Wow .... I'm Left Eye Dominant

J

Jeff Thomas

New member
Well, I shot a qualification today for an NRA instructors' course. Tough, for me. 50 foot bullseye targets (at 50 feet), from both Isoceles stance, and one-handed shooting. That one-handed string nearly cost me ...

Well, as I'm working my way through this, I do their little test for eye dominance. I 'knew' I was right-eye dominant. Wrong. The test says I'm left-eye dominant.

And, when I'm doing the one-hand strings, I realize, indeed, I'm using my left eye. Weird.

So, where does this leave me? I refuse to shoot a shotgun or rifle left-handed. I've never been worth a dam* with my left hand. But, can I train to shoot with my left eye, from an Isoceles, etc.?

I'm sure this happened because my right eye was damaged in an RK surger ... no longer corrects 20-20.

Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks.

Live and let live. Regards from AZ
 
Jeff:
A friend of mine won two National championships in pistol, plus a bag of other stuff including a world cup bronze, shooting lefthanded and right eyed.

You really oughtta be doin your handgun defensive drills either handed and either eyed along with both handed. You can't dictate the rules in a self defense situation. Won't take long to get equally good usin either side. Shootin from the left side of a barricade should be done left handed and left eyed, less exposure of you to the bad guy, better support and stance.

If you don't like doin long guns left handed, I don't have much to say. I enjoy wrong sidin em but that's me. To me, the FAL is a left handed rifle cause I am used to the actuating handle bein on the trigger hand side.

Sam...follow me, I know a shortcut.
 
Yeah, I know how you feel. I'm left eye dominant too.

It actually works pretty good for me in the weaver stance. I aim with both eyes open no problem. But in the isosceles stance it sucks.

Still, I practice a lot using my right eye to aim, left eye closed. It doesn't affect accuracy any.

tstr
 
In either Modified Weaver or Isoceles, if you'll cant the pistol left about 15-20 degrees, it'll put your left eye right behind the sights.

LawDog
 
I'm righthanded but left eye dominant. I shoot with both eyes open and hold my own.

While at the EOSM, Jeff OTMG showed me a way to rest my cheek against my bicep, close my right eye and shoot. Although it felt very awkward, I punched a 1" group trying it for the first time. I believe Coinneach tried it too and did pretty good.
 
What Lawdog said. I'm another right-hand, left-eye. Some schools of thought say you can twist a handgun up to 45degrees leftwards and still be OK. I don't like to go quite that far but around 20deg feels fine.

I shoot from a Weaver, BTW. And yes, that "right cheek on right bicep" works GREAT, really helps "lock it all down", so much so that us "cross dominants" may have an advantage.

Jim
 
You guys are making me feel a lot better. Thanks for the tips ... very much. I'll go to the range this week, and try them out.

Live and let live. Regards from AZ
 
Lawdog X 3.

That is advise I got at frontsight, both open. Used to shut left and now learning all over again. Rifle and shotgun they said close left and shoot "normal."




[This message has been edited by oberkommando (edited August 21, 2000).]
 
Count me among the left eye/right hand crowd, too.

I've gotten to the point where I can shoot well enough to qualify Expert in IDPA. That ain't up there with the big boys, but it ain't slackin' either.

If I'm shooting beyond 7 yards, I use the cheek on bicep metod mentioned earlier. At under 7 yards, I'm shooting using the front sight only.

That's handguns, though. I shoot long guns left handed, and always have. I can get by on the right side, but it's not nearly as natural. I guess I'm just screwed up, eh? :D

(But you'd never prove it by the groups I shoot! :)
 
For people in your situation I teach the Quell system developed by Paris Theodore. It is uncomfortable, but EXTREMELY stable to shoot from and made for crosseye dominant shooters. ArmySon tried it, but likes to shoot with both eyes open (try that at a 50 yard target) and as he said Coinneach tried it for the first time and had great success with it. I even used it in an IPSC match back around 1987 against some Colt Speed Plates at 40 yards that others were going prone for.
 
Also left eye/right hand dominant. Didn't even know it until I read about the focus test in Carmichael's Art of the Rifle. My whole life I had just forced myself to shut my left eye on long guns, and I shoot with both eyes open (left kind of squinty) when I shoot pistols.

Jeff OTMG, I've never heard of that technique, is it basically a modificed weaver with your head tucked down into your arm? I will have to play with it.
 
I also have this problem. I aim pistols with my left left eye and can shoot just fine with both eyes open. However, this may be creating a problem due to inconsistency with long gun shooting. Any thoughts on this? Closing the left eye for rifle shooting seems to get me by just fine, but shotguns are another story. Having only one eye to see with when shooting birds is a serious handicap. Some have suggested I learn to shoot it left handed, but most guns are designed to be shot right handed. Any suggestions on this?
 
Boy, this topic seems to come up at least once a month!

I shoot long guns left-handed and handguns right-handed. Reason? I am cross-dominant. (right-handed, but left eye dominant)

When I was a kid, I couldn't close my left eye independantly so I just 'had' to shoot a popgun or other toy gun left-handed even though I'm naturally right-handed. -- Yes, yes, I know you're supposed to shoot with both eyes open, but try telling that to a kid!

Anyway, I never considered it a handicap to shoot long guns 'wrong'-handed. In fact, I consider it to be an advantage! I never have to take my trigger finger off the trigger to cycle the bolt of a right-handed bolt gun. I even went so far as to be club champ in my junior NRA rifle club for four consecutive years shooting 'wrong'-handed.

I can shoot long gun right-handed now, but am still more comfortable and more accurate shooting left-handed. With regards to rifle shooting, my stronger right arm and right hand holds the gun up while my 'weak' left hand just squeezes the trigger.

I still, and have always, shoot handguns right-handed since I am right-handed. Hey, its my stronger hand, what can I say. When I think about it, the only thing I do left-handed is shoot long guns!

If you look at it that way, you all should be very afraid of me, since I have two trained trigger fingers!

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Remember, just because you are not paranoid doesn't mean they are not out to get you!
 
Like ArmySon said above, I did pretty well with that... that... Jeff, what the hell is this stance called again? :confused:

I'm damn near blind in my left eye, which made the results even more impressive. I'll see if I can't get a picture of the stance and post it.
 
I just finished my instructor's course this weekend, too. I've been working though a local shop (same place as Coinneach teaches) for several months, now as a quasi-instructor. We demand that our students shoot with the same side that their dominant eye is on. It really maks a difference. We have seen folks who were very, very good shots and went through our course and were told to switch hands. After lots of fighting, they agreed, and then became even better shots when they switched. We have one instructor (and competitive shooter) who intentionally tried both for several weeks, then put up two targets. She fired at one with the right hand, and one with the left, 100 rds each (left eye dominant, right handed). Her left eye score was much better.
 
Paris Theodore developed a technique called the Quell System. I have been teaching it for years and it seems to work for some cross-eye dominant shooters. It is not particularly comfortable, not recommended if you are a LEO and wear a vest, but it is incredibly stable. Below are the step by step instructions for a right handed left eyed shooter, it takes practice to get into fast. The following is for a right-handed left-eyed shooter.
1. The stance is nearly with your side to the target, with the left foot toward the target and only about 10-15 degrees off to the left.
2. draw pistol with right hand
3. lock right arm
4. Swing right arm across the body pointing at the target. This should lock the right bicep into the right pectoral muscle. Depending on how well developed you are this may be difficult and require you to bend your arm.
5. The left hand grasps the shooting hand and pulls it into the body. The left tricep or elbow should be tucked into the left side as much as possible. This counter force is much like the Weaver stance.
6. Tuck the chin down into the right armpit, maybe the cheek into the right bicep again depending on how you are built.
7. If you have done this correctly it will be impossible to even see your sights with your right eye since it is buried in your right bicep and if you could see out of it you would be looking straight ahead and not toward the target. The only way to sight is with the left eye, which fortunately is natural for you.

I have tried this and it is a very stable platform to shoot from, but is very uncomfortable. It is also slow to get into without practice. The procedure I described is to get you into the position as a demonstration of how you should end up. You should be able to develop a quicker technique with practice. Try it and see how it works.
 
This has been some very fascinating reading for me. I am cross-dominate as well (right hand, left eye). Since I found this out, I bought an AR to teach myself to shoot left-handed. Whenever I qualify at the range (I am in the Nat'l Guard) I wear an eye patch over my left eye to force me to use my right, but I would much rather sight in with my dominant eye.


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Kim

NRA Millenium Life Member
 
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