left eyed, but right handed

[ccs]

First off, I'm new to bowhunting.

I used to shoot for hours on end when I was a kid in the backyard with a little 20lb recurve, but haven't touched one since then until this fall. I decided that I want to give bowhunting a try and I'm really excited about it. I know that I'm left eye dominant, but I grew up shooting both guns and bows right handed, so I bought a used right handed bow, shot several times a week for a few months and took the bowhunter certifcation class.

Shooting a gun wrong-eyed hasn't posed much of a problem for me, I just close my left eye. I'm doing the same thing with the bow and it works OK at the range or in the backyard at 20-30yds, but I'm worried at longer distances using only the right eye could hamper my ability to focus on what I need to hit quickly.

I don't really want to re-learn shooting a bow, but if it makes a big difference I'd prefer to do it now rather than wait until it's even more ingrained.

Do any of you shoot wrong eyed? Have you switched from one to the other and found it made a big difference?

Thanks!
Chris

[ARGONUT]

As a NASP instructor i can tell you that it is possible to shoot "wrong" eyed dominant with your "wrong" hand If you have learned to to shoot right handed even if your left eye dominant. as long as your steady and have compinsated by closing your eye or wearing an eye patch. If you have not tryed shooting a left handed bow you might want to try it. It is not "re-learning" as you would be concerned with. If you want to try shooting left handed I am left handed and would be willing to go to the range with you and let you shoot a left handed bow to see if it makes you feel more comforatable with your shot.

[stickslinger]

learn to shoot with both eyes open if you can. if you are consistent at 20-30 yards you should be fine at longer ranges as long as you can still see your target.

[AKBoater]

I'd say practice at longer ranges if you are worried. If you want to shoot something at 40-50 yrds don't worry so much about eye-dominance, worry about practicing at those ranges. If you find it's hard to focus at that distance, then worry about switching hands.

[Lefty]

I changed from shooting left handed to right handed about 8 years ago. I am left handed but right eye dominant. The transition didn't take too long and I have since shot a moose and a caribou with my long bow right handed. The only thing that seems odd for me is to take the arrow out of the bow mounted quiver when shooting right handed. I think that I made the right call to change since I can now shoot with both eyes open. I too have a couple of bows (recurve) that are left handed. If you want to try one of them out let me know. Good luck.

[J2theD]

I was worried when I realized I shot right and had a left eye dominant, but after 100-200 arrows, it felt really smooth and I did notice a big difference in my aim.

[ccs]

J2theD, does that mean that you switched to shooting left handed and felt normal after 100-200 arrows, or that you continued to shoot right handed and felt comfortable looking through your non-dominant eye?

Thanks for all the replys folks!

Chris

[wiso_67]

I shoot right handed and am left eye dominant, i shoot both compound and recurve, dont wear a eye patch but i do close my left eye when shooting, on my recurve 20-30 yards I can shoot with both eyes open and am fairly accurate, 40 yards I have to close my left eye. never considered learning to shoot left handed

[bowdy15]

I'm mixed up at a lot of different sports, I''m right handed, shoot bow left, play hockey left, throw right, bat right and left.

Shooting a bow though i've never had a problem. I just keep both eyes open, like an earlier post said, if you're accurate at 20-30 yards it shouldn't be any different longer distances. Unelss you are compensating when shooting.

[Alaska Gray]

I shoot Lefty and right eye dominate..... not really a big deal. Just close on eye. Some people put a patch over the dominate to strenghten there weaker eye....

[saltwatertom]

Got to agree with both eyes open. I am left eye and right handed, I shoot a recurve and have both eyes open and am pretty darn acurate ( when I am practiced up ;-)

[akjeff]

If a guy was just starting out and had to buy all new equipment, it would be best to get set up to shoot with the dominant eye. Now if a guy is rehabbing his old equipment or using hand-me-down gear, just do your best. I shoot right handed and am left eye dominant. I started shooting with used equipment and just stuck with right hand stuff. I used to close one eye to shoot, But over time I became able to keep both eyes open. Sometimes I need to squint a little or just blink my left eye for a moment. If I continue to have problems I just close my eye left completely.

[powderhound]

First off, I'm new to bowhunting.

I used to shoot for hours on end when I was a kid in the backyard with a little 20lb recurve, but haven't touched one since then until this fall. I decided that I want to give bowhunting a try and I'm really excited about it. I know that I'm left eye dominant, but I grew up shooting both guns and bows right handed, so I bought a used right handed bow, shot several times a week for a few months and took the bowhunter certifcation class.

Shooting a gun wrong-eyed hasn't posed much of a problem for me, I just close my left eye. I'm doing the same thing with the bow and it works OK at the range or in the backyard at 20-30yds, but I'm worried at longer distances using only the right eye could hamper my ability to focus on what I need to hit quickly.

I don't really want to re-learn shooting a bow, but if it makes a big difference I'd prefer to do it now rather than wait until it's even more ingrained.

Do any of you shoot wrong eyed? Have you switched from one to the other and found it made a big difference?

Thanks!
Chris

Wow!
I am so happy to see I am not the only one put in this exact situation as you. I already got Right handed equipment, and I am Right handed at everything. Unfortunately my Left eye is dominate though. So with that issue i also am having a difficult time closing my right eye. I can wink with my left and not my right!
How Messed Up Am I?
lol

So how can I teach myself to close my right eye?
I am not the strongest guy, and I really do not want to shoot lefty!

[6XLeech]

Here's a pretty good article from Hunter's Friend on Eye Dominance: http://www.huntersfriend.com/eye-dominance-issues.htm.

My understanding is that for some individuals, handedness-eye dominance is a matter of degrees; may affect some individuals more than others. So, for some it's no big deal while for others, it matters more.

[NickRhoades]

I am right handed and left eye dominate as well. I have shot right handed all my life. I found that a little larger internal diameter peep (if you shoot one) is the way to go. With that said I learned to shoot without a peep and when looking through/past the string things were extremely blurred so I started using a peep. I also found out that my vision in my right eye needs corrective lenses. With that said I now soot targets at 80yrds and shoot will shoot a white tail at 50-60 given the proper conditions. Look into you vision and see if your righ eye needs corrective lenses.