Want to shoot both eyes open

PAhntr91

WKR
Joined
Aug 1, 2020
Messages
445
First off I’m one of the many of us that is right handed but left eye dominant. I’ve always heard that it is better to shoot with both eyes open and I have played around with it until I send arrows for a long ride and never return. Meaning my left eye takes over and just not realizing it. Id really like to get this taken care of. I’m sure it will help in the long run. Any tips or stories any one has had Trying to get my right eye to be the more dominant eye for shooting.
 

Breddoch

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 30, 2018
Messages
142
I squint my left eye open just enough to let some light in. It helps tremendously in low light. Maybe not opening all the way will keep it from taking over?
 

krimmie

FNG
Joined
Mar 11, 2021
Messages
17
Location
South Florida
When shooting my bow, I wink my left eye a couple times until the right eye takes over.


I put small dots on my left lens with a dry eraser marker when wing shooting.

It’s definitely a pita.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Joined
Feb 20, 2020
Messages
1,451
Location
CO
Have you tried a left handed bow?

I’m the opposite, a lefty that is right eye dominate and I can’t shoot a LH bow nearly as well a RH bow. Both eyes open on either side is too much sensory input for me to focus on my target.
 
Joined
Jul 27, 2017
Messages
691
First off I’m one of the many of us that is right handed but left eye dominant. I’ve always heard that it is better to shoot with both eyes open and I have played around with it until I send arrows for a long ride and never return. Meaning my left eye takes over and just not realizing it. Id really like to get this taken care of. I’m sure it will help in the long run. Any tips or stories any one has had Trying to get my right eye to be the more dominant eye for shooting.
Ya you should definitely try to switch to a left handed bow. You could shooting with an eye patch for a while or a blinder on a hat.
 
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PAhntr91

WKR
Joined
Aug 1, 2020
Messages
445
Have you tried a left handed bow?

I’m the opposite, a lefty that is right eye dominate and I can’t shoot a LH bow nearly as well a RH bow. Both eyes open on either side is too much sensory input for me to focus on my target.
I’ve really been wanting too. I’ve heard that I would most likely never shoot a RH bow as good as I would be able to shoot a LH.
 
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PAhntr91

WKR
Joined
Aug 1, 2020
Messages
445
obviously I do squint my left eye I try to leave it open a little bit to let light in. It works. I’ve been shooting for about 10 years that way.
 
Joined
May 6, 2018
Messages
8,823
Location
Shenandoah Valley

I think with archery you are better off to shoot whichever eye is dominant.

I have spoken to shotgun coaches who train the eye. They prefer to have the shooter shoot whichever hand they are, and they put chapstick or tape over shooting glasses to blurry the dominant eye. This isn't all coaches of course, but I have met a few who practice this.


I feel like my eye dominance is switching, I think it might just be I can't see out of my right eye as well as I use to. I have two friends who have gone to left-handed shooting do to problems.
 

Scrappy

WKR
Joined
Jun 5, 2013
Messages
766
I'm also left eye dominant. Shot right hands for years until I made few bad shots on deer due to left eye taking over. As far as I know there is no other fix except wearing a patch over your left eye. Cause in the heat of the moment you can't control your left eye every time. It will eventually cost you missing or wounding an animal. Going to a left handed bow will not be hard at all. After the first day you will be comfortable. Just make the switch you won't regret.
 
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PAhntr91

WKR
Joined
Aug 1, 2020
Messages
445
Yeah I guess it’s just the whole starting over thing that’s frustrating. Hard to come up with the funds to pick up a new to me bow in the first place. Let alone convincing the wife. I know my shooting with gain significantly.
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
15,528
Location
Colorado Springs
I shoot LH and am left eye dominant, and I still shoot with my right eye closed.....not even a squint. It's never been an issue for accuracy and consistency. About 10 years ago I shot all summer with both eyes open, and even after three months my shooting still wasn't as good as it was with my right eye closed. So I just keep doing what I'm doing, as it works very well for me.
 

badshot

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 30, 2017
Messages
122
Location
Oregon
I am left eye dominant but shoot bow right handed. I shoot most guns other than shotguns left handed but for me bow and shotguns you have to feel right and I can't get that feel left handed. What I did though for bow is close my left eye and use a lens with clarifer. I found it help boost the non dominant eye to the point that I was comfortable.
 
Joined
Mar 10, 2021
Messages
18
I haven't found a great solution besides squinting. No matter what I've tried sometimes my left eye takes over and weird shit happens. Found it was better to go with closing one eye and take the consistency over the benefits of both eyes open.
 

jestanw1

FNG
Joined
Sep 19, 2013
Messages
81
Location
Northern Utah
I am in the same boat, right handed and left eye dominant, always shot firearms left handed so when I decided to try archery I picked up a left handed bow and taught myself how to shoot it. It doesnt take long to become comfortable with it and one great thing about it that I don't see many people touch on is after switching to shooting left handed your dominant, most likely stronger arm is going to be the arm balancing and holding the bow. I feel much more stable and accurate with my dominant arm holding the bow then I do my non dominant arm. Learning to draw left handed will come quickly. buy a cheap left handed bow and start at low poundage to work on the correct techniques and see if you like it. I know I'm glad I started out lefty so I didnt have to try and change after years of shooting right handed, I can only imagine that it would be difficult to untrain one thing to train another.
 
Joined
Mar 22, 2021
Messages
22
I am also in the same boat. I just found out I am cross dominant. I have to close my left eye to shoot consistently. One of the blinder products would definitely be beneficial if you wanted to try with both eyes open
 

Captrjc

FNG
Joined
Mar 24, 2021
Messages
5
Hello I’m a new member here, Im RH and right eye dominant, I had an eye injury last year that basically made it impossible to shoot RH. I purchased a LH V3 and started all over. At first just knocking an arrow smoothly was difficult and pretty much everything was frustrating but after 30-50 shots a day for a week things just fell in place. It’s been 3 months now and I’m shooting better than I ever did Rh. Looking back..... I had to rely on the fundamentals and switching hand forced me to throw away my bad habits that I picked up as a righty. I have to close my right eye though because even with really blurred vision it wants to take over while aiming.
If anyone is on the fence about switching.... go for it,
Rich
 

Richieber

FNG
Joined
Feb 12, 2020
Messages
57
I am a righty but have a degenerative eye condition causing me to become progressively severely left eye dominant. Switched to lefty for gun and bow about 8 years ago. While I will always be more comfortable righty I have become comfortable shooting lefty. I would make the switch, tough at first but with practice it gets better, but it may never feel as natural as shooting right handed.
 
Joined
Jul 27, 2017
Messages
691
I’m right handed and left eye dominant and if I tried to shoot a bow right handed I would miss by 3 feet at 15 yards. I have a weird face and can’t close my left eye by squinting.
 
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