Eye Dominance and Archery - Question

afullquiver · 10-10-2006, 07:53 AM

I am one of those screwed up people that has the misfortune of being cross dominant. My problem is I am anatural right handed shot(with a bow)with left eye dominance. I can, believe it or not, still shoot with both eyes open andcan shoot4" inchgroupsat 30 yards all day long (not great but good enough, I would never stretch a 30 yard shot on a live target).I work on computers all day and know as I get older I am eventually going to need glasses. As I amnow, I am okay and have harvested plenty of deer.

I am contemplating buying a new bow, just getting the itch for something new (really liking the BowTech Allegiance), also Iam in need of a bow for my 11 year old. Afterconsidering my eye dominance and some of the frustration that comes with being cross dominant (seeing 2 sets of pins at full draw... not a huge problem, whenmy brain getsconfused or I loose my peep I just close my left eye and refocus), I am thinking of passing mine (right handed) down to my son and purchasing a new one.

With my eye dominance beingleft but a natural right hander (with a bow), should I purchase a left handed bow after the season has ended and learn how to shoot left handed over the next year? Or should I just keep my bow and get junior a new one? I am buying a new bow regardless (either for junior or myself).

I have read alot about eye dominance lately and everything I have readseems to say shoot from your dominanteye (left for me). Before I blow my hard earned money on anything, I am looking for some input from anybody experienced with cross dominance like me.Should I see an immediate improvement in my shooting by switching to the left (dark) side?

Thanksinadvance foryour input. Funny thing isI naturally shoulder a rifle left handed andshoot pistols left-handed also...Man, am I screwed up!!!

sigfla · 10-10-2006, 08:13 AM

I can 100% relate. I have the same trouble. I have been toying with the idea of a new bow for a couple of weeks now and couldn't decide on left or right. I dread the idea of learning how to shoot lefty. What drives my decision making process right now is the statement that more accessories are available for right hand bows.

It would be nice to shoot with both eyes open and retain low light visibility but learning to shoot lefty and not having a wide array of goodies to buy seems to be pulling me towards a right hand bow.

doubleA · 10-10-2006, 08:15 AM

Dont feel like the lone ranger there full quiver. I am right handed but left eye dominant also. I have always shot rifles and shotguns on my left side. Twenty sum odd years ago I shot right handed bows with good success but I did have to patch my left eye while shooting and found it less desireable but...hey it worked.

Along comes 2006 and I decide to switch to a left handed bow. Wow, just like you I thought it couldnt be done but alas it's probably the best thing I could have done. Yes, it's a bit awkward at first because your hands switch roles but in a short time it will become very natural. I was worried about not using my "strong" arm but was told that the "srong arm was the one that holds the bow.

Anyways I would suggest you go for it, I was hard headed for years and teach shotgunning and will always insist a student be he/she 8 or 58 to shoot with the dominant eye.

BobCo19-65 · 10-10-2006, 08:25 AM

Quote:

I have read alot about eye dominance lately and everything I have readseems to say shoot from your dominanteye (left for me). Before I blow my hard earned money on anything, I am looking for some input from anybody experienced with cross dominance like me.

Why not try something used and see how it works before spending a lotof money.

We found out late last year that my son (he was 10 at the time) was left eye dominant. He is right handed and had been shooting for a few years before finding out. We switched him this past January to lefty and he caught on real quick. Below is a pic of him shooting lefty.

mez · 10-10-2006, 08:49 AM

I'm left eye dominant and right handed as well. I just close my left eye when shooting. I wouldn't change anything now, too close to the season. I would hunt this season and then look for a cheap used left handed bow. Shoot itfor a while and decide weather you want to switch sides. If you really don't like it or can't get the hang of it you aren't out anything and if you like it then get set up like you want.

MichaelT. · 10-10-2006, 09:05 AM

Do yourself a favor, before taking the jump, and go to a pro shop and try out a left handed bow. It might seem awkward at first, but it might give you some idea of what you would be looking at, no pun intended.

Good luck and good hunting.

Rickmur · 10-10-2006, 09:54 AM

I'm left handed and right eye dominant.Bought a right handed bow2 yearsago and fooled with it for a whole year and sold it and gave up on the idear. I was trying to overcome theeye dominance problem and wear a release on both hands while hunting. Len in Md tried to sell me on this but I couldn't make it happen. You can shoot most but not all bows left or right handed, won't make a difference which hand the bow is.

rhetoric · 10-11-2006, 06:02 AM

Switch, switch, switch! I'm cross dominant and for a long time didn't know. The odd comments like when I was shooting pool, "Hey, I didn't know you were left handed?" or when I was shooting a rifle, etc. In fact, as a kid, I just figured it didn't matter (though I wasn't smart enough to think I was cross dominant or ambidextrious). Then one day at camp the archery instructor had us all set up to shoot (right handed, of course) and my arrows were going a whopping 2 feet to the side of the target. He switched me to left and I was dead on.

Now I never had to "get used to" shooting lefty because I just did it naturally, but I can't imagine your left arm isn't strong enough to pull back the bow. And maybe it's good to have your right arm controlling the bow?

There are also a mess oftree stands that favor a left handed shot and now theywill nowbe yours!

My archery pro won't sell a right-handed bow to a lefteye dominant shooter.

There are some pretty significant linguistic consequences to being cross-dominant. It has to do w/ a difficulty pulling words out of one hemisphere of the brain and getting them into your mouth-- you're always hunting (no pun intended) for the correct word. I know I am. It's called.... um.... er... I'll have to get back to you.

kry226 · 10-11-2006, 09:37 AM

I am also left-eye dominate and mostly right-handed. I do write and use a fork/spoon with my left hand. I can hammer a nail with either hand equally effectively.

I shoot a right-handed Mathews FX with a closed left eye and I shot consecutive 3" groups at 30 yards last night. To me, there are no absolutes and you should shoot what is comfortable to you. Continue to practice and train yourself to shoot which ever way is necessary.

As for the archery shop that wouldn't sell a right-handed bow to a left-eye dominate shooter, well I would just take my business elsewhere.

johnnydialtone · 10-11-2006, 11:16 AM

I just switched to left handed this year and am very happy I did it. Easier to see the arrow, don't need to close an eye. Took a couple hundered shots but now I am used to it.