Anyone shoot with one eye closed?

[sam barrett]

I was just outside shooting and decided to try closing my left eye (right handed shooter).  It immediately tightened up my groups especially with left/right.  I noticed that I could use the arrow much better as an aiming device.  Disclaimer:  I don't care how I gain accuracy, I just want to be as accurate as possible.  Now I'm actually thinking about getting an eye patch to try while shooting.  Just curious if anyone else does this?  Thanks!

[LBR]

I shot like that for years.  Made myself learn to shoot with both eyes open, and I shoot much better that way.  One eye closed screws up depth perception, for me anyway.

[katman]

You can also squint left eye a little to get similar results.

If I am using a sighting system to aim like pins, gap or fixed crawl, then yes I close left eye, RH shooter.

[ChuckC]

I have done that before but sometimes I close the wrong eye, at least that is my excuse.

ChuckC

[Bowwild]

Of course that is that is a technique used by folks who are shooting with the non-dominant eye or who have co-dominant eyes. Some people's eye dominance is so weak that all it takes is the bowstring to "fuzz" up the dominant eye and cause the off eye to aim.  I have this difficulty at times.

I am RH and left-eye dominant. I shot Rh with left eye closed from the 1960's until 1996 when I switched to LH shooting.

Even now though I sometimes "wander" to the right on my shots. When I do that there are two possible causes:

1. I fail to "paint my face" with my draw hand to the shoulder and follow through properly.  Or

2. My right eye took over aiming from the dominant left eye.  If I do as one suggested above, wink or squint the right eye, I can force the left eye to do it's job without losing depth perception and my group comes back.

However, the thing I know is the best solution for me is to stare a hole in the spot I'm aiming for. The then mind stops wandering and the arrow behaves.

[Tradcat]

Squinting, rather than closing the eye, helps depth perception...IMHO

[Friend]

Some of my marks may imply that I had both eyes closed.

Use the best method for you personally.

Implying that one can not shoot effectively with one eye closed would alienate those with only one eye and thus possibly discourage one from  participation in the both coveted and mystique of the traditional. There are many excellent archers that do close one eye.

There are benefits to taking one eye out of focus, however may not be individually advantageous. Have squinted since the 70's and have experimented off and on with closing one eye. My distance estimation has already been established before I draw. For me personally, my marks with either method are quite similar. Utilizing taking the one eye out of focus keeps me on target from the initial target acquisition through out the shot execution.

When utilizing one eye closed, I have to refocus at anchor, thus interrupting my own personally established shot sequence. I am convinced that this could be effectively corrected if that was my desire or circumstances demanded such.

[Aaron Proffitt 2]

Not even when shooting through a scope...

[South MS Bowhunter]

I've started in the last few months to either close or "Squint" and be more consious of the arrow point and it has helped in my accuracy of late.

Before I was a pure "instinctive" shooter keeping both eyes open and focusing only on the mark.  Alas my consistency was, well inconsistent!

I think my latest attempt at shooting would be closer describe to Split vision similar to what Howard Hill prescribed to.

Kinda of alternating from focus on the target then to partial focus on the arrow point for reference.  Whatever i'm doing it is working better for me and thats what important.

[Longtoke]

I would assume gap shooting, a person would close their eye and aim down the arrow like a rifle??

[ThePushArchery]

I'm a squinter. Both eyes open until I start expanding toward release. Once at anchor and expansion has commenced, my left eyes starts to squint and the shot goes off.

[Zradix]

nope.

[KSdan]

My eye doctor hunting buddy gave me a bit of an education on this in his office.  Straight facts of physics of the eye:  1)Dominant eye is not as cut/dried as people make it.  Some are more dominant than others.  Mine are very close and can even change at times. 2) Shutting one eye has no bearing on depth perception/range estimation beyond a couple of feet perhaps.  3) Closing an eye or using a patch can help with some who are like me- very close to cross dominant.

Dan in KS

[fujimo]

well i am blind in my left eye- old injury- so i shoot with both eyes open- but it dont matter much.    
 but one thing i can say- that only having vision in one eye- i REALLY struggle with depth perception- range estimation , at all distances- obviously more noticeable at closer ranges- where the error is enlarged- but still a problem at longer distances too. but thats just me- not saying its the same for everyone!

[Nut4Elk]

I close my left eye until I have my aim on target, open my left eye. Have tried several ways and that seems to work best for me.  [/LIST]  

[FlintNSteel]

Years ago I always shot with my left eye closed (RH).  My right eye is dominant, but barely.  I was gap shooting at that time and doing lots of tournament shooting.  The system really worked and I picked up my share of wins with the system I used.

Over the years I switched to a higher anchor point, both eyes open, and split vision vs a gap. The arrow is a blur and my aim is more of an arc estimation/feel than an "aim."

While I shoot about the same as I did back then, both eyes open feels more natural to me.  In certain light situations, I still have to just squint that left eye a bit or I'm not seeing the arrow at all, which never worked too well for me.

Net, if shooting one eye closed works better, by all means, do it.

[Captain*Kirk]

I am left eye dominant, right hand shooter, so when I was gapping I shot with my left eye closed. Now that I shoot mostly instinctive, I keep both eyes open and fixed on-target, ignoring the arrow and bow.