learning to shoot right handed

[floritucky]

im a lefty and i wanted to hear from other lefties that have dont this. not so much those that were pretty good to start with and just needed to polish. im talking about those guys that needed lots of work. the only thing i really do right handed is play music. i know that about a year ago i tried it and it was so strange. both with a rifle and a handgun. but i would love to be able to carry right handed one day, as well as shoot some rifles right anded like my 702 plinkster that is notorious for popping me with casings. and even when i carry left hand. its still good to be able to shoot "weak hand". im really leaning on replacing my XD with a 1911 and while i will get one with an ambi safety for now. i would like to be able to have a RHO safety as i have read many stories of the ambi that i didnt like (though plenty also have no issues with it)

 

[Al Thompson]

I'm working with my nephew who only has a left hand and is right eye dominant. So I'm sort of in the same boat as you, but with a twist.

IMHO, in order for me to be able to teach my nephew, I need to be able to go through the basics using only my left hand.

So I got a left handed holster and started working on it. I also took Tom Givens class to work on my left handed shooting.

Here's some of what Tom teaches (IIRC) and what I've found to work.

Focus on slow movements (dry) to get your moves down pat, then very gradually work your way forward till you hit what ever standards you want to accomplish. Since you are essentially training a part of your body that has never (or certainly not often) been trained, it's like you are working with a rank beginner.

Go slow till you are smooth, then work on faster.

 

[Ryanxia]

I had to learn to shoot right hand in paintball and it was tough at first but got to be second nature after a year or two. I shot a lot though so I would think with guns it just takes practice and putting rounds down range.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

Everyone should practice shooting more with their weak side hand. For all kinds for reasons (get shot in your strong side, need to clear a corner and want to expose as little of yourself as possible, the once in a lifetime buck just appeared and you are holding in your weak side, etc) it could come in handy.

 

[homatok]

My oldest boy is left handed. When he was growing up all the guns I had were bolt action and he decided to learn to shoot right handed. He is 52 now and he shoots everything right handed. Might be he had an edge because he never learned to do it any other way.

 

[Blackstone]

After realising how terrible I am at off-hand shooting, I've resolved to go back to the fundamentals with air pistol and learning it left handed.

 

[ATLDave]

One additional thought: do as many things with your left hand as possible. Try brushing your teeth, combing your hair, buttoning buttons, using the computer mouse, etc., with your left hand. Drummers trying to make their left hand as strong, fast, and independent as their right sometimes do this.

 

[TAKtical]

Im a lefty. I dry fire my pistols all the time. Try dry firing with your left hand, then your right, and just keep switching back and forth. Eventually the gun will feel more comfortable in your right hand.

 

[jacob2745]

I am a lefty and have always shot rifles righ handed. I just recently switched to right handed with pistols because i am right eye dominant. For me it was suprisingly easy.

 

[gearchecker]

I'm a lefty and until two weeks ago I'd never thought I'd find a decent left handed rifle at a decent price. I finally got my first left handed rifle and it's way too cool.

Now back to the original question.
Shortly after I got back into guns 4 years ago I read an account of a cop out here that was shot in the right hand while trying to capture a perp. He switched the pistol to his left hand and finished what he started. Story ends with dead perp. The biggest part of the story is that he had been training to shoot with his left hand after taking a defensive pistol course, and discovered he lacked the skills to be defensive if he ever lost his right hand. So, he took great lengths to learn to shoot left handed. It saved his life that day.

With that, I decided I would learn to shoot well with my right hand. I'm probably around 90% as accurate using my right hand now. I make a point to practice 25% of all my shooting sessions with my right hand every time. I'm not one eye dominant over the other as far as I can tell. I switch to right handed shooting and I automatically switch eyes as it was meant to be. My stance and arm positions still seem awkward, but as long as I can rack the slide and shoot with one hand at will, I'm pretty sure I'm good to go.
Right now, and until the end of October, my left hand is in a cast up to my elbow because I broke my hand. I feel secure knowing that I can unholster my pistol and shoot without any issues using just my right hand.
And for the record, I always keep my pistols loaded with a round in the chamber. It saves two steps in the process of shooting my pistols, if the need ever arises.

Regards,
Gearchecker