Any fellow Leatherwallers have experience using a "black eye patch" that connects to your regular glasses, and can be flipped up or down to cover/uncover your "non-shooting-focusing" eye?

This question is being asked in relation to basic TARGET or 3D shooting, not for hunting....

If you have used one, I'd appreciate hearing any comments or insights as to whether a flip-up helped, did not help, was a hindrance, or not

I am a right-handed person ((now)), but shoot bow and rifle as left-handed. Am left eye dominant. ((Long, long ago, I remember grandparents and parents taking the forks and spoons out of my left hand, and telling me I need to use my right....))

Last evening, a fellow Archer suggested I try shooting with my right eye closed, and in doing so, I eliminated some of the "double vision" I experience when I shoot.

Very hard to describe what I am seeing, other than "multiple hands holding multiple bows and one target, OR multiple targets and one holding hand holding one bow", all depending on what my eyes momentarily focus on.

My glasses prescription is VERY strong, and I use both blended and lined bifocals..... I am 57, and have been needing glasses since age 8.

Thanks for any actual personal experiences or insights you have from actually using a flip-up patch....

Randy

I would recommend using a translucent or frosted lens as opposed to black. It will occlude vision but allow more light to help prevent the pupil from shrinking. A simple test of whether it will help you...look in the mirror as if you are shooting and stick a small strip of frosted scotch tape to your left eyeglass lens in your vision line. I shot this way last indoor season due to an eye condition that I since have corrected with surgery and found it very helpful.

Thank you, "longshot". I WILL try this later today at home.

There are flip-ups for sale, that come as translucent, white, or black; a translucent can BECOME black, if need be.

I appreciate your insight, longshot....

If you experiment a little you will find that you can use a pretty small piece of tape. This is similar to what some cross dominant shotgunners do when shooting clay. By only occluding the necessary vision path with tape, you will retain your peripheral vision and depth perception. Also, you will notice that due to your head rotation when shooting, the tape will be off to the side a little (if properly positioned) and may not interfere with your frontal vision enough to be objectionable during a tournament. You may find yourself trying to "look around" a small piece of tape but with a little practice you can proceed as normal and just kind of look through it and the mulitple images will simply disappear and you will be using only your right eye to aim. I used a little square of tape that was about 3/8" square, got it positioned on my spare glasses and just left it there to use as my shooting glasses.

I did what "Riverwolf" suggested for years, until an injury forced me to switch from right to left, it works quite well.

Bob

Yep, I still have to squint sometimes to get my eyes back in line.

Cheap over the glasses sunglasses, plastic lenses. Push the aiming eye dark lens out.

oh, that also works for those that are in the beginning stages of switching hands or those trying to use secondary aiming.

Never used a flip up, but I wore a patch over my left eye when shooting for a whole year once. Didn't help me one dang bit.

Went back to just closing my left eye, and was just fine.

Rick

THat's why I posted, asking for experiences using the flip-up, and thanks to all who replied.

Last evening at the club, I DID try closing my right eye while shooting, and the "issues" seemed to go away. Felt unnatural, but, I was shooting better.

Simply didn't know if the flip-up was as effective as closing the eye, or if it presented its own issues...

I can SURELY continue to practice just using my left eye, with right eye closed, to focus and aim. Any new-to-me procedure that has a good outcome is most certainly worth working with.

Thanks, Leatherwallers

Target pistol shooters use these and other tricks. One fellow I knew used to put frosted tape on his non-shooting-eye lens, let the light in but could still only see one target.

I don't know what blocking your stereo vision would do to your ability to shoot 'instinctive', since that depends so much on perception.

An old friend is like you Randy. He does some things right handed and other things left handed. He also cannot close just one eye, or wink.

For shooting bows or guns he has a little round piece of band aid he puts on one of his lens. It does not hinder his normal vision at all. He keeps the tape on the corner of his rear view mirror so he cannot ever forget it.

One thing for sure ole buddy, you won't shoot any worse! ;)

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