I would like to teach my 8 year old to shoot. I have taken him twice to the local range. The problem is that he shoots right handed sights left eyed. This is the same from rifle to pistol. How can I correct this? Is there a way to teach this type of holding problem?
doggyman-at-bigfoot.com.41155.0
teaching a child to shoot
Moderators: rexifelis, pilkguns
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Barry Markowitz
Cross eyed dominance?
If he really isn't cross eyed dominant, then just tape the buff color of a target over the left eye
of his safety glasses, which will gently force him to try right eye dominance. If he really is left eye dominant then the other TT guys that are this way will share their experiences. Glad you and your son are sticking with it despite the temporary obstacle.
: I would like to teach my 8 year old to shoot. I have taken him twice to the local range. The problem is that he shoots right handed sights left eyed. This is the same from rifle to pistol. How can I correct this? Is there a way to teach this type of holding problem?
newsphotohi-at-hawaii.rr.com.41157.41155
of his safety glasses, which will gently force him to try right eye dominance. If he really is left eye dominant then the other TT guys that are this way will share their experiences. Glad you and your son are sticking with it despite the temporary obstacle.
: I would like to teach my 8 year old to shoot. I have taken him twice to the local range. The problem is that he shoots right handed sights left eyed. This is the same from rifle to pistol. How can I correct this? Is there a way to teach this type of holding problem?
newsphotohi-at-hawaii.rr.com.41157.41155
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RFW
Re: Cross eyed dominance?
As a Scout shooting instructor, I've run across this many times. It is much easier to train the eye than the hand in young people. We use the paper over the safety glasses trick too. It really works well for several reasons. The neutral color of target paper is perfect.
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Jerry
Re: Cross eyed dominance?
For what it's worth...
I am <b>strongly</b> left eyed dominant and right handed.
I struggled for almost two years shooting right handed. I never really felt comfortable shooting right handed. (The grips need major surgury for cross dominant shooting).
A hand injury forced me to start shooting left handed back in Feb.
After my left arm toughened up, I quickly became <b>much</b> more consistent and my scores are still slowly edging up.
However I saw eight years old well over a half century ago, young folks are much more adaptable than the geezer generation.
Switching was the right decision for me.
--Jerry
jerry.levan-at-eku.edu.41178.41157
I am <b>strongly</b> left eyed dominant and right handed.
I struggled for almost two years shooting right handed. I never really felt comfortable shooting right handed. (The grips need major surgury for cross dominant shooting).
A hand injury forced me to start shooting left handed back in Feb.
After my left arm toughened up, I quickly became <b>much</b> more consistent and my scores are still slowly edging up.
However I saw eight years old well over a half century ago, young folks are much more adaptable than the geezer generation.
Switching was the right decision for me.
--Jerry
jerry.levan-at-eku.edu.41178.41157
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tommyg
Re: teaching a child to shoot
I do not beleive that this is an eye dominance problem but more related to normal voluntary nervous system developement.
I have noticed that most kids only seem to be able to close their strong side eye, singlely, and have trouble closing their weak side eye alone(both eyes close when they try to do this, try getting them to wink, using each eye and it becomes more apparent)
It most likey has to do with the way they hold the firearm. With the youger kids and smaller females their tendancy is to tuck the butt of the firearm under the arm pit beacuse it is too long for them, and to compensate to see the sights they bend their heads down overthe butt and the left eye is the one that they think they should use.
Also a significant factor is the positioning of the rifle while they shoot. Most want to hold it straight out in front of them pointing the same direction as their nose, you must re-enforce the proper stance and postioning even when shooting from a bench.
Most sight a pistol with the left eye because they sighte the rifle the same way. I agree that the piece of target over the left eye of the safety glasses will allow the young shooter to keep both eyes open, and train eye dominance.
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I have noticed that most kids only seem to be able to close their strong side eye, singlely, and have trouble closing their weak side eye alone(both eyes close when they try to do this, try getting them to wink, using each eye and it becomes more apparent)
It most likey has to do with the way they hold the firearm. With the youger kids and smaller females their tendancy is to tuck the butt of the firearm under the arm pit beacuse it is too long for them, and to compensate to see the sights they bend their heads down overthe butt and the left eye is the one that they think they should use.
Also a significant factor is the positioning of the rifle while they shoot. Most want to hold it straight out in front of them pointing the same direction as their nose, you must re-enforce the proper stance and postioning even when shooting from a bench.
Most sight a pistol with the left eye because they sighte the rifle the same way. I agree that the piece of target over the left eye of the safety glasses will allow the young shooter to keep both eyes open, and train eye dominance.
.41183.41155
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Mikael Andersson
Re: teaching a child to shoot
Di Donna have the same "problem". So just calm down.
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Jay V
Re: teaching a child to shoot
: The problem is that he shoots right handed sights left eyed.
I run a junior 3P air rifle shooting program with 35 students. We go with eye dominance. Some of our best left-eye dominant students shot right-handed before entering the program, but quickly found that they do better shooting left-handed. With training it becomes natural.
For pistol shooting, it was recommended to me by Erich Buljung (US National Coach) that they should not be concerned by having to shoot cross-dominant. Changes may need to be made to the stance and grips to get it to work well though.
The extra strength and coordination of the dominant arm may be more of a factor with pistol, ideally rifle shooting should not require strength the hold up the gun.
Jay Vergenz
IL
www.aiac-airguns.org
jverg-at-att.net.41244.41155
I run a junior 3P air rifle shooting program with 35 students. We go with eye dominance. Some of our best left-eye dominant students shot right-handed before entering the program, but quickly found that they do better shooting left-handed. With training it becomes natural.
For pistol shooting, it was recommended to me by Erich Buljung (US National Coach) that they should not be concerned by having to shoot cross-dominant. Changes may need to be made to the stance and grips to get it to work well though.
The extra strength and coordination of the dominant arm may be more of a factor with pistol, ideally rifle shooting should not require strength the hold up the gun.
Jay Vergenz
IL
www.aiac-airguns.org
jverg-at-att.net.41244.41155