Cross eye dominance - my experience (should I shoot wrong handed?)

[schwaf]

I posted this on AT, but feel this warrants a topic here. There is a lot of debate on this topic, and when I researched years ago I couldn't find enough information to confidently switch to using my weak hand/dominate eye. I wanted to post my experience and conclusion for anyone looking for a deep dive exploration. Here's the tl;dr - use your dominate eye. Your dominate hand does not matter. You will get used to using your "weak" hand very quickly with training and it will feel natural with time. Your weak eye is the real handicap, and it's substantial.

--
Here's the long winded experience and explanation, and what you may expect to experience if you also decide to switch. I am right handed and left eye dominate. I have, through this process, become fairly ambidextrous as someone who did not start off very coordinated with my left hand (and so can you). I shoot pistols right handed, aligned with my left eye. Never felt great shooting rifles. When I started archery, I bought a beginner righty bow with basic accessories and good arrows and shot it obsessively for about 3 years. The bow was tuned, balanced, accurate, and I did not feel like my gear was holding me back hunting 40 yards or under, 50 was my target max. Nothing fancy, the brand doesn't matter, it worked fine and I had no complaints.

I made a conscious decision to not change or upgrade my set up until I learned to shoot properly. I did not have the skill or experience to know what I like and dislike and what my gear preferences are, so I just shot my bow until I hit my personal limitations (good gear makes a difference, but not as much as good technique and fundamentals). Eventually I felt like I could shoot out to 50 somewhat accurately (8" group), and within the 8 ring at 20 yards about 80% of the time. Not great, mind you, but for a beginner I thought it was ok. Deer/Elk/small game hunted since year 1 with clearly defined ethical limits. I shot at TAC Colorado for the first time around year 3.

TAC is an event that really shows your personal and gear limitations. It is completely different than shooting at a level target at set ranges and consistent lighting. I quickly found what it was about my set up that I strongly disliked and held me back, but what I really found was how much shooting with my non-dominate eye was a massive handicap. I can train my brain to a limited degree to focus with my right eye at will, it becomes increasingly harder and takes more mental bandwidth the more fatigue and dehydration sets in. The brain defaults to the path of least resistance. I had to squint, close my left eye, deal with shadows, changing light, depth perception, small limbs and twigs, and everything else. Every shot took longer to settle in, find my target, and focus my eyes. Towards the end of day 2, my eyes could barely focus.

I left that event with a clear understanding of what gear I wanted to upgrade to, starting with a completely new platform. I had to decide whether I was going to stay right handed, or switch to favor my dominate left eye. Like you reading this, you'll probably get the idea that you should switch to dominate eye, but you somehow think your "weak" hand is an awkward handicap and you can force your brain to do what you want. I tried wearing an eyepatch on my left eye for a week. Smear vasoline on the left lens of my glasses. Focus everything I looked at with my right eye. All hopes to reprogram my dominate eye. Yeah, doesn't work. You can't reprogram your brain with a couple weeks of effort when it has been programmed your entire life to favor a certain side. It will always revert back.

 

[schwaf]

Here's what I found after switching to my cross dominate eye bow and my advice to you. Within a month of consistent practice, my distance and accuracy doubled. I won't deny that my new set up contributed to that, but without doubt the most important change was using my dominate eye as well as dialing in my shot process. I had to pull much weaker poundage and slowly crank it up. Now is not the time to have an ego - set it at a weight that is easy to pull without breaking form. You are relearning from the beginning, but the effort is well worth it. The first 10 shots were extremely awkward, and by shot 30 it felt like my brain was breaking. If you experience that too, I think it's natural. Your brain is forming completely new neural-pathways and synapses, and strengthening with every repetition. This is a critical time that you dial in your draw, form, technique, and release perfectly. Don't worry about being accurate - shoot at a target 10 feet from you. You are literally programming new muscle memory and habits, and you do not want to program yourself with flaws from the beginning. You will tire out quickly. Your muscles and mind are not used to this strain. Allow yourself a day or two of rest, come back, shoot 5-10 arrows a session and make every shot count with chasing perfect form and release, then walk away to let your mind and body process it. By shot 50-100, you'll start to catch up. By shot 200, it will feel completely natural and more accurate if you've allowed yourself the time and discipline to do it right. Dial in your pins for accuracy after you can pull your max poundage with good form for a full session. Long sessions won't feel as cumbersome or fatiguing, and you will be amazed with how much better it is to shoot with your dominate eye.

Within a month my distance and accuracy doubled. I very confidently shoot out to where my vertical pins max out (around 90 yards), but if I set it up to shoot further, I know I can. I settle into my shots and acquire my targets in less than half the time it used to take me. The process of grabbing an arrow, nocking it, draw, tension, and release is natural and automatic with training. It does not require surgical precision and dexterity, so being slightly less coordinated is not an issue. You are not training your weak hand, per se, but just the other side of your body to do big motions repeatedly. I have to use my left hand a little more in the woods because my right hand is carrying the bow, but you get used to it quickly and I've become fairly ambidextrous just getting past the initial awkwardness. If a dog can learn to walk with 3 legs, you can learn to use your other hand a little better. The real handicap is just your mind.

 

[Yoder]

Dave Sevigny was the USPSA production champion for a few years. He was cross eye dominant. He just held the gun up to his dominant eye and used his dominant hand. I think this would be way easier than switching hands.

 

[Pulleye16]

This is spam. He’s blasted this on several sites within minutes.