L/H or R/H

yesac104 · Jan 21, 2019

Hey folks i'm thinking about getting into archery buy need some advice. I am RH dominant w Left eye dominant, which hand bow would you recommend? R/H and shoot with both eyes open? or L/H and shoot with my dominant eye? Thanks in advance..

Scott85 · Jan 21, 2019

I would learn how to shoot left handed. Even if you can shoot with both eyes open your left eye is always going to try and overpower the right eye for control.

AvidIndoorsman · Jan 21, 2019

yesac104 said:
Hey folks i'm thinking about getting into archery buy need some advice. I am RH dominant w Left eye dominant, which hand bow would you recommend? R/H and shoot with both eyes open? or L/H and shoot with my dominant eye? Thanks in advance..

I'm cross eye dominant as well (right handed, left eyed) I shoot both rifles and bows south paw. Which the exception of handguns I think it's better to stick with your dominant eye, it's way easier to shoot naturally than to try and retrain your eye, IMHO.

bmt99 · Jan 21, 2019

Can you go to local archery shop and shoot both LH and RH bow? My brother is right handed but is in similar situation. He ended up shooting a LH bow.

If you have to choose though, go with RH and close your left eye so you can maintain good, repeatable form. You can even get an eye patch or something to tape onto glasses over your dominant eye if you don't want to keep closing dominant eye. Keeping both eyes open is usually an option for people who don't have a problem with cross dominance.

JEL · Jan 21, 2019

I am right handed and left eye dominant as well. I shoot both rifle and bow left handed.

AvidIndoorsman · Jan 21, 2019

btweedy said:
If you have to choose though, go with RH and close your left eye so you can maintain good, repeatable form. You can even get an eye patch or something to tape onto glasses over your dominant eye if you don't want to keep closing dominant eye. .

While form is definitely important, you can achieve that through practice. An eye patch while hunting is totally impractical...

brymoore · Jan 21, 2019

You’ll never achieve the same skill level if you don’t use your dominant eye.

bmt99 · Jan 21, 2019

By the way, quite a few competition archers don't use their dominant eye. They simply close it. You can achieve same skill level.

And eye patch or glasses that are intentionally blurred in one eye (used in shooting classes) are for practice, not hunting.

huntid73 · Jan 21, 2019

I'm cross dominant the other way, left handed, but right eye dominant...however, I have always shouldered rifles and bows left handed. I tried shooting a RH bow, but could never feel comfortable drawing to that side of my body, so I shoot cross dominant. I think this needs to be considered as well. I know I may get grief about shooting that way, but everyone talks about how feel can change how you shoot a rifle, and I feel that it can happen with a bow as well. Watching the Lancaster shoot last year, I did notice some shooters closing an eye, so I think comfort in which side you naturally shoulder to can change your decision. Just my $0.02...

Lost Arra · Jan 21, 2019

yesac104 said:
Hey folks i'm thinking about getting into archery buy need some advice. I am RH dominant w Left eye dominant, which hand bow would you recommend? R/H and shoot with both eyes open? or L/H and shoot with my dominant eye? Thanks in advance..

Are you looking at a compound bow (with sights) or a traditional bow (with or without a sight)?

MN_Bowhunter4 · Jan 21, 2019

I'm cross dominant, right handed and left eyed. I shoot my bow right hand and simply close my left eye.

Coop · Jan 21, 2019

Same thing here. Was a right handed pitcher in college, but shoot everything from handguns to billiards lefty. That includes the recurve.

3darcher2 · Jan 21, 2019

As a lefty and former pro shop owner, go LH. As others have said, you’ll never shoot to potential from the right side. Archery muscles aren’t used a lot in everyday life by most people. If you are starting from scratch you might as well do it right. I fixed a lot of struggling left eye dominant/right handed shooters at my shop.

Northwoods Labs · Jan 21, 2019

Left handed but right eye dominant. I shoot right handed. I would shoot for your dominant eye, practice enough and it will be second nature

Lost Arra · Jan 22, 2019

Here is an interesting discussion about cross dominance in archery. I just wish he had followed up with the other videos.

The extremely low number (<3%) of left handed archers at the highest level of competition is interesting. Since 10% of population is left handed you would expect at least 10% of archers to be shooting left handed. Throw in the cross dominant 1/3 of the population that has a dominant left eye and you would expect the numbers to be even higher. Interesting fact: US has not sent a left handed archer to the Olympics in 20 years. (Jay Barr 1988 Gold Medal was first left handed Olympic champion).

Cross-dominant archers can be accurate when shooting to their dominant hand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaEKsFIze9Q

maxx · Jan 22, 2019

My son is the same. I noticed it very early when he was 4-5 shooting a 22. He was using the wrong eye. I changed him right there.

If you are older it is a toss up because you have done most things for such a long time right handed. If you feel like you have the ability to learn left handed then go for it. If you are super comfortable doing stuff right handed you would be find also. You can close your left eye or shoot with a patch.

AvidIndoorsman · Jan 22, 2019

Lost Arra said:
Here is an interesting discussion about cross dominance in archery. I just wish he had followed up with the other videos.

The extremely low number (<3%) of left handed archers at the highest level of competition is interesting. Since 10% of population is left handed you would expect at least 10% of archers to be shooting left handed. Throw in the cross dominant 1/3 of the population that has a dominant left eye and you would expect the numbers to be even higher. Interesting fact: US has not sent a left handed archer to the Olympics in 20 years. (Jay Barr 1988 Gold Medal was first left handed Olympic champion).

Cross-dominant archers can be accurate when shooting to their dominant hand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaEKsFIze9Q

Starting at 3:05 in that video the narrator basically explains the reason for the lack of left handed archers is cultural, 1. Many countries only teach right handed, 2. Many facilities that have youth archery only have right handed equipment, 3. Many coaches don't know how to teach cross dominate archers, perhaps leading to those archers getting frustrated and quitting. He also says that dominance differs from person to person and some people find it easier than others to switch.

My take away was that cross dominance can be frustrating and that there isn't a simple answer to the question.

To the OP, it is probably worth it to go to a good range before you purchase equipment and try shooting on each side, and then go with the one that feels the most natural.

Lost Arra · Jan 22, 2019

wllm1313 said:
Starting at 3:05 in that video the narrator basically explains the reason for the lack of left handed archers is cultural, 1. Many countries only teach right handed, 2. Many facilities that have youth archery only have right handed equipment, 3. Many coaches don't know how to teach cross dominate archers, perhaps leading to those archers getting frustrated and quitting. He also says that dominance differs from person to person and some people find it easier than others to switch.

My take away was that cross dominance can be frustrating and that there isn't a simple answer to the question.

To the OP, it is probably worth it to go to a good range before you purchase equipment and try shooting on each side, and then go with the one that feels the most natural.

Agree 100%
For a new/young archer it's probably easiest to try both and see if shooting the dominant eye is comfortable. Changing hands after a number of years can be a little more frustrating.

JEL · Jan 22, 2019

MN_Bowhunter4 said:
I'm cross dominant, right handed and left eyed. I shoot my bow right hand and simply close my left eye.

I am so cross dominant I can't even close my left eye while leaving my right open. LOL

BucksnDucks · Jan 22, 2019

From my experience with shotgunning, age and experience weigh on the decision. Dominate eye is always better, although sometimes the effort and time needed to switch for an older guy/gal is too much to ask. If don't have a strong inclination in regards to stance or coordination go left for sure. If standing "goofy foot" and manipulating off hand is ridiculously difficult I vote for closing an eye like so many others do.

BTW for wing shooting there is a bead replacement device with a long tube which allows both eyes open, when shooting non dominant eye.

L/H or R/H

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