Right Handed, Left Eye Dominant

[barbarossa]

I am completely right handed, but strongly left eye dominant. I have always shot right handed, but aimed with my left eye when shooting a handgun.

If I can take my time, like when target shooting, this works out fine. But I can't point and shoot with my right hand worth a crap.

I recently tried shooting left handed. It was a big revelation. Target acquisition is so much quicker this way, it's not even funny. I can shoot with both eyes open. I don't get the usual headaches after a range session. I shoot more accurately.

But, handling a gun with my left hand is so awkward. I have to rack the slide with the gun in my right hand, then switch hands. Safety issues aside, it just feels weird. Then I need to switch back to release the mag, reload, etc.

It's a real dilemma. What do I do? There must be others on here that had to deal with cross eye dominance, what did you do?

 

[JLouv]

You shotgun, rifle, or pistol?

Go with left handed guns. Practice practice practice.

Shotgun shouldn't be a big issue. You should be shooting with both eyes open anyway.

 

[Leadfoot]

I just turn my head.

/shrug

 

[rsmoree]

I am the same as you, right handed and left eye dominent. I shoot with both eyes open and right handed. I just cross my body a bit and look at my sight picture with my left eye. I just started doing this and still have a way's to go to get it down pat and normal feeling. I have always shot with right eye open and left eye closed. This is fine for plinking but dangerous in a tactical self defense situation. I have thought about trying to switch to a left hand shooting position but was advised to keep working on the right hand left eye cross. When I was a kid I was left handed but my Grandmother raised me and she would switch me to righty every time I picked up something and made me right handed. I guess lefty's were wierdo's in her day. My baby daughter is a lefty but shoots right handed.


Scottie

 

[barbarossa]

I just cross my body a bit and look at my sight picture with my left eye.

That's what I've been doing. Try to point and shoot very quickly with your right hand. That's where I have issues.

You shotgun, rifle, or pistol?

All of the above.

It is no problem when I can take my time and use optics, especially a scope.



With all due respect, I don't think guys who are not cross eye dominant can easily understand what I'm talking about. And then there's varying degrees of eye dominance... I'm on the far end.

 

[Cat]

Same. Just shift a bit.

I can imagine it could be an issue in competition shooting, which I'm not a part of. But for self defense purposes, center chest, I'm happy. It's close enough (15-30 yrds) and large enough area, the cross eye sensitivity really isn't that much of a handicap.

 

[Cat]

I will say I can't shoot a rifle without a scope worth a flying flip flop ****. Nor a shotgun. I have tried shooting skeet all my life from time to time. 25 years at least.

I have *never* hit one.

 

[rsmoree]

Put some tape over your right eye on your saftey glasses.




Scottie

 

[barbarossa]

I will say I can't shoot a rifle without a scope worth a flying flip flop ****. Nor a shotgun. I have tried shooting skeet all my life from time to time. 25 years at least.

I have *never* hit one.

And there you go. Same here, until I tried shooting a shotgun left handed. Feels so wrong, yet I can actually hit the skeets pretty well that way.

It all seems like a no brainer. I shoot much better left handed. When I have time to prepare.

The issue is, if I had to reach for a gun in a high stress emergency situation, no doubt it would be my right hand that would do the reaching. See my point now?


Which is why this, in my mind, is not an option:

Put some tape over your right eye on your saftey glasses. Scottie

"Scuse me, Mr. Burglar, hang on a second while I put on my dominant-eyed-blocked-out safety glasses."

 

[rsmoree]

LOL. I meant while practicing. That is what I started out with and now it is getting easier to find my sight picture.



Scottie

 

[70116]

You actually have a great opportunity to learn how to shoot properly, without all of the little quirks and issues that we tend to build up.

Just make believe that yuo're a brand new shooter and start with the basics of grip, draw, etc. Focus on doing it correctly and slowly build up speed. All of the other functions, reloads, slide manuvers, jams will come over time. The key is doing it correctly and letting speed build on it's own

I'm ambidexterous and while I shoot more slowly left handed, I'm much more accurate. Speed will come with time and LOTS of dry fire practice at home.

As far as rifle and shotgun are concerned, shoot left handed. If you can only afford to use right handed guns you have now, use semi-autos and wear good protective safety glasses to handle the ejected catidges. After that it's the same as a pistol or revolver. Practice proper technique and you'll be amazed at how quickly you build up some speed.

 

[barbarossa]

LOL. I meant while practicing. That is what I started out with and now it is getting easier to find my sight picture.



Scottie

Scottie, I hear you. It might be getting easier. Will it ever become "natural", though? It's the way our brains are wired.

Point and shoot: Intuitively point you finger at an object with both eyes open. Freeze. Now close your non-dominant eye. Your finger is pointing at the target. Close your dominant eye. Your finger is pointing a few inches to the side of the target. Naturally. That is the issue.

 

[Cat]

And there you go. Same here, until I tried shooting a shotgun left handed. Feels so wrong, yet I can actually hit them pretty well.

It all seems like a no brainer. I shoot much better left handed. When I have time to prepare.

The issue is, if I had to reach for a gun in a high stress emergency situation, no doubt it would be my right hand that would do the reaching. See my point now?


Which is why this, in my mind, is not an option:




"Scuse me, Mr. Burglar, hang on a second while I put on my left eyed blocked out safety glasses."

Well, that's what I meant when I said in self defense training, it is a very small handicap. You are probably going to be close enough that.... Nobody is aiming when they are in high stress situation. It's going to be, or should be a center fired, both eyes open quick explosive bang, bang, bang. Ideally, you have the use of both hands. I agree it is a great idea to practice with both hands using just that hand, just in case. However, I wouldn't concentrate on hitting the X on your target if your concern right now is self defense. Aim for center mass. The rest really does take care of itself. Shift your gun towards your dominate eye, usually only an inch or two (maybe). You need to work on creating some muscle memory. That helps all things, but most importantly it allows you to feel comfortable with your abilities.

I know how I've been told but I don't trust myself to be completely correct in giving exercise or drill practice ideas. Maybe one of the instructors could be more specific.

 

[youu_whoo_whoo]

I have the same issue. I just learned to shoot left handed. Once you get used to it you naturally grab the guns like you were going to shoot them left handed. This has worked well for me.

 

[Sin-ster]

Some of the best pistol shooters in the world (past and present) are cross-dominant. The two that invented the modern technique fall into that category, including The Great One, who is still winning World Titles today.

The common answer and accepted wisdom is that you can learn to shoot cross-dominant, and all of the suggestions you've heard already are the common answers. To this end, tape on the glasses and moving the gun to your dominant eye (as opposed to your head to the gun) are what the high end guys preach the most.

That said. I've trained with a friend who advocates ambidextrous pistol shooting. We do it with ARs, don't we-- so why should handguns be any different? You seemed to discover what I did-- actually pulling the trigger and getting the hits is surprisingly easy, shooting freestyle with your offhand. In your case, it sounds like your hits actually improved!

So... why not just learn to shoot that way? You can train up EVERY ONE of those weapon manipulations that are giving you trouble in dry fire. Spanky drops his mags with his left hand on a gun set up for a righty; there are plenty of righties who swap their mag release around to do the same thing. Like George said-- it's a great opportunity to build up your technique from scratch. Drawstroke, mag changes, manipulations and malfunctions-- these are all things best learned (initially) in dry fire anyway.

I'd learn to shoot left handed if I were you, and not cross-dominant. If you're already SHOOTING better, the answer is pretty obvious; the manipulations are the easy part, and you can work on that just sitting around your house.

 

[Trey@IG]

im left handed and left eye dominate but i shoot handguns right handed and long guns left handed . i just learned to alternate which eye i open and close and use to shoot. i figure i would shoot more accurately with a comfortable grip so instead of changing your grip maybe just practice using your other eye....its seemed to work for me so far. im expert rifle and pistol qual'd

 

[barbarossa]

Some of the best pistol shooters in the world (past and present) are cross-dominant. The two that invented the modern technique fall into that category, including The Great One, who is still winning World Titles today.

The common answer and accepted wisdom is that you can learn to shoot cross-dominant, and all of the suggestions you've heard already are the common answers. To this end, tape on the glasses and moving the gun to your dominant eye (as opposed to your head to the gun) are what the high end guys preach the most.

That said. I've trained with a friend who advocates ambidextrous pistol shooting. We do it with ARs, don't we-- so why should handguns be any different? You seemed to discover what I did-- actually pulling the trigger and getting the hits is surprisingly easy, shooting freestyle with your offhand. In your case, it sounds like your hits actually improved!

So... why not just learn to shoot that way? You can train up EVERY ONE of those weapon manipulations that are giving you trouble in dry fire. Spanky drops his mags with his left hand on a gun set up for a righty; there are plenty of righties who swap their mag release around to do the same thing. Like George said-- it's a great opportunity to build up your technique from scratch. Drawstroke, mag changes, manipulations and malfunctions-- these are all things best learned (initially) in dry fire anyway.

I'd learn to shoot left handed if I were you, and not cross-dominant. If you're already SHOOTING better, the answer is pretty obvious; the manipulations are the easy part, and you can work on that just sitting around your house.

Thanks, this is very helpful. I'd like to ask you to please name some of those all time great cross eye dominant pistol shooters so I can look them up on YouTube and watch what they're doing. I'm not up on the sport enough to know whom you are talking about.


Btw, I took up archery a couple of years ago. I had never even held a bow before. Since I was already aware of the fact that I was left eye dominant, I thought I'd start from a clean slate and bought a left handed bow. I'm so glad I did. I can shoot it really well and it's not awkward at all, 'cause I've never shot right handed. Unfortunately, I have been shooting firearm right handed for long enough that it feels ingrained.

Anyway, thanks for your insight.

 

[Sin-ster]

Rob Leatham is arguably the most notable, and going to be the easiest for you to find on YouTube. Along with Brian Enos, they are the father's of the modern technique-- and by that I mean what all serious speed shooters use, competition and combat alike.

Phil Strader is also cross-dominant, IIRC. From the mouth of one of his closest competitors, "When he's on, he is the best around."

And of course Dave Sevigny, who beats both of those guys pretty consistently, is also cross-dominant.

There are others I'm sure, those are just the superstar/huge names that come to mind. I'm not sure you'll be able to see a lot of "what they're doing"; by all rights, you shouldn't be able to tell based on their shooting. And, of course, they're doing it pretty darn fast...

 

[Ben Segrest]

Just move the gun over.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLhh...DvjVQa1PpcFMPBL0dWDjaZ8sNu2RXvb6K04sDXrtAQ-w=

 

[Sugarbug]

I am completely right handed, but strongly left eye dominant. I have always shot right handed, but aimed with my left eye when shooting a handgun.

If I can take my time, like when target shooting, this works out fine. But I can't point and shoot with my right hand worth a crap.

I recently tried shooting left handed. It was a big revelation. Target acquisition is so much quicker this way, it's not even funny. I can shoot with both eyes open. I don't get the usual headaches after a range session. I shoot more accurately.

But, handling a gun with my left hand is so awkward. I have to rack the slide with the gun in my right hand, then switch hands. Safety issues aside, it just feels weird. Then I need to switch back to release the mag, reload, etc.

It's a real dilemma. What do I do? There must be others on here that had to deal with cross eye dominance, what did you do?

We encountered this with Bearco when we saw my wife doing it. If it's just Pistol, I would train on keeping both eyes open.