Training for No Eye Dominance

[cclaxton]

At Rangemaster a teacher there recommended training for No Eye Dominance. He suggested training so that either eye can be used to sight the handgun. For instance, when going to the right of a barricade, use your right eye and when going to the left of the barricade use your left eye (to minimize exposure of your head to the target).

I am right handed, and left eye dominant.

Before I go on a retraining process, I wanted to hear if anyone else has attempted this, and what were the results?

Is there any research or studies or solid data to support use of ambidextrose vision for shooting?

Note: I do use my right eye for rifle and shotgun shooting.

Cody

[GJM]

At Rangemaster a teacher there recommended training for No Eye Dominance. He suggested training so that either eye can be used to sight the handgun. For instance, when going to the right of a barricade, use your right eye and when going to the left of the barricade use your left eye (to minimize exposure of your head to the target).

I am right handed, and left eye dominant.

Before I go on a retraining process, I wanted to hear if anyone else has attempted this, and what were the results?

Is there any research or studies or solid data to support use of ambidextrose vision for shooting?

Note: I do use my right eye for rifle and shotgun shooting.

Cody

Did he suggest you should close your dominant eye for shooting around the left side (right eye dominant shooter) or something different?

[cclaxton]

Did he suggest you should close your dominant eye for shooting around the left side (right eye dominant shooter) or something different?

Yes, but only as a way to retrain yourself, if necessary.
Cody

[GJM]

Who was this instructor and do you have a link to a more detailed explanation of their thinking?

[LSP972]

That has been tried in the LE side of the game many times. I cannot speak for others, but the few times we tried it, it generally failed. What I DON'T know is if it failed because the concept is faulty, or that we simply did not have enough time to devote to it; or were doing it wrong. Regarding that, our "method" was to have the shooter keep both eyes open, in the faint hope that the body's natural tendency to utilize binocular vision would give the individual the ability to get a proper "bead picture"; while not flinching or short stroking the gun.

Our attempts were trying to get cross-eye-dominant people to be able to hit with slugs at fifty yards; with bead-sighted, plain vanilla 870s. Our opinion was, in the overall grand scheme of things, it (cross-eye dominance) simply doesn't matter with a handgun.

.

[Clobbersaurus]

I've never heard of anyone not having a dominant eye. I may be way off base here, but I really think there are better ways to spend ones training time. If you have both eyes open and you are working a barricade, you are going to take whatever sight picture you can get and still see the target regardless which eye is getting that sight picture, it will happen automatically.

[nycnoob]

I have heard more instructors encourage people to be ambidextrous with their gun usage then to use a non preferred eye.

And even so I think most instructors believe there are more important things to work on then to bring your non-dominant
hand to the same level as your dominant one (I believe both TLG and Tom Givens are not big advocates of non-dominant
hand training as there are other things to work on for bigger gains) .
Working on your non-dominant eye sounds difficult and less useful.

It is also true that these sort of discussions have no clear answer. The last time this came up Mr, White
pointed out that there are GM using every combination of dominant/non-dominant eye/hand and the supposed benefits
and drawbacks are hard to tell. Personally I am absolutely fascinated that someone would choose to train with with
non-dominant eye and non-dominant hand! Why would you think that is a good idea?

Bill Rogers is quite adamant that you must use your dominant eye and which ever hand is on that side even if
it is your non dominant one. After several years of this approach (and encouragement from Tom Givens et al)
I am switching my shooting to my dominant hand. I have not had any instructor encourage the use of the non-dominant eye.


https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....ll=1#post19102

Short version: use your most dextrous hand with your dominant eye and don't think about the rest.

Long version: see here

[orionz06]

At Rangemaster a teacher there recommended training for No Eye Dominance. He suggested training so that either eye can be used to sight the handgun. For instance, when going to the right of a barricade, use your right eye and when going to the left of the barricade use your left eye (to minimize exposure of your head to the target).

I am right handed, and left eye dominant.

Before I go on a retraining process, I wanted to hear if anyone else has attempted this, and what were the results?

Is there any research or studies or solid data to support use of ambidextrose vision for shooting?

Note: I do use my right eye for rifle and shotgun shooting.

Cody

Did they offer a demo from a barricade to show the difference?

[Casual Friday]

The only way for me to shoot while aiming with my left eye is to completely shut my right one. I've tried shooting both eyes open using my left eye and the right eye continually tries to take over, because, well, it's the dominant one.

[GJM]

I have heard more instructors encourage people to be ambidextrous with their gun usage then to use a non preferred eye.

And even so I think most instructors believe there are more important things to work on then to bring your non-dominant
hand to the same level as your dominant one (I believe both TLG and Tom Givens are not big advocates of non-dominant
hand training as there are other things to work on for bigger gains) .
Working on your non-dominant eye sounds difficult and less useful.

It is also true that these sort of discussions have no clear answer. The last time this came up Mr, White
pointed out that there are GM using every combination of dominant/non-dominant eye/hand and the supposed benefits
and drawbacks are hard to tell. Personally I am absolutely fascinated that someone would choose to train with with
non-dominant eye and non-dominant hand! Why would you think that is a good idea?

Bill Rogers is quite adamant that you must use your dominant eye and which ever hand is on that side even if
it is your non dominant one. After several years of this approach (and encouragement from Tom Givens et al)
I am switching my shooting to my dominant hand. I have not had any instructor encourage the use of the non-dominant eye.


https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....ll=1#post19102

I think Bill's advice to align gun hand with the dominant eye goes for new shooters in his Basic class. For experienced shooters, in his INT/ADV class his advice is the opposite.

I agree we have beat this to death, and my opinion now is that there is no one answer that works for everyone -- it depends how strongly eye dominant you are, how strongly right or left handed you are, and your experience.

Given the necessity of sorting out eye dominance to shoot with both eyes open, I am skeptical of a technique for a niche application that would cause you to go against dominance -- but I would need to hear more to give it a fair shake.