Learning to Shoot Weak Handed

[HES]

Well this just sucks. Got back from the Orthopedist today and the diagnosis was this: A partial (greater than 50%) of my rotator cuff (supraspinatus tendon). I was told no more shooting with my left hand (among other things). Of course this means I now have to learn to shoot with my right hand (Im also left eyed dominant). So with that out of the way: Any suggestions for training or compensating?

[Jay Cunningham]

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=17758

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=17840

These might help.

[HES]

Thanks.

[Jay Cunningham]

Remember - accuracy is simply sight alignment and trigger control.

[mark5pt56]

One of the biggest mistake I see made with weak hand shooting is wrist curling.

[RogerinTPA]

I had problems shooting weak sided (Left hand only). I normally shoot both eyes open, but the rounds kept impacting on the right side of the target until I discovered my right eye (dominant) was lining up the sights. I simply closed my right eye and the accuracy improved dramatically.

[ToddG]

Permanent? Temporary? Surgery?

When you say no more shooting with your left hand, you mean at all (no 2-hand shooting)? I'd assume so, since the support hand takes as much abuse and does more work than the "strong" hand when shooting, at least pistol.

My advice is to start from scratch. It will be difficult and it will be a blow to your ego at first. Start slow and learn to do everything right. Work on fundamentals first. Sight alignment is still exactly the same. Trigger press is still exactly the same. You just need to learn to do them holding the gun in your right hand. As for the cross-dominance issue, don't even think about it. Just put the gun out there and align the sights. You'll move your head and/or the gun to get things aligned properly if you don't overthink it.

Dry fire a lot. Get to the point where you are breaking the shot without disturbing the front sight. I suggest the Wall Drill for this.

Then move from dry fire to the range with something like the Ball & Dummy Drill, which will help you determine whether you're maintaining your newly built skills when the big explosion goes off two feet from your face.

Once you're comfortable that you're breaking your shots well, work on fundamental accuracy until you're satisfied. My personal standard for students is a 3x5 card at 7yd ... until they can put every shot on the card at that distance on demand when going slow, they aren't ready to work on speed. But YMMV.

Obviously, get a right-handed holster and left-handed mag pouches. Start working from them. You might feel like a clown but it's not because you're using your non-dominant hand. You've got countless reps drawing and reloading using the opposite hand. It will take time to reach that level of proficiency. The good news is that you probably know a lot more about shooting today than you did when you first started, so you can avoid some of the bad habits or poor techniques that we've all had to fight through over the years.

Hopefully, the rotator can be repaired and once you're back to 100% you'll just be that much more outstanding of a weak-hand shooter!

[toddackerman]

You probably wouldn't have needed suregery if you weren't shooting with the wrong hand to begin with.:p

I'm sorry...I just had to say it.

On the topic, it's really not that hard to shoot weak hand. Just cant the pistol inwards a little bit, align the sights and press the trigger. Practice dry firing every night and you'll pick it up sooner than you think.

Get well soon!

[GrumpyM4]

In oct. 2006, I busted my right wrist. Tore ligaments and tendons, etc.

Had surgery, the whole nine yards. It is why I am now officially medically retired from civil service.

After the surgery, when things started healing properly, I simply started doing everything left handed. Yes, it sucked, but I forced myself to do it. I slowly trained myself over time so that as soon as the pistol touches my left hand, I focus with the left eye.

It took some work, but it eventually DID work.

Now, while I still can't write my name with my left hand properly, I am ambi when it comes to pistols. It unfortunatly didn't translate out as well to rifle, but what can ya do.

At this point, I can shoot right side for short periods of time as the wrist is permanently damaged and starts to hurt after awhile, but switching to left is still relitivly easy so long as I keep in practice.

Point being, my best advice is to just do it. Practice it until it becomes normal. It'll be frustrating, it'll suck, it'll take awhile, but in the end if you perserver, it will happen.

Good luck.