TIPS NEEDED: Right Handed/Left Eye Dominant

[TexasArmed]

I am just the reverse, I am left handed right eye dominant, but I have 20 15 vision in my left eye now. Maybe you could use an
eye patch but then if you did you would not have it on in an incident most likely. So I think its best to just practice using
the same side as the hand your using to shoot. JMO

 

[MJB]

I too am right handed but left eye dominant. I shoot a handgun right handed. Rifles and shotguns however, I shoot left handed. I've shot this way all my life (65) and it is what WORKS BEST FOR ME!

This is my exact situation. Even my age!

 

[Cor3]

Same here, I just slightly turn head to line up left eye.

 

[badge 851]

This is my exact situation. Even my age!

Great minds think alike!!!!!

 

[jasona]

Right hander / left eye (mostly) here.

Pistol shooting I tend to close my left eye, sight with the right, and don't do to bad. Interestingly when I have some fun and use a "duellist" stance (pistol in the right hand, arm extended, body turned sideways) I manage pretty decent groupings (probably because I can't use my left eye in such a position.

Rifle shooting (M&P 15 OR with a EoTech red dot) I put it to the right shoulder, and keep both eyes open, sighting through the red dot with my right eye.
Again, not bad groupings.

YMMV

 

[Nevada Ed]

I would pass on going duck hunting right now...........

unless he has lots of ammo.

 

[AnthemBassMan]

-Also right handed/left eye dominant. Doesn't really affect me either. I use a sort of modified Weaver stance. Both eyes open, body turned slightly to the right, with arms slightly across my body to the left. Been shooting like that for the past 30-35 years. And if you've ever watched a Hickock45 video on youtube, you'll see that it doesn't affect your aim. Not that I'm anywhere near his talent!

L8R,
Matt

 

[JeepinCO]

I'm left handed, right eyed dominate. For years I shot pistol left handed, but all long guns right handed. I shot pistol fine, but I got tired of it and decided one day that I was switching. Bought a right handed holster and started practicing. Now, some 20 years later I shoot much better and it's weird for me to shoot left handed.

I would tell your friend to just make the switch, practice and stick to it and he should do fine.

 

[hardluk1]

Been left eye. right handed for my 54 years of shooting and never need tips to do it. I can still adjust a scope to my right eye and shot it that way with little problem .

 

[wittmeba]

David Caruso CSI Miami is also right handed and left eye dominant. I believe Bruce Willis is as well.

 

[tjhodges310]

I am a right handed shooter and left eye dominant. Adjusting for this while shooting handguns is not as much of an issue as it with long-guns. While shooting handguns, simply close the non-dominant eye when using the sights and align the sights on target. If the objective is to keep both eyes open while shooting, I turn my head slightly to the right so that my left eye is looking down the sights and aligning the target.

 

[soFlaNative]

First time I picked up big brother's Daisy I held it lefty. Dad watched and never said a thing although I'm right handed. Been doing it that way ever since, even with a pool cue. Years passed before I found how to check dominant eye. Not sure I could manage a left handed long gun, so used to loading and firing backwards, although the spents ejected under my nose is sometimes not fun and I'm not as quick with a bolt action as I could be.

Getting back into handguns, revolver only so far, I have no preferred stance. Square, either foot forward, either hand, both hands, sideways a slight tilt or turn of the head gives me a sight picture.

I'd like some instruction, but am worried that like my golf swing I did much better on my own being blissfully ignorant of the "correct" technique.

 

[Varangi]

I am right handed/left eye dominant.

I wear glasses.

I recently took a skeet/trap lesson from a local elderly gentleman who has taught for years, and used to be a trick shooter, back in the day. He tested me for eye dominance. Without saying a word, he reached into his pocket, pretended to fumble around and then suddenly put a small sticky piece of textured flexible plastic in the center of my left eye glass. It blurred my left eye vision and forced me to use my right eye for sighting. What is great about this is that I don't close my left eye, and keep the field of view with both eyes open. It does blur my left eye, but I can see clearly because the right eye takes over.

I saved that small piece of plastic, as it can be reused. The problem is that I've been trying to identify what material it is made of, but have had no luck. It is sticky, but sticky without any glue. (I'll have to call the gentleman and find out what he uses). Whatever it is, he cut it out by hand. It's about the size of a finger nail, so it doesn't cover the entire lens. I talked with someone recently who had heard of this technique - but this other technique uses a fogged piece of plastic tape.

Since using this trick, I find that I now acquire my sight picture much faster and I believe my shooting is more accurate. It's much more comfortable than tilting your head over to use your left eye.

Hope this info is helpful.

This technique was developed originally by the Soviet Union. It is used to train wrong eyed shooters to use the proper eye. Any type of tape will work. It doesn't have to be very large. I have used circles from 1/4" down to 1/8th in diameter. The secret is in the placement.

Start w/ a good pair of shooting glasses- ones that don't move around-have a partner help- assume your shooting stance with weapon- close wrong eye to get proper front sight alignment with correct eye- stay focused on front sight with proper eye- open wrong eye and stay focused with proper eye while partner places tape directly in line with wrong eyed pupil. If you break concentration, do it again. It only works if you interrupt your dominant eye's ability to focus the pupil. Once the tape is in place- your brain will automatically slave to the proper eye to focus the front sight. Your wrong eye works for everything else.
Depending on your training cycle and muscle memory, your brain should re-boot after a period in which case, the tape will not be necessary.
I have a strong opinion on wrong eye'd shooting. But no need to go there.

Cheers,

Mike

 

[m4user]

Cross eye dominance is not unusual. I have seen this many times in recruit classes or when called in to diagnose a problem shooter.
If you friend is a novice shooter I would have them learn to shoot off the side of the dominant eye (i.e. left eye dominant shoot left handed). This eliminates the need to cock the head and is much easier if they decide to shoot a long gun.
If they have been shooting for a while and have established skill sets then I would suggest they learn to use the eye on their shooting hand side. As others have mentioned, this can be learned by patching the eye or Scotch tape on the shooting glasses lens just in front of the eye you wish to blur.
It will take time however it can be done and the results are well worth it.

 

[shawn mccarver]

Jeff Cooper was right handed and left eye dominant. I could never tell that it affected his ability to shoot much.

In teaching he would "dim" his left eye (closing it enough to allow his right to take over) so as to shoot like most of his students. When shooting on his own, however, he moved the pistol to his eye rather than moving his head/eye to the pistol. The amount you have to move your pistol is equal to the distance between your eyeballs. Very small movement. Problem solved. And, it is easier on your neck muscles. If you contort your head over to move your eye to your pistol, you can get sore. Ever try walking around with a phone tucked under your cheek so you can talk "hands free" during a lengthy call?

 

[Pef]

I am right handed/left eye dominant, but I did not know this until several years ago. I ended up switching to my left eye with a combination of slightly tilting my head and moving the gun.

For target/bullseye shooting I'm decent - better than most at the range at 25 yards, that's for sure.

Don't know what to tell you other than practice, practice, practice.

 

[YeshuaIsa53]

It is not that difficult to look through your weak eye.

 

[SixShooter14]

It is not that difficult to look through your weak eye.

You'd be surprised...

For me, it's quite difficult....my right eye sees 20-40 at best. Left eye can get to 20-25 under the right conditions......

 

[gboling]

I am right handed and always shot handguns with both eyes open, not knowing which eye was dominant. After a problem with my right eye, I continued shooting with both eyes open and had no problem.

I believe that when shooting with both eyes open the dominant eye takes over.