Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: dragonheart on December 19, 2009, 11:13:00 PM
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Has anyone ever switched from right to left?
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Nope left handed to right.
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YES! It was the best thing I have done since switching to trad gear only.
I am left eye dominant and could never quite get it shooting right handed. G. Fred Asbell wrote in TBM something to the effect that if you were left eye dominant you should shoot left handed. That was enough for me and February of last year I switched full time to lefty and havent looked back since!
Sold all my righty bows and have loved every minute of it. Now I know what it REALLY means to shoot instinctively. No more having to use the arrow to "aim" at the target. Switch was an absolute breeze and took really no time at all. Still funny referring to myself as a "lefty."
Why are you considering the change?
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Yep.....switched from right to leftie 20 years ago. I still shoot right handed, but prefer to shoot leftie, and do 90% of the time. It's not as difficult as it may seem.
The first couple of days will feel strange, but you pick up on it pretty quick.
Shooting a bow is the one and only thing I do left handed.....looking back, when I shot a lot, the arm I held the bow with got tired (left). I'm naturally right handed so my right arm is stronger than my left....switching to holding the bow with my right hand was a big help in not getting tired as quickly.
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A couple of guys and gals at our club have switched with mixed results. Fred Bear and Glenn St. Charles both are 'switchers'.
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Im shooting right handed and have since 1986.But extreamly left eye dominate. Ive always wanted to switch. I shoot fairly well as a righty,but when I shoot my daughters left hand bow wow ,what a beautiful sight window. The problem is it feels so wrong. How long does it take to wake the switch, and get to where it feels natural.
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I switched back in 1991 from RH to LH. I was shooting a compound bow with sights and had to close my left eye while shooting. It took a couple of months until it felt natural shooting lefthanded, but boy was it ever worth it. It probably doesn't make as much difference when shooting instinctive, but if I was left-eye dominant I would definitely make the switch. But obviously, I can only speak for myself.
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Yes went blind in right eye could not shoot for s**t tried and tried for about a year finaly gave in it took a couple months but things slowly turned around .
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I switched 15 years ago (left eye)to shoot compound with sights both eyes open, then found the longbow was more my style, now I shoot both left & right, prefer to shoot lefty
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It is weird at first but I found it not as difficult as I thought.
Much more difficult was being able to comfortably move in the woods as a left hander, leading with my right foot so I can shoot and moving like that.
ChuckC
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I switched to shooting lefty 5yrs ago shooting wheels.Got into trad a couple yrs. ago lefty feels totally natural to me.
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This is something I've struggled with in the past. Being left-eye dominant I've tried to make the switch, but after several failed and expensive attempts with different bows, I decided to stick with righty. I'm happy with my decision and now that I'm not going back and forth, my shooting has dramatically improved. Good luck to ya.
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We all know that when we begin shooting a bow we need to stay on line with the dominant eye.So don't loose time make the switch,the first the better.My advise is to not go back and forth.
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I know a guy here that had to because of injury/medical condition.I tried to shoot one of his bows and couldn't even touch the target from 5 yards as a lefty.I have a lot of respect for someone one that could make that change!That takes ALOT of practice.
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I did it with no problem but it took a while to get a clean release to my satifaction
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I started with an in-expensive Bear Cub bow when I first switched. I didn't want to invest in an expensive bow it the "switch" didn't work. Once I got the hang of it "I burned the boats" so to speak and sold all the rightys. I have never switched back and forth at all.
The most challenging part of the switch was picking up the arrows to nock them believe it or not. For a while I still wanted to pick them up with my right hand instead of my left and that doesn't work so well.
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I switched in 1997. I always had shot right handed even though I am a lefty and left eye dominant.
As a kid I started off right handed as that was what was available to shoot, and I normaly ended up with someones hand me down bow!
When I fist switched to lefty it was terribly awkward after 20ish years of shooting a righty it was even hard to knock an arrow! I have no idea how many times I picked the bow up from the wrong side that first year but it was often!
After that first year though it was comfortable and natural feeling for me and my shooting had improved by alot!
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Some experts will tell you it doesn't matter if you're really shooting instinctively. Obviously I'm not an expert because I shoot much better now as a lefty.
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When a good friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer and had to have his right eye removed he switched instead of just giving up. he had shot right handed since he was a kid, switched to lefty for the last couple years of his life. It was very inspiring to watch someone go through that and keep doing what he truly loved.
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RH to LH ...it to was the best thing I did , if you do it every day , with light bow , you can do it!!!
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Bayoulongbowman, Great point on dropping in draw weight. I went for a 60# longbow to a 45# recurve. Dropping in weight will allow someone to foucs on the "shooting" part and not be exerting too much effort on the "drawing" part.
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My issue is not an eye dominance issue. I am RH and R-eye. I have shot for many years, but I am only 39 YOA. I started shooting competition heavy when I was 14 and on. Lets just say that my shoulder has seen alot of arrows. For the last 5 years or so I have dealt with shoulder pain that comes and goes. Just alittle bit of too much shooting, and the pain flaired up and it hurts to draw. REST is prescribed, but again the problem will return. I have also dealt with TP in the last 3 years.
I just reread an article about Tom Parsons where he mentions that he switches back and forth due to intermident shoulder problems. I know it is possible to become accurate shooting off of your nondominant eye. It will take csome dedication for sure on my part, but wanting to shoot is rerely an issue for me.
The other advantage is that side of my brain does not know all of my bad habits! :biglaugh:
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I am right eye dominant, shoot RH, but often practice LH as it seems to help balance and form, even for when I switch back. I shoot the same weight bow too, I just don't shoot too many arrows. I just place a little piece of leather on the side of the riser and shoot off my hand.
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I'm left handed in most everything I do except shooting a bow. No doubt, I'm left eye dominate. When I first changed from compound to traditional, it took a little practice, but now is a totally natural sight picture. The few times I have tried to shoot left handed have been dismas at best.
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Polk I myself don't think it matters no matter how you shoot. It is simply learning to do another task. Hard parts will be getting over the weird feeling when you draw to your face and nothing seems to feel natural. The aiming part will come pretty naturally, it is the mechanics that are weird.
Drop down REALLY light for a little while to develop a technique first. Consider making a junk bow out of leftovers at home just to be able to develop an anchor and draw routine that feels natural.
ChuckC
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Im gona give the switch a try, Ive been shooting right handed for so long I hope I don't release the bow instead of the string. :goldtooth:
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I have a 38# Horne Brush Bow, the original version that I made for my wife when working for Mark many moons ago. It is left handed. A buddy is sending me a 48 pound LH bow. I know that loading the arrow is pretty funky!
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I have always thought about this.