Like several, I am sure, I was born in the early 60's and my folks put everything in my right hand. Nothing around then for lefties...LOL! Anyway I am right handed and left eye dominate. I shoot rifles left handed and handguns right handed. I shoot my bows right handed as well. My shooting is good but would switching to a LH bow be a better choice? Thanks in advance for your input.
I'm rt/rt, but I'm thinking that my left eye is most important in my shooting as it has an unobstructed view, so you have the perfect setup!
I know there are lots of good shooters who do not switch, but here's my take:
The topic arose at a Fred Asbell seminar and there was a shooter in your shoes. Fred convinced him to switch to leftie, and he's better than ever. I know if I were a rightie with left eye dominate, I would attempt to make the switch.
BTW, even some folks with target panic have found the cure with a switch also.
Left handed here and right eye dominant. I tried to switch to shooting left handed and it just didnt work out for me so well. I'm sure if I built myself a bow and practiced all year I would become sufficient with it. I would just keep doing what your doing and practice more often
My brother is left eye dominate. He has always shot and played everything right handed. He has shot a compound for 20+ years right handed. He started shooting trad last year and I talked him into going left handed. Took him a week or so but got very good very quickly.
I suggest giving it a go.
Thanks for the input....guess I will start watching the classifieds forum...if the switch is better I have some good RH bows that might be going up!
I'm not going to say "switch", but I will say "try it honestly for a couple of weeks".
I'm left eye dominant and right handed. I've made a few half-hearted attempts to switch with a shotgun, but just can't seem to manage a smooth swing. With a bow, however, it's a totally different world. We don't normally swing our bows on a moving target and I found switching to lefty embarrassingly easy. It now feels normal shooting even aerial targets lefty with a bow (still can't do it with a shotgun). I can still shoot right handed, but have to squint my left eye closed or it takes over and I shoot to the left.
Just so much easier to keep both eyes open and have my master eye looking right down the shaft.
I shot right 18 yrs all I had.Switch 28 years ago and shot better.First year after switch shot BC buck trotting after a doe.
The switch won't hurt...it will answer your question, make you a better archer (regardless of whether you decide to stay with it or not), and in the long run, you not only will know for yourself, but have the knowledge to pass on to others...
I say get to it... ;)
I am crossed- right handed left eyed and have shot lefty since I was in my tweens, for whatever reason it just felt natural. I can shoot righty "ok" but it definitely takes me a number of shots to really dial in and compensate. I am hands down more accurate lefty, so that's what I stick with 99% of the time. I say switch lefty and just give it some time to get used to it, you can't really argue with your eye, I really think you'll see an advantage.
Huntelmo,you need to shoot left hand bows,no stories,but you are a lucky dog I have 100 bows you can choose and buy in my arsenal,LOL.
Those who are saying tonswitch hands don't realize how hard that is especially if you're strongly right handed. It's way easier to squint your right eye and make sure you're looking through the left, it's what I do and it works.
I am right handed and left eye dominant. Made the switch to shooting lefty earlier this year and my accuracy went through the roof. Best thing I ever did for my shooting and confidence was switching to the left side. It cant hurt to try it out...u might be suprised...and if not then u can always go back to shooting righty.
Looks like I will be giving the left side a try...anybody got a lefty for sale...lol...I will be trolling the classifieds! Thanks for all the info, this is a great site!
I believe most of us would urge getting light to medium weight bow in the beginning. You can always increase as you progress.
Do you shoot with instinctive aim, or reference? I think with reference aiming you will benefit more. I shoot both ways now due to target panic and focal dystonia in my right hand. I am right eye dominant and have a lazy left eye. I have been shooting left handed for over a month, picked up my RH bow and was hitting very well for the first shots. I did not shoot many shots no need to, I know the equipment is right. Shot a sow hog on Sunday with no issue RH.
I know the TP and Dystonia will come back if I shoot a lot RH, been there and done that, it will not go away. I think most archers would benefit, if for no other reason the muscle balance from shooting both ways.
Enjoy your journey. :)
I'm right handed and left eye dominant. I've shot right handed my whole life and see no reason to change. I shoot instinctive with no issues.
QuoteOriginally posted by calgarychef:
Those who are saying tonswitch hands don't realize how hard that is especially if you're strongly right handed. It's way easier to squint your right eye and make sure you're looking through the left, it's what I do and it works.
I seriously disagree. I'm 73 and not terribly coordinated. I am strongly right handed and could not begin to drive a nail with a hammer in my left hand. I switched to shooting a bow left handed and it felt normal within a week or so.
RH and left eye dominant.....single best thing I ever did for my shooting was to switch to LH shooting. My experience is like others in that it took very little time at all to become comfortable and be a WAY better shot.
As with everything it isn't a "one size fits all world" and YMMV so try it if you like and see if it works. Good luck to you and keep us posted.
SWITCH....I have the exact same thing, took me about a day to shoot better...
SWITCH....I have the exact same thing, took me about a day to shoot better...
I'm RH but Left Eye too. I shot right-handed (closed the left eye)for 28 years. I've been shooting LH since 1996.
The switch eliminated about 10 years of increasingly debilitating Target Panic which is why I made the switch. I was happy (before TP) shooting "wrong-eye" as I am now shooting with my left eye.
I would (and do) always try to start a newbie with a bow that matched their dominant eye. However, unless someone had a shooting problem so ingrained they couldn't solve it, I wouldn't switch to match the draw hand to the dominant eye otherwise though.
I have worked with several adults who had shot wrong-eyed for many years that switched hands with results that pleased them a lot.
It does work better to shoot with the hand that equals your dominant eye.
I'm left eye dominant and left handed but I too grew up with my parents and teachers making me do everything right handed. All of 'em gave up eventually but I still shot guns rightie. Now all of weapons are left handed.
I use both eyes equally. I throw a baseball, football, rocks, ect w/ my left hand but shoot a basketball, gun, bow, use tools, right handed. When I was taking tennis lessens. The coach refused to work w/ me because I wouldn't use a backhand to volley.
The past couple years I've been thinking about given a lefty bow a try. I shoot fine RHed but every now and then that left eye wants to creep in and mess the whole thing up! I feel my brain is telling me to point the arrow w/ my left hand and that triggers my left eye to barge in. I'm concerned the same thing will happen w/ my right hand and right eye if I switch to a left handed bow?
I'm the same as you and when I made the switch it felt really good. The hardest part was nocking an arrow. You're using the "wrong" hand to do a detail job. After a couple of hundred arrows, no problem.
I'm betting you'll wish you'd done it long ago, I did.
I am right handed, but left eye dominant. From the time I was a kid I did everything right handed except shooting a long gun or bow. I do shoot pistols with my right hand, though. We didn't have a left handed bow so I learned to shoot a right handed bow left handed. It took about 5 minutes to get the hang of it when I finally get a lefty bow.
I am also Rt hand/Lt eye dominant. I say switch, my shooting improved. I was always 2-3 off from where I wanted to be.
Sending you a p.m.
-Jeremy
Well....I am going to play a little devils advocate. I KNOW it is right to switch to the wrong hand with that eye dominant. My son is 12 and left eye dominant but right handed. I bought him a lefty bow and all is well. I however am the same. I did switch but struggled...I am back to using my right hand, left eye and do fairly well. Maybe it is me or a old dog and new tricks but I generally outshoot all my buddies and kill a fair share of game. Someday I will switch but until then I am gonna kill a few more critters.
My daughter is rt handed and lt eye dominate I had just about given up on her being able to shoot trad when we found this out. I switched her to left hand and immediately she was able to improve and loves shooting to this day, that was 20 yrs. ago.
dangit! i don't need all the competition in the classifieds, haha!
I was in the same exact position two years ago. I made the switch and have enjoyed my shooting far more than ever before. I would say it took me about 6 months to feel comfortable. Make the change!