Eye dominance

[Nimbusgb]

My whole life I've been right eye dominant ..... very strongly.

Past two months my shooting has deteriorated drastically to the point where I was wondering if there was something seriously wrong health wise.

5 minutes at the local shooting ground and Jeff had immediatelly identified that my eye dominance had switched very definatelty across to the left! To the point that once he pointed it out I realised that I had a clear, foccussed view all the way up the left hand side of my gun from breech to barrel end and very little view up the rib that was dead in line with my right eye. Today I am very definately left dominant. 

Spent a session with a bit of tape on my left eye glasses which made things a lot better but it felt like I was half blind! Going to have to try a few new techniques!

 

[jwpzx9r]

Know how you feel about the tape situation I am the same I am sure it costs me targets from time to time but I have tried without it and that is even worse.

 

[Sian]

My whole life I've been right eye dominant ..... very strongly.

Past two months my shooting has deteriorated drastically to the point where I was wondering if there was something seriously wrong health wise.

5 minutes at the local shooting ground and Jeff had immediatelly identified that my eye dominance had switched very definatelty across to the left! To the point that once he pointed it out I realised that I had a clear, foccussed view all the way up the left hand side of my gun from breech to barrel end and very little view up the rib that was dead in line with my right eye. Today I am very definately left dominant. 

Spent a session with a bit of tape on my left eye glasses which made things a lot better but it felt like I was half blind! Going to have to try a few new techniques!

I tried the tape, the dots, blocking whole lenses but I found my right eye got very tired.  I could feel it ache like a muscle in your leg when you run.  That's when I decided no more covering the lense and now use both eyes and shut my left eye to take the shot.  Play about as you say and see what works for you.  Dots just did not work at all for me, the whole eye had to be covered.  Best of British with this new change.

 

[Worcs]

I have really great eyesight but struggled to realise a dominate eye, it is like my brain can chose which eye is dominate but I have to think about it. Sometimes there's no problem but sometimes all I can see is the left side of the barrel. Yesterday whilst strimming I managed to launch a small stone in my left eye. After a trip to the hospital and optician (first time I've ever been to one) it turns out I've scratched and bruised my left eye and it's completely out of focus. I'm off shooting tomorrow and I'm really hoping the out-of-focus left eye is going to drastically improve my shooting!

I always wear safety glasses whilst strimming but I only had a small area to do where the ride-on can't get to and thought it would be fine and my safetys were a 100 yard walk, of course, the law of the sod granted me a stone smack in the center of my eye, hoping it's a blessing in disguise.

 

[Sian]

I have really great eyesight but struggled to realise a dominate eye, it is like my brain can chose which eye is dominate but I have to think about it. Sometimes there's no problem but sometimes all I can see is the left side of the barrel. Yesterday whilst strimming I managed to launch a small stone in my left eye. After a trip to the hospital and optician (first time I've ever been to one) it turns out I've scratched and bruised my left eye and it's completely out of focus. I'm off shooting tomorrow and I'm really hoping the out-of-focus left eye is going to drastically improve my shooting!

I always wear safety glasses whilst strimming but I only had a small area to do where the ride-on can't get to and thought it would be fine and my safetys were a 100 yard walk, of course, the law of the sod granted me a stone smack in the center of my eye, hoping it's a blessing in disguise.

Sorry to hear about your accident but I like that you are hoping for a positive out of a negative ?

 

[jwpzx9r]

I have really great eyesight but struggled to realise a dominate eye, it is like my brain can chose which eye is dominate but I have to think about it. Sometimes there's no problem but sometimes all I can see is the left side of the barrel. Yesterday whilst strimming I managed to launch a small stone in my left eye. After a trip to the hospital and optician (first time I've ever been to one) it turns out I've scratched and bruised my left eye and it's completely out of focus. I'm off shooting tomorrow and I'm really hoping the out-of-focus left eye is going to drastically improve my shooting!

I always wear safety glasses whilst strimming but I only had a small area to do where the ride-on can't get to and thought it would be fine and my safetys were a 100 yard walk, of course, the law of the sod granted me a stone smack in the center of my eye, hoping it's a blessing in disguise.

I am just glad you still have that eye. That's the only positive I can see here!

 

[Hamster]

My whole life I've been right eye dominant ..... very strongly.

Past two months my shooting has deteriorated drastically to the point where I was wondering if there was something seriously wrong health wise.

5 minutes at the local shooting ground and Jeff had immediatelly identified that my eye dominance had switched very definatelty across to the left! To the point that once he pointed it out I realised that I had a clear, foccussed view all the way up the left hand side of my gun from breech to barrel end and very little view up the rib that was dead in line with my right eye. Today I am very definately left dominant. 

Spent a session with a bit of tape on my left eye glasses which made things a lot better but it felt like I was half blind! Going to have to try a few new techniques!

Sian could well have a point but also try a tiny bit of vaseline or similar on the "correct" part of the lens, this still lets you see through but should stop the eye taking control.

 

[westley]

I always carry a tub of Vaseline in my shooting bag, ever since a Referee threatened to relocate the storage facility for my auto  !    :wacko:

 

[Xaphan]

hold your thumb up on the forend.

I've found with my sxs this helps me from my left eye taking over 

 

[Salopian]

A small piece about the size of a 5p of scotch tape carefully placed on the lense of the dominant eye lense  will allow you to shoot and look with both eyes open.

 

[Sian]

A small piece about the size of a 5p of scotch tape carefully placed on the lense of the dominant eye lense  will allow you to shoot and look with both eyes open.

That really never worked for me,.

 

[Doctor Lecter]

That really never worked for me,.

nor for me , I call pull both eyes locked on clay   at the point of pulling trigger squint left eye , bingo  well 75 % of the time , not great but what else ?

 

[diver682]

A small piece about the size of a 5p of scotch tape carefully placed on the lense of the dominant eye lense  will allow you to shoot and look with both eyes open.

Like Sian this did not work for me either , the eye try's to look round the dot which can take the head of the stock in some cases

For me if the left eye can see the target i will shoot miles in front , any help on this will be much appreciated , at the moment i just shut my left eye   

 

[Finners]

You can always try to make the less dominant eye more dominant by obscuring the lens over the dominant eye.

The spot on the lens in one method, but if that does not work for you, you can make the lens over the dominant eye harder to see through by smearing some vaseline over it. Not enough to totally obscure it, but enough to make the less dominant eye work a bit harder.

In essence you're trying to retain the "stereo" vision but kind of force the less dominant eye to become dominant (hope that makes sense) 

EDIT - Just read back though the posts, seems Hamster and I are in tune. PS, it was Carl Bloxham who showed me this trick. That's good enough for me! 

 

[Salopian]

Very interesting , the last three replies to my post about using scotch tape .

Trust me, I have researched this problem for over thirty years .

I certainly do not wish to appear rude or beligerant but , just in your wording of your replies indicates to me a lack of focus and determination to overcome the problem.

 I think , although I of course cannot be sure , that both Ed Solomons and Ed Lyons may possibly agree or at least ask you to try to shoot both eyes open , but with hard focus and total commitment to seeing the target with clarity .

What I am trying to say is that 'if your eye looks around the scotch tape' it is because you are focussing upon that issue rather than concentrating on the target.

Obviously good gunfit and stock cast is important , as are all things , but at least with input from all of us we may resolve this far too common a problem.

Finners,

 Yes , this is where Scotch tape becomes useful , you can completely cover the lense , which   'fogs' the view , allowing the none dominant eye  to 'take over'. 

 

[Finners]

Good point Peter, I was also told to try to "hard focus" on the clay. It does work. 

I've dropped the vaseline trick and reverted to a combination of hard focus and "dipping" my right eye at the crucial moment. 

 

[Hamster]

You can always try to make the less dominant eye more dominant by obscuring the lens over the dominant eye.

The spot on the lens in one method, but if that does not work for you, you can make the lens over the dominant eye harder to see through by smearing some vaseline over it. Not enough to totally obscure it, but enough to make the less dominant eye work a bit harder.

In essence you're trying to retain the "stereo" vision but kind of force the less dominant eye to become dominant (hope that makes sense) 

EDIT - Just read back though the posts, seems Hamster and I are in tune. PS, it was Carl Bloxham who showed me this trick. That's good enough for me! 

I definitely have a stronger master left eye and yet seem able to leave control of the shot to the right eye. The last eye test I had I was able to read the letters all the way down to the bottom with the left eye but only just over half way with the right yet I keep both eyes open and have trained the brain to be aware the left barrel in the vision is fake so to speak. 

The only minor problem I have with closing the left eye just before shooting (it clearly works well enough for thousands) is that you have to presumably open and then close the eye in between quick or even slow pairs ! If you keep it closed for pairs then surely that denies you a little bit of vision.

 

[Skeetfreak]

Tape IS the answer but the final format that this takes will vary.

I am right handed  - but shoot off my left shoulder as i am naturally very strongly left eye dominant.

However....

When i am tired / or on certain target presentations my right eye will take over.

So tape - you will not crack this in a matter of days and you will need to experiment with BOTH tape style and position. I found that if the tape was opaque or too small i experienced the same effects that those who have said it did not work.

I now use black tape of approx 1" x 3/4" - it stops my right eye trying to see the beads / gun at all but i can still look off to the right side of it to pick tight quartering away targets (think low 6). I have had to develop things to allow me to see straight away targets (think low 7 or teal) in that i have to hold off line with the gun and move over onto the line to make the shot once i get good visibilty of the target.

For me i would say if your shooting at least a hundred a week give yourself a couple of months and be prepared to sacrifice your scores / performance. I made changes to my gun mount and fit at the same time but basically went for 3 months without even being able to break a 25 straight!

I got told by the guy who recommended i go to tape - "the more you hate tape, likely the more you need it".

 

[Nimbusgb]

I have really great eyesight but struggled to realise a dominate eye, it is like my brain can chose which eye is dominate but I have to think about it. Sometimes there's no problem but sometimes all I can see is the left side of the barrel. Yesterday whilst strimming I managed to launch a small stone in my left eye. After a trip to the hospital and optician (first time I've ever been to one) it turns out I've scratched and bruised my left eye and it's completely out of focus. I'm off shooting tomorrow and I'm really hoping the out-of-focus left eye is going to drastically improve my shooting!

I always wear safety glasses whilst strimming but I only had a small area to do where the ride-on can't get to and thought it would be fine and my safetys were a 100 yard walk, of course, the law of the sod granted me a stone smack in the center of my eye, hoping it's a blessing in disguise.

Same problem ...... will now wear the safety glasses on the ride on so I don't have to go fetch them!

hold your thumb up on the forend.

I've found with my sxs this helps me from my left eye taking over 

Jeff tried that with me.  could still see the barrels beyond the hand though. Later while experimenting I found that wearing a black macwet glove made a 'big' difference and may be what I try to work with.