I am right handed and left eye dominant. I can shoot well with both hands, but I don't know how I should shoot. Right handed or Left? Right is stronger, but left is more accurate. Plus with my mandatory choice of pistol (92F, which I don't like, give me my HI-Power anyday) also affects my decision. I worry about the stress of combat, as I might be there soon, and the way that would effect any aspect of my marksmanship. Is there a technique for using the left eye with the right hand, and vice versa? Any thoughts on training that I can do, or other suggestions?
Eye dominance
- Thread starter pwolfman
- Start date
- Status
Chugach
Member
What's most important: accuracy, reload speed, speed of presentation? Since you shoot well with both hands, maybe answering those questions will help you make a choice.
I'm also left eye dominant and I shoot handguns right handed, even though I do most things left-handed. On 99% of the handguns I run across, even the 92F, it's easier for me to manipulate the controls with right rather than left hand. My left is really dextrous at plucking mags or flashlight off my belt.
Shooting left-eye, right-handed doesn't seriously affect my accuracy.
I'm also left eye dominant and I shoot handguns right handed, even though I do most things left-handed. On 99% of the handguns I run across, even the 92F, it's easier for me to manipulate the controls with right rather than left hand. My left is really dextrous at plucking mags or flashlight off my belt.
Shooting left-eye, right-handed doesn't seriously affect my accuracy.
Depends upon why you are shooting.
If you are shooting for accuracy only, for competitions and such, choose one eye-hand combination and stick with it, practicing with that hand and eye exclusively.
If, however, you are interested in defensive shooting, with the thought that someday it may save your life -- practice shooting with either hand. Practice until your right and your left hands give you equally or almost-equally good results, and until you can switch from one eye to another without losing much accuracy.
On the range, your 'go' signal may be a command from the RO, or a signal timer, or just your own decision to fire. But in real life, your 'go' signal might be a shot or a slice that disables one of your arms. With that in mind, practice with both hands and be happy that you can shoot well with either.
pax
I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous. -- Brian W. Kernighan
Chugach
I agree about manipulating the 92 with the right, and I am still just a little bit awkward with the left. If I ever had to use it, I would need the accuracy bit most, as I would probaly already have it drawn,loaded, and cocked.
I ask this question because I find myself switching eyes sometimes, going from right to the left during the qual range. Should I learn to fire with both eyes open? Since my left wants to dominate, do I "unlearn" shooting with the right, even though that is like trying to unlearn tying your shoes? Just some thoughts...any opinions?
pwolfman
I agree about manipulating the 92 with the right, and I am still just a little bit awkward with the left. If I ever had to use it, I would need the accuracy bit most, as I would probaly already have it drawn,loaded, and cocked.
I ask this question because I find myself switching eyes sometimes, going from right to the left during the qual range. Should I learn to fire with both eyes open? Since my left wants to dominate, do I "unlearn" shooting with the right, even though that is like trying to unlearn tying your shoes? Just some thoughts...any opinions?
pwolfman
Whoops, pushed 'send' on my last post before thinking about this part of your question.
When I took FAS-4 recently, I had some trouble with my single handed shots -- partly because my eyes are so close to equally dominant that I never quite knew which eye I was going to use.
The instructor showed me a nifty trick for shooting right handed and left eyed. Basically, you get in a good strong stance, with your left fist clenched and brought to your chest. The feet and legs are in a strong fighting stance and the right hand holds the gun at eye level, with the elbow straight. You should be able to sight along your forearm to the end of the gun with your right eye -- but what if you're not using your right eye? Then, without adjusting the rest of your stance, simply cant the gun just slightly towards the left, bringing the sights into alignment with your left eye.
You can practice this basic stance, moving back and forth between right hand/left eye and right hand/right eye until you find which one is most comfortable for you, and figure out the exact cant you need in order for the left eye stance to work. Some fiddling around with your sights and point of aim will show you what works best for you. Just remember to change only one thing at a time as you are shooting, so that you know exactly what it was that helped or hurt your accuracy.
Um, none of this stuff works on paper as easily as it does on the range. I hope my fumbling explanation gives you somewhere useful to start, anyway.
pax
My face in the mirror isn't wrinkled or drawn.
My house isn't dirty. The cobwebs are gone.
My garden looks lovely and so does my lawn.
I think I might never put my glasses back on.
-- Source Unknown
Chugach
Member
pwolfman, I always shoot with both eyes open. Peripheral vision and depth perception is too important in Personal Defense, IMO, to degrade or eliminate by closing one eye.
My left eye is very dominant, so it's easy for me to "capture" the front sight with my left eye when I bring the pistol up, even with my right open. Attempting to train my right eye to take on a dominant role has not worked for me at all.
I agree with pax...knowing and retaining the skill of how to shoot with either hand is a great idea that may well save your life one day. Also, if you wear glasses, practice without them just as much as with them.
As far as shooting left-eye dominant and right-handed, try this exercise yourself. When I'm doing this, I always remove mag, clear chamber, then remove all ammo from room. Then, bring the pistol up right-handed, align with the left eye keeping the right open, and look in the mirror. I'll bet that your pistol isn't canted more than a few degrees to the left of vertical.
Difference in your accuracy should be negligible, but only you are going to be able to determine that at the range. If you have enough range time available, do two runs:
That will give you some good data to work with by comparing accuracy of the two runs.
I'm meandering, so let me try and summarize what has worked for me. Don't mess around with your left-eye dominance. Keep both eyes open. Use right or left hand depending on what works best overall for you.
[edit for clarity]
My left eye is very dominant, so it's easy for me to "capture" the front sight with my left eye when I bring the pistol up, even with my right open. Attempting to train my right eye to take on a dominant role has not worked for me at all.
I agree with pax...knowing and retaining the skill of how to shoot with either hand is a great idea that may well save your life one day. Also, if you wear glasses, practice without them just as much as with them.
As far as shooting left-eye dominant and right-handed, try this exercise yourself. When I'm doing this, I always remove mag, clear chamber, then remove all ammo from room. Then, bring the pistol up right-handed, align with the left eye keeping the right open, and look in the mirror. I'll bet that your pistol isn't canted more than a few degrees to the left of vertical.
Difference in your accuracy should be negligible, but only you are going to be able to determine that at the range. If you have enough range time available, do two runs:
- Left-handed, left eye dominant, both eyes open
- Right-handed, left-eye dominant, both eyes open
That will give you some good data to work with by comparing accuracy of the two runs.
I'm meandering, so let me try and summarize what has worked for me. Don't mess around with your left-eye dominance. Keep both eyes open. Use right or left hand depending on what works best overall for you.
[edit for clarity]
Last edited:
Thanks for the info and technics. Once I return from germany and get my guns back into my hands, I will be a shooting fool, but right now I have to rely on the army's ammo and the EST (Engagement Skills Trainer, a big video game, kinda fun actually).
pwolfman
pwolfman
David Blinder
Member
There are several methods of dealing with cross dominance.
1) Cant head or gun- not suggested because you change your visual plane.
2) Close one eye so by default, the open eye is dominant- doable but not optimal as you lose part of your field of view.
3) Just move the gun 1-2" so that it's in front of the dominant eye. Best solution but practice is needed to build reliable index.
1) Cant head or gun- not suggested because you change your visual plane.
2) Close one eye so by default, the open eye is dominant- doable but not optimal as you lose part of your field of view.
3) Just move the gun 1-2" so that it's in front of the dominant eye. Best solution but practice is needed to build reliable index.
Lennyjoe
Member
Im left eye dominant and a right handed guy. I have learned to shoot left handed at a young age. Handguns are easier to shoot left/right handed with a dominant left eye. I shoot all weapons with both eyes open.
Rifles, shotguns and bows are a different story all together for obvious reasons. So, since I shoot all 4 I decided to learn how to shoot mainly left handed. Shooting a bow with my weak hand was a tough thing to learn.
For hanguns I learned how to use my index finger to release mags and my trigger finger to release the slide. As for safeties I look for guns that can have ambi safties installed or just go with a Glock.
Rifles, shotguns and bows are a different story all together for obvious reasons. So, since I shoot all 4 I decided to learn how to shoot mainly left handed. Shooting a bow with my weak hand was a tough thing to learn.
For hanguns I learned how to use my index finger to release mags and my trigger finger to release the slide. As for safeties I look for guns that can have ambi safties installed or just go with a Glock.
U.S. Army Colonel Rex Applegate did some work back during WW2 that may be of interest to you, check out "instinctive point shooting". There are many opinions regarding this, but it was tested, developed, and refined as a result of AARs from combat vets. Worth a look.
couple of links, tons more avail.
http://www.americancombatives.com/applegate.htm
http://www.clede.com/Articles/Police/rex.htm
Take care.
couple of links, tons more avail.
http://www.americancombatives.com/applegate.htm
http://www.clede.com/Articles/Police/rex.htm
Take care.
King
Member
I'm left eye dominant and shoot right handed for both rifles and hand guns. I've been most effective by closing my left eye when shooting rifles and both eyes open when shooting hand guns. With handguns, I orient the piece in front of my left eye (or slightly canted that way) with no problem. That said, I practice, practice, practice.
Jim March
Member
Some of the same issues crop up in this thread, esp. my post:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=167
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=167
Jon Coppenbarger
Member
I am left eye dominate and right handed and really never knew it or gave it much thought untill the summer of 2001 when the amu guys told me I was shooting from the wrong side and I should switch to left handed.
I do plan on doing that but not just yet, I thought that I would give a shot at high master before I switch and if I do not make it this year I might switch next year.
I do find that I will shoot better by closing my left eye even if my right eye gets tire faster during a match so I have learned to take care of my eyes a whole lot more than I used to.
practice and doing it right and not getting into any bad habits that are hard to correct are the most important. jon
I do plan on doing that but not just yet, I thought that I would give a shot at high master before I switch and if I do not make it this year I might switch next year.
I do find that I will shoot better by closing my left eye even if my right eye gets tire faster during a match so I have learned to take care of my eyes a whole lot more than I used to.
practice and doing it right and not getting into any bad habits that are hard to correct are the most important. jon
voilsb
Member
the only problem with I can see with left-eye right-hand is with rifles. with handguns it's very easy to line the sights up with your left eye using your right hand.
also, the beretta 92 is a fully ambidextrous pistol. I don't see how it is even a factor in the left-hand/right-hand issue.
also, the beretta 92 is a fully ambidextrous pistol. I don't see how it is even a factor in the left-hand/right-hand issue.
Vern Humphrey
Member
I'm right handed and right eye dominant. But over time, I developed short-sightedness in my left eye, and long-sightedness in my right. That means I use the right eye for distance vision (driving, seeing game, and so on) and my left eye for near vision (reading, seeing pistol sghts, etc.)
The good news is, this is exactly how they'd "fix" my eyes with laser surgery!
The better news is, although I can't see the sights well with the right eye, I trained myself to shoot with both eyes open and can see both sights and target clearly -- but it DOES take practice!
The trick is to begin shooting with the dominant eye closed and learn to cant the head slightly to pick up the sights. When you are comfortable with the non-dominant eye being the shooting eye, practice shooting with both eyes open. It will be a little disconcerting at first -- sights and target will "switch" from eye to eye, but you'll soon master it.
The good news is, this is exactly how they'd "fix" my eyes with laser surgery!
The better news is, although I can't see the sights well with the right eye, I trained myself to shoot with both eyes open and can see both sights and target clearly -- but it DOES take practice!
The trick is to begin shooting with the dominant eye closed and learn to cant the head slightly to pick up the sights. When you are comfortable with the non-dominant eye being the shooting eye, practice shooting with both eyes open. It will be a little disconcerting at first -- sights and target will "switch" from eye to eye, but you'll soon master it.
- Status