Dominant Eye

[Barry C]

English Bowman - 17/8/2005 2:50 PM All I have heard and been taught says that you should not use an opaque patch. This can cause damage to your eyesight. I would still recommend shooting eyed, rather than handed, but if you must shoot eyed, then either close your right eye, or wear a translucent patch. Your eyelids let through some light so a translucent patch will be similar and not cause the eye strain that an opaque patch can. Daniel

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Yes your right bad translation in the book, he writes opaque then says that is because you need light to go through. Translucent patch is the way to go. It does have a few typo's in the book, but they are easy to spot. Unless you are me!</p>



Your a brave man defying mr Ki Sik Lee </p>

[Little Miss Purple]

I bought a right-handed bow because I am right-handed, but it has been noted since that I am left eye dominant - I just my left eye and away we go. I'll admit that to start with I often shut the wrong eye (and sent the arrows off in the opposite direction to the target!!) but now after 4 months of shooting this rarely happens and I have also achieved 1st class archer so something must be working!!

[cliveanne]

Little Miss Purple - 17/8/2005 11:40 PM I bought a right-handed bow because I am right-handed, but it has been noted since that I am left eye dominant - I just my left eye and away we go. I'll admit that to start with I often shut the wrong eye (and sent the arrows off in the opposite direction to the target!!) but now after 4 months of shooting this rarely happens and I have also achieved 1st class archer so something must be working!!

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Congratulations on your First Class. You must be right chuffed.</p>

#I have an archer friend who shot compound R/h. no problem, he then changed to recurve...L/h &amp; had a very long sight pin made to measure, I found later he is blind in one eye, &amp; the pin got him sorted out.</p>

[MikeD]

Little Miss Purple - 17/8/2005 11:40 PM
I bought a right-handed bow because I am right-handed, but it has been noted since that I am left eye dominant - I just my left eye and away we go. I'll admit that to start with I often shut the wrong eye (and sent the arrows off in the opposite direction to the target!!) but now after 4 months of shooting this rarely happens and I have also achieved 1st class archer so something must be working!!

Well done on the First Class!!

This how I have shot in the past, but I found that by the end of a field round I was getting tired and sometimes forgot to close the left eye. It gets expensive, losing arrows in trees...

I've read quite a bit now about eye dominance and it is quite possible to retrain your eyes. It does involve wearing a translucent eye patch for a while though... However shooting with a translucent eye patch will solve the accidental forgetting to close the left eye. As I wear glasses the eye patch is easy a bit of magic selotape will do.

I spoke with two of the coaches at the Falkirk Company of Archers last night and they think I'll probably better sticking right handed and dealing with the dominance with an eye patch.

So now I am a member of GNAS, SAA and Falkirk Company of Archers, but didn't get to shoot last night because it was raining

[Shirt]

MikeD - 18/8/2005 8:11 AM

So now I am a member of GNAS, SAA and Falkirk Company of Archers, but didn't get to shoot last night because it was raining

Guess I got lucky, then... I was in Bathgate and it was fine. Overcast, but dry...

[MikeD]

Shirt - 18/8/2005 9:57 AM

Guess I got lucky, then... I was in Bathgate and it was fine. Overcast, but dry...

It was dry when we left home in Limekilns, but was drizzling slightly by the time we got to Kincardine Bridge. At Falkirk it was steady light rain. We all hung around to about 8pm and then gave up as it was getting heavier.

[clickerati]

I'm right-handed and left-eye dominant, but I prefer shooting left-handed. I'm a newbie at all of this, so I can actually shoot with either hand, but I get confused on which eye to shoot with. I find I'm much more accurate shooting left and it feels more natural. Also, I dislocated my right shoulder and my rheumatologist said it would be better to keep that shoulder static. So I stick with that and I works for me.</p>

However, I shoot a rifle right-handed and right-eyed and I'm I damn good shot for a newbie, if I say so myself! </p>

[Little Miss Purple]

I think that is the key to anything and everything about archery - you have to find what is right for you!!

I'm delighted with my 1st class and my badge arrived today from TJ - yippee!!

[Marcus26]

One of Mr Lee's theories on why you should shoot dominant hand is this.

For Right Handed archers
Your right hand does most of the fine muscles stuff while you grow up. Writing and things like that.
Your left arm is used manly for larger motion stuff.
If you try to aim with your right arm you will overaim because it is too use to small movements and not use your release side correctly because your left arm is not use to the fine control items.

I have always been able to pick a right handed archer who was given a left handed bow due to dominance. They develop slower and their mistakes are more exaggerated. The only time it was acceptable was for a guy who had a glass eye for his right eye.

I always teach dominate hand over dominate eye. You can try your eyes easier than your hands.

[MikeD]

Well I've had a couple of sessions shooting right handed now. I've found I can put a small bit of 'magic' tape over the left side of the left lens of my glasses. That allows me to sight with both eyes open, and to look straight ahead without obstruction.

Now I'm trying to move my anchor from the centre of chin more to the side (per Total Archery, great book thanks for the tip BarryC!), which will allow me to be more face on to the target and sight through a better part of the lens.

I was absolutely amazed at how well I managed to shoot after a 5 year gap, albeit for only three dozen arrows or so before tirednes set in.