'eye-blinder' advice needed

[MarkH]

Right handed /left eye dominance
As a left eye dominant /right handed archer I have never had an issue with aiming with both eyes open. Eye dominance does not change with eye strength. Over the years my left eye has weakened compared to my right, but I am still left eye dominant.
I found early on (20+ years ago) that focussing at infinity (the target) created two images of the sight pin. The left image created by the right eye and the right image created by the left. I taught myself to use the left sight image. It's generally easier to do as it is not over-layed by other bits of the sight and block, whereas the right image is.

Essentially, if you hold up a finger (pointing up) and stare past it you see two images of the finger. If you place the tip of the left finger on the target you will use the right eye.

Eye dominance is much harder to overcome in fast reaction sports such as instinctively you choose the dominant eye. Archery, being more controlled, is less of an issue.

I did try an opaque cover over the left eye but found it very distracting and a pain to keep positioning. If you wear glasses a bit of selotape is often enough to reduce the image created by the left eye. The smaller the difference between light levels and focus between your left and right eyes, the better.

P.S I use to shoot down to around 24-22 handicap. I stopped shooting for 10years in 1997 but started again last month. Went straight back to using right eye (with both eyes open) without a problem, although I am still left eye dominant. Current H/C around 29-30, but thats mainly down to shaking like a leaf at 36lb and shattered after 5 dozen.

[Stiks]

Originally Posted by Macbow

Stiks - several of the current IFAA longbow elite are cross eye dominant including world champion Larry Yien who mentions how he has to squint his left eye in the Masters of the Barebow Vol 2 DVD. Like others he tried going lefty but changed back to right handed. The great Howard Hill was also right handed but left eye dominant so you're in good company. In Jay Kidwell's excellent Instinctive Archery Insights book he states that eye dominance is not an issue for instinctive archers, particularly those who cant the bow. If you use an aiming system like the gap method try focussing on the arrow tip with the target blurred or the other way around and see if it makes a difference.
I guess it depends on what degree your eye dominance affects you. While it is generally accepted that in barebow archery same hand and same dominant eye is ideal there are always archers out there who prove that you can be different and still be the best. Also bear in mind that if you are mainly self-taught arrows that group left can also be a sign that your form is off. Good luck with it.

Thanks for that Macbow,

I've been out again today and tried a few things.
It is an absolute pain in the backside using this hat brim dangly thing!
I tried closing my left eye again and also squinting, don't feel comfortable at all with that.
On the target it seems if I do block the sight from my left eye I'm more consistantly hitting centre. Strangly though, when I go about shooting at marks, grass clumps, tree stumps etc. I've found that with both eyes open I'm still on the mark.

I'm begining to think your sugestion may be right and it's down to form more than vission.

I think I'm thinking far to much when on a target, when I'm relaxed and shooting at Marks ( shooting more instinctively I suppose) I'm fine and really enjoyed my rove this afternoon.

One other thing, now that I have used the eye shield, It's as if my brain now knows what the sight picture should look like, if that makes any sense?
But shooting with both open has improved, weird ..... but I'm happy about it :-) nevertheless.
So I might use it occasionally to keep that going.

I'll also try and find someone to look closley at my form. (not so easy where I live) Nobodys commented on it other than to say, looks fine to me, while I was at the Delamere shoot a few months ago. Doubt he would give advice while I was competing against him though!! .... Yep keep on doing that mate. (missing that is!)

Cheers.