Trap Shooting with cross dominance...

BFR50 · Mar 19, 2015

Wondering if anyone else was also dealing with cross dominance? Just so you know what I'm talking about, right eye dominance shooting left handed. When shooting pistol or rifle the problem is solved by closing the dominate right eye. However, in trap closing an eye reduces peripheral vision. The best tip I've gotten is to close the eye just before firing! Another tip was to shoot right handed, can't due to accident that damaged my right hand. Hoping someone may have something else to offer.

tigmaned · Mar 19, 2015

tiny piece of frosted scotch tape so bad eye doesn't see front bead... but really make sure your looking at he clay not the barrel. some times I put my thumb up that's on the forearm that helps me not see two barrels.

DanJo · Mar 19, 2015

The best solution is to switch the shooter to shooting with the hand that is the same as the dominant eye, but if they can't, the smoked piece of Scotch tape on the dominant eye shooting glasses works pretty well This will allow the shooter to have full peripheral vision and still focus on the clay. It's easiest to have someone help you by having them look down the barrel towards you and marking a spot on the shooting glasses where your pupil is and then putting the small (1 inch square or so) piece of tape on your glasses. It won't be perfect, it should work better than one eye closed.

As a 4H shotgun instructor we always test eye dominance first. It's amazing how quickly cross eye dominant shooters pick up shooting with the non dominant hand.

JMintzer · Mar 19, 2015

I'm equi-eye dominant. Neither is dominant. But being left handed, I typically use my left eye when shooting.

I initial used the squint as you shoot method, but in the last year, I went with the tape dots, forcing myself to keep both eyes open.

As soon as the weather breaks, I'm going to try it without the tape dot...

PJDiesel · Mar 19, 2015

I'm right eye dominate but my right eye is beginning to be a real piece of shit. Being that I shoot with both eyes open (the correct way) I'm still hanging in there.

I can't even fathom needing to switch to lefty. I've seen all the fancy blinders and tape over the glasses and such, must be something to it.

Pinecone · Mar 20, 2015

The best solution is to change hands.

If left eye dominate, shoot left handed. It will be ackward at first, but you will shoot better.

The other affect is, your strongest hand, ends up on the fore end, pointing the gun, so faster, more accurate pointing.

When I instructed sporting clay on a regular basis, I did this to 3 or 4 students. In EVERY case, even though they had a hard time getting shells into the shotgun "wrong" handed, they all shot their highest ever score.

For INCOMPLETE dominance, the occlusion spot works well. To test this, just use some chap stick to make a blurry place on your off eye in the right place.

fabsroman · Mar 20, 2015

Pinecone said:
The best solution is to change hands.

If left eye dominate, shoot left handed. It will be ackward at first, but you will shoot better.

The other affect is, your strongest hand, ends up on the fore end, pointing the gun, so faster, more accurate pointing.

When I instructed sporting clay on a regular basis, I did this to 3 or 4 students. In EVERY case, even though they had a hard time getting shells into the shotgun "wrong" handed, they all shot their highest ever score.

For INCOMPLETE dominance, the occlusion spot works well. To test this, just use some chap stick to make a blurry place on your off eye in the right place.

You missed the last sentence of his post. He cannot use the other hand because of injury from an accident.

I have nothing to add other than I shoot trap with one eye closed. Not a big deal since I know where the target is coming from and I have absolutely no need for peripheral vision. Now skeet with crossing doubles, sporting clays, 5 stand, trap doubles, etc. is a different matter because I like my peripheral vision there.

OP - try shooting trap with the dominant eye closed and see how that works out. If it is a mess, try to sticker, chapstick, or whathaveyou, on the glasses over the dominant eye.

Pinecone · Mar 20, 2015

How badly damaged?

On of the top sporting clays shooters in the 90s had maybe 2 fingers. He used a Velcro patch to actually hold the hand to the stock. IIRC, he pulled the trigger with his ring finger.

photoracer · Mar 20, 2015

I grew up shooting pistols LH and rifles RH like my father. Both of us were RE dominant lefties (80% of lefties are RE dominant as opposed to only 20% of righties who are LE dominant). So after over 45 years of shooting that way I went cold turkey all RH in 2010 because I was getting a little arthritis in my hands and the left was worst. Within 6 months my action pistols scores were beating my old LH scores, especially in speed steel events.
I have since wondered if that was why my dad was such a dominant shooter with rifle or shotgun because he was using his correct eye.

Mack C-85 · Mar 20, 2015

Pinecone said:
How badly damaged?

On of the top sporting clays shooters in the 90s had maybe 2 fingers. He used a Velcro patch to actually hold the hand to the stock. IIRC, he pulled the trigger with his ring finger.

His name is Jon Kruger and he is still actively shooting clays.

IIRC - He had his thumb and little finger. He lost three fingers while trick shooting. An exploding ping pong ball detonated in his hand. He had a piece of velcro attached to the pistol grip of his shotgun and velcro on the palm of his shooting glove. He pulled the trigger with his little finger.

BFR50 · Mar 20, 2015

Pinecone said:
How badly damaged?

Have all my fingers! Hand was taken off in a work accident and put back on. No dexterity in fingers and little wrist movement. Only back to shooting a couple years and haven't put a gun in my right hand yet. It works a vertical fore grip ok on the pump, haven't tried a regular fore end grip on the OU yet.

BFR50 · Mar 21, 2015

Thanks for all the information. Just have to get out and shoot to see what works.

Pinecone · Mar 21, 2015

Mack C-85 said:
His name is Jon Kruger and he is still actively shooting clays.

IIRC - He had his thumb and little finger. He lost three fingers while trick shooting. An exploding ping pong ball detonated in his hand. He had a piece of velcro attached to the pistol grip of his shotgun and velcro on the palm of his shooting glove. He pulled the trigger with his little finger.

THANK YOU.

I have been trying to remember his name since this came up.

Met him a couple of times. VERY nice guy, and a VERY good shooter.

Pinecone · Mar 21, 2015

BFR50 said:
Pinecone said:

How badly damaged?

Have all my fingers! Hand was taken off in a work accident and put back on. No dexterity in fingers and little wrist movement. Only back to shooting a couple years and haven't put a gun in my right hand yet. It works a vertical fore grip ok on the pump, haven't tried a regular fore end grip on the OU yet.

Click to expand...

WOW.

But the good news is, in shotgun, you do not squeeze the trigger, you pull it. So not as much need for feel and dexterity.

I would give it try. Shotgun is SO much about eye dominance.

risk · Mar 22, 2015

I changed to shooting righty because of my eye dominance.

If you know of the Greb trapshooting family, Jean Greb uses an optic on an offsetting mount to change eyes.

Cochise · Mar 22, 2015

Left handed and right eye dominant. I shoot right on shotgun and rifle, either with a pistol.

august1410 · Mar 22, 2015

Right handed and left eye dominant. I shoot lefty with both long guns and handguns.

fxk · Mar 24, 2015

BFR50 said:
Wondering if anyone else was also dealing with cross dominance? Just so you know what I'm talking about, right eye dominance shooting left handed. When shooting pistol or rifle the problem is solved by closing the dominate right eye. However, in trap closing an eye reduces peripheral vision. The best tip I've gotten is to close the eye just before firing! Another tip was to shoot right handed, can't due to accident that damaged my right hand. Hoping someone may have something else to offer.

Being cross-eye dominant, and leading many learn to shoot leagues, I've seen it all - from closing one eye, hooded beads, frosted patches of various sizes on the shooting glasses, etc, etc.

In my experience, and my practice, I close my dominant eye. Yes, I lose depth perception, and a little peripheral vision to the left. Mostly that is only a bit problematic on station 1. Station 5 "hard left" is actually a straightaway.

The close-eye-just-before-pulling-the-trigger is a sure loser in my opinion. The bird will be pulled, you look at it, close your dominant eye and now you're pointed in the wrong direction.

All the games require some level of depth perception, and a lot of timing. I found that my scores went up when I paid much closer attention to timing, hence reflexively pointing rather than getting the perfect sight picture.

That works well for me in trap and skeet. They are predominantly timing games, and preplanning the angles.

International trap is another story as the absolute randomness, the greater angles, the higher speed start taking their tolls. The two-eyes shooter has a big advantage in this game.

Same with sporting clays (for me, anyway) the depth perception and peripheral vision are important there - the two-eyed shooter has the advantage (as always)

I've seen some people shoot well with the frosted patch on their glasses. The commercial ones at between 1/2 and 3/4 " diameter work - but much of your dominant eye vision is lost anyway. I've seen very tiny rectangular patched that JUST block out the front bead when the gun is PROPERLY mounted work - the key is a consistent mount and a properly placed block.

The hooded brite-line bead can help, but lots of practice and discipline are needed.

You've mentioned that left-handed shooting is out of the question.

The last option is a crossover stock - impractical, expensive, heavy.

Getting a gun that fits YOU right, and one you can get a consistent mount with is where you should put your time and money, IMO. One eye can work in trap. Get the other parts of your game in order. Get good fundamentals, a lesson once in a while to keep you from picking up bad habits, and practice.

With one eye, you should be able to shoot in the 90s without problem.
frank

JHE1956 · Mar 24, 2015

I've been shooting skeet cross dominant for 20 years. What works for me is probably heresy, but here it is:

I shoot from my strong side. both eyes open until I have acquired the bird. As I acquire it I close my left (dominant eye, track and fire with one eye closed.) On station 8, I just start with my dominant eye closed. Works for me.

Handguns I just tilt my head over and shoot right handed, left eyed.

fxk · Mar 24, 2015

BFR50 said:
Wondering if anyone else was also dealing with cross dominance? Just so you know what I'm talking about, right eye dominance shooting left handed. When shooting pistol or rifle the problem is solved by closing the dominate right eye. However, in trap closing an eye reduces peripheral vision. The best tip I've gotten is to close the eye just before firing! Another tip was to shoot right handed, can't due to accident that damaged my right hand. Hoping someone may have something else to offer.

Being cross-eye dominant, and leading with many learn to shoot classes, I've seen it all - from closing one eye, hooded beads, frosted patches of various sizes on the shooting glasses, etc, etc.

In my experience, and my practice, I close the dominant eye. Yes, I lose depth perception, and a little peripheral vision to the left. Mostly that is only a bit problematic on station 1. Station 5 "hard left" is actually a straightaway.

The close-eye-just-before-pulling-the-trigger is a sure loser in my opinion. The bird will be pulled, you look at it, close your dominant eye and now you're pointed in the wrong direction.

All the games require some level of depth perception, and a lot of timing. I found that my scores went up when I paid much closer attention to timing, hence reflexively pointing than getting the perfect sight picture.

That works well for me in trap and skeet. They are predominantly timing games, and preplanning the angles.

International trap is another story as the absolute randomness, the greater angles, the higher speed start taking their tolls. The two-eyes shooter has a big advantage in this game.

Same with sporting clays (for me, anyway) the depth perception and peripheral vision are important there - the two-eyed shooter has the advantage (as always)

I've seen some people shoot well with the frosted patch on their glasses. The commercial ones at between 1/2 and 3/4 " diameter work - but much of your dominant eye vision is lost anyway. I've seen very tiny rectangular patched that JUST block out the front bead when the gun is PROPERLY mounted work - the key is a consistent mount and a properly placed block.

The hooded brite-line bead can help, but lots of practice and discipline are needed.

You've mentioned that left-handed shooting is out of the question.

The last option is a crossover stock - impractical, expensive, heavy.

Getting a gun that fits YOU right, and one you can get a consistent mount with is where you should put your time and money, IMO. One eye can work in trap. Get the other parts of your game in order. Get good fundamentals, a lesson once in a while to keep you from picking up bad habits, and practice.

With one eye, you should be able to shoot in the 90s without problem.
frank

Trap Shooting with cross dominance...

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

Member

Active Member

Active Member

Hoarding Douche Waffle

Banned

Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member

Competition Shooter

R.I.P.

Member

Member

Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member

Member

Ultimate Member

Marcas Registradas

Active Member

Active Member

Active Member

Users who are viewing this thread

Log in

Forum statistics