View Full Version : Left Eye dominant, Right handed?
BushmasterFanBoy
03-18-09, 09:14
I'm left eye dominant, and right handed, so I shoot rifles off my right, since I feel I can better manipulate the weapon, especially the trigger pull. I typically keep my left eye closed for distance shots, even though I have better vision out of it. It becomes less of a problem with RDO's, but I find the "competing" image to be too distracting at times.
However, I don't think I can shoot my rifle as well, especially at distance, as I can my pistol (I use both eyes open, or close the right, while shooting right handed), since I've restricted myself to using my weak eye. I do practice off-hand drills, but its always a close quarter fall back, or an attempt to use a barricade, never a preferred shooting side.
What I'd like to know is, would it be worth my time to essentially re-learn trigger control, driving the gun, manipulating the controls, on my left, so that I can gain the use of my dominant eye? Would this help significantly at distance? What about closer targets?
I don't have a reply on how you should change your training based on your left eye dominance, but I can relate to you in that I am right handed and left eye dominant. Difference between the two of us is that I can not at all use a bow, rifle or pistol in a right handed situation without feeling like I'm wearing a dress to play football!
As queer as it can feel.... when I shoot and force myself to go right handed, nothing works near as well as when I go left. When I hold the rifle right handed, I tend to tilt the gun on its side 10-15 towards the left as if I'm trying to get it to line up with my left eye. I have to force myself to hold the rifle upright and force myself to move my face over to get a good cheek weld to the stock. It is very un-natural.
When I allow nature to take its course and I go back to left handed hold, everything falls into place by the grace of God. It is hard to shoot weak sided especially if you do not consistantly train yourself for it (I do not do it near enough). Good luck, and may God help you be the very best you can be!
BushmasterFanBoy
03-18-09, 09:53
I don't have a reply on how you should change your training based on your left eye dominance, but I can relate to you in that I am right handed and left eye dominant. Difference between the two of us is that I can not at all use a bow, rifle or pistol in a right handed situation without feeling like I'm wearing a dress to play football!
As queer as it can feel.... when I shoot and force myself to go right handed, nothing works near as well as when I go left. When I hold the rifle right handed, I tend to tilt the gun on its side 10-15 towards the left as if I'm trying to get it to line up with my left eye. I have to force myself to hold the rifle upright and force myself to move my face over to get a good cheek weld to the stock. It is very un-natural.
When I allow nature to take its course and I go back to left handed hold, everything falls into place by the grace of God. It is hard to shoot weak sided especially if you do not consistantly train yourself for it (I do not do it near enough). Good luck, and may God help you be the very best you can be!
Thanks, I'm gonna be switching to left handed for the foreseeable future, already swapped my sling swivels on the AR:D. I will keep shooting pistol right handed however, as I've never had an issue with using my left eye to a right hand hold.
I to am a left eye/right hand shooter. I have always shot pistol right hand & rifle left with never any problems. In my situation my right eye is so far gone that short of just spray & pray my off hand rifle shooting is next to nil. Obviously I can still shoot pistol with either. I don't know how much diference there is with your eyes but as you get older you may have to rely on you good eye any way.
shadowalker
03-18-09, 12:38
I'm left handed, left eyed but grew up shooting rifle right handed because that's what everyone else did. I shoot handgun left handed with both eyes open. It never really bothered me to shoot rifle right handed because I'd just blink my left eye and acquire site picture with my right eye.
About a year ago I started learning to shoot left handed, it felt completely wrong for a while but now it feels natural, and I have the ability to comfortably shoot off either shoulder.
For some reason, I do hold my pistols in my right hand and support with my left, but I cross my pistol over to the left eye. I can feel that it is unnatural in my shoulder (Go ahead and try it, you will feel the shoulder muscle pulling when you cross over compared to when you don't) but again, holding the pistol in the left hand and supporting with the right hand feels as queer as a $3 bill!
i also have the dreaded left eye, right hand... but i have been training for the past year to do things with my left hand.
i originally had rifle set up lefty and pistol set up righty. that made things too complicated in my book. so i decided on just doing things with both hands completely. i can shoot well right and shoot very well left. i even went so far as to start eating with my left hand to get used to it feeling the way right should be.
it still feels weird to shoot carbine left, but i get the best results with it. eye fatigue is less, and better feel after the initial weirdness. as i said, i have everything set up to shoot left though. this way my support side is actually a strong side. i think it gives me better ability to do things both sides too. i can do just about anything with my right, while still having control with firing hand.
its taken a while, but i think its the best of both worlds for me. but def a shit load of work and learning.
i also have the dreaded left eye, right hand... but i have been training for the past year to do things with my left hand.
i originally had rifle set up lefty and pistol set up righty. that made things too complicated in my book. so i decided on just doing things with both hands completely. i can shoot well right and shoot very well left. i even went so far as to start eating with my left hand to get used to it feeling the way right should be.
it still feels weird to shoot carbine left, but i get the best results with it. eye fatigue is less, and better feel after the initial weirdness. as i said, i have everything set up to shoot left though. this way my support side is actually a strong side. i think it gives me better ability to do things both sides too. i can do just about anything with my right, while still having control with firing hand.
its taken a while, but i think its the best of both worlds for me. but def a shit load of work and learning.
Huh I can see how having your support side set up as your strong could be useful. I have my rlfle set left handed & my pistol set on right side. It is complicated sometimes, however so can finding a left hand holster.
however so can finding a left hand holster.
aint that the truth! i am trying to get a damn left hand safariland right now!
aint that the truth! i am trying to get a damn left hand safariland right now!
Good luck
ROCKET20_GINSU
03-19-09, 00:21
I'm right in there with all of you =) cross eye dominance, though I really don't have a problem with it. I am left eye dominant and right handed. I shoot rifles primarily left handed and pistols primarily right handed. I actually consider it an "asset" in some instances.
For example if for some reason you don't have a sling or are not using it at the moment and need to do a weapons transition, just tuck the buttstock under your left shoulder and draw your pistol. Additionally, you have your strong hand working the slide (shotgun) and supporting/driving the long gun! I've had some very experienced shooters tell me I was doing the right thing, and its been working so far so thats what I'm sticking with.
Additionally, if you shoot rifles with your left hand and pistols with your right you will gain proficiency with using both trigger fingers, and that will make it alot easier when you start doing more support side shooting. I make it a habit try to qualify on my rifle atleast once a year using my support side, while I don't shoot nearly as well, it is fun and important to practice...you never know the situations you may face in life... =) I teach all my guys to practice both, IMO its pretty silly if you're in a static position to shoot your rifle off your left shoulder if you are peering around the right side of cover (if you can avoid it), just my opinion.
I've found that it is much more difficult to change your eye dominance when compared to reinforcing muscle memory with your other hand. Your on the right track IMO! keep shooting rifles primarily with your left side, and pistols with your right. As you get more comfortable do some support side shooting to round out your skills and you will be a very balanced and versatile shooter.
Stay safe,
GU
It would be great to get input on this topic from the many professional folks here.
I am left handed, right eye dominant.
I shoot both short and long weapons left handed.
Shooting SMGs/rifles both eyes open has not been an issue, atleast I have not seen it as something that would hinder my performance with long guns.
In the Army I shot well in the range quals and due to my civilian shooting background, our instructor was pushing me for a slot in the sniper NCO course, but I declined that offer to go to a another unit. Also shot well in our applied training shoots later on.
I shoot both pistol and rifle IPSC at a national level and like said above, have not noticed any limitation to my performance from cross eye dominance.
I have the same set up as you eye dominance wise. I shoot handguns with my right hand and long off my left shoulder. I would think it would feel very unnatural to shoot off your right shoulder. I would most likely try shooting off my left shoulder. I would find it hard to believe you could ever be as good as you could be shooting off your right shoulder. Just my 2 cents.
I have the same set up as you eye dominance wise. I shoot handguns with my right hand and long guns off my left shoulder. I would think it would feel very unnatural to shoot off your right shoulder. I would most likely try shooting off my left shoulder. I would find it hard to believe you could ever be as good as you could be shooting off your right shoulder. Just my 2 cents.
It would be great to get input on this topic from the many professional folks here.
I am left handed, right eye dominant.
I shoot both short and long weapons left handed.
Shooting SMGs/rifles both eyes open has not been an issue, atleast I have not seen it as something that would hinder my performance with long guns.
In the Army I shot well in the range quals and due to my civilian shooting background, our instructor was pushing me for a slot in the sniper NCO course, but I declined that offer to go to a another unit. Also shot well in our applied training shoots later on.
I shoot both pistol and rifle IPSC at a national level and like said above, have not noticed any limitation to my performance from cross eye dominance.
This is almost exactly what i was trying to say. same with me as above. i just shoot left. i feel just fine. i actually find that my natural point of aim when bringing the weapon up is dead on with my left. but when i do it with my right, i end up having to adjust my aim slightly due to the cross dominance. both eyes open with left is just perfect, with right its less than desirable. there is too much of a shift.
the1911fan
03-22-09, 18:27
L eye dom and R handed here
The only time I would shoot the rifle left handed is if my RDS went down, that transistion is 2nd nature as I shot rifle left handed for many years before getting an RDS
As far as pistol goes it's never bothered me much at all
Failure2Stop
03-22-09, 18:33
It is easier to train the "weak" eye to pick up sights than it is to train the "weak" hand to manipulate the weapon or control the trigger.
That being said, I think that it is important to train both sides, and both eyes.
My thoughts exactly... I and right handed and left eye dominant and don't feel the need to try to force myself to run a rifle left handed... any perceivable gains I might get will be completely lost in my loss of speed in running the gun on my left side..
I have been shooting this way for years...
Robb Jensen
03-22-09, 20:53
Left eye dominant right handed shooter I am.
I know quite a few great shooters are this way as well.
These include:
Dave Sevigny, Phil Strader, Simon Golob.
Left eye dominant right handed shooter I am.
I know quite a few great shooters are this way as well.
These include:
Dave Sevigny, Phil Strader, Simon Golob.
Larry Vickers as well, if I'm not mistaken. Shoots rifle lefty, handgun righty.
Robb Jensen
03-23-09, 04:45
Larry Vickers as well, if I'm not mistaken. Shoots rifle lefty, handgun righty.
That's right, I had forgotten about LAV.
BushmasterFanBoy
03-23-09, 12:08
Left eye dominant right handed shooter I am.
I know quite a few great shooters are this way as well.
These include:
Dave Sevigny, Phil Strader, Simon Golob.
And how do most cross dominant shooters handle rifles?:confused: For me, pistols are a non-issue, its very easy, indeed natural to me, to aim with my left eye in an isosceles stance, but it becomes more problematic with a rifle.
Highway 55
03-23-09, 13:01
I am cross-dominant as well. I shoot rifles/shotguns lefty. I can shoot pistol either way, although I do group a little bit better shooting right handed. With that said, I still mainly shoot pistol lefty because it just feels more natural. It is very odd...
Failure2Stop
03-23-09, 21:13
And how do most cross dominant shooters handle rifles?:confused: For me, pistols are a non-issue, its very easy, indeed natural to me, to aim with my left eye in an isosceles stance, but it becomes more problematic with a rifle.
Train ;)
I am ambidexterous and never really understood eye dominance until I entered the service, and I could switch dominance if I tried to. In the end, I looked at the rifle and how it is set up, and figured that it would probably be easier if I shot it right handed. It was an underinformed but advantageous decision on my part.
After a few years stuck behind magnified optics I became very right-eye dominant. It was a bit of a pain in the ass because I was proficient with running a rifle lefty,but my left eye was not as quick behind the optic as my right eye was. So I dedicated equal time to each side in training, which balanced me back out after some dedicated work.
One thing to remember is that trigger control (real trigger control, not just yanking on the trigger) is easier to master with the dominant hand.
Left handed right eye dominant. Rifle right handed, pistol left handed. Only problem I run into is magazine placement when running both. My holster gets in the way of belt mounted ar mags sometimes.
When shooting rifle lefty I have to close my right eye simply because I haven't trained enough to do so otherwise. The offset to that weakness is my left hand trigger finger is trained.
I started out shooting bb guns left handed. It wasn't till I moved to a bow that I realized my eye dominance. Quickly shifted to the right and never went back. The only thing I do right handed now that I think about it is shoot.
I'm Curse-Eye Dominant also. Much has been covered in this thread, but I am having to switch from right to left hand for 6-12 months or permanently due to injury/surgery and while training to be a lefty something that you might be careful of is when drawing pistol at speed sometimes my old muscle memory will kick in and right hand beats my left hand getting out in front and I muzzle sweep my right hand. :eek:
Robb Jensen
04-13-09, 07:22
And how do most cross dominant shooters handle rifles?:confused: For me, pistols are a non-issue, its very easy, indeed natural to me, to aim with my left eye in an isosceles stance, but it becomes more problematic with a rifle.
As F2S said 'train'. Dominance varies in people. Shooting a red dot/holographic sight with both eyes open I can shoot equally as well left handed or right handed. Obviously a little faster using the right side. Using highly magnified scopes I shoot better left handed.
LAV shoots long guns primarily left handed, handguns right handed. But he can shoot damn good with long gun right handed.
Hey guys I'm an instructor with one of the big schools, I always run into this issue. Pistol is a non issue really, and it's been covered pretty good already. The rifle involves a bit more homework.
If your eye dominance is almost equal then you can switch eyes easier (ie: train your dominant body side.)...These persons usually have a hard time when starting training with both eyes open because their eyes are almost equal and the eyes are fighting each other for dominance.
If one of your eyes is extremely dominant then my advise is to train using that eye for the rifle. It will feel awkward at first but under stress your eyes will not be fighting each other and you want the strong one behind the sights. Almost nothing we do is a natural skill...driving a manual car, writing, typing...so after a while the non-dominant body side will feel comfortable and you wont have to close an eye or squint (which probably wont happen if shtf in close conditions).
It also comes down to why you train...fun, competitions, self defense. I hope this helps.
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