Closing the "non-dominant eye" while shooting

[shot2high]

Is this common. I had not tried this until yesterday.  It seems to help me get the arrow lined up with my eye.  Yesterday, I drew my bow to make sure of my shooting lanes and for some reason I closed my left eye.  I noticed "in my peripheral" the arrow was not straight under my eye.  When I got home I lined up the headlight off my truck and did an experiment.  When I had both eyes open I shot my normal paper plate group at 20 yards. When I would draw with both eyes open and at full draw close the left eye, it seemed to tighten the group.  I try to shoot the way Rick Welch describes in his video so while I'm holding for a couple of seconds I guess I'm lining up the arrow under the eye that is open. Not trying to but i guess it just does....What do you guys think?

[S.C. Hunter]

If it works it works. I shoot both eyes open. I shoot my bows and pistols that way. My rifles I close my left eye when shooting at distance. When shooting close quarters with a rifle I lay my left pointer finger along the side of the weapon. They all are different techniques but all have there purpose. When I shoot both eyes open it is a mix of feel and a learned pointing style. When I close my left eye it is for precision without the need to watch my immediate flank. When I shoot close quarters rifle both eyes open to observe my immediate area and the pointer finger is just that it becomes my sighting system, point and shoot.

[okie64]

I am lefteye dominant but shoot my bows righthanded. I always close my lefteye when shooting. ive tried leavin both eyes open but its like I'm lookin down the arrow at an angle when I do that. Only problem I ever noticed with it is it kinda messes with my depth perception a little bit.

[Stumpkiller]

Not only the depth perception.  I "sight" down the arrow with my dominant eye while the left eye helps with elevation by sighting to where the arrow is pointing.

Try it - hold an arrow under your master eye pointed at an object and look down it with both eyes and then close one eye at a time and see if the arrow is still pointing at the same object.  With your "other" eye changes in the vertical are very noticable.

Subconciously, in the brain's ballistic computer the master eye does windage while the other eye does elevation (Just IMHO).

[steadman]

I draw with botheyes open, then close my left eye. It has improved my shooting. I found if I turned my head a bit too much my left eye would "take over" and I was hitting left consistently. That's the great thing about shooting a bow, there are a lot of differnt ways to do it, of course with a solid foundation.

[Big Bird]

I draw with both eyes open,then close my left eye, when I reach full draw.I have never been able to shoot, with both eyes open.

[Xavier]

I close left eye to ensure alignment - left right.
Then open left eye for depth/distance.

[bigugly1]

I do it when shooting a rifle but with bow it's both eyes open. I shoot instinctive and can actually say I never really even notice the arrow till it hits target, good or bad that's how it works for me.

[bobman]

both eyes open for me

[ren sarns]

Draw with both open, then close left eye when aiming...

[kenn1320]

Wow, lots of winkers out there. I was closing my left eye and it did help at short distances. My problem is Im right handed, left eye dominate. Rather then wink to fight it, Im going to switch to left hand.
Shot2high, check which is your dominate eye.

[tradshooter]

I wear glasses and shoot with both eyes open. I am right eye dominant and I shoot right handed. I don't notice any problems when I pick my spot, I just focus and my peripheral vision diminishes. I'd be interested in hearing about fog proofing glasses though. I have tried store bought treatments for my glasses but I still have trouble with them fogging.

[dragon rider]

I am left eye dominant and had to switch to shooting RH - both Len Cardinale and Jay Kidwell said that shooting with my left eye closed will improve my accuracy - and they were right.

[pergradus]

Hmm this thread is a little troubling. I'm not only left eye dominant, but I'm right eye blind! Well not really blind, but my vision is poor in my right eye, like 200/20. I am shooting right handed.

I feel like one should be able to compensate by the lean of your head and where you aim.

[cyred4d]

I guess if it works for you do it, but I think keeping both eyes open is better. No other sport that I know of recommends using only one eye.

[Ralphie]

I am left eye dominant, and right handed. Two things that were recommended to me,I did not want to do;
I do not want to shoot left handed.
I do not want to close my left eye when shooting right handed.

What I have been doing, which seems to be working; is to blink my left eye when drawing. That seems to give the right eye the job of aiming, and my accuracy has improved.
What I am trying to do is "retrain" myself into right eye dominance.
R

[bowhunter3762]

I draw with both eyes open then close my right eye when I reach full draw.

[okie64]

Ralphie, Im interested in knowing if that is possible. Keep us posted on how that works out.

[CRS]

both eyes open for me

[Lumpytradshooter]

Try slightly closing your left eye. still get good vision but takes your left eye out of sighting