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Which eye dominant?

29K views 36 replies 26 participants last post by  engineer837 
#1 ·
This comes up now and then, so I've put this together (well, I drew it for another thread, but this seems a better place for it as a stand alone post).

If you focus (with both eyes open) on a distant object, then hold your arm out in front of you with your "hitch hiker" thumb up to cover the distant object, you get the optical illusion that you get a translucent thumb.

This is because the weaker eye is "seeing around" your thumb (so sees the whole distant object) yet the strong eye is still trying to see the object but the thumb is in the way.

By closing one eye, opening it and closing the other you can determine which is your dominant eye.


Ah heck..... A picture tells a thousand words...

RIGHT DOMINANT:



The opposite would be expected with LEFT DOMINANT.

The dominant eye is the one that when open on its own should obscure the object.

The weaker eye is the one that when open on its own, will allow you to see the object next to the thumb.


In Mac's case, the dominant eye is the one that - when open - allows you to see anything. :wink:
 
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#3 ·
exellant presentation. How about the mods make this a sticky? It's got my vote.
 
#4 ·
Re: hey

laxratnd said:
Good job RB. Nice right up. I use the triangle method with both hands to help people figure it all out. To many people dont realize that this is a important part just as your natural point of aim.


lax
I have used the triangle method also and would get mixed results that has had me thinking I was left eye dom. Using this method I appear to be right eye dom.
 
#5 ·
I know that my left eye is sub par anyway (via my optician). That's how I know for sure that this method is set up correctly. I did the test over and over whilst doing the drawing, so it will be correct.

I am sure people with equal dominance or very close dominance might get odd results, but they are lucky people!
 
#6 ·
I have a question...

I am right eye dominant, but left handed. When I was very young, my father couldn't understand how I could hold a rifle to my left shoulder and place my cheek "over" the stock to sight with my right eye, and still hit my targets (especially since it was sighted for him).

As, I got older, I was able to learn how to set up "properly" and use my left eye without a problem.

In hindsight, I probably should have learned to be right handed...but, oh well.

The only problems I have is when trying the "both eyes open" sighting...especially with pistol (I hold left hand, if I sight in closing right eye, I'm good...but, if fire with both open...the dominant eye takes over and my alignment ends up off).

The question is...is there an advantage to using the dominant eye? Should I "relearn" to be right handed to take advantage of my dominant eye?

Thanks!
 
#8 ·
that's kind of what I thought...but, after 30yrs...I'm wondering if there is a significant advantage to doing it at this point?

Note: Just got my first LR rifle and hope to work up to some competing (I suspect benchrest would not be too tough to "relearn" on the right...I am sort of Ambi anyway...just yesterday, I had to take a chipmunk with my .22 and couldn't get an angle out my window left shouldered, so I switched to the other without really thinking about it...sort of like having to swith for a tight shot in Billiards :-D).

Just wondering if there was a "Dominant Eye" advantage if my vision is good in both. If so, any idea why?

Thanks for the feed back.
 
#10 ·
I am right handed left eye dominant. When shooting pistol I shoot with both arms straight out in front but very slightly cant the pisol towards my left eye. I find that I am more accurate doing this keeping all my shots @ 15 yards well within 2 - 3 inch group. If I shoot with my right eye at the same distance my groups open up to about 4 inches.
When I shoot rifle I just shoot using my right eye as I find this easier than trying to shoot left handed.

Mac
 
#11 ·
I am left handed when It comes to writing, but right handed at everything ells. Although I am also right brain, and left eye dominant.

So being right handed and left eye dominant, I have been training my self to make my right eye stronger. I will place a little cover over my right eye when doing things around the home, or watching tv, or anything that I don't need depth perception.

I am now at the point where both eyes are the same, I can switch from one to the other with no problem. The only thing that gets me is when shooting pistols, I will sometimes find myself shooting (always right handed) with my left eye randomly. I can always tell, because my shots are suddenly not going where they should lol.

I hope to teach my self to be full right eye dominant. I want to join SWAT as a sniper, and it seems like something you would want.
 
#12 ·
hey

i dont recommend trying to train your right eye, your are left eye dominate so stick with your left eye, you should really train yourself to shoot lefty. That would be the correct way of doing it. It is really hard to actually train your right eye to be more dominate. Your left eye will always be the one you should always shoot at. Start teaching yourself how to shoot left handed, this will help you in the long run.


You can also shoot pistol right handed with the left eye you just have to know how to hold the pistol a little differently.

In my opinion your just going to create bad habbits trying to train your right eye. They will never really be the same, your one eye will always be dominate.

Dont get me wrong you can shoot with both eyes but the trick is that you will shoot better with your dominate eye. And never close your eyes when you shoot, always leave both open, if you close one eye it puts a little strain on the other one.




stephen.
 
#13 ·
I knew that about straining your eye when closing the other. Although, I rely cant shoot left handed at all. It is much easier for me to do what I'm doing.

It looked like I saw Mele say he was the same way, and he trained himself to shoot with his right eye.

Also, my eyes are the exact same right now. I don't think I was ever rely stronger in my left eye. Just that I never did the test the right way to find out both eyes are just as strong.
 
#14 ·
hye

yes you can teach yourself to shoot with your right eye if your left is dominate, But you will shoot better when your dominate eye. You dominate eye does not nessarily have to do with your eye sight, and which one is stronger,

What is meant by a dominate eye is that, your mind goes to that eye first when looking through sights.

You can shoot with your other eye but like ive said before you would have a little more success with the other eye.

You may think both are the same, but they are not, Trust me, If you left is dominate, it is always going to be dominate. There is a reason why we always try to teach a person how to shoot depending on which dominate eye, Dont get me wrong you can continue to shoot on your right side.

And dont get the idea you cant shoot with your left, Because you can, its just takes some more time and effort to put into it.


I have trained serveral shooters that were left eye dominate and right handed to shoot left handed. Its a long process but is beneficial in the long run. And i have many cases were people were shooting righty when they were left eye dominate and we switched them over, and even though it felt weird for a while, they ended up shooting better.

But hey thats just what i have come across.

But you really shouldnt go around covering your eye up and all, just get behind the gun and shoot, start training yourself more.

You say you want to go swatt, well you better stay in school also, and do well as you have to be very smart for that also and physically fit.

You might disagree with me but iam just giving you what i have experienced throughout shooting and coaching many individuals.

stephen
 
#15 ·
Eye dominance

I have the same problem, right hand, left eye. I still shoot right handed and I shoot competitively very well. When shooting pistol, I turn my head slightly to the right so as to use my left eye, while using a generally isosolece stance. When shooting rifle, usually the optics are close enough that I can focus on the reticle with my non dominant eye without a problem. This does not work for iron sight rifles, though. I have to resort to closing my left eye for that.
I know that the "right" answer is to retrain to be left handed, but slightly changing my technique has proven to be just as good and more efficient.
 
#17 ·
Re: hye

laxratnd said:
<cut>

I have trained serveral shooters that were left eye dominate and right handed to shoot left handed. Its a long process but is beneficial in the long run. And i have many cases were people were shooting righty when they were left eye dominate and we switched them over, and even though it felt weird for a while, they ended up shooting better.

But hey thats just what i have come across.

<cut>

stephen
I'm very right hand and very left eye cross dominant... This was a major source of my shooting woes for years until I figured it out. I would shoot 1 to 2 MOA on average and couldn't figure out why the :twisted: I shot so badly no matter what I tried... I stumbled across an article on cross dominance and decided to try shooting left handed. This was the best decision I've ever made about shooting. Within a few sessions, my groups tightened up to sub-MOA and I've even managed a 1/3 MOA group on several occasions (when I fully do my part)

I couldn't agree with stephen more!! If you are cross dominant and have trouble with group sizes or other accuracy issues, try shooting with your dominant eye and weak hand for a month and see if you don't improve rapidly. (I'd have to say that Mel is an exception IMO, but everyone should at least try it and see what happens for them)

Mykel Obvious
 
#18 ·
Hi Everyone, this is my first post here and am really happy I've found this fountain of knowledge on the web... anyway..

Here's my particular gig, when I hold up a pistol, at arms length and try to view the target with both eyes open, I actually see two sets of hands/pistols on either side of the target! I've been told I'm left eye dom whilst being right handed, but even holding the pistol left-handed I get the same issue. When I shoot with either hand and close the opposite eye, then I'm a great shot - either with a pistol, shotgun and I hope - when I get one, with a bolt-action. But, everyone tells me to be a proper shot you have to keep both eyes open. Then it's a disaster and it's all I can do to not shoot myself!

I promise you that I'm not drunk and seeing double!

Can anyone help?

Many thanks!
 
#19 ·
hey

Well first off welcome to SC, we hope to help you out in your shooting needs and hope you learn a lot here. No question is stupid hear unless you didnt use the search option beforehand. But your question is very valid.

Are you shooting with two hands on the gun or one. Here is what you can do. Just sure your left eye dominant and to figure that out its been talked about on this site a lot, but i personally like the triangle method. Second since your left eye dominate and you want to keep both eye open, take some translucent tape like a semi clear that you can see through but still lets light through, and put it on your shooting glasses over your right eye, this allows your right eye to stay open and still get light but it wont interfere with the left on and lets you concentrate on using the left eye on the target. Then after you have done that for several weeks try it without it, if it still happens then go back to the classes. Try that for me, and if that dosnt work out, then i have another option, but that is the best way to do it, this is how we train young shooters how have a hard time keeping both eyes open and using there dominate eye as you tend to see double.

Also, one of those semi clear coffee jar tops, works also. if you cut it to size. there translucent and let in just enough light but you really cant see out of them. Do not go fully dark as you want light to come through to the eye to simulate that it is open.

Try that out.
and let me know how it goes, your more then welcome to pm if you have more questions.

stephen
 
#20 ·
Thanks for that response. Funny you mention it but that's what I do right now with the shotgun, I have a small circular translucent 'dot' just where my left eye would look out to so that I can shoot right handed. I can sort of shoot left handed but I'm rather too impatient to learn to be honest. But, having said that, for the pistol shooting I have just been shutting the left eye so I will apply the same technique there and see what happens.

Will keep you posted.

Cheers!
 
#21 ·
I'm left eye dominant and right handed. I started with a .22 rifle and had a lot of problems initially, then I started using my left eye. I would kinda peak over the rifle to get my shots, which wasn't an issue on a small caliber semi auto.

When I got my 30-30 and then my SKS I learned to shoot left handed. It was quite natural and now I can shoot either right or left handed with rifles. Handguns are still right handed, but it's not an issue.

I haven't yet shot a bolt action extensively left handed and I'm wondering if I should get a left handed rifle. I'm right handed, so I don't know if working the bolt will feel right with my left hand.
 
#22 ·
New member... so I hope that I am not beating a dead horse here with my .02 cents.

I had a similar experience with learning to shoot. I am majorly cross dominate and did not realize it until doing the triangle exercise at Camp Perry at the Small Arms Firing School. Eventhough it was strange, my accuracy went waaaaaaaay up when I switched to lefty. I will admit that having brass cross right in front of your eyes can be a bit startling, but I figure it is worth it. (assuming there is a brass deflector on the rifle).

For the translucent 'blinders' for your non dominate eye. The guys on the army marksmanship team were telling people that you can also use a peice of clear tap on your shooting glasses to accomplish the same thing.

Now I just need to figure out about shooting a righty bolt action from a left hand position.

How bad is it?

Thanks,
-AJ
 
#24 ·
mydaynight said:
see i'm weird...for rifles i'm right eye dominant...for side arms i'm left eye dominant. i can't aim a side arm right with my right eye.
I believe it has to do with the degree of dominance and the fact that rifle sights are close to the eye so there is less of an issue with dominance.
 
#25 ·
Short story telling the power of the dominate eye:
When I was in highschool, we had a kid who was a prodigy with a rifle. (we are talking about precision .22 here) He surpassed people who were 3 years his senior in a matter of 6 months of picking up the rifle. But he hit a ceiling. It infuriated him that he was at this roof or wall. One day I made a smarta$$ remark about how they probably didn't check his eye dominance. He turned bright red.
They hadn't and in the middle of 8th grade math class we checked his eye dominance. He had been shooting right handed, done everything right handed. He was left eye dominant. He switched, suffered for 2 weeks (roughly 8 practices for him) and he was equal where he was before, and within 2 months he was shooting as good as jr. Olympians. (I am not kidding) But he threw it away cause he thought he was going to be a football star... and then didn't want to go back. If he would have kept on it he would have probably been at London this past summer, but he wasn't.
Anyways, long story short, always go to your dominant eye... if it is possible to do so.
 
#26 ·
eh, I tape up my left eye, I wont try shooting left handed.. Wont do it I tell you... Adam, I dont know how you do it brother... You must look silly... Oh ADAM, my address changed. Ill shoot you a PM for when you get around to mailing that stuff..
 
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