Left eye dominant

[Breastman]

My right eye is stronger up to about 30 yards. After that my left eye is better. I have shot with a small dot on my glasses for nearly 30 years. When I look straight ahead, I use both eyes, but the minute my head hits the stock, I can only see down the barrel with my right eye.

 

Other than being a pain in the rain, it is no handicap whatsoever.

This + 1p worth of electrical tape and problem solved, I've been shooting that way (reasonably) well for 8 years.

[Gordon R]

Breastman - electrical insulation tape is what I use.

[Salopian]

If you wish to dim the lense a piece of Scotch tape is the cheapest most efficient thing to use.

[Sian]

Left eye dominant right shoulder. Tried the dots, tried covering the whole lense that just made my right eye so tired so now I acquire with both eyes and shut my left to take the shot - it works for me.

[wymberley]

Left eye dominant right shoulder. Tried the dots, tried covering the whole lense that just made my right eye so tired so now I acquire with both eyes and shut my left to take the shot - it works for me.

If it works for you (as it does for many, many others), then that's all that matters. However, all that is required is a small patch of whatever you fancy using - i use a small patching out self adhesive paper disc - not much bigger than 10mm in diameter. This is positioned so that when the gun is mounted into the shoulder, and only then, the muzzle(s) and some of the barrel(s) are obscured. At all other times, 3D vision is maintained. The trick is to remember to ensure that the position of the patch is such that it also caters for an overhead shot.

 

As we're talking left eye dominant/right shoulder, remember not to reverse the car if you do so looking over your left shoulder while wearing these spec's.

[Sian]

If it works for you (as it does for many, many others), then that's all that matters. However, all that is required is a small patch of whatever you fancy using - i use a small patching out self adhesive paper disc - not much bigger than 10mm in diameter. This is positioned so that when the gun is mounted into the shoulder, and only then, the muzzle(s) and some of the barrel(s) are obscured. At all other times, 3D vision is maintained. The trick is to remember to ensure that the position of the patch is such that it also caters for an overhead shot.

 

As we're talking left eye dominant/right shoulder, remember not to reverse the car if you do so looking over your left shoulder while wearing these spec's.

The bit about reversing made me laugh. I did try lots of things including masking tape but that left eye just found a way. It lead to covering the whole lense in the end which worked to a certain extent but made my right eye very tired and I found myself naturally shutting my left eye to take the shot anyway so just removed it and carried on the way I do now. When I first started shooting for about 15 months I shot right shoulder right eye closed, I was stubborn see but I then found my eyes taking turns depending on what side the clays were coming without me actually deciding to do that and it freaked me out a bit so I gave in and that when I did the biggest dot etc etc to arrive where I am now.

[shaun4860]

Left eye dominant right shoulder. Tried the dots, tried covering the whole lense that just made my right eye so tired so now I acquire with both eyes and shut my left to take the shot - it works for me.

+1

 

[HDAV]

I tried all sorts, in the end changing shoulders are what worked best. If you have balanced eyes and variable dominance then right handed is easier, but if your strongly left eye dominant and its your stronger eye ( unbalanced eyes) then obscuring the left eye won't necessarily help......

[throdgrain]

No-one has mentioned an Easy-hit sight? Corrects eye dominance no problem, I have one on all my guns.

[davids3511]

Had him out today with cardboard stuck on his stock with insulation tape to raise the comb and another lump of that insulation tape stuck on his glasses. He managed to hit 40 out of 50 on the practise stands. His gun doesnt look that classy right now but he's shooting much better and is a much happier bunnie. Still cant hit a rabbit though.

Edited February 21, 2016 by davids3511

[shaun4860]

. Still cant hit a rabbit though.

Just tell him to pretend he is shooting it's front legs off

 

[kingo15]

Left eye dominant right shoulder. Tried the dots, tried covering the whole lense that just made my right eye so tired so now I acquire with both eyes and shut my left to take the shot - it works for me.

 

This is what i do. Tried the scotch tape didnt work as well for me.

 

Sometimes i think it may be all in the mind, cause ill think after a stand that i didnt close my left eye and yet still hit most of them.

 

Anyway everyone has there own methods, just find one that works for you and stick too it

[Salopian]

Kingo,

A very good post.

It is all in the mind.

But we do have to harness that power to effect a cure or a suitable solution, hence the many and varied 'gadgets'.

I don't think anyone has mentioned raising the front hands thumb up alongside the barrel rib to occlude the eye that is 'pulling'.

Pardon me if I missed it.

[bakerboy]

A technique that I use on occasion, and sometimes even placing the thumb over the barrel, it works; not for everyone but like all solutions it suits some but not others.

 

Salopian is a very good coach and is worth listening to, we do not hear enough from him on PW.

Edited February 22, 2016 by bakerboy

[wymberley]

Had him out today with cardboard stuck on his stock with insulation tape to raise the comb and another lump of that insulation tape stuck on his glasses. He managed to hit 40 out of 50 on the practise stands. His gun doesnt look that classy right now but he's shooting much better and is a much happier bunnie. Still cant hit a rabbit though.

It's never much help being 200 miles away and on a computer keyboard. To go back to the OP, how was it recognised that the lad was left eye dominant? It wouldn't be the first time - and it certainly won't be the last - that the problem was solved simply by raising the comb as until this was done, the left eye was dominant purely because the right couldn't see.

[bakerboy]

It's never much help being 200 miles away and on a computer keyboard. To go back to the OP, how was it recognised that the lad was left eye dominant? It wouldn't be the first time - and it certainly won't be the last - that the problem was solved simply by raising the comb as until this was done, the left eye was dominant purely because the right couldn't see.

You are right, to have the dominance diagnosed and confirmed one way or another, it has to be seen by someone that "knows" what they are talking about.

You then have to get into the remedy/solution.

 

All advice given is generally very good and helpful, but there is nothing like face to face contact.

[beretta]

as solopian has said before, could be many causes. if you have altered the gun by .raising the stock it could be it was way to low before and he could not see down the barrel. this could lead to only seeing it with his left eye making him look left eye dominant. many gimmicks are available and ive seen them all. i do like the easy hit beads and had a lot of good outcomes with them but they take time and everyone one wants results now!

[davids3511]

It's never much help being 200 miles away and on a computer keyboard. To go back to the OP, how was it recognised that the lad was left eye dominant? It wouldn't be the first time - and it certainly won't be the last - that the problem was solved simply by raising the comb as until this was done, the left eye was dominant purely because the right couldn't see.

It was confirmed by boots opticians yhe morning of his session and confirmed by his coach that afternoon. I knew something was up but thankfully it wasnt his eyesight. That said I still think hes acquiring the clays about a second after I do even now which is part of the problem. He can still seem rushed into a shot.

[bakerboy]

It is my experience with Opticians, that they perceive the Dominant Eye to be the strongest eye, this is not always the case.

 

The Dominant Eye is the Eye that sees the object first.

 

You have said that the Coach also agreed that the Left Eye was the dominant Eye, for me I would like to see the degree of Dominance, totally left eye dominant? creeping towards the nose so slightly left eye dominant etc.

 

A good Coach would sort this out before the first shot is fired.

 

I am not knocking the Coach you have used, as I have said earlier, many of us have experience, remedies and advice, but it can only really be sorted face to face.

 

Good luck to your son I hope he gets sorted quickly and affectively.

[wymberley]

It was confirmed by boots opticians yhe morning of his session and confirmed by his coach that afternoon. I knew something was up but thankfully it wasnt his eyesight. That said I still think hes acquiring the clays about a second after I do even now which is part of the problem. He can still seem rushed into a shot.

Re your first point, - that's pretty conclusive.

Re the last - and again the 200 miles and keyboard rules apply - I'm assuming that you/he are shooting various stands on a clay range and know where the bird is coming from. What can cause an apparently rushed shot is the effect of peripheral vision. The easiest way to determine this is to forget the gun and have the lad point to where he thinks he first sees the bird (and where the gun would have been pointing), call for it and get him to follow it. What you may see is his finger (assuming right to left bird and this is easier to spot on a quartering going away) move to the right and then have to go back quickly left in an attempt to catch up - he's rushed 'the shot'. Have him move his finger until it's in a position where it simply accelerates away without hesitation when the target is sighted. Don't forget that his feet need to be positioned for the point at which the shot is to be taken and not for the point at which the target is 'picked'.

[kingo15]

A technique that I use on occasion, and sometimes even placing the thumb over the barrel, it works; not for everyone but like all solutions it suits some but not others.

 

Salopian is a very good coach and is worth listening to, we do not hear enough from him on PW.

You may have to show me the thumb technique when I pop down

[Westward]

The Dominant Eye is the Eye that sees the object first.

No it isn't. Eye dominance is neurological and has nothing to do with either what you see or when you see it because it is the vision equivalent of 'handedness'. It isn't complicated in itself and is easy to test, but it causes problems in several sports, not just clay shooting.

 

The brain, which is where vision takes place, usually has a preference for one eye just as it usually has a preference for the right or left hand or foot. How this is happens - and more particularly why - is unknown. A fair proportion of people, particularly women, have cross dominance.

 

Many people make the mistake of thinking the situation where the non-dominant eye takes over the lead role is their dominance changing or varying. This can happen if the view from the dominant eye is cluttered or partially occluded very much like changing hands to open the boot when carrying the shopping. Eye dominance doesn't chop and change.

 

There is some reason to think that eye dominance can alter with age when people's lifestyles change and they spend more time watching TV for example, but it certainly doesn't swtch back and forth.

 

Shooters deal with cross dominance in different ways. Some use a dot, tape or grease on their glasses, some use special beads and some mount the gun well below the line of sight to provide the clearest possible view and learn to use the non dominant eye when pointing the gun.

 

Different strokes for different folks.

[bakerboy]

No it isn't. Eye dominance is neurological and has nothing to do with either what you see or when you see it because it is the vision equivalent of 'handedness'. It isn't complicated in itself and is easy to test, but it causes problems in several sports, not just clay shooting.

 

The brain, which is where vision takes place, usually has a preference for one eye just as it usually has a preference for the right or left hand or foot. How this is happens - and more particularly why - is unknown. A fair proportion of people, particularly women, have cross dominance.

 

Many people make the mistake of thinking the situation where the non-dominant eye takes over the lead role is their dominance changing or varying. This can happen if the view from the dominant eye is cluttered or partially occluded very much like changing hands to open the boot when carrying the shopping. Eye dominance doesn't chop and change.

 

There is some reason to think that eye dominance can alter with age when people's lifestyles change and they spend more time watching TV for example, but it certainly doesn't swtch back and forth.

 

Shooters deal with cross dominance in different ways. Some use a dot, tape or grease on their glasses, some use special beads and some mount the gun well below the line of sight to provide the clearest possible view and learn to use the non dominant eye when pointing the gun.

 

Different strokes for different folks.

So is the dominant eye the strongest eye?

[davids3511]

So is the dominant eye the strongest eye?

In my sons case, yes but only by .25 ( whatever that means) which the optician seemed to think was not an issue.

[pontbeck]

When I test for master eye I ask them to point at an object with both eyes open , then with an eye closed in turn.The master eye continues to point at the object, the weaker Eye moves to one side.