How many gap shooters close one eye?

[jonsimoneau]

Has anybody ever really given the idea of closing one eye while gap shooting a reasonable chance? I was thinking about this.  If you are gap shooting you are already using the tip of the arrow to "aim" somewhat or are at least using it as a reference.  So what about closing one eye? The reason I ask, is I recently saw a VERY good bow shooter.  He shot 3 under.  He would draw with both eyes open but would close one eye before he got to anchor.  He said this helped him really get "dialed in" before release.  We have all been told to shoot with both eyes open, and for instinctive shooting I really get this..but I was just wondering if anyone has really experimented with using one eye while using the arrow to aim.

[McDave]

I think you could get away with this at close distances, but when you are shooting at a target that is farther away than your point on, at a certain distance you will find that your dominant eye is blocked from the target by your bow hand and parts of the bow.  At that distance and beyond, you are looking at the target with one eye, while remaining aware of the arrow in your peripheral vision with the other.  I couldn't gap shoot 50 yard targets if I didn't have both eyes open.  

At closer ranges, I see no need to close one eye, so I don't.

[Diamond Paul]

Is it possible that this guy has a cross-dominance issue?  Closing the other eye would help that.  I can see someone doing this, as lots of people do the same thing shooting rifles with scopes, although top shooters advise keeping both eyes open.  Whatever works for you.

[jonsimoneau]

DP I hadn't thought of the cross eye dominance thing. Maybe that's why this guy was closing one eye. Interesting.

[Sam McMichael]

Would closing one eye interfere with depth perception? I thought it is our binocular vision that allows for good depth perception more than any other factor.

[mgf]

Once you determine the distance, the rest of the shot is a two dimensional thing.

[Diamond Paul]

It does hurt depth perception, but if you have a cross dominance problem you have to take the dominant eye out of the equation in order to hit anything.

[longbow fanatic 1]

I do because I'm right handed and left eye dominant.

[katman]

Once at anchor I squint the left eye to get the right eye more involved then open both then continue the shot when shooting gap with fixed crawl. Done the dominant eye test may times and 50/50 which eye will be on spot.

[bofish-IL]

I shoot left handed and lost all sight in my right eye 2 years ago. For me it really effected my shooting. Having only the one eye made it harder to judge distances. For some reason it also made it harder for me anyway, to focus on the spot I wanted to hit.

[t2onboard]

Maybe it's because I shoot compounds to longbows that I'm stuck with closing my left eye when I shoot the stick bows (right handed). It just feels right for me. My point on is 45 yards on compounds (no sights) and 35 on recurve and longbow, so my gaps are minimal to manageable to 80 yards, and the short ones are almost instinctive--just a shot routine, aim, anchor and release. Happy with results so not likely to change.

[Jack Hoyt 75]

Interesting!  I was just thinking about starting a thread about this question and , POP, I find it already on top!

I am left eye dominant and RH shooter.  Self taught for the most part and started as a split finger, instinctive shooter.  Started to become a decent shot but groups fell apart at 18 or more yards.  I know I was shooting instinctive because I paid no attention to the arrow tip and only burnt a whole in the target.  If I had even 1% on concentration on the tip in my peripheral vision shots were even worse nice left eye dominance gave a "double vision" type effect and I saw 2 tips.

Now I have changed bows, shoot 3 under, have much better form and have even gotten stronger.  I am trying to learn gap shooting and the "double vision" was really messing with me.  Lowered shot confidence and it took to long to line the shot up.

Closed my right eye and everything was more clear and easier to line up the shot.  Cut my group size way down and started putting them in kill zone at 20 yds on a deer target.

Conflicted, I fell like I am cheating but for gap shooting it really seemed to help.  I closed one eye only because of the RH shooting, Left eye dominant issue.

Any other tips, suggestions or advise is greatly appreciated!  I will be watching this thread.  Thanks.

[2bird]

I have always shot with my left eye closed, never even thought of shooting with both eyes open. i have been in competitive shooting since about 5 so i guess it's unnatural to have both eyes open. i gap shoot out to 80 yards, couldnt imagine trying to shoot at 80 yards without closing my left eye, or even 10 yards.

[overbo]

I have the cross eye dominant problem and found if my shooting form alignment is well done, I loss a lot of my shooting wows.

Yes, I too use to close one eye to compensate for poor alignment.

[smokee]

Originally posted by longbow fanatic 1:
I do because I'm right handed and left eye dominant.

Me,too, except I'm right handed and right eye weakly dominant. I found that by closing my left eye my accuracy went way up. I'm relatively new to shooting my two longbows, but this discovery pushed me way ahead!

This is my first post, but I have learned a heck of a lot from reading posts on this forum! Thank You one and all!

[Friend]

The choice should be determined by your own results.

As being left handed and right eye dominant, I shoot right handed. Am able to shoot competent groups with both eyes open, yet am able to shoot groups nearly 50% tighter when squinting the left eye enough to take it out of focus.

Larry Yien, one of the premier archers, also squints his left eye enough to take it out of focus.

[warden415]

I shoot lefty  because I lost a lot of the vision in my right eye do to an accident. I close the right and gap shoot and works for me. If I leave both open my vision is blurry and I don't shoot nearly as well