My right eye is horrible taught myself to shoot left- handed years ago But over the years have developed some shoulder problems. I have a Rich Emery stik(righty)which I love But I’ve just never shot as good right-handed as I did left-handed- maybe I should drop way down in weight and stay with lefty -anybody’s thoughts suggestions appreciated Currently shooting 45 at 29 right-handed. I have been mainly a instinctive shooter no gaps Etc

cat -

If you're truly instinctive, shouldn't really matter, as your brain will extrapolate the angles. If you use a hard aiming system, close the left eye (DON'T patch it). Both have worked for me for going on 50 years now.

Viper out.

I'm left eye dominant and I shoot right handed, it works but it does help to either squint or close my left eye. I've always thought about putting a piece of scotch tape over the left lens of my glasses. This way your left eye is still getting an blurred image and light, but it isn't able to see the image as well as the right eye.

Just about everything I've read has said to shoot with your dominant eye. But I read a very good article that rang true for me, it said to shoot with the side that you are most coordinated with. Which happens to be my right side.

While I'd certainly support your switch to the right side, there is also nothing wrong with getting a bow with lower draw weight and lighter arrows, if shooting with your left offers you a more fluid and coordinated draw and release. Dropping weight is an easy solution with target shooting, but it could be a problem for hunting.

I'm a lefty, right eye dominant. I close my right eye when I shoot. I've had to drop down on weight, but I can shoot o.k.Hope this helps.

I am lefty and right eye dominant as well. I have shot lefty since beginning trad over 10 years ago. In the past few years, I have added RH bows to my "herd". I shoot "instinctive" with no specific/conscious aiming system, both eyes open. I have close to the same accuracy either way. I think what difference there is comes from dexterity differences more than vision differences. As I have gotten more comfortable with handling the bow, and my firm, when shooting RH, my accuracy has improved.

I'm a right handed, left eye dominant, gapper. I close my left eye after I draw the arrow back.

Closing my left eye is not a option-My right eye even with glasses on is very poor, not legally blind yet but getting there my left eye is very good however . This is why when I pick up the Wheelie bow I shoot left-handed.

Viper -your explanation of truly instinctive shooting makes sense (extrapolation of angles. ) I am decent right-handed probably just wishing I could shoot better LOL

I was strongly right eye dominate but due to injury had to shoot lefty or quit. After trying to squint my right eye and and some bad misses just close my right eye and keep it closed through the shot' Works pretty well for me. Denny Sturgis Sr

When shooting right handed and boring a hole through the target, you will see two arrows in your secondary vision. The one on the left and slightly up is what your right eye sees. When shooting left handed the arrow to the right and slightly up is what your left eye sees. Your brain will extrapolate the angles and it will seem automatic in a short time. If you shoot with a vertical bow a bow sight can be a very handy tool.

Chuck, I am in the same boat that you are in. Since birth, my right eye has had very poor vision. I am right handed. I spent my early years (those years when it is generally easier to learn things than later in life) struggling to shoot a rifle, shotgun, or bow right handed. Switching to left handed was pretty much a breeze for the guns, but much more difficult for the bow that required more coordination to keep the arrow on the shelf, etc. But I stuck with it and can tell you that for me shooting with the non- dominant hand to get in line with the dominant eye was the way to go. Eye dominance is relative---those with minor visual strength differences may be able to adapt easier and pick dominant hand. I once had a left handed bow delaminate during a 3D match. I finished the match shooting a buddy's right handed bow and adapted by putting the arrow about 3 feet to the right of my mark at 20 yards. Would I shoot that way if it was the only way I could shoot---yes. But given the option of shooting left handed I would never go back to shooting right handed. I've often heard "just look at what you want to hit and you'll hit it"--but can tell you that that does not work for me---I aim and I hit what I aim at. And for me to aim, I need to have the arrow in line with my dominant eye. I don't doubt that someone could learn to shoot under the eye with very little vision in that eye, but that throws a lot of complications and adjustments that you will need to make mentally when learning it as the dominant eye will still be in the driver's seat---again I am talking major visual differences between eyes. My advice---shooting lefty is working for you, drop down in bow weight if it will help your shoulder issues. You will find that 5 pounds makes a big difference. Maybe shoot fewer arrows per session. If this is not advisable due to your shoulder condition, then switching to right handed could be done with commitment on your part. As Dean noted a bow sight could be an option, but as I recall, I never could get the sight moved far enough to the left when trying to shoot right handed---these days I would figure out some adaption to allow me to get that sight further to the left if I had to. Best of luck.

I know this sounds strange, but I'm left eye dominant, shoot right handed, and close my right eye just before releasing. Seems to work for me.

Viper gave the best answer. Truly instinctive isn’t that bad. It’s the way I shoot. Last summer I had a few surgeries that left my right eye (dominant) sewed shut and nearing a year later real compromised. I still can’t see more than blurry out of it. You’d think I’d have more trouble but I’m shooting fantastic, Gapping is the same as sights and you should shoot dominant eye. Closing your dominant can cause a loss in binocular vision needed for range estimation. It’s also leaving an unnecessary/unsafe blind spot. I normally shot a 64lb bow. After the surgeries I had major problems. Couldn’t even feed myself nor walk. I got a light bow and rebuilt strength. I’m now at 53 lb limbs w ease. I also had shoulder probs they said needed surgery. Never got that but I understand. Consider lowering the weight some to rebuild.

"Truly instinctive isn’t that bad."

I agree with that. :}

glad I’m not the only one — if I could see out of my right eye better I wouldn’t have problems but I can’t clise my left eye and shoot because I can’t see much out of My right eye Soooo I m back to lefty bows with less weight but will keep my righty too . ( just in case ;) In fact I shoot a righty rich emery stik but just purchased a lefty stik from a leatherwaller a few minutes ago so back to lefty heck I might gap shoot now I’ll be able to see down the shaft :) Thanks all

That's me,I shoot instinctive,I draw the arrow under my right eye,canting the bow and my head so my left eye is higher,I look at the target with my left eye only,and I shoot well..Very well..I also shoot left handed,and that's works out well to..I recommend practicing untill you can shoot instinctively with your other side too..Then it doesn't matter who says what,you'll be able to shoot instinctively lefty and rightyy,and you have the option of all kinds of aiming lefty,then you can do what ever you want whenever you want..That's what I do...People who don't know,don't know that they don't know,you'll know that when you know that...

For young shooters, a patch works until they realize they need to ‘neutralize’ the dominate eye. Then they go to just closing the dominate eye when they realize what they are doing. May not work for all, but for kids trying to master finger placement draw anchor and loose, this is one less thing. They figure it out quickly

I never tried it in archery, but a friend told me to use ChapStick on my left sunglass lens, just a smudge, that makes your right eye dominant, you don't cover the wheels lenses, just enough to have your right take over.. It works shooting clays with the trap guys.

Factors that may determine changing to non-dominant hand include:

The amount of vision in your non-dominant eye---if you have very little vision in that eye, then shooting on that side and closing non-dominant eye may not be an option. If you have good vision in your less dominant eye, then this would definitely be an option.

Aiming versus instinctive---aiming, for me at least is more suited to shooting with the dominant eye under the arrow so would likely involve switching to non-dominant hand.

As others have said, an instinctive shot could be developed shooting with the arrow under the non-dominant eye. Since the arrow is not close to the dominant eye, this would really bring instinctive shooting into play. I am very interested in this as a future project---learning to shoot right handed using some type of instinctive (no aiming off arrow) solution, but for now aiming is working very well for me using dominant eye/non- dominant hand so any change would likely be in the far off future for me.

I'm right handed and left eye dominant, so was my Dad. I switched to LH shooting, not just bows but everything back in 2000. The main reason I changed was that I was shooting a lot of Sporting Clays and it made a huge difference in my wing-shooting, and it was also an opportunity to retool and upgrade all my toys. The change to a LH bow was a breeze, the biggest thing was training the left hand to handle the arrow from quiver to bow. Now I have lost most of the vision in my right eye due to some rare fancified form of Glaucoma so looking back the switch was a smart move for me in many ways.

Jeff kavanaugh is left eye dominant,shoots right handed shoots 2 eyes open and is quiet the archer.Watch him on utube.I shoot the same way and do alright.

Right handed here , left eye dominate , both eyes open.

Vipers answer was correct. Squinting/closing an eye may help but there’s issues with that. You lose binocular vision which helps w range estimation. You could miss another bigger animal coming into view and it’s more dangerous. What if you were shooting in the yard and a young child, dog, what have you came in from the closed eye side?? Should be obvious. Gapers cannot shoot truly gapping. The arrow point is a sight of sorts. If you’re looking at a target w one eye and steering it w a different side (hand) you basically are forming an X. You can learn gaps at certain ranges but before or after you’ll be left or right of target. Truly instinctive it matters refer to Vipers post

I switched due to target panic. Right eye dominant shooting left-handed now. I keep both eyes open. Shoot without consciously looking at the arrow, in split vision.

I am left eye dominate and shoot right handed.....done it for 45 years now....both eyes open......

If it bothers you just close you dominate eye. And no, it doesn't affect your depth perception.

I was told that it did affect depth perception fdp.Could you explain a little more.

use what works best for you that is the bottom line.we give suggestions but, it is up to you to do the solving of your problem.Try the different ways mentioned above, and when you hit on the right one you will know.

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