Posted: 10/1/2004 9:31:38 AM EDT
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I'm left-eye dominant and have no idea why. I only shoot long guns 'left-handed'; I do everything right-handed. I never knew why until about 7 years ago when a friend told me that it was because I was left-eye dominant - he showed me a little trick to test it and he was correct. After that I noticed that, while I shoot handguns right-handed, I actually turn my head farther to the right than normal and sight with my left eye. Now for the question: was I born left-eye dominant or did I make myself left-eye dominant? For example, the first time I was handed my official-Red-Rider-carbine-action-200-shot-range-model-air-rifle is it possible that I just instinctively put it to my left shoulder because having seen people on TV and in the movies some kind of mirror image made it seem that everyone was shooting left-handed? |
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I'm pretty sure I'm left eye dominant. I know my vision is better in my left eye (slightly nearsighted, but a little more nearsighted in my right eye). I shoot pistols and long guns right handed, and use my right eye. On occasion, I will turn my head farther and use my left eye for pistols... not often, tho. I am right handed and do pretty much everything right handed... Except shoot a bow. I shoot a bow left handed and use my left eye for sighting. It just feels right. |
| For you right handed, left eye dominant handgun shooters. Try this. Instead of turning your head further to the right, hold your head straight and cant the handgun 45 degress to the left until the sights line up with your left eye. It may be helpful at first to wear an eyepatch over your right eye until it feels natural. It may even improve your accuracy. |
You seriously need to slap your mother upside the head for doing shit like that. If your nieces are naturally left-handed, then trying to force them to be right-handed isn't going to do anything more than confuse the hell out of them. Y'know, it's not the 16th century anymore; people don't get executed for being left-handed. Likely you were probably born left-handed and left eye dominant, and your mother insisted on forcing you into a right-handed mold, thereby creating the problem that you're having now. Quick question: when you kick a ball, is/was your natural instinct to do it with your left foot or your right foot? |
| I don't think that there is much you can do to make a person left or right handed, or left or right eye dominant. My father and kid brother are left handed, both are right eye dominant, my brother shoots right handed by preference, my father left handed by preference. I have been both left eye and right eye dominant, only because I lost center vision in my right eye (wich had been dominant). I was always able to shoot left handed nearly as well as right, but after three years it still doesn't feel natural to shoulder a rifle on my left, plus most guns are not really set up for a lefty (when you have a lifetimes worth of guns already it is expensive to just replace them). |
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I didn't realize I was left eye dominant until I started shooting. It made a huge difference to me once I started shooting left handed. However I am right handed in everything else I do minus a few things like brushing my teeth. My grandmother (whom I spent a lot of time with when I was a little tyke) forced right handedness on me. My parents were unware of some of it and couldn't figure out why I was so damn assbackwards when it came to some things that required coordination. I carry a pistol righty and shoot righty, but have an odd shooting style since I need to get my left eye lined up with the sights. I've tried shooting pistol lefty and it just "felt wierd." |
Here are some links to dominancy. pages.prodigy.net/unohu/dominance.htm www.katherinebell.com/HS%20Mixed%20Dominance.htm I haven't found any that discuss the cause of cross-laterality. I suppose there are many things that could cause a crossover in eye dominance against the rest of your body's natural dominance. If the visual accuity in your right eye is worse than the left, your body will inherently switch your focus depending on which eye sees objects more clearly. A perpetual habit of holding your head oriented more toward one side or the other will also cause one eye to be used predominantly. Perhaps it's just genetic. I know it can be retrained, but I suspect that if you've grown up shooting left handed, it would be more trouble that it's worth to try and switch. |
I don't think that would have done it. I'm also right handed, but left-eye dominant. When I was a kid and first started using air rifles and bows, I would always shoot right handed. I could never quite get the shots to go where I was aiming. I didn't figure it out until a few years later. I've been shooting lefty ever since. |
pages.prodigy.net/unohu/dominance.htm#CorrectEye If you wear contacts, leave your left contact out. Your right eye will take over. Obscure your left eye, etc. Bottom line, practice, practice, practice. The good news is, if you can overcome it, you'll be able to shoot ambidexterously. Whichever side you shoulder your weapon to, that eye will naturally take over. Of course, then you've got to work on your motor skills to hit anything. |
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I am totally right-handed but my left eye is domineint. I have found this to be more common than most people beleive. I discovered this very early so I've always shot left-handed. Seems perfectly normal to me now. This "condition" was discovered by my high school shooting coach. He had everyone confirm which eye was domineint before they tried out for the team. |
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I'm ambidex, write leftie, shoot rightie, work with some tools leftie, most sports rightie, drums rightie, but left eye dominant. I was doing exactly what you're doing with your pistol shooting. I was shooting rightie, but was shooting with my left eye. Strangly enough I always shot rifle right handed with my right eye. I forced myself to change my pistol to right eye. It's not hard, it's mostly habit. |
Ill have to give this a try.. My eyes are very close, my right being very slightly weaker then my left. I can shoulder a rifle and shoot left handed (sights are 10x clearer) but I've managed to learn how to shoot decently right handed with pistols. |
You can teach yourself to use your right eye I did it in about three sessions at the range. just keep your left eye closesd or block its vision completely with glasses or blinders. I am also cross dominant right handed left eye dominant left is also my strong side (weightlifting and kickboxing ) so you should be able to adapt without cocking your head to the side.
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Being a right handed, left eye dominant never mattered until I got into guns. I have converted myself by training a lot with a beater rifle set by the easy chair and sighting during TV commercials. Once it becomes easy to hold the left eye closed, focusing with the right eye is much easier. I also own 3 red dots 
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With a proper stance (isoscelese, no weaver), you should not have to turn your head. Bring your gun up to your head...don't bring your head to your gun. If you practice shooting this way, then weak hand shooting becomes as easy as stronghand shooting. I didn't believe this until I took a Blackwater course, and I after they showed me proper stance and grip, I can shoot with my left hand almost as quickly and accurately as with my right hand... (using to a two handed grip) |
I had the same thing happen to me. i now shoot everything lefty. shooting the pistol lefty took alot of practice to get use to it. Remman |
Yeah, I could turn the pistol 45 degrees: aawww yeah - that'll be the shiznit, Kid!  I don't feel the need to change because it doesn't really bother me - it's just that ever since I found out I've been intrigued. My neck isn't sore after shooting so I'm OK. As for the kicking thing: I've never been inclined to do anything else 'lefty'.  And, I will slap my mother for doing that to my nieces.
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