Right Hand, Left Eye, One Way-Wrong Way

-Suarez International Staff Instructor Jon Payne

I have seen the problem before; they will try and twist themselves into a pretzel trying to shoot anything you put in their hands. What I am seeing is “Cross-Dominance”.

 People are either right-handed or left-handed with the majority being right-handed. Those who are right-handed are usually right-eyed. Those who are left-handed are usually left-eyed. I left the idea of being normal behind years ago and the law of averages never seems to work in my favor.

 I am “Cross-Eye Dominant”. As a youngster I was not comfortable with a rifle and couldn’t break glass in a phone booth with a shotgun. I took to the pistol very quickly, but it was years before I understood why.

My father was a car salesman and my mother a surgical nurse. I was raised in a non-shooting home. Dad had a small revolver he kept for home protection, but I never saw him shoot it. My Papaw told me stories about hunting and growing up during the Great Depression but was too old to take me shooting. He does get credit for igniting my spark though. Heck, Papaw was the one who bought my Dad that H&R revolver as a wedding present.

 It was Papaw that gave me the courage to mow yards and get the money to buy my first BB gun. When Mom found out she nearly had a stroke. Seemed I had to write a 500 word essay on gun safety before she let up and let me start having fun with it. Even then I learned sometimes it’s easier to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission.

 The BB gun was a simple front cocking BB/pellet pistol and I shot that thing till I could hit a Skoal can lid every time at 15 paces. The next Christmas my Papaw bought me a Daisy 880 Powerline Pneumatic Air Rifle. I was in hog heaven that crisp December morning; that is until I discovered I couldn’t shoot straight. Something just didn’t feel right. After much trial and even more error I figured out I had to close my left eye so I could pick up the sights with my right eye.

 I got married young (been married going on 23 years) and knew it was my responsibility to protect my wife and home. I managed to find a .357 revolver and bought some books and magazines on firearms and their usage, but still had never heard about my particular issue with my eyes.

 I guess it wasn’t until I was in basic training that I really discovered what I was doing. In the USAF Security Police Academy I qualified as an Expert Marksman with the M16. Later on I would reach the same qualification with the M15 revolver and M9 pistol. When the CATM (USAF Combat Arms Training and Maintenance) Instructors asked me just what I was doing I told them I shot a pistol with my left eye and a rifle with my right eye. They saw that it worked for me and let me be. These were the days of the “Weaver” stance and I did look a little odd with my head cocked to one side like that.

 Later in my Air Force career I was selected to re-train into Combat Arms. Combat Arms was good duty in the Air Force, I shot more in the 90 day tech-school than I had in my entire Air Force enlistments. When I got back to my duty station I really got to work my marksmanship fundamentals as well as teach others how to shoot.

I began working what is now called a “modified isosceles” and found I didn’t have to move my head near as much. It was very comfortable to shoot from and very solid. My shooting improved as did my speed. What I didn’t know then was I could move quickly from this position and still get solid hits on my target, but that’s for another article.-

 Having my left eye as my dominant eye did help my shooting in one aspect; it wasn’t so hard to run my rifle left handed. Just for kicks I ran the entire Air Force Qualification course for the M16 left-handed!

 I have learned some new tricks too. Now when shooting right-handed I use my right eye, and shooting left-handed I use my left. To get my right eye to take over I can squint or close my left eye. I have been told some shooters say that they cannot close their dominant eye. If you can blink you can close either eye, it just takes work. Shooting is largely mental you know?

 Don’t let anyone tell you – you can’t do something. Any teacher that tries to hold you back is either afraid of their own short comings or is running out of things to teach. Cross-eye Dominance is only a big deal if you make it one and the worst handicaps are the ones we place on ourselves.

Being Cross-eye Dominant is not an obstacle. Like I mentioned, there are things that I can do easier because of it. Try running some High Risk Operator Close Quarters Battle drills-right handed corner, left handed corner, it really doesn’t matter to me. I work hard at having a right hand and a left hand, not a strong and weak hand.

So what do you do if your dominant eye is opposite your shooting hand? Here’s the easy answer: sight alignment, sight picture, breath control, trigger press. If you need to turn your head slightly do it. If squinting your non-shooting eye helps do that.

Up close it’s not bad to keep both eyes open so you can see what you need to see. Also if you have the opportunity to train with Roger Phillips and his Point Shooting Progressions you will learn about aligning the pistol under your dominant eye while point shooting. If you’re shooting at distance there’s nothing wrong with closing your non-shooting eye to get that precise sight-picture for that perfect shot.

 

Remember, “Right hand, Left eye, One Way, Wrong Way”. There is more than one way to skin a cat. If someone tells you there is only one way to be a good marksman their way may be your wrong way!

Comments

[Chris Upchurch]

I'm cross dominant too (right eyed and left handed in my case). I took a different path than Jon, but ended up in pretty much the same place.

When I started shooting, I didn't know anything about eye dominance issues. Despite being left handed, I started out shooting right handed because that felt more natural to me. When I learned about eye dominance many years later, I finally figured out why. I think it was easier to go with my dominant eye rather than my dominant hand because left-handers are pretty much forced to be a bit ambidexterous, just because we encounter items made for right-handers so often in everyday life.

SI classes brought me around to the idea of learning to shoot ambidextrously, first with a rifle, then with a pistol. I took to it pretty easily. I think being cross dominant is actually an advantage when learning to shoot ambidextrously because you're always using either your dominant eye or your dominant hand.

[Crashonhead]

My wife is the opposite - she shoots pistol right handed, rifle left handed. She is right handed / left eye dominant, and this setup doesn't seem to bother her at the range, she just 'does it'. She simply uses her left eye all the time.

[kostas karalis]

:>... the easiest way is to make only one move,just turn your head right and after a few thousent times you will be able to do it under presure ....

[Bill Kutney]

Old men don't like to get hurt, so we adapt. As a young man, Army MP Drill Sergeant, right and right. Some years later, diagnosed with natural mono-vision, left eye up close, right eye distance. Still shooting right, slightly cannting hand, counter clock wise, clear front sight on meat, (son when using airsoft). Son as BG, now 23, has kept dad off "x" and moving quicker. Son getting good as BG. Old man needs to get wiser. Dad is now carrying a second and becoming proficient left and left. Son's EYES GOT BIG!

[Lynn Edwards]

I have been shooting for more than 50 years and have the mono-vision, left eye close (focal length max 16") right eye distance. I am also right handed left eye dominant. As I was growing up, I trained myself to shoot right handed, close my left eye and focus on the front sight with the right. This works with both pistols and long guns.

[Matt in Oklahoma]

I became left eye dominant later in life and have adapted well. It is hard for some instrutors who lack flexibility to understand and has led me to instruct others with more understanding in my methods. Served 20 years retired got a LE career, served on 2 tac teams and am doing well

[J.W.]

I am right handed with left eye dominant. You are tell me that you can turn your head to the right,this way you can use your left eye and your right hand and this will work? If this is so I will start using this on the range.

[Jon Payne]

Yes, it doesn't take much. J.W., I sent you an email in regards to your question.