Student who is Right handed but Left Eye dominant....

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Donnie
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Student who is Right handed but Left Eye dominant....

#1 Post by Donnie »

To all,

Its been a while since I have had a chance to poke my head into the door and say "Howdy".... but I thought I would throw something out to y'all.

In my archery class... I have a 6th grader who is VERY shy. (Her name is Sarah) But!... She listens well... and she is really doing good in archery. (Very shy... but has blossomed into a very social young lady because of archery class.) The first time she shot in class... the arrow made it half way to the target! (10 yards... but the arrow when 5!) But was was great was that the other 11 students cheered for her and they all began to clap! (It was really cool)

At the very beginning of class... I was trying to determine everybody's "eye dominance". Sarah did not understand the exercise... and became embarrassed and began to shut down. Seeing that we were getting NOWHERE with determining her eye dominance... I knew she was Right handed... and so I stuck a right handed bow in her hands. Over the last few months... she has developed into a good little archer... the only problem is that she continually shot "really nice" groups to the left of the target. Tonight... I stood behind her and looked down her arrow.... and the arrow itself was pointing to the LEFT. I tried to determine eye dominance again... but this time she was more confident, and followed the exercise to a 'T".... and... come to find out... she is right handed... but LEFT eye dominant.

So... I stuck a left handed bow in her hands.... and she hit the center of the target. (I was Not surprised...) But... she got a little teary eyed when I suggested that she started shooting left handed.

I let her finish out the session shooting RIGHT handed... and did a lot of soul searching. Ya see... I USED to be right handed but left eye dominant... but 47 years ago... nobody ever talked about it so I continued to shoot my right handed bow. I also continued to miss to the left... and my dad just told me to "squint" my left eye... just like I was shooting a rifle. I did... and eventually became right eye dominant. But there is more to being cross eyed dominant.... In my younger years... I was terrible at sports that required "Eye/ Hand" coordination... and a lot of the kids just laughed at me... which made me shut down, and I simply told myself that I wasn't good at sports, and I hated playing because I would just embarrass myself. Eventually.... my eye dominance changed and I became REALLY GOOD at ANY sport that required good "Eye Hand" coordination.

Our range is the the basket ball gymnasium and at the end of archery class... I grabbed a basket ball and asked her to shoot it. She said, "I'm terrible at basket ball... I only miss...." I had her close her left eye and try to shoot from the "Free Through" line.... she hit the rim... smiled and said, "I HIT IT!!!!" I asked if (when shooting hoops) where does the ball go, and she said that it ALWAYS goes to the left.

So... I'm trying to look at this from all angles... and I am pretty convinced that I am going to try an eye patch... My belief is that if Sarah can become RIGHT eye dominant... this will also help her with her participation in sport requiring "Eye / Hand" coordination... and hopefully... she will continue to participate in sports with the other students and continue to blossom into a very confident young woman!!!

Over many years of archery.... I have heard all sides of this argument... everything from "Start shooting left handed" to "Using an eye patch." Its a very old debate... and as you all know... "Opinions are like belly buttons.... everyone has at least ONE..." Again... looking at this from all sides.... I would like to hear your opinions on this matter... and hopefully we can ALL glean something useful from this topic!!!!

Respectfully,

Donnie
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Respectfully,

"Donnie"

Longtrad
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Re: Student who is Right handed but Left Eye dominant....

#2 Post by Longtrad »

That's a tough one, my first instinct says that if she wants to take the sport seriously then switch to a left handed bow.

I dont know anything about being able to change your eye dominance, but I do know with a little practice you can learn to shoot left handed. Developing coordination with her left hand might help her excel in other areas too.



In any case I hope you find a solution that lets this girl enjoy the sport and build her confidence.

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Graps
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Re: Student who is Right handed but Left Eye dominant....

#3 Post by Graps »

Several Olympic shooters use an eye patch but they are shooting with sights.
I started an 8 year old girl out that was right handed but very left eye dominant shooting left handed and it worked good.
About a year later she was at a summer camp and they told her if she was right handed then she should shoot right handed.
The bows were wheel bows with sights..........
She got so frustrated with it that she gave up all together.
It really grinds my gears when someone thinks they know what they are doing and the mess everything up.
"Maybe the truly handicapped people are the ones that don't need God as much." ~ Joni Eareckson Tada

stumper
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Re: Student who is Right handed but Left Eye dominant....

#4 Post by stumper »

I am in the same boat as young Sarah. I learned right handed for many years and finally decided to give lefty a try because I am left eye dom.

Personally I think she should go left. With that said I shoot both. I like being able to go back and forth. I still shoot a lot of right because most of my bows are right handed and I would miss shooting them. So I shoot the bow I want regardless of hand and I shoot fine with either.

Have you asked why she was sad to shoot lefty?? She should shoot what she wants ultimately and enjoy the heck out of it. Learning right handed shooting for several years did not take away from my left hand when I tried to switch it up. If anything it sped up my progress.

Is she shooting instinctive? If she shoots instinctive her mind should auto correct the left hitting
Nothing clears a troubled mind like shooting a bow.

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Donnie
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Re: Student who is Right handed but Left Eye dominant....

#5 Post by Donnie »

As I mentioned... My fist inclination was to put a left handed bow in her hand in which resolved the Left and Right issue. (Center of target but very low) So... for a moment I thought to myself... "Problem Solved!!!" But she is insisted that she wants to shoot RIGHT handed... (On my side of things.... the verdict inst completely out yet on her shooting a left handed bow...) So... before I open my mouth and try to MAKE her shoot left handed... I thought of my own situation, and then thought of doing a little further investigation....

Last night... after posting this... I read many articles from eye doctors... sports medicine... ect... ect... and even THEIR answer's were clear as mud! But for the most part... most of the articles state that in SOME sports, having a Cross Eye Dominance is a benefit to the athlete... BUT!.... They all stated that in "SHOOTING SPORTS"... (Rifle / Archery) it is better to Shoot with their dominant hand, and Blur or Blind their Cross Dominant Eye... and this is why you see so many shooters using either a patch or "eye blinders". Some of the articles said that in SOME sports like Baseball... its important to "Strengthen" the less dominant eye so that the athlete has better eye / hand coordination. While other articles say that the body is "Hard Wired" and eye dominance doesn't change... and I will tell you for a fact that this is a FALSE statement. (Again... I started out Right Handed / Left Eye dominant.... and now I am Right eye dominant.)

So.... still thinking about it..................

Longtrad,

Thanks for your input!... Part of the whole "Coaching Thing" is when I get to figure this stuff out and see the student succeed.... it feels GREAT when you do.... so... When I finally do figure things out for Sarah... It will be a little bit of a "Natural High" for me!!!!

Graps,

I agree.... Its frustrating when folks enforce something that may or may not be correct... especially if their decision is steeped in ignorance! In all honesty... I would have probably been very frustrated if someone had FORCED me to start shooting a certain way... even though I was adapting... and actually making progress. I am hoping to WORK WITH Sarah... and together get her to where she is shooting straight and happy!!!!!!!

stumper,

"What man knows the heart of a woman?.... especially a 12 year old woman!!!"
:lol:

I will go down that path with her next Tuesday and see why she is so dead set on shooting right handed. I think I will try a patch with her... and see how much of a difference that makes... and see where her confidence level is with that. I'm thinking I will also take one of the left handed bows and turn it way down.... and let her shoot a little bit and see if it feels any better. (Watching out for tears , of course!) I DO know this... If Sarah is having FUN... she will shoot better... and if I can somehow meld the Cross Eye Dominant thing together for her... she will be one of my top shooters. (Already, she is one of the most consistent shooters... She just shoots to the LEFT all the time!) :roll:
Respectfully,

"Donnie"

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Grizzly
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Re: Student who is Right handed but Left Eye dominant....

#6 Post by Grizzly »

I have two Grandsons who are left eye dominant and shoot right handed. I finally found out that their other Grandfather who they lived with for a while made them change from being left handed naturally to right handed. If I had known that from the start, I'd have bought them left handed bows instead because they still have some left handed tendencies and could probably adapt much more easily than a right handed shooter.
Jesus replaces the old covenant and speaks to the believer the moral code of God by His Spirit directly to the heart. He is the eternal, everlasting revelation of God to mankind. In Him is both the knowledge of righteousness and the power to live right.

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Graps
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Re: Student who is Right handed but Left Eye dominant....

#7 Post by Graps »

I'll insert some Fred Bear trivia.
Fred Bear was right handed and right eye dominate.
He shot left handed :?: WHAT?
What the deal was, he was missing the end of his right index finger and had a hard time drawing a bow right handed.
So he shot left handed to compensate for it.
He got away with it because he shot truly instinctively.
Point being, when shooting instinctiv, matters not the eye dominance.
"Maybe the truly handicapped people are the ones that don't need God as much." ~ Joni Eareckson Tada

stumper
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Re: Student who is Right handed but Left Eye dominant....

#8 Post by stumper »

Graps wrote: Fri Feb 22, 2019 9:34 am I'll insert some Fred Bear trivia.
Fred Bear was right handed and right eye dominate.
He shot left handed :?: WHAT?
What the deal was, he was missing the end of his right index finger and had a hard time drawing a bow right handed.
So he shot left handed to compensate for it.
He got away with it because he shot truly instinctively.
Point being, when shooting instinctiv, matters not the eye dominance.
Yep! Dont know how true it is but read somewhere that he lost that tip in a saw mishap when he was a kid.
Nothing clears a troubled mind like shooting a bow.

Captainkirk
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Re: Student who is Right handed but Left Eye dominant....

#9 Post by Captainkirk »

Donnie:
I am left eye dominant, right handed. I tried shooting lefty but soon realized WHY I am right handed... :shock:

I'm total lefty-klutzy.
In the beginning, I would close my left eye and gap. But that never really set well with me. I taught myself to use both eyes and compensate for the dominant left eye by not gapping. It took a while but ended up working. I don't know about training someone to be weak eye dominant unless it's a very rigorous and strict training program...most kids are not willing to go through that.
FWIW, I found the only way to overcome a dominant eye was to NOT gap or look at any reference close-up. The master eye will seize control every time. If, however, you use BOTH eyes at 15-20 yards and concentrate wholly on the target and not the bow, sight window, arrow shaft or tip, etc...JUST the target, after a short bit of indoctrination, one can adapt.
Maybe Sarah is total right-handed dominant as I am and lefty just "feels wrong"?
Aim small, miss small!

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Donnie
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Re: Student who is Right handed but Left Eye dominant....

#10 Post by Donnie »

Captainkirk,

Well... what I am finding with the kids is that they are willing to put in the time to learn... but they want to be able to apply what they have learned and "Start hitting what they are actually aiming at".... I haven't said anything yet... but I think that when she tried to shoot the left handed bow... she probably felt as though SHE was an absolute "Lefty-Klutzy"... I think that it was such a set back for her that she probably felt completely defeated. Sarah has come A LONG way in her shooting... she makes nice, consistent groups... but they are all to the left. What is even more important is that Sarah has also been "Coming out of her little shell"... and I could see the look in her eyes that she was ready to crawl back in that same shell...

As adults', we can reason the cost of shooting Completely instinctive... to these kids... so much rides on 'Being Accepted" and "Having Fun"... there is also that NEED to feel as though they have mastered (<-- tongue in cheek) a skill that they have been working on... as well as other things. All of which determine and shape the wants and desires of "Today's Generation" to persevere and continue with a task, and in this case... it is archery. Sarah has done very little in her life that would even seem the slightest bit adventurous... Archery is her way of stepping out into a larger word. Making sure she (as well as others) succeed will determine whether or not she will continue to try new things... or just learn to be content with her shell.

I have been playing around with a few ideas in my head... but it is all VERY experimental. Even though she is not using sights.... she is not shooting instinctive either. If anything... she is using her split vision... and gaping the tip of the arrow... whether she knows it or not. And as you know... therein lies the problem. I like the concept of "The Master Eye"... Im going to play around with this idea as well and see if I can explain it to the students on Tuesday.

I would love to hear more ideas or incites!!!!!!!!!!

Respectfully,

Donnie
Respectfully,

"Donnie"

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