newbie blues.......

[Bartel]

OK guys ...thanks for the forums first of all
i have looked at the site for a while and even made my own self bow and arrows(2) ,being enamored by the thought of traditional/primitive archery.... one fine Friday i passed a yard sale ,and happened to spot two recurve bows and a clutch of older arrows , struck a deal for $50 for all the bows where painted OD green and the arrows had seen better days ,but given the price i'd seen you pay for new arrows figured i was ahead , heck i know i was getting a deal....
stooked that i could finally experience true archery {because my attempt @ making my own bow went about as you would expect ..medeoker at best but really kind of a let down } so thinking that the paint was obscuring my assessment of the bow's functionality (i knew one was a "Fred bear" from the coin inlay-ed into the riser of one . and vintage obviously} i started removing the paint ,to more accurately see what i was considering putting a string on and shooting the Fred bear was marked 52" 60# and later found out that it was a 1963 model ....cool
the other had hand writing on one of the limbs
( 58" 45 @ 28 Black widow hand made by the Wilson bro's Springfield Missouri) finding that kinda cool that it was hand made i finished cleaning them up and took them to the local archery shop to get some strings .....
well i guess you could imagine my surprise at their surprise to see a early black widow (63')
brought in by some noob that he bought for $25
i think the guy said " well the sun shines on every dogs ass every once in a while ...and this is your day " "you want your money back?"
strung , shot , string slap ,you tube, and i'm really enjoying this ,very much . hooked i guess you could say , not even really concerned that i haven't gotten a bulls eye yet i figure that i'm going to have to build up muscle control and work on form so there is no real expectation of driving tacks i'm just content to hi the foam block ...
so a buddy remind me of trad-gang and i sit down register and read the newbie article ...wow that's a lot of info and i'm eating it up ... so i get to the part about eye dominance and what do you know i'm left eye dominant and this wonderful bow that i have wore my shoulder out with is right handed ....pffft ........ suggestions ?
can you change your eye dominance ?
is it worth it ?
or should i just pass this one on and get a LH
thanks for your input in advance

[VictoryHunter]

Welcome to the gang! Congrats on the bow, that is the deal of a lifetime.

[Sam McMichael]

That was quite a deal!. You will enjoy those bows a lot. Welcome to traditional archery, you are off to a good start.

[Jim Wright]

There are some right-handed, left-eye dominant shooters who do just fine. There is a computer between your ears. Try it for awhile and see how you progress.

[Trumpkin the Dwarf]

So long as you aren't gap shooting, you should be fine. Or, you could close your left eye to shoot. Stick with it a while.

[Biathlonman]

I'm left eye dominant and have been shooting stuff all my life right handed.  Never once felt handicapped.

[nineworlds9]

If you're left eye dominant shooting lefty is an advantage.  But your brain will indeed compensate if you practice.  I enjoy shooting both ways but my go-to is lefty.  I'm right handed and left eyed.

[centaur]

I seem to remember reading that Howard Hill was left eye dominant, but he did pretty well shooting right handed.
Welcome to a great forum!

[joe ashton]

[T-Bowhunter]

I am right eye dominant and have been shooting left handed for 35 years.  I am left Handed and when I started shooting I did not know any better.  I close my right eye when I am at full draw, Good Luck.

[Cmane07]

I am right handed but left eye dominant and have always shot left handed and love it. To my knowledge you can't change eye dominance.  I would get a lefty bow and try it for sure

[reddogge]

If you notice you are hitting way left the eye dominance thing could be an issue. Try shooting with your left eye closed when shooting right handed.

[Bartel]

a lot if insight , thanks guys .
shot 2 groups today (implementing most of the suggestions )and hit the target a total of 3 times LOL  man i think this got into my head was much better before  .......mind over matter right ?

[Rob DiStefano]

if yer keen on shooting a bow well, you'll just do whatever works best for ya.  

most left eye dominant, right handed folks have a really tough time shooting lefty.  

why fight it?  

yer right handed, so shoot right handed and just close yer left eye when aiming, get yer right eye down over the drawn shaft and shoot "instinctively".  

start no more than 5 yards from the mark and do not progress to longer distances 'til you feel confident and your hits bear that out.  

you can do it!  promise!

[Bartel]

thanks rob will try that thanks for the 5 yard tip was shooting @ 35 so that should make a difference
Cheers

[Hopeful-Bowyer]

Shooting traditionally is essentially pointing the arrow at something like you would your finger. Doesn't matter what hand you point with because your brain compensates and gets it on target either way. Now if your left handed that'd be a problem. I'm right eye dominate but can shoot both right and left handed bows but that's cause I've practiced a bunch to achieve that. Go ahead and play with both at an archery shop, what ever you shoot better and more comfortably with stick with. And awesome finds! My first bow was a Fred Bear, but around the 40lbs which lighter pull helps a bunch with learning and mastering the basics