Cross dominance. Learning to deal with it?

[LRShooting]

I realize there is alot of information on this, but not specifically to what I need. I really am feeling the need to do something greater, as in SEALs or similar spec force. Idk why spec force, but they appeal to me. Seems like thats the biggest impact I could make. Itd be a few years if I can end up making it work, but how is my cross dominance going to affect me? I am (not gloating) fairly proficient with a gun. Ive shot out to 1000 yards and maintained groups, even if not on target necessarily. But it is difficult to keep both eyes open, and I must squint to close my dominant eye. Should I learn to simply be ambidextrous?, or should I just shoot more and become better with what I have?

 

[morcey2]

I'm cross-dominant also. What I've done over the last year or so is learn to shoot left-handed. For shotgun it has made a _HUGE_ difference. I still usually shoot rifles right handed, but I have started shooting more of them left handed. It is much easier so see the sights/reticle and target with both eyes open. Something else you can try is smearing something on the dominant eye lens of your shooting glasses so you can keep the eye open yet not see any image out of it. Maybe an eye-patch over your dominant eye.... but then you'd need some other accessories. Like a peg-leg and a hook. And it's hard to hold a gun with a hook.

For handguns, I just hold so the sights are on my dominant eye.

Matt

 

[LRShooting]

I'm cross-dominant also. What I've done over the last year or so is learn to shoot left-handed. For shotgun it has made a _HUGE_ difference. I still usually shoot rifles right handed, but I have started shooting more of them left handed. It is much easier so see the sights/reticle and target with both eyes open. Something else you can try is smearing something on the dominant eye lens of your shooting glasses so you can keep the eye open yet not see any image out of it. Maybe an eye-patch over your dominant eye.... but then you'd need some other accessories. Like a peg-leg and a hook. And it's hard to hold a gun with a hook.

For handguns, I just hold so the sights are on my dominant eye.

Matt

Haha, yes it would. I dont wear shooting glasses, but I guess I should. Regardless, I guess my biggest fear is that when <deleted> hits the fan, I dont wanna be dead because of dominant eye issues. Serious, yea, but if what you say is true, which seems to be generally the case that 1) switching hands is easier than switching dominant eye and 2) dominant eye is much more clear and effective when using scope. 2 or 3 years should give me time to become natural at left handed shooting if I shoot enough. I need to start investing in more bullets and power. Try to shoot at least a couple thousand a year if I have time. Sporter barrels just dont hold up like heavies do, and I dont like getting them that hot.

 

[gojuice101]

I'm also cross-dominant and have the same problem you do with trying to close my dominant eye. I end up squinting and unable to hold it for very long. I grew up shooting and didn't know what "cross-dominant" was until into adulthood. I have tried covering the eye instead of keeping it closed and it works much better for me. In the end I just learned to shoot with both eyes open, which was a little strange at first, but works best for me.

However, covering your eye instead of closing it is a good suggestion. It does work. Learning to shoot left handed is also a good suggestion, if you can do it. I just could never master that one. I can throw left handed, bat left handed, even write left handed.....but I can't shoot left handed in the least.

 

[C-grunt]

Im cross eyed dominant and never had a problem in SHTF scenarios. For magnified scopes I just close my dominant eye. For red dots the both eyes open works at least for close work. Longer shots, say 50 yards and out, I still close my dominant eye. For pistol shooting I just turn my head slightly and use my left/dominant eye.

 

[LRShooting]

Im cross eyed dominant and never had a problem in SHTF scenarios. For magnified scopes I just close my dominant eye. For red dots the both eyes open works at least for close work. Longer shots, say 50 yards and out, I still close my dominant eye. For pistol shooting I just turn my head slightly and use my left/dominant eye.

Really? I seem to have trouble with blurriness after a couple seconds of keeping my dominant eye closed. I eont know if correction will help that, but I guess until you are put in that situation, its hard to know how a paticular persons eyes will be affected. Thanks for the replies btw.

 

[Sav .250]

If you work your "off" eye more, as in practice, it should come around.
Maybe not as good as the dominant one of course but who knows.

In other words, give that other eye all the reps.

 

[Sam1911]

Im cross eyed dominant and never had a problem in SHTF scenarios. For magnified scopes I just close my dominant eye. For red dots the both eyes open works at least for close work. Longer shots, say 50 yards and out, I still close my dominant eye. For pistol shooting I just turn my head slightly and use my left/dominant eye.

This works well. Red dot optics take a lot of the stress out of this because you shoot with both eyes looking at the target, and which one puts the dot on it doesn't matter.

Shooting longer ranges where you're resting the gun and focusing hard through an optic from a solid position is where simply closing the dominant eye can be an acceptable solution.

Pistol shooting is just as C-grunt said. Shoot strong-hand and strong-eye. Turning the pistol ever so slightly so that your strong eye is sighting is no trouble and most new cross-dominant shooters seem to do this instinctively without even noticing that they're doing it.



Where you'll run into a problem is with shotguns and other "snap-shooting" situations. Dynamic shooting with either iron sights on a rifle or the natural pointing of a (nearly sight-less) shotgun needs to be done off the strong-EYE side for best performance and fluidity. A well fit gun simply shoots where you look and you really don't rely on the sights. Unless you're shooting cross-dominantly, where you look is diagonally from your strong eye, crossing the gun which is mounted on the opposite shoulder. Then you just miss.

If total consistency/fluency across all guns is important to you, you probably should consider retraining yourself to shoot from your dominant EYE side. If proficiency with red-dot carbines and handguns is where you feel your skills will be most developed, shooting cross-dominantly is no real hindrance.

 

[briansmithwins]

I'm not cross dominate but I have learned to shoot weak handed.

It takes practice and time. When I started it was like learning to shoot all over again, my left eye wouldn't focus on the dot (irons were worse) and rifles felt clumsy and wrong.

After a couple years I'm decent at shooting left handed. I'm not as natural as right handed, but decent.

It also help to have a rifle that works well left handed. AKs are actually pretty good left handed, and the Tavor,* ARX, and SCAR are all ambidextrous.

BSW

*Tavor requires a left handed bolt and disassembly to swap from right to left handed.

 

[Curator]

My eye dominance changed from right to left about 10 years ago. Handgun shooting was no problem--I simply moved the gun a bit to the left and sighted with my now-dominant left eye. Rifle shooting, I squinted my left eye closed but my shooting did degrade some. Shotgun shooting was nearly impossible on moving targets. I taught myself to shoot left handed. Everything got better, but it took time particularly with the shotgun. When a bird would go up, I instinctively would shoulder the gun on the wrong shoulder. Rifle shooing with iron sights took some practice but my proficiency returned as I became more comfortable shooting from the left side.

 

[12Bravo20]

I'm cross eye dominate also. I learned at an early age to shoot left hand with rifles and shotguns and I haven't looked back. I still shoot hand guns with my right hand. I've found that it makes switching from my rifle to a pistol much easier. I also found it nice shooting left hand during MOUT/CQB training when stacking up.

 

[Sam1911]

I really am feeling the need to do something greater, as in SEALs or similar spec force. Idk why spec force, but they appeal to me. Seems like thats the biggest impact I could make. Itd be a few years if I can end up making it work, but how is my cross dominance going to affect me?

This was on my mind before to ask: Are you in the military? Are you going into the military? We can offer you suggestions for what works in the real world, but you will have to also work with the training forms required by the group you're with. The military deals with all sorts of people including lots of cross dominant soldiers. Ask your instructors and training cadre what THEY want you to do and how they require you set up your equipment.

The military does a lot of UN-training of new recruits. Having some skill is good, but you're going to have to work with what they want you to do the way they want you to do it. At least until you're well up through the system.

 

[Reloadron]

Qual Day the Edson Range Camp Pendleton CA, May 1969:


I am the shooter on the right and it is rather obvious shooting left handed.

While right handed my dominant eye is my left eye. I began shooting at around age 8 in 1958. My uncle and his friend figured things out. I have been shooting left handed my entire shooting life and considering I'll be 65 next week that is quite a few years. When I pick up a rifle it instinctively goes to my left shoulder, there is no thought process involved. Be it a right or left hand bolt gun or any rifle that is where it goes and again it just comes naturally. Ten years as a US Marine and all those qual days and time in Vietnam shooting left handed was never an issue. The emphasis was always more about hitting the target than which shoulder the rifle was in.

If you begin shooting left hand after a short period of time it will just come natural. If I pick up a rifle today and try it in my right shoulder I actually have to think about it and what I am doing.

Just My Take....
Ron

 

[C-grunt]

Qual Day the Edson Range Camp Pendleton CA, May 1969:


I am the shooter on the right and it is rather obvious shooting left handed.

While right handed my dominant eye is my left eye. I began shooting at around age 8 in 1958. My uncle and his friend figured things out. I have been shooting left handed my entire shooting life and considering I'll be 65 next week that is quite a few years. When I pick up a rifle it instinctively goes to my left shoulder, there is no thought process involved. Be it a right or left hand bolt gun or any rifle that is where it goes and again it just comes naturally. Ten years as a US Marine and all those qual days and time in Vietnam shooting left handed was never an issue. The emphasis was always more about hitting the target than which shoulder the rifle was in.

If you begin shooting left hand after a short period of time it will just come natural. If I pick up a rifle today and try it in my right shoulder I actually have to think about it and what I am doing.

Just My Take....
Ron

This is a good post. I have a buddy that was a Marine and shoots rifles left handed because of left eye dominance. He does everything else right handed. He said it was weird at first but after a couple weeks in Boot Camp it was natural.

 

[Laphroaig]

I love that Marine prone position with the legs spread wide

I'm a left eye dominant guy who shoots righty. It is a handicap. I can't shoot a shotgun for beans. For match type shooting I put a piece of opaque scotch tape over the left lens of my shooting glasses or use a Knoblach frame with a blinder. Both options work well, and I can still operate bolt guns as intended. But its a pain always having to switch glasses between relays etc.

For hunting I just squint.

Laphroaig

 

[Sam1911]

I'm a left eye dominant guy who shoots righty. It is a handicap. I can't shoot a shotgun for beans.

Have you tried swapping shoulders and putting time into learning to shoot a shotgun left-handed? Just curious. I know that's a fair bit of work, but I'd bet your scores would improve rapidly after a bit of a breaking-in period.

 

[Laphroaig]

Have you tried swapping shoulders and putting time into learning to shoot a shotgun left-handed? Just curious. I know that's a fair bit of work, but I'd bet your scores would improve rapidly after a bit of a breaking-in period.

No I've never tried that. Probably I should. I'm just afraid that the "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" adage might hold true in my case.

Laphroaig

 

[Sam1911]

It might. It is a slightly daunting idea. I'd want to try, but I'd expect to miss a lot for a while.

 

[Voodoochile]

Not exactly the same but..

I teach Archery & the first thing I do is check my students for eye dominance because for a shooting sport it is easier for the mind which is the best computer out there to learn how to properly focus on the target & sights if you use your dominant eye.

Now I say this & I will say that I have personally shot Field Archery competition with a very fine German lady who had a very unusual shooting form, when I talked to her about it being curious she told me that when she was younger she learned to shoot right handed but found later that when she started shooting longer distances her shots were not connecting & found out that she was shooting all that time cross dominant.
She learned a new technique of holding her head while shooting right handed to utilize her left eye & had become a top competitor in the Olympic Style Recurve.

 

[d2wing]

As a certified instructor as Sam says, for slow aimed fire you can shoot cross dominant but is not the best. For military shooting you might get by that way but it is a bad idea. When you have to shoot fast or prolonged sessions, you will need to shoot on your dominate eye side. It is more that just aiming. You body is wired to shoot where the hand opposite your dominate eye is pointing. Also that is the way your brain calculates depth and speed. It is much easier to train kids with that problem than it is self taught older shooters. As a trainer and former combat vet, if you are going to train at a high level you must learn to shoot with your dominate eye. Not only will it speed up aiming it will give you the ability to see range and lead and a wider field of vision with less likelyhood of eyes train.

 

[morcey2]

Haha, yes it would. I dont wear shooting glasses, but I guess I should.

Yes, you should or you could end up being no-eye-dominant when something fails. It's not likely, but definitely withing the realm of possibilities.

No I've never tried that. Probably I should. I'm just afraid that the "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" adage might hold true in my case.

I had been shooting right handed for 30 years before I decided to switch shoulders. It takes some work, but it really isn't that hard. After 4 rounds of trap off the left shoulder, it was completely natural. Rifles are still a work in progress, but I'm almost to the point that I can shoot equally as well off either shoulder. It just takes time to develop the muscle memory.

In my NRA classes, one of the first things we check is eye dominance. I really push shooting off the dominant-eye's shoulder. (I didn't even know eyes had shoulders. ) It really is that important. There are workarounds and hacks that work, but nothing beats shooting with the correct eye.

Something else to watch out for is changes in eye dominance. I think my eye dominance changed sometime in my late 20s. I went from being a really good shot shooting right-handed with a shotgun up until that point to not being able to hit a dang thing after. Several years ago, I found out that I had developed a slight astigmatism in my right eye. It either wasn't there when I was younger, or it was never picked up in earlier eye exams. I know that there is some debate as to whether that can change eye dominance, but I think it may have in my case. That, or I was just really lucky with shotguns when I was younger.

Matt

 

[Cee Zee]

I spent some time learning to shoot with my off hand a while back just to get some insight on shooting with the off eye. I basically had to squint or close my dominant eye as others have said. But what I found to be pretty easy was shooting with my left hand or at least it was easier than I expected. That may be the easiest route for someone with cross dominance issues - just learn to shoot with your off hand. My brother is ambidextrous so he has always been able to shoot with either hand. He has had great control over the rifle having a strong hand on the front of a rifle. His off hand shooting was always much easier because of that IMO. So it might actually be a blessing to shoot with the weak hand.

 

[d2wing]

Morley brings up another good point, changes to vision can affect your shooting. I have noticed that when I am tired and have eye strain neither eye wants to be dominate sometimes and I get double vision or I just can't hit normally. As Morley said you dominate eye can change. It isn't normal or common but it happens.

 

[JFtheGR8]

I too am cross dominant. I shoot everything right handed. I squint my left eye until I pick up the sight picture. As long as I hold that sight picture then I can stop squinting my left eye. I can do this pretty quickly but as soon as I shift my vision to anything else the sight picture is lost. It's a pain in the butt. I am an old dog and might not change but have considered it. Larry Vickers is cross dominant and shoots long guns left handed and pistols right handed. If I were younger I wouldn't hesitate changing hands with long guns. I still might do just that because I know that is the best practice.

 

[JFtheGR8]

Something to note such as Morcey said about the astigmatism, I give my eye Dr fits when she gives me my exam because I my astigmatism comes and goes.