Central eye dominance

[Doc_d]

I really want to start shooting with both eyes open. However I appear to have no eye dominance. I think it's known as "central eye dominance". If I do the standard eye dominance test of making a circle with my hands outstretched in front of my face, about 50% of the time my right eye is the dominant eye, and 50% of the time it's my left eye.

If I draw my handgun and line up with my right eye, and it is currently acting as the dominant eye I will see a proper sight picture for a few seconds. Then all the sudden my left eye takes over and I'm looking at the left side of the gun. A few seconds later my right eye takes back over and I have a proper sight picture again.

Everytime I draw my gun it's a 50/50 chance on which eye will be in control at that time.

Is there any way around this, or am I stuck shooting with one eye?

[Texas Bob C.]

Doc_d, get a Daisy Red Ryder BB, uh nevermind. The central vision dominance could be a problem unless you are holding the pistol centered between your eyes. I have seen shooting glasses that have a swing down shade that covers one eye, forcing the other eye to take charge. That might be the ticket. I had a friend who was right eye dominant and left handed. That was one screwed up individual. He just needed to take up another hobby other than shooting sports. A stone cold waste of gun powder. Good luck, Bob

[Wit]

Doc_d, like you, I have no eye dominance. When I shoot right hand, my right eye takes charge of aiming. And, left eye for left hand. Both eyes are open in either case.

One disadvantage (if you might say so) is the gun will have to be align with each eye sight. I can't do this when bringing the gun to the middle like the isoceles stance. However, I can shoot weaver (modified) comfortably with either hand (eye). I also feel comfortable shooting scoped rifle this way too with both eyes open.

[Novembre]

Originally Posted by Texas Bob C.

I had a friend who was right eye dominant and left handed. That was one screwed up individual. He just needed to take up another hobby other than shooting sports. A stone cold waste of gun powder. Good luck, Bob

Um, sorry but there are plenty of individuals who have this "terminal condition" you speak of, including myself....all it requires is that a person move the gun in front of the right eye. That's it! Seems to me somebody would have to be pretty discouraged to quit shooting because of eye dominance.

[AJV45]

I went through the whole eye dominance thing last year, and was positive that I was screwed up. I was left eye dominant buy right handed. I enjoy shooting right handed so I tried to focus with my right eye(weak eye). Over time, I actually switched eye dominances, believe it or not. When I now do that hold your hands out in front of your face and place an object in it, I see it with my right eye now. I'm very pleased and amazed. I shoot with both eyes open, it's like second nature now. My right eye has been trained to focus on the front sight, wether its with a rifle or a pistol. It just goes to show what power the mind has and that you can fool yourself.

[Novembre]

that works for some people quite well, and to be honest, I'm jealous! But for some of us, no matter how hard we may try, our brains are just wired such that we can not overcome our natural eye dominance. So, if you *can't* switch your dominance, move the gun over one or two inches....Go to mattburkett.com and read about it there or in his book. It's a simple solution for a common problem.

[Cazach]

Doc,

Another good way to test true eye dominance is to simply point at an object in the distance (10 or more feet away usually). Do this with both eyes open and then alternate closing each eye. If you are truly neutral, your pointing finger will not move, however if it moves off target with either eye, that eye is slightly weaker.

I have found this to be more accruate than the circle in the hands/peekaboo method.

If that doesn't work, a pirate eyepatch may make a good conversation piece.

[Tac Four]

I also vary my eye dominance to the closest eye although there is a slight preference for the right since I've been shooting a lot this past year (I'm right handed). I sometimes sit at home and pop up a thumb to obscure a small object in the distance and vary the dominance right and left and get used to which image is the correct one for the situation. It seems to be working for me.

[Doc_d]

Well I found a solution. I went to the Michigan state IPSC match and talked to a guy who had a small peice of clear scotch tape on his shooting glasses. He had the same problem.

I gave it a try and it works wonders. It only takes a very small piece. Put it on your glasses on the lens of the eye you do not want to use. Put it half way between your eye and your nose.

In my case I want to use my right eye. So I put it on my left lens between my left eye and nose. When I'm looking forward (not sighting down the gun) the tape doesn't interfere with my vision at all.

When I draw the gun my left eye turns to the right and the small peice of tape distorts the vision just enough to keep my brain using my right eye. The tape only obscures my left eye's view of the handgun. I can achieve excellent front sight focus this way and give up almost no field of view at all.

It takes a little bit of experimenting to get the smallest peice of tape possible that will obscure your left eye's view of the handgun, but not anything else. I was able to use about a 3/8" by 3/8" peice. I suspect after some practice the way I'll be able to get rid of the tape eventually.

[Texas Bob C.]

Doc_d, thats interesting enough but gee, that scotch tape is pretty pricey.

[Tac Four]

[Sistema1927]

Originally Posted by Novembre

Um, sorry but there are plenty of individuals who have this "terminal condition" you speak of, including myself....all it requires is that a person move the gun in front of the right eye. That's it! Seems to me somebody would have to be pretty discouraged to quit shooting because of eye dominance.

Same here. Right eye dominant, left handed. Never been a problem, I have always shot long guns from the right side, and while I prefer the left hand for handguns, I don't have any problems with the "weak" side drills in matches.

I find that my right eye lines up perfectly, and since it is so dominant I can keep both eyes open with good results.