Cross eye domination

[BigDaddyx4]

What's the best way to handle it pertaining to handgun self defense? I'm new to handguns so is it just a matter of "training" my eyes (if that's possible) or training myself to shoot left handed (since in my case I'm right handed)?

[dariks]

I'm left handed and right eye dominant. I normally shoot in a modern isosceles stance which pretty much negates the whole problem with cross eye domination.

[MCFooter]

I have the same problem and can shoot right handed with both eyes open if I hold the gun a little off center to the left.

YMMV

Mike

[Guest Len]

I have the same problem.

A couple of options here:

1) Close left eye. Not the greatest option, but it's better than nothing.

2) Learn to shoot lefty. Possible, but very annoying to learn -at least for me.)

3) Use a piece of translucent tape to cover the key portion of the dominant eye on your shooting glasses. This "forces" the non-dominant eye to become dominant. Over time, this "may" train your eyes such that you can shoot with your right eye even when not wearing eye protection.

4) Almost close the left eye. Just enough for the right one to take over dominance. This gives you some semblance of stereoscopic vision. This is what I do.

[deerslayer]

I am cross-eye dominant, but don't consider it a problem. I assume you mean you are right-handed and left-eye dominant. I shoot left handed, with a weaver stance, both eyes open, and look at the sights with my right eye (head turned ever so slightly to the left). So, I am the mirror opposite of you, and I've never had a problem. If you can, with gun in right hand, rotate (not tilt) your head slightly to the right, shoot with both eyes open and use your dominant (left) eye. If this doesn't work, try to close your right eye. Still no luck, close your left eye. Last resort, shoot left-handed. My .02.

[The Rabbi]

Right handed but left eye dominant.

I do what Len does, keep the left eye sort of closed but not really. In fast work though using an Isosceles stance it doesnt matter.

If you use a Weaver you cant your head to one side.

[Guest ETS_Inc]

You might also consider canting your gun 45 degrees, towards your dominant eye. Yeah, it looks like a 'gangsta' grip, but it works, and works quite effectively, actually.

Try this exercise: Put up your dukes, like you're in a fight. Now, throw a punch, and when you do, leave your arm extended. Look at your fist. If you threw a good punch, it should be canted in, towards your non-dominant side. That's your body's natural reaction, done to absorb impact. Recoil is nothing more than impact on your wrist. Your wrist works like a lever. Shooting a pistol with your hand straight up and down doesn't allow your wrist to flex naturally. Canting your wrist 45 degrees does allow it to do so. It's very similiar to the way you flex your wrist when working the throttle on a motorcycle. Tht's a more natural, ergonomic, way of moving your wrist, as compared to the way most people hold a gun.

Besides, when combat shooting, you want to leave both eyes open, and simply look down the top of the slide. When you've got a good front sight / target picture, you squeeze the trigger.

Combat pistolmanship is a lot different than pistol marksmanship. When standing on a static range, you have the luxury of time. You can take all the time in the world to line up a perfect shot. On the two-way live fire range, you don't have that option. Victory goes to the person who gets the most accurate shot into a target the quickest. (Notice I put accurate before quickest, for accuracy is FAR more important than speed, but speed is vitally important too.) Since Carry Permit holders are reacting to a threat of death or serious bodily harm, that means they are always behind the power curve. As such, your actions MUST be instinctive and immediate. You must be able to get off an accurate shot quickly. Also, you must be able to watch your area, and scan for additional threats. The threat you are focused on may not be the only threat out there. Heck, it might not even be the most dangerous threat present. Closing your eye to aim robs you of your periphial vision, which puts you at a severe disadvantage in combat. It is imperative that you train to shoot with both eyes open, and that you train to shoot with either hand.

[Guest utarch00]

This is how is shoot. Frank taught me this in his class and it works well. I actually did not know I was cross dominante until Frank's class.

[Guest Hyaloid]

Be careful trying to 'retrain' eye dominancy... in some people, the dominant eye is that way for a very good reason, and very well may fall to pieces when under a stressful situation, like a shooting.

It is much better to adopt a stance early on that will work for the way your particular brain is wired.

[molonlabetn]

One thing that I have found works well in rapid deployment is instead of using sights at all, simply point so that the two 'ghost' pistols in my grip, frame the target. This works by focusing on the target with both eyes open, and is independent of dominant eye. Not sure if that's worth practicing to any great extent or not, but it works for me to make very quick COM hits... I suppose it's a form of point shooting.

[BigDaddyx4]

Thanks guys I appreciate all the input!!! I definately want to figure out what works best for me with both eyes open. I've shot plenty of long guns and I just closed my left eye. Then I tried shooting skeet and couldn't hit anything. Did some asking and realized what my problem was. I definately feel that I need both my eyes in any kind of combat situation.

[strickj]

You might also consider canting your gun 45 degrees, towards your dominant eye. Yeah, it looks like a 'gangsta' grip, but it works, and works quite effectively, actually.

Try this exercise: Put up your dukes, like you're in a fight. Now, throw a punch, and when you do, leave your arm extended. Look at your fist. If you threw a good punch, it should be canted in, towards your non-dominant side. That's your body's natural reaction, done to absorb impact. Recoil is nothing more than impact on your wrist. Your wrist works like a lever. Shooting a pistol with your hand straight up and down doesn't allow your wrist to flex naturally. Canting your wrist 45 degrees does allow it to do so. It's very similiar to the way you flex your wrist when working the throttle on a motorcycle. Tht's a more natural, ergonomic, way of moving your wrist, as compared to the way most people hold a gun.

Besides, when combat shooting, you want to leave both eyes open, and simply look down the top of the slide. When you've got a good front sight / target picture, you squeeze the trigger.

Combat pistolmanship is a lot different than pistol marksmanship. When standing on a static range, you have the luxury of time. You can take all the time in the world to line up a perfect shot. On the two-way live fire range, you don't have that option. Victory goes to the person who gets the most accurate shot into a target the quickest. (Notice I put accurate before quickest, for accuracy is FAR more important than speed, but speed is vitally important too.) Since Carry Permit holders are reacting to a threat of death or serious bodily harm, that means they are always behind the power curve. As such, your actions MUST be instinctive and immediate. You must be able to get off an accurate shot quickly. Also, you must be able to watch your area, and scan for additional threats. The threat you are focused on may not be the only threat out there. Heck, it might not even be the most dangerous threat present. Closing your eye to aim robs you of your periphial vision, which puts you at a severe disadvantage in combat. It is imperative that you train to shoot with both eyes open, and that you train to shoot with either hand.

I wonder if this is why they shoot this way?are all gansta's crossed eyed dominate?

[DBTN]

I would not worry about the cross dominance issue. Sometimes keeping both eyes open can be an issue. The only time I have seen it as an issue is when a shooter is doing almost as much long gun shooting as they are handgun. The issue is that all the right handed/right eyed long gun shooting can strengthen the right eye. It will not make it dominant but it can strengthen it. This may cause you to have to squint the right eye slightly when using the handgun with your left eye.

For what it is worth, Dave Sevigny is cross dominant and he does not have any issues with shooting a handgun.

[et45]

I'm left handed and right eye dominant. I normally shoot in a modern isosceles stance which pretty much negates the whole problem with cross eye domination.

Mirror image(right hand,left eye)ditto.

[rstandley]

I am cross left eyed and right handed. I learn to shoot pistol with both eyes open and is not a problem now. It comes in handly shooting shotgun or rifle around the left side of walls, I can shoot right or left handed

[Guest DrBoomBoom]

I'm cross eye dominant, right handed. I used to shoot closing my left eye so I could aim with my right. Once an old timer showed me the test for eye dominance I started canting my head a bit with isosceles, keeping both eyes open, and hitting much better.

[Guest failuredrill]

I am left eye dominant but right handed, seems I'm ambidexterous(?) and it actually seems to be more of a blessing then a curse as I can shoot fine right eyed with a rifle and even better left eyed with a handgun and okay with the right....dont know many completely right/left dominant that can do the same. Good luck.

[Guest price g]

I feel better now that I have located a support group for my affliction.

[deerslayer]

I don't even consider it an affliction.

[strickj]

no,its like eating,its something you have to do to live