Eye dominance - new shooter question.

javman · Post by **javman** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 12:50 pm

My son has just started shooting the Daisy 853C with the air cadets and I have purchased him his own Daisy 853. My question is in regards to eye
dominance. He is left eye dominant but is right handed. Should he be shooting left handed or right handed but still using his left eye? Is there anything special he can do to hold the gun right handed for better vision with his left eye? Any input or suggestions is appreciated.

Mark

Isabel1130 · Post by **Isabel1130** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 2:26 pm

My advice, if he feels more comfortable with the gun in his right hand and has more fine motor coordination there, the simple solution to avoid cross dominance issues is to blur out his left eye with a piece of tape over his shooting glasses so that he uses his right eye. See how that goes for a while. He will get used to it if he has no other issues other than the eye dominance. This is what the AMU recommends. The other easy fix if he has no preference for right over left handedness is to shoot left handed but when you get into several guns and want anatomical grips that can be expensive. I have probably spent at least a thousand more on equipement to make it easy on myself as a left handed shooter. Isabel

Richard H · Post by **Richard H** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 5:34 pm

Unless he has sever vision issues with his right eye, I'd suggest shooting right eye/ right hand.

Pat McCoy · Post by **Pat McCoy** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 7:01 pm

It depends a lot on HOW dominant his left eye really is. If it is very close to the right eye, he can probably make good use of a blinder on the left eye. Sometimes, however, the dominance is so strong that he'll need to shoot left handed/eyed. Have him try some groups (prone, to take out most variables) each way. He will know shortly if there is a major difference in how well he sees the sight picture, and let you know which way is best for him.

The worst that will happen is if he is not strongly dominant in one eye, as soon as the sight is brought in front of the face the other eye will become dominant. The only solution (other than using a scoped rifle) is use of a blinder on the non-shooting eye.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 10:20 am

Always use a blinder for the non-shooting eye anyway.

David Levene · Post by **David Levene** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 11:09 am

Anonymous wrote:Always use a blinder for the non-shooting eye anyway.

Now there's a nice sweeping statement. I've got news for you "Guest", everyone is different.

I always use a blinder, historically to try to conceal the fact that I close my eye. I now find it useful, as a normal spectacle wearer, between shots when I open my non-shooting eye.

Would I recommend it to anyone else? Only if it suits them. As I said before, everyone is different.

Anschutz · Post by **Anschutz** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 1:18 pm

Everyone is different David,but the consensus by most people is use a blinder.Colin

David Levene · Post by **David Levene** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 2:22 pm

Anschutz wrote:....the consensus by most people is use a blinder....

Most people maybe; but that does not equate to "Always use a blinder".

Just as an example, in the Men's Air Pistol Final at the World Cup Finals this year 5 were using blinders, 3 were not.

Just because the current Olympic Champions, World Champions and World Cup Final winners in both 50m (Free) and Men's Air Pistol (including the AP60 World Record holder) do not use blinders on their non-shooting eyes does not make it right for everyone: but it's certainly an option to be considered.

edit note: I appreciate that the original post was about air rifle but the position at top level is not unanimous there either.

Soupy44 · Post by **Soupy44** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 2:59 pm

For the junior I coach, I go by handedness rather than eye dominance. A blinder will be pretty much required for your son to shoot. You son will likely feel more comfortable shooting righty which is the important part.

Anschutz · Post by **Anschutz** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 5:54 pm

David Levene wrote:
Anschutz wrote:....the consensus by most people is use a blinder....
Most people maybe; but that does not equate to "Always use a blinder".

Just as an example, in the Men's Air Pistol Final at the World Cup Finals this year 5 were using blinders, 3 were not.

Just because the current Olympic Champions, World Champions and World Cup Final winners in both 50m (Free) and Men's Air Pistol (including the AP60 World Record holder) do not use blinders on their non-shooting eyes does not make it right for everyone: but it's certainly an option to be considered.

edit note: I appreciate that the original post was about air rifle but the position at top level is not unanimous there either.

Can't think of anyone at the top level shooting rifle that's not using a blinder,stands back and waits to be corrected.
It is a personal thing, but for rifle I would recommend using a blinder. Colin

robf · Post by **robf** » Tue Nov 17, 2009 7:40 am

You need to try it... it depends which has more effect on the shooting, the eye or the handidness... i'm left eye dominant but shoot right handed because shooting left handed feels totally alien to me. I use a blind, but i'd recommend that anyway to relax the aiming eye, whether you are using your strong eye or not.

javman · Post by **javman** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 10:30 pm

Thanks for the replies. He is definitley more comfortable shooting right handed so I will have him continue right handed and right eyed. I will have him try a blinder to see if it helps and if he likes it.

Thanks again

Mark

Kevin6Q · Post by **Kevin6Q** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 7:14 am

I am right handed with everything I do except shooting. My left eye is much better than my right and ever since I was a kid using sticks as a as a gun while running around in the yard I've always and naturally shot left handed. I use a blinder on my right eye since I shoot better with both open and mostly like the way the blinder removes distractions for me. I wouldn't force the issue with dominance; let him decide and he will learn either way. Having said this, I shoot a pistol RH and just cross over to aim with the left eye. Holding a pistol in the LH just feels weird even though I have very good trigger control on the rifle using the left hand. Even using a scope on a RH rifle feels awkward even when I can clearly see the target using the corrective action on the right eye. Using the scoped RH rifle my trigger control is orders of magnitude worse than the LH rifle. Even if the difference between the left and right eye is slight, the acuity advantage of the left eye will ultimately benefit him. There is also a slight difference between a 10 and an X.

Steve Swartz as Guest · Fri Nov 20, 2009 1:19 pm

Just out of curiosity, is this pistol shooting?

If so, I'm not sure I understand the problem cross dominance.

Is shooting left hand/right eye (or vice versa) considered such a disadvantage that we would insist on forcing a choice?

Steve

Anschutz · Post by **Anschutz** » Fri Nov 20, 2009 3:02 pm

Steve
Daisy 853 shows up as a rifle.So I think the blinder issue was regarding rifle shooting. Colin

Richard H · Post by **Richard H** » Fri Nov 20, 2009 4:50 pm

Steve Swartz as Guest wrote:Just out of curiosity, is this pistol shooting?

If so, I'm not sure I understand the problem cross dominance.

Is shooting left hand/right eye (or vice versa) considered such a disadvantage that we would insist on forcing a choice?

Steve

Cross Dominance in pistol can be accommodated but it often forces some strange positions and can cause problems with neck, wrists and elbows (you know all about elbow problems). The few that I know who have tried it, one at very top level (WC and Olympics) went to their dominant hand and non dominant eye. It didn't effect their performance either.

paw080 · Post by **paw080** » Fri Nov 20, 2009 7:45 pm

Hi Richard, I have been shooting cross dominant since the early 1970s.
I've had none of the issues you describe. The only accomodation that
we might make is to stand a little straighter toward the target. Our heads
do not have to tilt, we hold the pistol the same way, and we swivel our
heads even less than non-cross dominant shooters.
I think "normal" shooters should leave us alone. Maybe cross-dominant
shooters are better off than you other folks. He He...

Oops, Hi again, since the original thread is about rifle shooting; my thoughts
above only pertain to pistol shooting.

Tony G

RobStubbs · Post by **RobStubbs** » Sat Nov 21, 2009 5:03 am

In pistol, it's relatively easy to either twist or buy a new grip such that the sights align with the other eye. It's a much more difficult problem with rifle and you should certainly try shooting as a lefty for a while, to see how that works for you.

Rob.

Hemmers · Post by **Hemmers** » Sat Nov 21, 2009 9:49 am

If he finds shooting left-handed shooting utterly alien, but at some stage in the future reaches the decision that his shooting really is suffering as a result of using his right eye, offset sight plates can be found. The slip onto the sight rail, and literally offset the sights so they sit in front of the left eye, whilst the rifle is shot from the right shoulder.

An extreme measure, but it has been done with some measure of success. It's another route to consider.

However, in the meantime, whatever he's comfortable with. If right-handed shooting is what comes naturally to him, then stick a blinder over his left eye and crack on right-handed.

It is of course possible to shoot well with the weak hand. Karoly Takacs being the shining example. Just depends how much you want something and how much work you are prepared to put in to achieve it.

Telecomtodd · Post by **Telecomtodd** » Sat Nov 21, 2009 4:29 pm

Here's something else to consider - in its certification class, NRA Rifle Instructors are told to take left-eyed/right handed shooters and have them shoot left handed. In my cert class we nearly had a fist fight over the use of blinders or switching from left to right/vice versa. No one in the group of 25 in the cert class actually coaches shooters on an active basis other than in hunter safety classes, so I won the arguement. Good thing we discussed it though, since the question showed up on the cert test, and I had to wrongly answer it "correctly". Still aced the test...and by the way, I'm left-eyed, right handed too!