risk.

[Learner]

Originally posted by meathead:
I have some terrible eyesight.  My eye Dr. has worked with all sorts of shooters, mostly rifle but a few archers too.  Talk to yours they will make them to fit your needs.  And have them make you a pair of single vision glasses for shooting and hunting.  I couldn't hit the ground if I had to shoot with my bifocals.

Thank you for the suggestion.  I might just end up doing something like this.

Best wishes,
Frank

[bear bowman]

Would it be possible as someone stated above to shoot the same but just turn your head more to the left?

[Learner]

Originally posted by goingoldskool:
I too have the same problem....  degraded left eye used for peripheral vision only...  nearsighted in the rt eye.  I've been wearing glasses since I was 16 MONTHS old ( I'll be 49 next month).  I use G. Fred's method of squaring up to the target with a fairly decent cant to the bow, which allows my eye to line up with the arrow.

My trifocals don't go all the way to the sides of my glasses, but they are pretty wide.

Good luck, shoot straight and God Bless,

Rodd

Thank you for sharing, Rodd.  It helps me to hear from others with similar situations to my own, who are able to still shoot successfully.

My trifocals fortunately are the semicircle kind, so they also don't go across all the way.  If they did it would probably be worse.

God Bless,
Frank

[Learner]

Originally posted by bear bowman:
Would it be possible as someone stated above to shoot the same but just turn your head more to the left?

Yes, it probably would.  I've been attempting to do this.  But to complicate things even more I do have some disk issues in my neck.

Best wishes,
Frank

[Learner]

Originally posted by Stumpkiller:
I have crappy eyes and an astigmatism.  Just lucky, I guess.  My eye doctor has not yet recommended corrective (Lasik) surgery as I was on the periphery of success.  

I'm not willing to risk none for potentially more as long as lenses get me to 20/20 (and better until the last few years).  

Glasses are a nuisance . . . but a few years back I managed to bounce a wayward fencing staple across my right cornea leaving a 3mm tear and I know it doesn't take much to bring the whole thing down.  I'll suffer glasses - though if I was 20 it might be worth the risk.

I'm right there with you, Charlie.  I need good near vision, not just distance vision.  Even if lasik could work for me, I'd have to deal with a new set of problems (corrective lenses for close vision).  Between that and the risk to my remaining vision, it just doesn't seem to make sense for me to go that route.

Best wishes,
Frank

[David Mitchell]

By all means talk with your optometrist about this.  My son is an optometrist and avid bowhunter and makes it a point to ask his patients about their sports and leisure activities.  They can do all sorts of things to get your correction where it needs to be.  I have a friend who does a lot of interior painting and has a pair of glasses just for that that have the bifocal portion at the top of the lens so he is in focus when looking up at what he is working on.