Bow for Young Girl-Eye Dominance Issues?

LostNation_Larry · March 14, 2015, 08:49:00 PM

While our traditional league is shooting at the not so local "all types" archery shop, a young woman came in and started shooting her compound. The funny thing was she wore a pink eye patch. I asked her about it and she is cross eyed dominant so she wears the patch over her dominant left eye and shoots right handed. She told me where she got the pink eye patch but of course I forgot.

I would suggest finding an eye patch and see if it helps. It would be detrimental to judging distances, but it would solve the eye dominance issue.

halfseminole · March 14, 2015, 10:50:00 PM

I have shot with a patch extensively. It's a good tactic for forcing dominance or strengthening a weak eye when done young. When you're older, it helps in teaching a nondominant eye to take over in aiming.

KSdan · March 15, 2015, 10:55:00 AM

I am neither! It switches!! My eye doctor and a bowhunt partner has checked me several times over the years and actually said it is common. Eye dominance is not an all/nothing type of thing. It can be a matter of degrees. If I need to I can close a eye. AND again (according to my Eye Dr.) contrary to popular bow-world opinion; closing an eye has nothing to do with depth perception and such beyond a few feet in front of you.

Like some have said. I would not worry about it. Get her what is comfortable to shoot- likely her dominant hand.

Dan in KS

halfseminole · March 15, 2015, 11:51:00 AM

Yup you can handle depth perception with just one eye fine. Even with the patch I could handle it, I just had visual disturbances that complicated aiming after the stroke.

7 Lakes · March 15, 2015, 07:50:00 PM

Pavan has hit on something. Many people's dominant eye is not fixed. I learned this when fitting for a shotgun with professionals. If you daughter wears glasses here is the fix....

If she is right handed without a strong dominant eye then get a pack of those sticky dots from office depot. Put one on the left lens in the exact place where it blocks the left eye when you are about to shoot. This leaves you with perifal vision and blocks one of the two crossed arrow points she can see when drawing.

March 16, 2015, 01:52:00 PM

When I went to left hand shooting primarily, the first few days I had a tendency to glance at my arrow. When I did that, my right eye would take over and I would split the difference with my secondary aim between my eyes and shoot to the right. To coach my eye control, I took the left lens out of a pair of cheap sunglasses. I then found it easy to tell which eye was looking at what and since the vision was unrestricted on my left eye it took over.

NotThe10thMan · March 19, 2015, 07:04:00 PM

Wow. Lots of good thoughts put forth since I last checked in. I'm not entirely sure what poundage I'm going to be looking for. She is turning seven in a week or two, and she yanks back her eight pound recurve like she's gonna snap it in half, but then struggles a good bit with a #25 lb recurve we have laying around.

I was really hoping my wife would be able to take her to the archery shop and try a few, but time is quickly running out. I will have likely three days or so to get it all figured by the time I get home from my remote job.

I'll play a few games with her, to check her eye dominance when I get home, and see where we stand.

As ever, I appreciate your thoughts.

Jakeemt · March 19, 2015, 08:29:00 PM

A lot of the old bear polar bows have a dual shelf. Good luck!

Bud B. · March 19, 2015, 10:05:00 PM

I would suggest Mike Ballenger of 7 Lakes make you a dual shelf Hill style Night Lite. You WILL NOT be disappointed in Mike's bow build. If you are, let me know. I'll take it off your hands.

Mike Mecredy · March 19, 2015, 10:13:00 PM

duel shelf is a good idea