This is a very long read but I feel it will be helpful to people who are cross dominant :
[SIZE=10pt]There's been a few posts regarding Master Eye issues and products meant for helping those[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]affected so I thought it might be helpful for some to hear of my experiences and the path I [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]chose to combat it. Firstly let me categorically state that I am not against or averse to anyone[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]using any number of gadgets or techniques to correct this, there are a number of perfectly[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]sensible tools and methods that can be employed and it appears we're shortly to witness the [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]launch of a new system developed by Ben Husthwaite.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]No one cure suits all but what I am prepared to say is that contrary to conventional advice[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]from writers on the subject there are potentially more "organic" ways around this issue than [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]the 3 most commonly suggested. It's important that we cover these and in no particular order [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]they are :[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]1) Learning to shoot from your master eye shoulder - possibly the most sensible route [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]particularly if you're new to guns and have yet to develop much if any real muscle memory.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Having used air guns from a very young age I didn't want to shoot from my left shoulder.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]2) Learning to shoot from your favoured shoulder (opposite to your master eye) but perfecting[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]the habit of closing the master eye just before firing - perfectly doable if somewhat flawed.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]3) Learning to use a cross-over stock - absolute non starter in any meaningful sense.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Then we have several physical objects which can be utilised such as beads which glow and [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]are highly visible to the aiming eye (i.e, non master eye) but which can't be seen with the [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]non aiming (i.e, master eye) once the gun is shouldered, these can have their uses and [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]devotees but again probably not the best way forward particularly if you have fairly high [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]ambitions. The bigger/longer highglow beads can be rather distracting in themselves and[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]they can bend out of shape in hot weather, they can even affect [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]POI[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] (up and down) if [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]they're too big of a blob ! [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]More subtle versions of this approach have been tried by partially sinking the bead within [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]the rib, this can be an excellent thing if used in conjunction with other practices.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Opaque stick-on pads for glasses are another excellent way of creating a blind spot for[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]your master eye so that it is less likely to take over during the final stages of the firing [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]cycle, a dab of vaseline on the right part of your glasses can achieve much the same [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]thing albeit temporarily - my only real objection to these is that they are clearly no good [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]when you're shooting minus your glasses such as may be the case out in the field. The [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]plus with this method is that your overall awareness and vision of the target remains [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]largely uninterupted (not the case with closing ones master eye).[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]I'm also aware of a system which creates a visible tiny marker on the "true barrel" (but [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]not visible to the offending master eye barrel) and is meant to assist you in learning to [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]address the target with the correct barrel, again why not, sounds perfectly plausible and I [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]know of rather excellent shooters who use the system and truth be told my own method is [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]rather similar in that it simply (does away with even that tiny marker). [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Whether I've missed any potential cures on the market is irrelevant because the main [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]purpose of this admittedly long essay is to expand and explain why and how I managed [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]to ignore all (and only) suggested routes of eradicating this issue and came up with a more [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]than adequate answer which relies on nothing materially being attached to ones barrels[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]but instead simply training to keep both eyes open from my favoured shoulder opposite[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]my master eye. Hopefully the next time this subject comes up and someone asks me to [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]explain what I mean they can quickly be directed to the long, decipherable version of me [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]just saying "I use my right eye" to do the shooting. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]To grasp the reasons why master eye issues are so important we first need to understand[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]why it can and will cause misses. First things first, before saying pull and when you address[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]the path of the clay with the gun just out of your shoulder and with your eyes resting at the [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]target area........................................you will be aware of two sets of barrels beneath [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]your eye line, this is perfectly normal, the straight barrel immediately beneath your non[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]master eye (right eye in my case) is the "correct" barrel, it is the one that actually spits[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]out the pellets, the one slightly to the right (or left) and with a very slight (curve) towards [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]the correct barrel is the non shooting barrel which you must train to ignore. In many ways[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]this is fairly easy to do with a bit of practice because all shooting is learned behaviour, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]you learn to stand a certain way, you learn to lean into the shot, you learn sight pictures,[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]you learn tempo, learn controlled movement, learn to finish the shot (not stopping the gun)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]why on earth shouldn't you be able to learn using the "correct" barrel as the reference point?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]When tracking a target with both your eyes the brain, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]hands and body co-ordinate with one another to calculate the speed, angle and distance[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]of the object and relay that information back to allow you to place the shot at the appropriate [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]distance (usually in front but often below too) ahead of the target, we know that TWO eyes[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]open at all times is the most ideal state of affairs, remember you may well be asked to [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]shoot at two different targets very quickly with little transition time to open and close your [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]master eye in between, keeping it closed is doable but then you're not maximising your [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]potential physical armaments. It's also the case that most master eyes are the stronger [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt](not always) of the two, why would you want to use the less able/focused eye to act all [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]alone !? By keeping both eyes open at all times you avail yourself of your best possible vision [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]clarity, not to mention maximising the brains ability to make tiny, more accurate calculations [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]of angles and speeds etc,. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Misses occur when the master eye "pulls" your aim from the "correct" (meaning the [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]barrel that is directly under your aiming, non master eye) and involuntarily forces you to[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]use the "untrue" barrel as the reference point towards the target. This can cause misses[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]ranging from a foot or two to one side or the other of simple close incomers to several feet [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]in cases of more distant, angled presentations. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Yes I accept that many superb shots close one eye just before firing but my question is this,[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]when do you close one eye ? How about a long Teal having to be shot on the way down, you [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]know the ones we all can't help but shoot at several different descent points, do you close[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]your eye when the target has leveled out, mid way or just before firing regardless ? If the [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]answer is just before firing then I'm afraid you're more than half way (probably 95%) through[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]shooting my method anyway, all I've done is dial out that final nano second ! Put it this way[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]by the time you're ready to pull the trigger the barrels are as good as done and in the right[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]place anyway, there is no way that you'd have time to react and correct the path of the barrel[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]if you were to find the master eye had taken over, the only way you could react is if you [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]close the master eye fairly early in the acquisiton/tracking process in which case as mentioned[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]you're denying yourself the fruits of two eyed vision/clarity.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Part 2 :[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Ahh but what if in the heat of the moment
___________________________________[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Yes that's a perfectly legitimate question, what if in the heat of the moment you suddenly fail
to correctly carry out the process and allow the dominant eye to take over ? Well then a miss
will probably (though by no means always as I'll explain later) be your reward.
You see ALL MECHANICAL ACTIONS THAT TAKE PLACE TO EXECUTE A SHOT ARE IN
TOTALITY A "PROCESS" - if you fail to correctly execute imparting lead to a moving target
then a miss will be the result, you may well have pulverised your first 3 targets in a sequence
but then suddenly simply fail to adhere to the "process" and under or over lead a given target,
the learned behaviour of using the non dominant eye to do the shooting is a PROCESS and
no different to any one of two dozen different learned processes we have to go through every
time we shoot or do anything for that matter that requires the collaboration of the body's
various nervous systems.
When you first start shooting you're told you have to learn to give forward allowance to most
moving targets and that you need to do so with a moving gun i.e, learn to fire without
stopping or checking lead. You do this without questioning it because it has proved that over
time it will bring results, in simple terms you persevere and you perfect (loose term) the art.
When you come up against the quandry of Master Eye, assuming it even affects you, authors
with moustaches and double barrel names as well as no end of other perfectly knowledgable
and well informed people will tell you your choices are limited to those already discussed
above. You don't try or persevere because you have been conditioned to believe it's not
possible. It IS possible because I have done it since at least 1987 and I have met people
who appeared to do likewise, in fact I can prove that many of the people who close their
master eye (just before) actually firing must in effect be shooting this way ! You simply need
to practice the process to its logical conclusion. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Ahh but if it works how come we hadn't heard of it before
_______________________________________________[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Again perfectly plausible question but the answer is we simply don't know how many people
deliberately or inadvertently have either taught themselves to shoot successfully this way or
simply imprinted the process into their routine without conscious thought.
Nobody has ever carried out a world wide poll to ask master eye affectees how or why they
shoot the way they do, who knows how Dave in Canada or Vladimir in Russia EXACTLY
executes his moving target routine, we've never asked a large enough sample the right
questions, we've simply blindly accepted conventional advice and assumed there are no other
available "cures".[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]OK I'm bored, so how do you actually do this, what is the "process"
________________________________________________________[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]You need the following in no particular order of importance :[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]1) You must understand the problems that cross shoulder, master eye issues cause,
(hence why I have made this so detailed) without that you won't fully be able to learn the
skill/routine of combatting it. Just like politics if you don't understand or acknowledge the
problem you won't solve it.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]2) You need to look at the target and not the bead or rib - logical and undeniable advice
in all cases anyway, if you divert your eyes towards the bead/rib all sorts of wrongs occur
which are outside the scope of this subject but you need to develop the skill to look at
the target or its general area (whilst being aware of the existence and placement) of the
barrel(s) only one of which is real.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]3) You need a slightly raised rib sight picture - this is an interesting subject all onto itself
and many high profile people subscribe to the view that it helps period, i.e, it's helpful even
to non master eye affectees. If you accept that in order to hit a moving object effectively and
consistently you must have muzzle to target "awareness", you need to know where your
correct barrel is throughout the process of executing the shot, with a lo rib set up too often
the master eye is drawn to the (curved) blur of the barrel not doing the actual firing. Don't
go mental with the rib height because too much is as bad as too little as it can
cause difficulties in finding the line of the bird which is in my view at least as if not more
important than the lead. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]4) Start off on a very simple going away clay, by all means throw it somewhat angled
upwards if doing so means less distractions from shrubs or trees. As I have already
mentioned when adressing the clay (with the gun in or out of your shoulder) you will be aware
of two barrels, the one immediately under your shooting (non dominant) eye is the "correct"
one, call for the clay and try your best to use that eye to line up the shot and fire. If it helps
break the clay once or twice with a closed eye but eventually break it without closing your
master eye. Unless your innate neurological skills are at rock bottom you will break the clay
no problem. Belief is the key to doing anything well, I can't even recall going through much
if any actual hardship to learn the process but assuming you find it a little harder to do in
practice than what it sounds like on paper then simply remember what I said about the power
of practice and perseverance. The first time you hold a snooker cue feels strange as does
trying to change gear in a left hand drive car. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]5) Believe, persevere and practice - don't be put off by misses because they happen
for tons of reasons, not just cross eye dominance, after a while you will find keeping
the eye open becomes more and more natural to the point of the process getting imprinted
and memorised by your subconscious. I don't hear the tinitus noise in my left ear unless
I think about it, you will reach the stage when you won't think about your master eye from
month to month if not longer, I almost never do. All mechanical actions are a learned
"process". As your confidence grows you will start to use the same process on more
technical and challenging stuff. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]I believe that if we were to collate accurate detailed answers from people who successfully
shut their dominant eye just before shooting we would come to the conclusion that unless
they shut that eye rather early in the mounting/tracking process (which is bad news) then
they have all but adopted the both eyes open process without consciously acknowledging
it. Think about it, if I (as a right shouldered left master eye) shooter track a 30 yard L to R
crossing bird with the master eye and then in the final nano second shut my dominant eye
my muzzle would be pointing several feet above and behind the target, I'd have no chance
of correcting or avoinding the inevitable miss, that's why I believe many are already using this
"process" without allowing themselves the liberty of the final phase. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Is the process failsafe and impossible to trick, of course not, any process is only as good
as the practitioners imput and "application". People who shoot well can almost invariably
be termed somewhat robotic, they collect track and break the clay in almost exactly the
same square foot in the sky, they do this because repetition of the previous shots process
is aided by the successful mental image brought about by the smashed clay. If you hang on
to a target too long and commit the cardinal sin of diverting your gaze from the target (or at
the very least target V barrel sight picture out beyond) it is possible that your master eye gets
drawn to the wrong eye resulting in a miss IF you stop the gun. As promised under the
"Ahh but" segment now is the time to mention that often, even in such cases where the
process appearsto have failed, if you keep faith and FINISH the shot, the clay will more often
than not break because as I have already alluded, your correct barrel would already be all but
done and in the right place. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Hamid Hajilou aka Hamster[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]All intellectual rights to the above essay/article are reserved, please do not alter, re-word
or re-present without credit either partially or as a whole, do not quote partially or as a whole
on non UK based forums without asking. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]There's been a few posts regarding Master Eye issues and products meant for helping those[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]affected so I thought it might be helpful for some to hear of my experiences and the path I [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]chose to combat it. Firstly let me categorically state that I am not against or averse to anyone[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]using any number of gadgets or techniques to correct this, there are a number of perfectly[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]sensible tools and methods that can be employed and it appears we're shortly to witness the [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]launch of a new system developed by Ben Husthwaite.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]No one cure suits all but what I am prepared to say is that contrary to conventional advice[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]from writers on the subject there are potentially more "organic" ways around this issue than [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]the 3 most commonly suggested. It's important that we cover these and in no particular order [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]they are :[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]1) Learning to shoot from your master eye shoulder - possibly the most sensible route [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]particularly if you're new to guns and have yet to develop much if any real muscle memory.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Having used air guns from a very young age I didn't want to shoot from my left shoulder.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]2) Learning to shoot from your favoured shoulder (opposite to your master eye) but perfecting[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]the habit of closing the master eye just before firing - perfectly doable if somewhat flawed.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]3) Learning to use a cross-over stock - absolute non starter in any meaningful sense.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Then we have several physical objects which can be utilised such as beads which glow and [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]are highly visible to the aiming eye (i.e, non master eye) but which can't be seen with the [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]non aiming (i.e, master eye) once the gun is shouldered, these can have their uses and [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]devotees but again probably not the best way forward particularly if you have fairly high [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]ambitions. The bigger/longer highglow beads can be rather distracting in themselves and[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]they can bend out of shape in hot weather, they can even affect [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]POI[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] (up and down) if [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]they're too big of a blob ! [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]More subtle versions of this approach have been tried by partially sinking the bead within [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]the rib, this can be an excellent thing if used in conjunction with other practices.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Opaque stick-on pads for glasses are another excellent way of creating a blind spot for[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]your master eye so that it is less likely to take over during the final stages of the firing [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]cycle, a dab of vaseline on the right part of your glasses can achieve much the same [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]thing albeit temporarily - my only real objection to these is that they are clearly no good [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]when you're shooting minus your glasses such as may be the case out in the field. The [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]plus with this method is that your overall awareness and vision of the target remains [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]largely uninterupted (not the case with closing ones master eye).[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]I'm also aware of a system which creates a visible tiny marker on the "true barrel" (but [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]not visible to the offending master eye barrel) and is meant to assist you in learning to [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]address the target with the correct barrel, again why not, sounds perfectly plausible and I [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]know of rather excellent shooters who use the system and truth be told my own method is [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]rather similar in that it simply (does away with even that tiny marker). [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Whether I've missed any potential cures on the market is irrelevant because the main [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]purpose of this admittedly long essay is to expand and explain why and how I managed [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]to ignore all (and only) suggested routes of eradicating this issue and came up with a more [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]than adequate answer which relies on nothing materially being attached to ones barrels[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]but instead simply training to keep both eyes open from my favoured shoulder opposite[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]my master eye. Hopefully the next time this subject comes up and someone asks me to [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]explain what I mean they can quickly be directed to the long, decipherable version of me [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]just saying "I use my right eye" to do the shooting. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]To grasp the reasons why master eye issues are so important we first need to understand[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]why it can and will cause misses. First things first, before saying pull and when you address[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]the path of the clay with the gun just out of your shoulder and with your eyes resting at the [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]target area........................................you will be aware of two sets of barrels beneath [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]your eye line, this is perfectly normal, the straight barrel immediately beneath your non[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]master eye (right eye in my case) is the "correct" barrel, it is the one that actually spits[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]out the pellets, the one slightly to the right (or left) and with a very slight (curve) towards [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]the correct barrel is the non shooting barrel which you must train to ignore. In many ways[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]this is fairly easy to do with a bit of practice because all shooting is learned behaviour, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]you learn to stand a certain way, you learn to lean into the shot, you learn sight pictures,[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]you learn tempo, learn controlled movement, learn to finish the shot (not stopping the gun)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]why on earth shouldn't you be able to learn using the "correct" barrel as the reference point?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]When tracking a target with both your eyes the brain, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]hands and body co-ordinate with one another to calculate the speed, angle and distance[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]of the object and relay that information back to allow you to place the shot at the appropriate [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]distance (usually in front but often below too) ahead of the target, we know that TWO eyes[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]open at all times is the most ideal state of affairs, remember you may well be asked to [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]shoot at two different targets very quickly with little transition time to open and close your [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]master eye in between, keeping it closed is doable but then you're not maximising your [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]potential physical armaments. It's also the case that most master eyes are the stronger [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt](not always) of the two, why would you want to use the less able/focused eye to act all [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]alone !? By keeping both eyes open at all times you avail yourself of your best possible vision [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]clarity, not to mention maximising the brains ability to make tiny, more accurate calculations [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]of angles and speeds etc,. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Misses occur when the master eye "pulls" your aim from the "correct" (meaning the [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]barrel that is directly under your aiming, non master eye) and involuntarily forces you to[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]use the "untrue" barrel as the reference point towards the target. This can cause misses[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]ranging from a foot or two to one side or the other of simple close incomers to several feet [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]in cases of more distant, angled presentations. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Yes I accept that many superb shots close one eye just before firing but my question is this,[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]when do you close one eye ? How about a long Teal having to be shot on the way down, you [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]know the ones we all can't help but shoot at several different descent points, do you close[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]your eye when the target has leveled out, mid way or just before firing regardless ? If the [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]answer is just before firing then I'm afraid you're more than half way (probably 95%) through[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]shooting my method anyway, all I've done is dial out that final nano second ! Put it this way[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]by the time you're ready to pull the trigger the barrels are as good as done and in the right[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]place anyway, there is no way that you'd have time to react and correct the path of the barrel[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]if you were to find the master eye had taken over, the only way you could react is if you [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]close the master eye fairly early in the acquisiton/tracking process in which case as mentioned[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]you're denying yourself the fruits of two eyed vision/clarity.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Part 2 :[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Ahh but what if in the heat of the moment
___________________________________[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Yes that's a perfectly legitimate question, what if in the heat of the moment you suddenly fail
to correctly carry out the process and allow the dominant eye to take over ? Well then a miss
will probably (though by no means always as I'll explain later) be your reward.
You see ALL MECHANICAL ACTIONS THAT TAKE PLACE TO EXECUTE A SHOT ARE IN
TOTALITY A "PROCESS" - if you fail to correctly execute imparting lead to a moving target
then a miss will be the result, you may well have pulverised your first 3 targets in a sequence
but then suddenly simply fail to adhere to the "process" and under or over lead a given target,
the learned behaviour of using the non dominant eye to do the shooting is a PROCESS and
no different to any one of two dozen different learned processes we have to go through every
time we shoot or do anything for that matter that requires the collaboration of the body's
various nervous systems.
When you first start shooting you're told you have to learn to give forward allowance to most
moving targets and that you need to do so with a moving gun i.e, learn to fire without
stopping or checking lead. You do this without questioning it because it has proved that over
time it will bring results, in simple terms you persevere and you perfect (loose term) the art.
When you come up against the quandry of Master Eye, assuming it even affects you, authors
with moustaches and double barrel names as well as no end of other perfectly knowledgable
and well informed people will tell you your choices are limited to those already discussed
above. You don't try or persevere because you have been conditioned to believe it's not
possible. It IS possible because I have done it since at least 1987 and I have met people
who appeared to do likewise, in fact I can prove that many of the people who close their
master eye (just before) actually firing must in effect be shooting this way ! You simply need
to practice the process to its logical conclusion. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Ahh but if it works how come we hadn't heard of it before
_______________________________________________[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Again perfectly plausible question but the answer is we simply don't know how many people
deliberately or inadvertently have either taught themselves to shoot successfully this way or
simply imprinted the process into their routine without conscious thought.
Nobody has ever carried out a world wide poll to ask master eye affectees how or why they
shoot the way they do, who knows how Dave in Canada or Vladimir in Russia EXACTLY
executes his moving target routine, we've never asked a large enough sample the right
questions, we've simply blindly accepted conventional advice and assumed there are no other
available "cures".[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]OK I'm bored, so how do you actually do this, what is the "process"
________________________________________________________[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]You need the following in no particular order of importance :[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]1) You must understand the problems that cross shoulder, master eye issues cause,
(hence why I have made this so detailed) without that you won't fully be able to learn the
skill/routine of combatting it. Just like politics if you don't understand or acknowledge the
problem you won't solve it.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]2) You need to look at the target and not the bead or rib - logical and undeniable advice
in all cases anyway, if you divert your eyes towards the bead/rib all sorts of wrongs occur
which are outside the scope of this subject but you need to develop the skill to look at
the target or its general area (whilst being aware of the existence and placement) of the
barrel(s) only one of which is real.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]3) You need a slightly raised rib sight picture - this is an interesting subject all onto itself
and many high profile people subscribe to the view that it helps period, i.e, it's helpful even
to non master eye affectees. If you accept that in order to hit a moving object effectively and
consistently you must have muzzle to target "awareness", you need to know where your
correct barrel is throughout the process of executing the shot, with a lo rib set up too often
the master eye is drawn to the (curved) blur of the barrel not doing the actual firing. Don't
go mental with the rib height because too much is as bad as too little as it can
cause difficulties in finding the line of the bird which is in my view at least as if not more
important than the lead. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]4) Start off on a very simple going away clay, by all means throw it somewhat angled
upwards if doing so means less distractions from shrubs or trees. As I have already
mentioned when adressing the clay (with the gun in or out of your shoulder) you will be aware
of two barrels, the one immediately under your shooting (non dominant) eye is the "correct"
one, call for the clay and try your best to use that eye to line up the shot and fire. If it helps
break the clay once or twice with a closed eye but eventually break it without closing your
master eye. Unless your innate neurological skills are at rock bottom you will break the clay
no problem. Belief is the key to doing anything well, I can't even recall going through much
if any actual hardship to learn the process but assuming you find it a little harder to do in
practice than what it sounds like on paper then simply remember what I said about the power
of practice and perseverance. The first time you hold a snooker cue feels strange as does
trying to change gear in a left hand drive car. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]5) Believe, persevere and practice - don't be put off by misses because they happen
for tons of reasons, not just cross eye dominance, after a while you will find keeping
the eye open becomes more and more natural to the point of the process getting imprinted
and memorised by your subconscious. I don't hear the tinitus noise in my left ear unless
I think about it, you will reach the stage when you won't think about your master eye from
month to month if not longer, I almost never do. All mechanical actions are a learned
"process". As your confidence grows you will start to use the same process on more
technical and challenging stuff. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]I believe that if we were to collate accurate detailed answers from people who successfully
shut their dominant eye just before shooting we would come to the conclusion that unless
they shut that eye rather early in the mounting/tracking process (which is bad news) then
they have all but adopted the both eyes open process without consciously acknowledging
it. Think about it, if I (as a right shouldered left master eye) shooter track a 30 yard L to R
crossing bird with the master eye and then in the final nano second shut my dominant eye
my muzzle would be pointing several feet above and behind the target, I'd have no chance
of correcting or avoinding the inevitable miss, that's why I believe many are already using this
"process" without allowing themselves the liberty of the final phase. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Is the process failsafe and impossible to trick, of course not, any process is only as good
as the practitioners imput and "application". People who shoot well can almost invariably
be termed somewhat robotic, they collect track and break the clay in almost exactly the
same square foot in the sky, they do this because repetition of the previous shots process
is aided by the successful mental image brought about by the smashed clay. If you hang on
to a target too long and commit the cardinal sin of diverting your gaze from the target (or at
the very least target V barrel sight picture out beyond) it is possible that your master eye gets
drawn to the wrong eye resulting in a miss IF you stop the gun. As promised under the
"Ahh but" segment now is the time to mention that often, even in such cases where the
process appearsto have failed, if you keep faith and FINISH the shot, the clay will more often
than not break because as I have already alluded, your correct barrel would already be all but
done and in the right place. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Hamid Hajilou aka Hamster[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]All intellectual rights to the above essay/article are reserved, please do not alter, re-word
or re-present without credit either partially or as a whole, do not quote partially or as a whole
on non UK based forums without asking. [/SIZE]
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