Right handed, but left eye dominant...

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  • DevonB324

    Done
    Feb 7, 2010
    1,896
    Transplanted Texan
    Ok, went to get my eyes checked yesterday, left eye is 20/20 and my right eye is 20/25... and I shoot pool left handed, should I try switching hands with handguns? Suggestions please...
     

    Nanook

    F-notso-NG-anymore
    You can if you want to bad enough. Shooting pistols with either/both hands is a great skill to master. I have the same left/right issues as you and what I do depends on what type of shooting I'm doing.

    If I'm shooting bullseye, I will use a flip-down blinder on my left eye and keep both eyes open.
    If I'm shooting tactical/practical stuff, I will blink my left eye to pick out the proper set of sights (of the two I see), then open my left eye back up for situational awareness. This is pretty hard to do and like most shooting aspects, it takes much practice.
     

    clandestine

    AR-15 Savant
    Oct 13, 2008
    37,041
    Elkton, MD
    Nanook is correct, shoooting both sides is critical. But your likely going to be more consistent from your right side in my experience.
     
    Have you tried keeping both eye's open? I've been shooting that way for years, works very well.

    If you are cross-dominant....for instance right-handed and left-eyed like I am...it's okay to squint a little to help your focus when you shoot with your non-dominant eye because of position or weapon requirements. But leave it partway open to catch movement or flash so you don't get caught unaware.

    To find out which of your eyes is dominant, put your hands out in front of you like a traffic cop motioning a car to stop....then overlap them while leaving an opening above your thumbs. Looking through that opening, sight in on an object across the room, then close your right eye. If you don't see the object across the room any longer without moving your head or your hands, then you are right-eye dominant. If you can still see it without moving anything once you close your right eye....then you are left eye dominant.
     

    DevonB324

    Done
    Feb 7, 2010
    1,896
    Transplanted Texan
    Have you tried keeping both eye's open? I've been shooting that way for years, works very well.

    If you are cross-dominant....for instance right-handed and left-eyed like I am...it's okay to squint a little to help your focus when you shoot with your non-dominant eye because of position or weapon requirements. But leave it partway open to catch movement or flash so you don't get caught unaware.

    To find out which of your eyes is dominant, put your hands out in front of you like a traffic cop motioning a car to stop....then overlap them while leaving an opening above your thumbs. Looking through that opening, sight in on an object across the room, then close your right eye. If you don't see the object across the room any longer without moving your head or your hands, then you are right-eye dominant. If you can still see it without moving anything once you close your right eye....then you are left eye dominant.

    I'm left eye dominant, I did the test yesterday while getting my eyes checked! and very pleased with the check up I might add! No glasses for me!
     

    clandestine

    AR-15 Savant
    Oct 13, 2008
    37,041
    Elkton, MD
    I'll get that DVD from you this week, can't wait to watch it! Thank you again! Chad, you're the bestestest

    :)

    Anytime Devon.

    My wife really enjoys the DVD, and watched it several times with her 5.7 pistol and training rounds I made her in tow. She loves that and her PS90.

    She stole the 2 FN's from me, and wont give them back. :lol2:

    The DVD wont replace good instruction/classes but it will prepare you better for instruction and help keep you sharp after taking instruction/classes.

    If people cant afford professional instruction then the videos are better than nothing. :)
     

    DevonB324

    Done
    Feb 7, 2010
    1,896
    Transplanted Texan
    :)

    Anytime Devon.

    My wife really enjoys the DVD, and watched it several times with her 5.7 pistol and training rounds I made her in tow. She loves that and her PS90.

    She stole the 2 FN's from me, and wont give them back. :lol2:

    The DVD wont replace good instruction/classes but it will prepare you better for instruction and help keep you sharp after taking instruction/classes.

    If people cant afford professional instruction then the videos are better than nothing. :)

    I'll be sure to get the DVD back to you as soon as possible for her! and i have my eye on a few instruction/classes. Had a great time and learned a lot with CCJA last weekend!
     

    clandestine

    AR-15 Savant
    Oct 13, 2008
    37,041
    Elkton, MD
    I'll be sure to get the DVD back to you as soon as possible for her! and i have my eye on a few instruction/classes. Had a great time and learned a lot with CCJA last weekend!

    :D Shell be fine for a while she isnt shooting because of the problem she has.......


    The preggers has her, but its all my fault. :D
     

    BlueHeeler

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 28, 2010
    7,086
    Washington, DC
    Ok, went to get my eyes checked yesterday, left eye is 20/20 and my right eye is 20/25... and I shoot pool left handed, should I try switching hands with handguns? Suggestions please...

    No

    You have better vision in your left eye which has nothing to do with dominance. At the risk of over simplification 20/20 means 'normal' vision. What you see at 20 feet the normal person sees at 20 feet. 20/25 means at 20 feet your clarity is what normal vision sees at 25 feet. To be eagle eyes the second number is smaller. Some people are 20/15 or 20/10.

    Eye dominance is different. I was taught to point at something both eyes open. Then close an eye. Does your finger still match up? That is your dominant eye.

    Hope that helps, keep being lefty.
     

    DevonB324

    Done
    Feb 7, 2010
    1,896
    Transplanted Texan
    No

    You have better vision in your left eye which has nothing to do with dominance. At the risk of over simplification 20/20 means 'normal' vision. What you see at 20 feet the normal person sees at 20 feet. 20/25 means at 20 feet your clarity is what normal vision sees at 25 feet. To be eagle eyes the second number is smaller. Some people are 20/15 or 20/10.

    Eye dominance is different. I was taught to point at something both eyes open. Then close an eye. Does your finger still match up? That is your dominant eye.

    Hope that helps, keep being lefty.

    did the eye test (holding my hands in the shape of a triangle and closing each eye), left eye is definitely dominant... and aside from writing, I do everything else lefty...
     

    Decoy

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 2, 2007
    4,930
    Dystopia
    I have the same issue but I still shoot a handgun right handed. However when shooting rifles I made the switch to lefty a few years ago .
     

    gamer_jim

    Podcaster
    Feb 12, 2008
    13,483
    Hanover, PA
    My wife is the same way. I think she said she is comfortable shooting right eye dominate with close targets, like with a pistol, but when she shoots the rifle uses her left eye. She is probably left handed as well but her grandmother trained her to use right instead.
     
    Last edited:

    Boondock Saint

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 11, 2008
    24,559
    White Marsh
    I'm right handed and left eye dominant as well. I tend to just shut my right eye when pistol shooting, even though I know I should try to squint. I'll add that to the list of things to do at the range. For rifles, I have to shoot right handed and with my right eye because I lack the coordination to shoot lefty.
     

    drewhall

    Active Member
    May 29, 2009
    428
    Maryland
    Pistols I squint, I've even tried it with rifles and not had too bad of a time. Really depends on if it has optics or iron sights. Generally for me 3x and up optics I will close my left eye. I'm left handed but seem to be right eye dominant. I shoot right handed 90% if the time.
     

    Tim460

    Active Member
    May 22, 2010
    620
    Baltimore Co.
    I'm left handed and right eye dominant as well and started shooting as a child (6 yrs old) left handed. Sometime in my early teens I began to shoot right handed and now I'm close to equal shooting either right or left handed.

    I can reload much faster shooting handguns right handed since the controls are much easier to manipulate though I prefer to shoot trap and sporting clays left handed.
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    33,517
    There are several aproaches to crossdominate pistol shooting, At least one will work for you . However if you are somewhat close with either hand, make a point to develope if not equal skills, at least reasonably adaquate skill with both.
     

    Martian

    MSI Executive Member
    Mar 15, 2007
    517
    PG Co.
    I'm a left-eye dominant righty. I didn't know this and for years I shot skeet right-handed with my head hanging over the shotgun!

    Then I didn't shoot much for years, got back into it, but mostly rifle and pistol lately, learned my eye dominance, and started shooting left-handed. I still feel more "natural" shooting right-handed, and I'm more accurate with practice, but I injured my right shoulder and now I shoot left-handed out of desperation. And, on the rare occasion that I do shoot right-handed, I wear one of those cheap eye covers made for shooters.

    I wear glasses, btw.
     

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