Bow Hands ...

[crash]

I feel really silly for asking this ... ... but

Is a right hand bow held in your right hand and a left hand bow held in your left hand?

Thereby meaning that Right Handed people require a left handed bow (for the most part)

OR

Is it that right handed people need a right handed bow which they hold in their left hand

[JohnK]

Originally Posted by crash

Is it that right handed people need a right handed bow which they hold in their left hand

Yes.

Think of it this way - it's not the hand you hold the bow with, it's the one you draw it with. I.e. a right-handed archer uses their right arm to draw the bow.

[jet186]

Originally Posted by crash

I feel really silly for asking this ... ... but

Is a right hand bow held in your right hand and a left hand bow held in your left hand?

Thereby meaning that Right Handed people require a left handed bow (for the most part)

OR

Is it that right handed people need a right handed bow which they hold in their left hand

Hey remember there's no such thing as a stupid question John

[FunTee]

A right hand archer uses the bow in his/her left hand, though the bow is used in the archers left hand it is normally still described as a Right Handed Bow.

So:
Right handed Archer:
Bow held in in left hand but normally refered to as a Right Handed Bow.

Left handed Archer:
Bow held in right hand but normally refered to as a Left Handed Bow.

[GeoffT]

Originally Posted by crash

I feel really silly for asking this ... ... but

Is a right hand bow held in your right hand and a left hand bow held in your left hand?

Thereby meaning that Right Handed people require a left handed bow (for the most part)

OR

Is it that right handed people need a right handed bow which they hold in their left hand

Hands are irrelevant.....Its eyes that matter.

Right eye dominant....right handed bow held in left hand

Left eye dominant....left handed bow held in right hand.

[cecile]

I do no agree with Geofft for normal target shooting!

What looks the most important is the efficiency to release the string and a firm bow arm that does not require very much dexterity. So, it means the hand that is the more dexterity shall be the drawing hand... It proves to makes the best shot for the archer.
If the dominant eye is different from the dominant hand, just close this eye and aim with the other open. It is the best way to make good scores and have very good consistancy.

The choice of the bow depending on the dominant eye is an old way of choosing the bow that have proved almost always poor for target archery.

However, bowhunters will generally prefer to have a bow corresponding to the dominant eye. This is easily explained by the fact that shuch archers need to have a very good 3D vision to locate accurately what they are aiming at...

[Meddler]

Originally Posted by GeoffT

Hands are irrelevant.....Its eyes that matter.
Right eye dominant....right handed bow held in left hand
Left eye dominant....left handed bow held in right hand.

I once taught someone who was right handed*, right eye dominant, but she preferred to shoot left-handed...

She played flute, and that was more comfortable for her.

[cestria]

Originally Posted by cecile

I do no agree with Geofft for normal target shooting!

What looks the most important is the efficiency to release the string and a firm bow arm that does not require very much dexterity. So, it means the hand that is the more dexterity shall be the drawing hand... It proves to makes the best shot for the archer.
If the dominant eye is different from the dominant hand, just close this eye and aim with the other open. It is the best way to make good scores and have very good consistancy.

The choice of the bow depending on the dominant eye is an old way of choosing the bow that have proved almost always poor for target archery.

I've been shooting for just over twelve months so I'm no "old sweat" but I can't agree with this. As a righhand dominant person in every thing I've done previously, I felt sure I'd be a right hand archer. The first thing done on the beginners course is the eye dominance test, and I was most supprised to find I was a leftie. At first the dexerity of my left hand for loading arrows was a bit of a fumble, but I quickly overcame this. My progress throughout the season has been steady, improving all the time. As I became more confident in my shooting I've now learnt to shoot with both eyes open, this by all accounts is the better way to shoot, and something an archer who supresses there eye dominance can't do. I'll add that the coach at the club did have to convince me that lefthand shooting was possible and that I could always go back to righthanded if it all fell to bits. After twelve months I don't even think about it unless I'm going to buy new kit. It does have an advantage when shooting with a right hander we stand back to back so are not put off by each other.

[joetapley]

I suppose the coaching switch over from going with the eye to going with the hand is the consequence of the increased emphasis on technique with the considered importance of "aiming" being greatly diminished ....... Or it could be just the current fashion

[Russ]

Originally Posted by Meddler

I once taught someone who was right handed*, right eye dominant, but she preferred to shoot left-handed...

She played flute, and that was more comfortable for her.

Actually, it makes sense to a flute player: the instrument isn't so heavy but a serious player will be static-loading the left shoulder for hours at a time, which (if you shoot right-handed) can make for a very sore bow arm and stiff muscles on the left side of the neck. Especially if there's been a lot of in the practice studio...

Agreed with all, by the way: it's not a stupid question at all. I had to stop and think about it for a while, too.

Just read in Lee's Total Archery that for most archers the dominant eye and dominant hand are on the same side; only 5% (?) of archers are dominant in the eye opposite their dominant hand. I don't know how he collected the statistics but if they're correct then it's worth noting that the dominant-hand-vs.-dominant-eye debate wouldn't really apply to most of us.