Shooting with both eyes open

[Skybo]

Hi. Well, I've had my second lesson and have been advised by the instructor to shoot with both eyes open to help see crossers etc. After an hour of trying this and seeing two guns and two clays, it didn't seem to improve much. Can anyone advise, will this improve?? Although it was a very good excuse not hitting much. Thanks

 

[evoracer]

has he checked your eye dominance yet? 

 

[Hamster]

Hi. Well, I've had my second lesson and have been advised by the instructor to shoot with both eyes open to help see crossers etc. After an hour of trying this and seeing two guns and two clays, it didn't seem to improve much. Can anyone advise, will this improve?? Although it was a very good excuse not hitting much. Thanks

You should not be seeing two clays at any point.

 

[Doctor Lecter]

I think I have your trouble , coached by stevie wonder ! ilot:

 

[maddmatt]

Agree with Hammy, if you are seeing two clays a trip to Ed Lyons is your first priority, seeing two barrels means you are not focusing on the clay and happens if you allow your focus to switch to the gun, this also happens when your shooting eye is not the dominant eye

 

[EdSolomons]

Ed Lyons is your man but here's the basics.

2 guns is CORRECT- it means you have focus at distance (on the bird)

2 clays means your focus in on the gun which is wrong.

This should have been explained and gone over by your coach in a little more detail perhaps!

 

[Skybo]

He told me not to focus on the gun and only look at the clay but I found that I kept looking at the bead to see if I was near it.

 

[Skybo]

is it just practice that stops you looking at the bead and do most people shoot with both eyes open?

 

[EdLyons]

Hi Skybo!
 

Whilst i would of course be very happy to help with the visual side if there is an issue with clarity of sight, eyewear etc, it sounds very much like more of a coaching/practice issue at the moment.

Checking the bead and measuring the lead will mean that you get two clays, then bouncing back to the clay means you have two barrels - all of this can become visually confusing!

What Hammy, Ed and Matt say is completely true, try to maintain fine focus on that target, don't worry about checking the bead, trust your hand/eye coordination to put the gun where it needs to go.

 

[Skybo]

Thanks Ed (and everyone else). Now its been explained it seems simple. The coach said practice was the key. Like you said, trust hand/eye coordination and the rest should come. hopefully

 

[HDAV]

You're looking back to the gun and missing, thats common,as long as eye dominance isnt the issue just practise practise practise you can do this at home dry mounting the gun and focusing on a distant object, I use a clock on the wall 

 

[Will Hewland]

Yes, look only at the clay. You will perceive the gun, but look at the clay only.

 

[Will Hewland]

You should not be seeing two clays at any point.

You will if you focus on the bead. But don't focus on the bead!!!

 

[HDAV]

You will if you focus on the bead. But don't focus on the bead!!!

OR if you are shooting a SIM pair.........................

 

[Peteri]

I've started to learn 2 eyes open (thanks to Ed S), has made an amazing difference - wish I'd started on that.

Agreed - two clays is just wrong, might be worth getting gun fit looked at - I've raised my comb up as part of the switch (my idea), and it's really helped - just pulled the bead a little bit more out of the field of vision.

Stick with it - crossers and driven become so much easier!

It's not the technique that sounds wrong here, maybe how it was explained to you

Pete

 

[Stan]

What is the perceived wisdom here on left eye dominant right handers? I've read conflicting reports and been given conflicting advice by different coaches / instructors.

 

[HDAV]

Shoot left handed if left eye dominant.........shoot right handed if right eye dominant (or centre dominant and right handed)

 

[Mike L]

Would an easyhit/ruby fibre optic sight not alleviate the problem of cross dominance?

 

[Irishgunner]

I shot for years closing or dimming my left eye, I shoot both eyes open now, I'm still left eye dominant but not while shooting some how soon as i rase the gun my right now takes over, from reading up on this I know that's far from the norm but then again nothing about me is normal, I think a lot of mounting practice while dimming my left eye some how rewired my brain or maybe I'm just wired direct