Regular or Cross Dominance..

[NightCat]

Alright guys....here is the deal.

The pistol has always been a tertiary weapon system for me entire career, its been nothing more than a if the SHTF sort thing. By thus, I am not the best pistol marksman, and am a far better rifle marksman...

herein lay my issue, and reason for posting....

I know fundamentally, I should be shooting both eyes open, I haven't been doing so with pistols...let the flaming begin...however..

I shoot both eyed with rifles, so, I'm trying to get back into that habit as the rifle is no longer my primary weapon system as I have retired from duty and now its time to live a "normal" life.

regardless, here is my issue.

I wear Corrective lenses, and no, I dont know what my script is, but nonetheless I am near sighted..for those who dont know, dont care, or dont need glasses, it means I can see close up without any issues, and I have a problem seeing clearly at distances.

Well, I am barely near sighted, people with normal vision can wear my glasses without issues and think they're not even prescription, people with poor vision thing my glasses dont do shit either so..I dont REALLY have BAD eyes, they're just not what they used to be...

Driving on, While attempting to see which eye was dominant by forming a small orifice with my handles and focusing on an object roughly 12-15ft away and bringing that orifice to my eye to determine dominance, I'm finding that I am Right HANDED, and LEFT eye Dominant.

I have tried this with and without my corrective lenses and its extremely difficult to tell which is the case..

I'm trying to figure out if my RIGHT eye requires more correction to see clearly, and its not that Im left eye dominant, its just that my right eye cant see as far as clearly....or that I really am one poor mother fucker who is Right Handed, and Left eye Dominant....These poor bastards we call "Cross Dominant"

As far as application goes, I have found that regardless of corrective lenses, at the range I find my shots pull left, not high left, or low left...just left. My groups look great, but they're all left my point of aim.

I'm wondering if this is due to my cross eye dominance, or it's all in my head and Im just thinking too much into it...

So, if anyone can shed some light or give me an idea or anything, in regards to this subject and how to more effectively check my dominance, that would be great...

Tomorrow is range day, so instead of turning my head, or tilting/rolling my head to shoot left eyed and right handed...I'm just going to adjust my holstered draw to put the gun behind my left eye instead of right..

Draw from holster, bring to the compressed ready, Move over to the left side of my chest, and punch out as normal, but to my left side...see if the range will answer my question for me...

Until then,

Thanks a lot!!

- Dave

[NightCat]

....Just asked my Sister.....she qualified expert with an M9 (she's a USAF Officer)

Which hand and which eye.....my sister is Right Handed, Left eyed......

I wonder if its a family thing


Update:

Fuck me....after talking with my sister, which is very difficult to do considering she's on the other side of the world..., She reminded me that our mother was born left handed, and the boarding school my awful grandparents sent her to, forced her to become right handed...


Looks like Im just fucked and it may be genetic to be left eye dominant...Im going to call my Mom in the morning and see if she is left eyed too.....this shit sucks.. >_<

[Big Wall]

To check dominance, point at something with both eyes open. Then take turns closing each eye. With one eye open your dominate eye will still show your finger pointed at the object. Your support eye will make it look like your finger jumped off the object. I was cross dominate until after high school. Brian Enos is cross dominate, so it isn't a death sentence.

[Mazin]

More common that you think man, my wife is cross (Left eyed, right handed) dominate. She started shooting right until we noticed and she choses to shoot left because its more comfortable. When it comes down to defensive shooting a handgun both eyes open or learn to compensate squinting. Both eyes open is hard to get use too but if you can throw a ball at a mark then your fine. It does take a little bit of getting use to but make conscience effort Every time you shoot you'll pick it up quick. Try getting an airsoft gun and shooting it in the garage, both eyes open every night for a month, I have a g17 (actual size) airsoft gun and love it. GL Man [Beer]

[Dalendenver]

I am also right handed, left eyed. I usually shoot right handed and do pretty well. However, when I took my CHP class they had me try shooting left handed. At 15 yards I was shooting 1 inch groups with my right hand, I put two through the same hole left handed with the third nearly touching. You might just try shooting left handed. It took me awhile to work out the grip but it soon became comfortable.

When shooting right handed I tend to shoot left of center but when I remember to put my trigger finger on the trigger properly it corrects that tendency.

Oh, I am shooting a SA XDm40.

[trlcavscout]

It is very common to be right handed, left eye dominant. I also shoot rifles with both eyes open. Pistols i cannot shoot with both eyes open, i have tried at the range and in competition and I end up switching eyes. For years i went with it and closed my right eye, but last year i started useing my right eye and changed my stance to bring the gun over in front of my right eye and so far its been an improvement.

[J]

You want to pick up the sights with your dominant eye when pistol shooting, regardless of which hand you use as primary. So as you draw, turn your head 30-40 degrees to the right, this will put your left eye closer to the pistol. It will make it so that your left eye lines up with the sights and after some practice you can shoot both eyes open while still sighting with your dominant eye.

[HoneyBadger]

There is nothing wrong with being cross-dominant! I've been working for a few months now, trying to form the habit of sighting pistols with my right eye while both eyes are open. I basically did what Trlcavscout said above, but it hasn't been an improvement. For me, I'm always going to shoot better with my left eye (dominant), but keeping both eyes open and such is good for awareness. Do what works best for you!

[cstone]

I'll toss my $.02 into the pile.

7 yards or less, think flash front sight. Both eyes open, your dominant eye will see the front sight clearly on the target as you start your trigger squeeze. While handling a safe, unloaded handgun (check it twice), burn the muscle memory into your brain, body, and hands, exactly how you should feel when you grasp, draw, and present to the target. Smooth move to the grip, smooth draw and rotation from the holster, and get the front sight onto the target. If you think about it, the front sight is naturally on the target well before the gun is up or you can see the front or rear sights.

Our quarterly requals, we start at the 1.5 yard line. Two rounds, one hand, bent elbow, from the hip. You may not always get the X on the first shot, but I've never seen anyone miss and no one can see their sights in this position. Just for personal work, I sometimes practice contact shooting, but that isn't about accuracy as much as familiarization with shooting from abnormal positions.

At 7 yards it is fine and will happen most of the time, very naturally, that your rear sights will roughly line up on target with your front sight. I've found that by the time my rear sights are nearly in line (think perfect sight picture) the first round has already gone, and I'm recovering and staging the trigger for my follow-up shot.

IMO, defensive handgun shooting is not about groups. I believe it is about speed and consistency. As you get past 7 yards, things get more dynamic. You should be moving and seeking supported/cover positions and there is a greater likelihood your targets will be moving. Targets moving toward you should be causing you to move laterally. Targets moving away from you give you more time to aim and analyze. Targets moving laterally take more time for you to calculate leading and present backstop challenges because your backstop is now dynamic.

If you are bullseye shooting, close your non dominant eye and take your time. Paper doesn't shoot back [Flower]

[Great-Kazoo]

You want to pick up the sights with your dominant eye when pistol shooting, regardless of which hand you use as primary. So as you draw, turn your head 30-40 degrees to the right, this will put your left eye closer to the pistol. It will make it so that your left eye lines up with the sights and after some practice you can shoot both eyes open while still sighting with your dominant eye.

Since i was not on line J summed it up for me. Try shooting liek this and you will be surprised how much better your shooting becomes.

[Jackal]

It's not that bad. I'm left-handed and right eye dominant. Growing up, I was taught many tasks right-handed because I was the only left-handed kid and we couldn't always afford the gear. Today, I shoot rifles and shotguns right handed, and pistols left-handed. The more you condition the reflexes, the easier it becomes. I never think about it. I swith from left to right-handed tasks automatically. Always using my right eye as dominant. I shoot from a modifiwed Weaver stance with the pistol in the center of my chest and tip my head to the left to get the right eye aligned.

[trlcavscout]

You want to pick up the sights with your dominant eye when pistol shooting, regardless of which hand you use as primary. So as you draw, turn your head 30-40 degrees to the right, this will put your left eye closer to the pistol. It will make it so that your left eye lines up with the sights and after some practice you can shoot both eyes open while still sighting with your dominant eye.


Since i was not on line J summed it up for me. Try shooting liek this and you will be surprised how much better your shooting becomes.

This works, my problem was when transitioning between 4-5 targets i would end up switching eyes, close range stuff is fine but if i am shooting 20-25 yards like at GSSF shoots my accuracy went to crap. I personally shoot faster times and better accuracy closeing my left eye, but i can shoot both ways. So what ever works best for you is the best way. I have tried closeing my right eye as well but i still shoot better with my left eye closed.

[NightCat]

Well guys, Had a great time out at the range today, I'm making a conscious effort to shoot both eyes open...I'm still uncertain as to if I truly am Cross dominant or not...we had some pretty high winds out there today...I've been practicing dry fire with acquiring both eyed...

I'm trying to find the mental strength to NOT look at the wrong picture..It's a lot more difficult than I thought, of course shooting carbine I usually shoot with optics or sometimes even with irons, and I can do that just fine and focus properly, I'm not sure if its the distance between the sights that makes it easier..or having a reticle for the brain to lock on to, or cross hairs, but its much easier.

But I definitely had a hard time today, I'm able to do it, but not very well at all and I keep finding I have to squint or shut and slowly reopen my right eye.

What I find happening is, I acquire my sights both eyes open through my dominant left eye and have the target and sights lined up, and the time it takes me to get a nice crisp slow rearward trigger pull, I lose my sight acquisition before my shot breaks and I have to start all over...

This is a lot harder than I thought i would be....I'll be back on the range next week to try this again, but in the mean time...It'll be dry fire, dry fire, dry fire...trying to acquire and maintain my target...

I'll try and jot down some notes of my experience while I'm at the range next friday and post what issues Im having, perhaps one of you guys can provide some wisdom to help me correction my issue.

[NightCat]

You want to pick up the sights with your dominant eye when pistol shooting, regardless of which hand you use as primary. So as you draw, turn your head 30-40 degrees to the right, this will put your left eye closer to the pistol. It will make it so that your left eye lines up with the sights and after some practice you can shoot both eyes open while still sighting with your dominant eye.

In response to this, I have to say I'm against it.

I prefer NOT to roll, or turn my head to align my left (dominant) eye with my sights...

It is UNNATURAL and s NOT what I will do under Stress come SHTF.

What I have been doing however, is, if I Step out my draw, which I dont like to do, but if I step it out;
1) Throw shirt out of way.
2) Acquire weapon hand grip on gun.
3) Run reaction hand up my center line to meet pistol.
4) a) Before, I used to punch out from here..and that was the end of it.
b) Off center my compressed ready to the left side of my chest, just shy of left nipple... so the gun is in line with my left eye.
5) Punch out while acquiring sights.

I find that moving my body to the gun, rolling my head, or turning my head to put my left eye behind the gun is very uncomfortable and unnatural and is an extra step and excessive waste movement.

So as stated above, I'm moving the gun to my eye instead, by moving my gun off to the left from the compressed ready and bringing it up to my left eye...No body manipulation or contortion required..just shooting as normal...I think, and keep in mind I am a Novice to this, however, I find it to be a much more efficient movement and can more easily be trained to be what I do under stress or a dynamic SHTF situation.

[nynco]

I have this problem too.

[NightCat]

I have this problem too.
That's just the thing, I'm not exactly viewing my cross dominance as a problem, however as a challenge, an adjustment, to further better my marksmanship.

I want to say that I really appreciate all the information, feedback, and support I've received from all you guys! I couldn't progress at the rate at which I desire without your guy's help so thank you all so very much for your experience and insight.

I'm doing my best to put it to good use and not have your words fall on deaf ears.