Switching from Right to Left

[stagetek]

After reading a recent article in TBM. I'm curious how many shooters have made the switch from right to left, in hopes of getting rid of bad shooting habits ? Did it work ? Or did the same old habits return ?

[akstumpjumper]

Me.........I am naturally left handed but shot bow right handed. Went to shooting left and never looked back.

[GR]

Switched a few years back. I'm left eye dominate. Gotta say it was the right thing to do. Are you changing to cure bad habits?

[2-BIG]

I switched about 9 years ago due to a shoulder injury. Best move I ever made. I was already left eye dominant but I think that when you shoot enough, eye dominance does not play a part because your bow hand seems to adjust for it.
I also found that by starting from scratch I could develope much better form as old habits are hard to break.
I have a story on the "articles/stories" page about switching, called "BUCKS, BROKEN CHAIRS, AND LEFTHANDED BOWS".  

[slivrslingr]

I'm still trying to switch, but struggling.  Shooting right handed is more natural, shooting left I have moments of brillance, though consistancy is an issue.  If you switch, have your wife hide your right hand bows so you're not tempted to regress, LOL!

[houseman]

I have been shooying both ways for awhile.  Just can't shoot the weight lefty that I can shoot right handed.  Gonna stick with left now.  Just need to trade off a right haned shawnee for a set of shawnee limbs at a lower weight.  Sorry, got off track.  I do shoot much better lefty that I do right.

[Quill Flinger]

I shoot either way, or both I guess it is. Naturally a south paw but I started instructing archery with little kids & started shooting RH & became just as good, or bad....laffs...either side. Injuries also "encouraged" me to switch for a time.

I found it no problem switching as I shoot instinctively anyways. If you want to improve bad habits, go teach some kids. Man, if you show them one way, then shoot another, they'll call ya on it every time!

Then comes the confusion, do I order my next bow RH or LH? Oh sure, just get one of each!...laffs. Be careful what ya wish for!

[stagetek]

My reason for considering a switch is because I shoot too fast. I do reach full draw, and I'm a decent shot, I just feel I could be a better shot if I held a bit longer. I am right eye dominate. Thats why I haven't tried this yet.

[dragon rider]

I switched from RH to LH after cataract surgery.  I've always been left eye dominant, but after the surgery it completely took over.  It does give you a chance to be a better shooter in the long run because you have to concentrate so much to do it at first that you can retrain yourself and get rid of bad habits from the other side.  You need to make a conscious effort to do that though - it's almost like learning to shoot again.

[hormoan]

I think you are better off sticking with your dominate eye, than switch because of a form issue.

The form\\holding issue is much easier to overcome, than switching sides.

Work on your holding issue without releasing. Over and over again come to full draw and anchor. HOLD IT AS LONG AS YOU CAN

Then let it down, after working out the draw and anchor and hold.

Then get a up close target you can hit with your eyes closed. Work on your draw to anchor and hold with your eyes closed. And also after holding work on your release still with your eyes closed.

With your eyes closed you will feel no need to hurry your shot.

You are then only working on your draw/anchor/release. After you get those bugs worked out. Your shooting should improve. With your eyes open   :D

[wharvey]

I switched from right to left a few decades ago due to a shoulder injury. I'm left eye dominate but shot right handed since that's what everyone else did. Ah to be young again!

I now shoot a lot better now than I ever did right handed, not that I'm very good, just better.

Did shoot right handed a bit before Christmas setting up a bow for a nephew. Didn't do too bad but it sure felt odd. Didn't help my shoulder either.

[yekrut]

I shoot left, but would like to someday shoot right I might try!!

[yekrut]

I shoot left, but would like to someday shoot right, I might try!!

[adeeden]

Originally posted by akstumpjumper:
Me.........I am naturally left handed but shot bow right handed. Went to shooting left and never looked back.

Same as above I actually shot right handed for 15 years before going left!

[Autumnarcher]

With instinctive shooting, eye dominance really doesnt mean anything. Jay Kidwell explains this very well in his book "Instinctive Archery Insights.

I think the biggest part os getting over the muscle dominance of your strong handed side.
My chiropractor told me that he can see a noticable difference in my back and shoulder muscles from my left to my right( I'm a lefty) from drawing a bow so repeatedly with those muscle groups. It can cause some back or shoulder problems from the uneven stregth ofthe muscles.

[houseman]

I am sure that john is a much better shot than me.  I shoot instinctive and am right hand left eye dominant.  I shoot10 times better left handed than right.  I have not touched a bow for at least 6 months (shoulder surgery) no left hand for about a year  I shoot so much better lefty with a tenth of the shooting.  Well for me  going with my dominant eye is the right thing.

[stagetek]

Well, I can tell you this. I've tried everything to hold longer. When it comes down to it I shoot fast. Period. I'm going to try shooting left, probably buying a cheap one off of e-Bay. Thanks for the reply's, appreciate the advise. And, as of now, none of my right handed Bear bow collection is for sale. ( lol )

[BradLantz]

for ya'll who switched - did you switch doing everything else too or just the one thing?

seems to me if your mind/body coordinates every waking minute to do everyting cross dominant and then you go against that grain it would lead to all kinds of problems.

now if you switched everything I can see that re-trining your mind/body

[houseman]

I have always been able to do things lefty.  Golf,hockey,bat.  The biggest trial for me is having good control of the string in my fingers.

[Quill Flinger]

BradLantz,
   Some things are easily switched, like batting a ball, I can hit either side, but catching & throwing is southpaw.

   I never tried tennis, but 1 of my buddy's girlfriend was a semi-pro & instructor & talked me into playing 1 day. After about 20 mintues she stopped & hollered "I just figured it out! You don't have a backhand!" I would just switch hands to whatever side the ball went. She had never seen that before.

  It was just a natural response on my part. Do you walk left or right handed? It's just done without a thought.

   Course I won't deny that I do have "problems"...laffs... I am also one of a small percent of the population that has non-linear thinking, extremely so. Went to elementary school but never graduated, went to high school & never graduated, went to university, wasn't even registered, just went to the classes & lectures I was interested in.