TargetTalk

I was at my club this morning and they had the junior smallbore program going on. There was a young lady who was trying it out for the first time, and was very upset because she's right handed but left eye dominant, and just couldn't see well with her right eye. I was at a loss as to what sort of advice or solutions could be offered.

Is there anything that can be done to try to "train" the right eye? It seems as though that would be easier than trying to shoot left handed, but perhaps they're both equally difficult to do.

If she has not already been to a Optometrist have her go. Try to find one that knows shooting, a lot easier to work with. Shooting glasses are a must.

this is a great solution if she is truly wanting to get into smallbore...
http://shop.mec-shot.com/mec-swap.html
however, this obviously won't help when shooting with a scope.

Much easier to learn to shoot left handed. In less than 30 days of dry holding (even a broom or yardstick) left handed, she'll have built the neuro paths.

I have shooters put a stick in a corner they pass frequently, and every time they pass it, they pick it up and "mount" it left handed and say "bang". This works with all ages and experience levels (but those with years of experience resist it more).

Try it. It costs nothing.

Being myself left eye dominant and right handed, this is something I always looked for when working with new junior rifle shooters. Generally kids will always try to shoot with their dominant eye, even if they have to lean farther over the stock to get their dominant eye behind the sight. First I explain their eye dominance and asked if they would like to change to their non-dominant hand. Depending on their age, younger shooters are more reluctant to change, but they older kids are usually willing to give it a try. If they try and don't feel comfortable, I switch back to the dominant hand. Whenever I work with new shooters, I always have a roll of electrical tape. When I switch them back I put tape on their dominant eye safety glasses and tell them to keep both eyes open. I then let them try that way. Then I ask which way they prefer to shoot and go with that. I also discuss with the parent their thoughts and on options and let them have a discussion with their child away from the range. I never dictate which way they must shoot, it must be their decision. The next week we see which way they would like to go. Sometimes they do change after they get comfortable with the shooting process.

As a 4-H youth coach we see this quite often.
We've gone both ways ... blinder over dominant eye, shooting dominant hand, shooting dominant eye, weak hand.
We do let them decide in the end.

If they want to shoot shotgun too I try very hard to get them to shoot weak hand. If they learn weak hand in rifle at 9-10 years of age, when they move/add a shotgun project it goes much better for them.

When I look back at the shooters, the ones we have gotten to shoot weak hand, dominant eye seem to have stuck with it longer, but that may just be a perception on my part.

=================
We've had kids come in where their dad has had them out in the field shooting and say to me that the kid can't hit anything, so maybe a still target would be better for them. On checking on their dominant eye, sure enough they have that dominant eye & dominant hand mixed.
A big Ah-ha moment

TomAmlie wrote:I was at my club this morning and they had the junior smallbore program going on. There was a young lady who was trying it out for the first time, and was very upset because she's right handed but left eye dominant, and just couldn't see well with her right eye. I was at a loss as to what sort of advice or solutions could be offered.

Is there anything that can be done to try to "train" the right eye? It seems as though that would be easier than trying to shoot left handed, but perhaps they're both equally difficult to do.

I have actually had an Opthamologist Dad argue with me about his left eye dominant son. Off the bench from his right shoulder, he would press his cheek into the stock hard so he could use his left eye. Dad still was not convinced.

metalsmith wrote:Dad still was not convinced.

When working with youth, most often your greatest challenges as a coach are the parents, not the kids.

metalsmith wrote:

TomAmlie wrote:I was at my club this morning and they had the junior smallbore program going on. There was a young lady who was trying it out for the first time, and was very upset because she's right handed but left eye dominant, and just couldn't see well with her right eye. I was at a loss as to what sort of advice or solutions could be offered.

Is there anything that can be done to try to "train" the right eye? It seems as though that would be easier than trying to shoot left handed, but perhaps they're both equally difficult to do.

I have actually had an Opthamologist Dad argue with me about his left eye dominant son. Off the bench from his right shoulder, he would press his cheek into the stock hard so he could use his left eye. Dad still was not convinced.

That is because the father is removed from the problem, no first hand experience, and lives in a RH world.
If he had that situation himself, he might empathize and think different.

It irritates me when someone tells me that using my left hand for doing something is "rude."
There it is, someone trying to force me into their RH world, and not caring about me.

I have a couple right hand, left eye dominant kids on the yearbook staff.
I do NOT force them to use their right eye.
They use whichever eye works best for them.
Unfortunately, cameras are RH only, so they and the LH kids do not have a LH camera option.