Well I seem to have stumbled upon a solution to my summers long shooting issue, which actually likely started last year. Could never figure out why I would group far right and then group far left. Closed my left eye (right handed shooter) and finally everything went perfectly well, I'm back in line! I always thought shooting with both eyes open was a necessity, but it would seem my vision has changed and I think what has happened lately is that my eye dominance will vary between eyes. I don't see any other reason for this to happen. I have contacts and my vision is corrected perfectly, maybe too perfectly I can see 15/20 out of both eyes. Anyone else deal with and overcome a similar issue?

I don't have that issue but know a number of top notch shooters that close one eye when they shoot.

I don't have that problem (yet), but i think you have it figured out.

I am left eye dominant, but shoot right handed.

If I don't close, or at least squint my left eye, I will shoot left.

I draw to anchor, squint, or close the left eye, which forces an instantaneous alignment to my right eye.

Works well for me, and has done so for many years.

The only time I ever had any (real) problem with it was when folks started telling me I needed to fix it. :)

Rick

I went from a lifetime of both eyes open and a kind of instinctive shooting, to right eye (right handed) aiming after an eye injury severely damaged the left eye.

My retina specialist encouraged me to find a different form and keep shooting and hunting after a lifetime of doing it. He is an archer, also.

It took a frustrating year, but my distance shooting, like 40 yards, is better than it has probably ever been. Going with a lighter bow and slowing the entire shooting process down helped me. The downside has been the difficulty, at times, in judging distance. At first it was horrible, but now is pretty good, with very good horizontal grouping and the spread coming vertically.

Take home message is not to give up. Don’t be afraid to develop a new style and practice, practice, practice. It was certainly worth it for me.

And I like Rick’s comment about not having any problems until someone told me I did!

As I've aged my eye dominance (right) has become less pronounced. I often quickly close or squint my left eye at anchor to make sure my sight picture is correct.

Oooof, changing eyesight. That reality has slammed me this last year, but at least now I’m m seeing what I’ve been missing. Ha! Anyway, I have noticed exactly what Manhattan just noted, and furthermore that I’ll squint that eye more in bright light than dim light.

Dirt -

In true cross-eye dominant shooting, we're talking 4-5' (yes feet) at 20 yards. If that's what's happening, then yes, closing the non-aiming eye is appropriate. If you're off by a few inches to a foot or so, you just don't have adequate focus (aim) with both eyes open, and the fix is the same - close the eye you don't want to use.

Viper out.

X2, Viper. I determined the same thing years ago. It REALLY is feet! Since then, everybody tells me I'm doing it wrong. I say "Yup!"

I'm left eye dominant and right handed--- closing my left eye is not an option as my right eye is too weak to shoot with. I switched to shooting left handed years ago and never looked back. Depending on how significant the difference in vision between your two eyes, closing the dominant eye may oray not be your best solution. If it works, I'd say it was an easier fix than learning to shoot lefty, but if it doesn't, you always have that option too.

PS-- looks like it's working in your case so I'd keep at it!

I had exactly the same issue, with the same solution. Still haven’t quite mastered the one eye shooting style (“mastered”…ha!), as it doesn’t feel as natural as having both eyes open. Thirty years of doing something a certain way will do that to you I guess. My biggest problem seems to be the slight riser jump makes me want to open both eyes immediately after release and that causes a moment of disorientation while my vision goes from flat to 3D. It’s a bit hard to describe but I’ve always managed to somewhat follow the arrow to the target and one eyed shooting currently doesn’t allow that for me. Working on it….

Guys -

Just remember (I've said it often enough), target acquisition is binocular (3D), aiming is monocular (2D); you don't need to close your non-aiming eye until you're at or close to anchor.

Viper out.

I don’t always shoot right handed, but when I do, I close my left eye.

I am left eye dominant.

[[[ "Guys -

Just remember (I've said it often enough), target acquisition is binocular (3D), aiming is monocular (2D); you don't need to close your non-aiming eye until you're at or close to anchor.

Viper out." ]]]

Exactly.

If you keep both eyes open until you reach anchor, and are ready to loose, your depth perception isn't effected at all. At least that is how it works for me.

Rick

Had the same thing happen to me. I have to close my left eye.

Shooting left handed and right eye dominant. My left eye vision is not as good as the right so shoot both open with no left/right issues. Been shooting like this for six years now. Didn't take long for the brain to figure out the triangulation. Years ago I did shoot right eye closed bare recurve, recurve with sight and then compound with sight.

I gone from strong right eye dominant to almost neutral. I now blink my left eye as I come to anchor and all is well.

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