Starting someone new to archery who’s left eye dominant/right handed

[Ruttinghard]

Hey all, I’m just curious what way you would have them shoot. If you take someone who’s never shot a bow or gun. And they are right handed but left eye dominant. Would you start them off right handed or left handed?

[McDave]

The thinking is changing on this.  A few years ago, few would have any hesitation in saying that a person should shoot the bow that agrees with his dominant eye, particularly if he wasn't already used to shooting the other way.  Now, USA Archery believes we should teach people to shoot the bow that agrees with the hand they write with.

I don't see any error in the logic that led us to recommend shooting with the bow that agrees with the dominant eye for so many years.  However, my own experience and evidently the experience of the powers that be now leads us to believe that it just isn't that important.  So lead a new archer in the direction of shooting with a bow that agrees with his dominant eye, but don't make an issue out of it.

[Pat B]

Learn or teach them to shoot instinctively. Eye dominance doesn't matter with instinctive shooting. G Fred Asbell's book, "Instinctive Shooting" got me on the right track way back in 1988 when I got started. I think I'd let the person use whichever hand was most comfortable for them to use. No need adding complications to the mix. 

[Alexander Traditional]

It's very funny with me. I'm right eye dominant,but I'm left handed. I'm lucky  when I started as a teenager,I didn't know about all of this stuff,and right handed bows were pretty much all that was available,and they actually felt natural to me.

I shoot a gun and chop wood right handed as well,and that's the way it's always felt natural to me.

You might put a bow in his hand and ask him which way feels the best.

[durp]

Yep...what ever works naturaly for them...they are the one that will know.

[McDave]

Learn or teach them to shoot instinctively. Eye dominance doesn't matter with instinctive shooting. G Fred Asbell's book, "Instinctive Shooting" got me on the right track way back in 1988 when I got started. I think I'd let the person use whichever hand was most comfortable for them to use. No need adding complications to the mix. 

Interestingly, Fred Asbell recommended shooting the bow that matches your dominant eye.  I attended his instinctive shooting class at Black Widow about 20 years ago, and he changed a couple of right hand shooters to left handed bows because they were left eye dominant right there in the class.  I don't know if he still feels that strongly about it or not.

[Roy from Pa]

There are a lot of left eye dominant baseball pitchers and football quarter backs that throw right handed and do very well:)
Just saying it should work for instinctive shooting also.

[Buggs]

What Pat B. and Roy said   I'm right handed and left eye dominate. Only a problem if I try to use point of reference aiming. Same with pistols, throwing rocks, slingshots, etc.

[Bowguy67]

Imo it’s not changing. Easier to learn using dominant eye.

[David Mitchell]

I would absolutely start them shooting with the dominant eye.  I am right-handed but left eye dominant.  I never had any instruction when I started archery decades ago.  I thought because I am right-handed that's what I should shoot--a right-handed bow. I never was able to shoot worth a nickel that way.  One day a friend suggested we go to the local out-door range and he would bring his wife's left-handed recurve for me to try. First we went around with me shooting right-handed.  Then we went around using the left-handed bow.  I had to think even to get my arm guard on, but when I drew that bow and looked down the arrow at the target, I saw what I had been missing for decades.  And I shoot instinctively.  How I wish somebody would have told me about this thing years before.

[the rifleman]

David Mitchell X2--- this was my experience -- picked up and put down the right handed trad bow for years---i was awful with it.  Tried a lefthanded bow and after just a few sessions of training my left hand to grip the string properly great things started happening.  Sights, gaps, instinctive--- you name it didn't work for me right handed.  So-- in my opinion definitely help them explore shooting w the dominant eye.

[Ruttinghard]

Thanks for the replies everyone! Do you think for young kids starting out, they actually should be shooting a fairly even amount right and left handed? Do balance out development?

[McDave]

Thanks for the replies everyone! Do you think for young kids starting out, they actually should be shooting a fairly even amount right and left handed? Do balance out development?

While I am very much in favor of being able to shoot both right and left handed bows, I think it's more important in the beginning to work on shooting one or the other until a certain level of competence is achieved.  If the initial bow doesn't seem to be working out for any of a variety of reasons, whether because the hand is wrong, or the weight is too high or (rarely) too low, or because is is simply too low quality to continue with, those are all good reasons to try a different bow, but once a satisfactory bow is found, the shooter should continue with it for at least a year or so. 

After a year or so, the shooter should be encouraged to try shooting both right and left handed.  However, many people are just not interested in doing that; they want to master one way of shooting.  It's all fine, as long as they are enjoying themselves.

[JohnV]

Start them shooting with their dominant eye.  Their left arm/shoulder muscles will likely be weaker but strength can be built up quickly. 

[Pat B]

I guess it really depends on what style shooting you are teaching him. I'd imagine if you are using the arrow for aiming working with the dominant eye would be important. I never see or consider the arrow when I shoot. I look where the arrow will go, draw and release.

[Hal Hartness]

Sorry old fart stuff again. I dominance ? left or right> Well do ya shoot with one eye closed or both uf em open? If both open well Id say it more important were your nose points. Its most of the time between both eyes ( sept fer one gal i dated). Im a thinking ifin both eyes be open and I hold my finger out and point at the spot I want to hit and Is see that finer on the spot. Then I close one of dem eyes and it jumps one way or the other Is aint pintin were Im a shooting. Same thing seems to happin to me in them good old days. I could be going butt backard or side was of da basket but ifin I could get that nose locked on the bucket focus good on er my left or right hand 3 feets over my head seem ta know what to do with er. Did a test run on dat lodgic one day on the pitcher mound throwin battin parctice. Need to get in my work out so might as well try stuff. One of them things was a wonderment. Found out I wer right eye dominatin . Thought it would be fun to close one eye to different buddies that was hitting. Found out ifin I closed my right eye I could consistently hit a right handed hitter at the same hight I throw to. Im a simp one but I say keep both eyes open and point your nose werein you wanta hit and tell them arms to line up with the nose lookin.
But what do is's know

Enjoy it boys she get over faster than yu wanter to

 

[Sojurn]

Eye dominance with a bow is (in my opinion) largely a non-issue. If you're shooting with both eyes open, and you're focused on the target (as opposed to your point) the all of this is pretty low on the list of things that matter.
  If you were hard focused on the point as an aiming reference and using the eye opposite of your hand, sure, I can see it being a problem. But the reality is a bow isn't a handgun, and we don't aim them in the same way. In all of our pistol classes in the last 8-ish years, I've only ever had one shooter where I had them swap hands because of eye dominance. It happens, but is rare.
  With a new shooter, fun is the first factor. Then form. I understand wanting to set them up for success, but good form will supercede eye dominance .
  I say all of this as a right handed shooter who is left eye dominant. 

[David McLendon]

I'm left eye dominant and made the switch back in 2000, there was a significant improvement for my bow shooting.
 I made the change primarily for wing shooting and Sporting Clays and it made a big difference on the shotgun.

[PICKNGRIN]

I help coach archery with the NASP program in schools.  I have a new archer who started this year.  His folks had already bought him a right hand Genesis bow to use in this shooting program.  He was shooting drastically left most every shot.  I did a dominant eye test with him and he is left eye dominant.  he still wants to shoot right handed because he does everything right handed.  We have been able to improve his shooting by changing his stance a bit and closing his left eye as he comes to full draw.
Also, I have a good friend who I have shot with many years who is left eye dominant but shoots right handed.  He learned to adapt his shooting and is one of the most accurate shooters with a stickbow I have ever seen.

[TXNewt]

Grew up shooting Righty, as I am right handed. Found out I was left eye dominant at about 13. Tried to work through it for years but struggled when the chips were down. Decided to change at about 20 years old. Really wasn’t hard and was hunting after about 6 months from changing to left hand shooting. Made all the difference in the world. I highly recommend shooting to match your eye dominance.

TXNewt