Right handed and Left Eye Dominant
 

I am left eye dominant but right handed. I prefer to shoot right handed. Does anyone have any tips for staying setup right handed but shooting with left eye? Can sites be extended out further to the left maybe? I'd rather not buy a left handed bow.

RE: Right handed and Left Eye Dominant
 

shoot right handed with your left eye closed;)

RE: Right handed and Left Eye Dominant
 

Yep, it's easy to shoot crossdominant with sights. Just close your left eye like bps said or wear shooting glasses with a piece of tape over the left lens. Or you can get an eye patch and be a pirate.[8D]

RE: Right handed and Left Eye Dominant
 

I second this idea.:D

RE: Right handed and Left Eye Dominant
 

Same problem that I had. I shot for 50 years right-handed. When my right eye got so bad that I had to close my left eye, I decided to change to left-handed. Best move I could have made.

I now shoot much more comfortably and can shoot both ways to open up twice the hunting opportunities.

RE: Right handed and Left Eye Dominant
 

I agree with Len. It took me a few years but I finally switched to lefty and love it. It took me a couple months to get used to handling everything lefty but it was the best thing I ever did. It is the only thing I do lefty. I waited until I needed a new bow and then made the switch.

RE: Right handed and Left Eye Dominant
 

Is it hard to learn to shoot bow left handed?? I draw about 80# - will I be able to do the same from the left after a little training??

I guess having the knowledge and understanding of the mechanics would make re-learning from the left pretty easy.

I was gonna go to a laser sight, but they're illegal here. Anybody ever tried one??

RE: Right handed and Left Eye Dominant
 

After 50 years of shooting right handed, I recently had to switch to lefty because of a bad shoulder. I'm doing traditional rather than compound, though. It feels odd at first, but after a couple of weeks it begins feeling a little more natural. I wouldn't call it 'hard' at all. As you said, knowing the mechanics simplifies matters.:)

RE: Right handed and Left Eye Dominant
 

When I went to shooting left-handed, I dropped to a 50# bow and built up my left-handed strength from there. I can now shoot over 100# with either arm and equally well with either arm.

The hardest part was not the poundage or accuracy. It was learning how to load the arrow without feeling like I had 5 thumbs on my left hand.:D Now it is second nature either way.

RE: Right handed and Left Eye Dominant
 

For those who would question pulling 100# bows and don't know me, I'd better explain. I own a PRO Shop and have to tune bows for a living. If someone is going to Africa and needs a 100# bow tuned, I can do it - left or right-handed.

Do I shoot 100# bows? NO WAY. You don't need anywhere near that much poundage for whitetail deer - which my primary game animal.

RE: Right handed and Left Eye Dominant
 

I was all thumbs too!! The first day loading an arrow was a challenge. In fact it was probably the hardest part of switching to left-handed.

RE: Right handed and Left Eye Dominant
 

I am right handed and left eye dominant too but could not get comfortable shooting left handed. I'm new to bow hunting so figured that if I really got hooked on this great sport than I would consider going through the hassle of learning to shoot left handed.

RE: Right handed and Left Eye Dominant
 

I'm the same way ....I just close my left eye , easy as that

RE: Right handed and Left Eye Dominant
 

I also am right handed and left eye dominent and I shot left handed and just went back to good old right handed way more comforatable and don't have to worry about form so much or fumbling with an arrow as far as accuracy it wasn't any better haveing both eyes open didn't make me a better shot so I figure why not go with comfort. I keep both eyes open until the shot anyways then right after I release I open my left eye up again works for me.

RE: Right handed and Left Eye Dominant
 

Don't have to worry about form??? No wonder you couldn't shoot very well left-handed. Good form is critical, no matter which way you shoot. In fact, having good form and a correct set-up will help tremendously when switching over.

I'm sure this is a mistake as well.

RE: Right handed and Left Eye Dominant
 

wow we have a virtual shooting instructor here giving opinions

RE: Right handed and Left Eye Dominant
 

[quote No wonder you couldn't shoot very well left-handed. Good form is critical, no matter which way you shoot. In fact, having good form and a correct set-up will help tremendously when switching over. quote]

When exactly did I say I couldn't shoot very well left handed First of len in maryland have you seen me shoot no you haven't so don't comment on my way of shooting. second when I said I didn't have to worry about form when I shoot righthanded is I don't have to think about my form it just happens naturally but when I shoot left handed I have to think more about keeping my form consistant. second of all When I draw on an animal or a target I keep both eyes open then close to aim and after the release is completed I open them again and I have no prblem touching arrows at 20yrds left or right handed. like who are you to comment on anyones shooting and when you have never seen me shoot.

RE: Right handed and Left Eye Dominant
 

I think shooting what is most comfortable to you is the best way to go

RE: Right handed and Left Eye Dominant
 

I was sure I read some where that you can train your non dominent eye to become your dominent eye I will try to find the link.

RE: Right handed and Left Eye Dominant
 

Quote:

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wow we have a virtual shooting instructor here giving opinions

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FYI, I am a certified shooting instructor, ATA qualified teacher, and hold various other credentials. That being said, I find it alarming when someone makes incorrect statements for all to read.

You made the mistakes, I didn't. I just pointed out your mistakes, which have been corrected/clarified by you in subsequent posts. There are a LOT of young archers that carefully read posts like these. As an instructor/teacher, I feel it a duty to advise them when posts lead them in the wrong direction.

Also, I don't "have to see you shoot" to understand published errors. And, comfort is not the end but the result in learning good form. I have a lot of archers who come into my shop who are very comfortable with their form because they have 'adjusted' to bad form. It's an instructor's duty to offer assistance while keeping the comfort level in a 'safe' zone during the training process. It is wrong to try to change someone's totally bad form overnight. Sometimes it takes years to correct bad form while maintaining a "comfort" level. The reason I mention this is to clarify another post you made:

Quote:

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I think shooting what is most comfortable to you is the best way to go

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This is another misleading statement because many new archers don't have a clue as to what is comfortable and will make them shoot better. They most often incorrectly adjust.

There is a feature at the bottom of the 'Reply' form that allows you to 'Preview' your post before you send it. I use it quite often to try to make sure that my posts 'read' well.

RE: Right handed and Left Eye Dominant
 

there you go again so what your trying to tell me is that because i am comfortable and don't have to think about my form when I shoot right handed it is because I have bad form. well like I said I don't care if you have all the papers certificates you could be the top bow shooter in the world and with out seeing me shoot you can't assume I have bad form In fact I have good form always a clean release don't grip the bow i cradle it consistant anchor point never drop my bow arm until my arrow has hit its target. and FYI I wasn't leading anyone in the wrong direction no where in my post did I say ok new archers if you have bad form but you are comfortable then thats fine go ahead shoot good luck. all I said was once again I went back to right handed because it was more comfortable I didn't have to worry about form so much it(consistant anchor point bow grip follow through etc) came more naturally which in return was more comfortable. when I shoot left handed I was always putting to much effort in worring about my anchor point or bow grip etc. so it wasn't comfortable for me so once again I think comfort is a big part of shooting thanks and have a goo day teacher.

RE: Right handed and Left Eye Dominant
 

I think I'll just let this issue die. It's quite apparent that we have a hard time communicating with each other.

RE: Right handed and Left Eye Dominant
 

I agree with you on that one, no hard feelings;) some people just clash and I leave it at that.

RE: Right handed and Left Eye Dominant
 

This is a sensitive issue because no one likes to be told they are doing something wrong and in many cases the shooter is the only one that knows what is best.


The problem is that when people first get started they get a right handed bow if they are right handed and start to learn what is widely accepted as the improper way to shoot.Most shooting instructors,gun or bow will teach a beginner to shoot with their dominant eye and this is usually easy to do if the person hasn't learned to shoot with their dominant hand,rather than their dominant eye.If they have learned to shoot with their dominant hand they must relearn everything and some people just can't make the change or are not willing to put the time and effort into the change.


My daughter has this issue(as does the majority of female shooters,from what one gun shooting instructor informed me).I have been teaching her to shoot both gun and bow left handed and the gun is extremely naturall but the bow wasn't quite as naturall in the beginning but it has become more naturall for her now.


Lens form statement holds some validity.I have had to shoot left handed bows to tune for other people and undertanding proper form was the only way I was capable of doing it,In one case I actually shot the bow better than the person it belonged to.[:o]BUT their are even PRO archers that understand good form and shoot with their dominant hand and not their dominant eye.There is a young lady from Dale Indiana that shoots right handed and is left eye dominant and competes on a world level in olympic style recurve.These shooters are some of the best if not the best shooters in the world and must understand the right and wrongs of shooting and she is very succesfull doing it the "wrong way".I shot with a person in an ASA pro am that shoots in the pro division that is actually BLIND in his right eye and shoots right handed.He looks across the string with his left eye and he has been succesfull doing this.I talked to him about it and he said he shoots well left handed but prefers right handed.Who am I to argue.


Comfort is something imo that is important but it must be within a certain set of parameters.;)