Cross Eye Dominance

[dirtguy]

I teach archery and have come across another student with cross eye dominance.  I have dealt with this in various ways.  Some people are so set in their handedness that they don't want to try to attempt opposite handed shooting.  Ive let them go at it in their own way.

Some folks are willing to learn with their off hand, and they do fine as well.

My sample size is too small to see any trends.

What do you all think?  Are there better results for those who go with dominant eye over dominant hand, or can you do just as well staying with your dominant hand and training your eyes ?

[Pine]

Fred Bear was right eye dominant and right handed , but he was missing part of his right index finger so he shot left handed .
He shot very well too .

[moebow]

Current thinking is to let a NEW shooter start with their dexterity (handedness) side Then IF there is a problem, to explore the effect or practicality of switching either the hand they are shooting with or even retaining eye dominance.

There are a MILLION examples of cross dominant shooters of which the often repeated Fred Bear example is just one.  We are capable of many "accommodations" to do something we want and do it well.  So ALL the examples are not needed especially IF someone is just starting out.

When TEACHING archery to a student the instructor must try to REDUCE barriers as much as POSSIBLE for each student.  Not just suggest that others have been able to do it that way.

So IF you can, eye and dexterity should be matched up. IF there is a cross dominance situation, only the coach and the student can determine an acceptable solution, of which there are many!

Arne

[Shadowhnter]

I realize every instance can be different. In my sons case he is left eye dominate and right handed. He is an excellent shot, but shoots instinctively.

[McDave]

My personal experience is that it's better to shoot both LH and RH.  I am right eye dominant, but have become almost as proficient shooting LH.  It seems like such a high mountain to climb to shoot with the other hand, until you try it and find out it's just a small hill, and a fun one to climb at that.

I will probably continue to teach students based on their dominant eyes, or whichever side they want to use, but in the future I will demonstrate both sides, and advise them to learn to shoot from both sides, both for physical fitness and confidence purposes.

[KSdan]

One of the troubles according to my optometrist friends is it is often discussed by archers as 100% left or 100% right.  The fact is:  There are many variations of %s from person to person.   I am right handed, but ever so "slightly" left eye according to my Dr.   My eyes have fluctuated at times.  Jay Kidwell makes the case that when it comes to trad instinctive shooting it does not matter.  My guess is it really is a person to person issue.

Dan in KS

[David Mitchell]

Fred Bear also advised that one should draw with the hand matching the dominant eye.  I had a friend who was taught by Fred when they both were connected to ABC's Wide World of Sports--the first thing Fred did was check his dominant eye. He was right handed but Fred taught him to shoot left handed due to his eye dominance.

I struggled mightily for years with my shooting until I switched to a left handed bow.  I am left eye dominant and right handed.

[the rifleman]

Eye dominance is relative--- if eye strength variance is minor then one has options.  In my case i see very little out of my right eye so i can only shoot rifles, shotguns and bows w my nondominant left hand.  I feel it is very important to help new shooters determine this.  I struggled longer than i should have before i commiu

[the rifleman]

Sorry+- before i committed to learn to shoot left handed.

[nek4me]

My experience is the direct opposite of David's. I am right eyed and left handed. I struggled trying to shoot right handed, although only sporadically over 20+ years, because of  target panic from the RH side. After finding this site and attempting  another go last year - and seeing references to shooting cross dominant - I figured it might be easier to shoot LH and aim predominantly with the right eye so have been working on it that way for the past year or so. Left is more comfortable but the sight picture adds complexity to the process.

I recently got out an old RH recurve again and the sight picture seemed much more natural than what I have been trying to do but will only work if the TP stays away. Eventually I hope to shoot from both sides for physical balance and also to have a back up if one old shoulder or the other should give out.

When shooting right handed the shooter will see two arrows.  If the head is slightly tilted the arrow on the left and slightly up is what the right eye sees.  My eye doctor tells me that the human eye has too short of a focal length and barring any other vision problems both will be equally clear, just one for each eye.  To help shooters that were having an eye/arrow/target alignment problem, I have found it helpful to use a bright red ball as a temporary secondary point of aim.  I shoot left and right handed and only need to draw the bow back a time or two to shift my aiming eye. Howard Hill was possibly right hand and left eye dominant, it didn't bother him much either.  In extreme cases I have taped on a temporary bowsight with two pins and tell the person to shoot through the sight and the right spot will be between the two pins somewhere.  Of course, it is big plus if I guess that right the first time.

[ChuckC]

For me.....i find that i often have issues because of "cross eye dominance" since i shifted to lefty, however, by bringing the arrow closer to the aiming eye....a bit higher, like three under or just a bit higher anchor, it forces the aiming eye to be dominant or at least see the picture well.  When i do that i have no real issues.

[Ken Taylor]

I'm right handed but left eye dominant.

As a youngster I shot right handed because that's how the others shot. I was pretty good and continued shooting that way into my twenties. I can't remember for sure but I think that I used to squint or close my left eye.

After a break, in my thirties I found out about shooting on the dominant eye side. I switched over and shot with both eyes wide open. It only took about a week and I was shooting as well but more comfortably.

Eventually my shooting improved some more but I can't say for sure if it was because of switching sides or because of better tuned bows and arrows.

I prefer shooting left handed but if I had too I guess I could go back to shooting right handed.

I advise beginners to start shooting on the side of their dominant eye.

[KyStickbow]

I am right handed but left eye dominant as well. I shot righty for the first year of my trad journey...and could shoot pretty decent. But I would always get a few flyers to the left...especially if I shot quickly.

Switched to lefty after that season....and it is hands down the best thing I have ever did for my shooting. I am much more consistent and confident shooting left handed.

I can still shoot right handed.....and do quite often...because none of my buddies are left handed. Have to shoot righty to try all their new bows. But when it comes time to hunt or hit what I want...I'm grabbing the lefty.

I know many shoot cross dominant...but I feel it is best to shoot on the side of your dominant eye!

[nutmeg]

I'm left eye dominant and shoot right handed for 55 yrs. Never had a problem.   (nut)

[dirtguy]

Nutmeg?  

Did you used to work at an archery shop in Manchester CT?  

I haven't seen you on here in a while.. I hope you are well!

[dirtguy]

Thanks to all of you.

Arne - I have followed the current thinking of letting them start with their dominant hand.  Ill see how that goes.  This is a motivated student who I'm happy to say will probably end up wanting to shoot both left and right handed,

Bob

[Hawkdancer]

Having shot bows left handed for.  Better than 65 years, I just learned this year that you should go with the dominant eye,  I do have 2 bows that are ambi dextrious, but never shot right handed.  I do shoot rifles right handed, and can shotgun either way, pistols I shoot left, but quite often use my right eye to sight.   Teaching an old dog new tricks takes a lot of time and treats(I.e. beer

[Jack Whitmire Jr]

Save the person problems down the road , shoot from the dominant eye to begin with .

I shoot RH for years until short drawing became a problem . I feel my dominant eye was lined up when I was at about 25 inches of draw . After changing to LH everything lined up.

Had thousands of dollars in RH recurves and had to sell/trade them all .

But what do I know I'm just a bowhunter  

[Sota]

I'm not necessarily advocating this but right handed left eye dominant people might benefit from learning the thumb draw.