i was told to shoot one eye closed my whole life. "thats the way weve always done it just wasnt cutting it for me. first time i shot both eyes open my dad was suprised at my score and asked me what i did... he still has a hard time adjusting

Great video. I learned this in the military and had it reinforced as a SWAT operator in law enforcement. Clearing houses, woodland operations, and other fast paced operations do not afford the opportunity to shoot with one eye closed. The biggest issue that I face now teaching individuals to shoot is them saying they can’t do it. When you tell your mind that you can’t do something, guess what… YOU CAN’T. If people would keep an open mind they would find that they could do much more than they ever imagined.

I'm right handed but left eye dominant. It took me just a few rounds to learn to shoot from my left side. Gun fit was the best video I ever watched. What you're looking at, is what you're aiming at. I still am learning to keep both eyes open. I gotta learn trust.

Great videos adressing cross-eye dominance (which is my problem). These are the ways I've dealt with it: 1) at young age, I closed my dominant eye. As you point out this means loss of data, but it still worked not all that bad. 2) At older age (50+), eye sight on non-dominant eye has deteriorated, and dominant eye refuses to close, resulting in many misses. 3) Fix no. 1: Mounting on the other, dominant eye, side: Not successfull even after 3000 repetitions. Maybe I was too old for this shift. 4) Fix no. 2: Two elements: A) Mounted an electronic red ring sight on the barrel. This turns the non-dominant eye dominant, so to say, even with both eyes open. Great: Data from both eyes, and with dominance on the right side. B) One problem still needed to be fixed (this is a bit difficult to explain): While MOUNTING the gun (that is before the electronic red ring comes into sight) it was still the dominant (wrong) eye that leads, so when the gun reaches my shoulder, it aims way left (in my case with left eye dominance). I avoid this problem by fixing adhesive tape at the LOWER part of my glasses on the dominant side. This way, only the the right, non-dominant eye, can see the barrel during the mounting of the gun, and it now points at the intended spot when it hits the shoulder.

Loved your creativity in presenting this. Also appreciate the effort put into this video. Great job!

I agree, both eyes open shooting clays/shotguns. I just have a hard time doing it. Just a bad habit I'm struggling with. What I've learned is it really makes a negative difference for me when shooting an over under shotgun. Not sure why I haven't been able to break the habit. I teach friends and family and always have them for shotguns with both eyes open. Works much better for them. Not getting my brain to cooperate with me to do the same.

I'm cross dominant and I usually shotgun on my dominant eye side (left). Pistol and rifle I shoot right handed but make adjustments (shifting the pistol to my dominant eye). It's been a pain to find properly cast shotgun stocks without paying a fortune.

When I first started shooting Trap I wanted to shoot with both eyes open. It was hard, so I went gradual. Start with both eyes open on the "pull." On Straight-away shots you don't have time to close the weak eye. On the quartering and shots requiring more swing, I let my weak eye squint, but tried to keep it open - but not too hard. Every week my weak eye stayed open longer and longer. I never really thought about it -- I just remembered to keep both eyes open on the "pull." After 4 months of shooting 2 or 3 days a week, I realized I was shooting both eyes open!!

@barrymartin7085

10 ай бұрын

Exactly what I do

I have to try this, probably better than both eyes closed.

If you've been struggling with cross firing, before going one-eyed, give an occluded front sight (like the Champion Easyhit) a try. Only the gun eye can see the fiber optic. And just because it's there doesn't mean you need to focus on it. Focus both eyes on the target, and let that fuzzy green or red dot in the foreground serve as a cue to help your brain sort out which barrel image to coordinate with the target. If it doesn't work, you're out $25 and you can still stick a dot on your glasses. If it does help, maybe you're still a two-eye shooter rather than a 1.5 or one eye.

Excellent video, and words of wisdom. I am right handed, left eye dominant and was lucky that my father recognized this when I was young and put me on the " shoot left handed" path. It quickly became natural for shooting both firearms and archery. Ditto for the both eyes open, it can also help with a scoped rifle for acquiring a moving target. as with anything, just takes practice but the benefits are real.

@joshrandall3632

Ай бұрын

Just out of curiosity do you shoot a handgun right handed or left?

@joshrandall3632

Ай бұрын

Just out of curiosity do you shoot a handgun right handed or left?

Love the shotgunning vids!

Great video! I'm left eye dominate and have shot left handed all my life with great results!

Great video! A couple quick notes are switching shooting sides can be extremely hard even to a totally new shooter. Sometimes it is better to stick to the tape method and let their eyes correct naturally through shooting more. Also one eye can be a great tool for an extremely fast shooter. It can slow them down and slow them to take a better shot. That is personally why I shoot one eyed, but it’s great to see the right recommendation for two eyes. I agree it is generally a better way to go.

@strixt

8 ай бұрын

Lol love the subtle implication that you're some kind of "extremely fast shooter." It'd be great to see some videos! It's always impressive watching "extremely fast" shooter.

I'm a right handed shooter and right eye dominant. I shoot with both eyes open on crossing shots from the left since i can see down the left side of the barrel. On the crossing shots from the right going left I see double vision of the tip of the barrel with both eyes open so I close my left eye to judge gun speed and lead. I learned this while taking lessons and it helped immensley and I hit right to left crossing shots and birds much easier!

When my brother and I started shooting trap, I was asked what my dominant eye was and did a test, I'm right eye dominant and a right handed shooter. Another shooter covered the left lense of of my shooting glasses. I hit my first five clays that day😊❤ I also tried to copy a field and stream article on gun hold for each post and it worked too!

I started shooting USPSA, IDPA, speed steel about 12 years ago and a couple years in I realized I’m right handed and left eye dominant. I put a small piece of scotch tape on the left lens of my glasses. Took a few months of training but I adjusted faster then I thought. Ps always shoot with both eyes open. Even with a scoped rifle in PRS. Love your videos I’m on a shotgun kick right now and enjoying it.

I always shot one close but I will try it out

Your message makes a lot of sense

Love the videos

Great video and topic. How to do is just as important as having the right equipment. Please do a comparison with the 940 JM Pro.

Thanks for the great info. I'm cross eye dominate and because of that not so good when it comes to bird hunting. Going to try and shoot from the other side and see how that goes.

I agree for so many years starting to shoot one eye opened as a kid I missed so much. I am now 40 and in the last few years have retrained myself to shoot both eyes open. My hit rate went up by a large percentage.

Great discussion. I am not cross-eye dominant but something approaching equal-dominant. I have tried for 30+ years to shoot with both eyes open, with minimal success. Recently, I was patterning one of my shotguns and discovered that, when I keep both eyes open, the pattern is 2 feet leftward (alhough left-handed, I shoot right handed -- in line with my more dominant eye, and in line with how I have always played sports) at 30 yards; closing my left eye brings the pattern back to the center. After discussing this with my shooting coach, I decided to go back to shooting with my left eye closed. For reasons that are not clear to me, I don't appear to have this problem with a red dot.....

@djka8012

6 ай бұрын

Try shooting one piece glasses without separate lenses, and then lightly scuff the left side with steel wool. could help your right eye pick up the dominance.

@AdamsClayPigeonGuide

6 ай бұрын

​@djka8012 I'd say that's a bit extreme as it's irreversible. Using a chap stick would have a similar effect and you have more control over how big you occlude the eye. Some just need a tiny bit to stop the off eye seeing the bead, others need a larger area.

Thanks Steve - i will try with both eyes open.

I have shot trap for 30 years and for the last year and a half i tried both open. My score has gone down and i have no idea were the gun is pointing. Most of what i hit must be muscle memory and i just went back to one eye and now i can see were the gun is aiming at. I agree with your explanation but also think it is up to the individual.

@D_Boone

Жыл бұрын

Exactly! I'm seeing a double image and it's just too much to process.

@ronbloomberg

10 ай бұрын

I'm assuming you shoot off your right shoulder. Your problem is that your left eye is your master eye (cross-eye dominant.)

@SuperRYANBERRY

9 ай бұрын

@@D_Boone I’m the same both eyes open i see 2 guns 😂 shoot 1 eye closed and i win most of the time with the group i go with ! They all shoot both eyes open !

@Marcus-yc1ob

8 ай бұрын

Hello , i am a bit late with my reaction as this video was posted already some time ago. I am a gameshopting instructer myself and i do not agree with you on several items of your shootinginstruction. My personal experience with 99 percent of the gameshooters i meet that they all shoot instinctivly ( read no barrelawereness ) instinctive shooting is based on two things A you need a lot of tallent ( like george digweed ) and B a lot of practise ( forgive me my poor english ) but most people do not have the talent like george or other top shots in the world , so they all end up by doing something on there instinct and have not got the faintest idea where the gun is in ralation to the target when they pull the trigger. If you do not know how you hit it, it does not help you to get experiencd, if you miss you do not know what went wrong so you easyly repeat what you have done wrong with your first shot as you have no idea what went wrong. So shooting with barrel awareness is vital to become a better shot if you see the difference between the target and the gun in the pheripery than you can repeat or change the amount of lead . Another thing shooting with both eyes open is onother thing on its own, i will give you my vieuw on it only if i have the impression you want to hear it from me, which means if i do not hear from you in a reaction of the above we keave it as it is, best reagards Marcus de koff from the Netherlands

@ronbloomberg

8 ай бұрын

@@Marcus-yc1ob - Hello.... I am right eye dominant and shoot off my right shoulder and so I naturally shoot with both eyes open. Binocular vision is very important to good shooting. It makes all the difference in the world. But, if I were left eye dominant I would either have to close my left eye or learn to shoot off my left shoulder.

Some of us have no choice but to shoot with one eye...I am blind in my left eye since birth so in some aspects I have learned to adjust but there are some things that cannot be overcome like peripheral and depth perception.I do far better at trap than I do at sporting clays or skeet,it takes a little longer for me to acquire the target. I don't let it bother me or stop me from shooting though.

Im Cross dominate, i have started shooting left handed im right handed. It was a little strange at first, but I'm smashing it now 👍

I've found it hard to switch to both eyes open shooting shotguns. When I started shooting IPSC, I took the advise of the pros around me and started shooting pistols with both eyes open and it definitely helped. Not so much the accuracy, but the transition between targets got way faster.

Growing up I was left eye dom but shot righty because my dad told me and that's what we could afford and I got good. Later in life I found out that my right eye distance was blurry when my left was perfect and I think that played a part. I 100% believe I'm center dominant now after getting glasses but can finally shoot with both eyes open. Does take practice but I can hit just as well!

Very impressive presentation 👍

Can't normally shoot both eyes open on either side. "Rediscovered" something I'd forgotten about recently. Set up reflex sights on shotguns we're using for turkey but was wondering if they'd be in the way for wingshooting or clays. Found I can shoot with both open because only the eye behind the rib can see the sight dot. I remembered there were/are some fiber optic sights with the shooter's end enclosed in an opaque tube, so only the eye over the rib can see it, letting you keep both eyes open but only see the barrel reference with one eye. I'm a poor clay shooter, but instantly went from mid teens on a round to low 20s, being able to leave both eyes open using the reflex sight.

I like your comments on throw a ball or catching, I tell people, do you close an eye when Tee up a golf ball, swing at a pitch? Then follow with, how many times have you stopped your swing as soon as you hit the golf ball, or shoot a basketball, throw a pitch. Put your stance in neutral, eye on the target, follow thru.

I like to watch it come in and get an idea of the arc and speed both eyes open and then close one when your ready to shoot

I am 66 years old and a right-handed shooter but I am left eye dominant. For most of my hunting career I have been a pretty decent shot. The last few years my accuracy has diminished to the point where I am very frustrated. I have shot left-handed before and can do pretty well and with more experience I think I could become a pretty good shot again. One thing I was thinking about doing was having LASIK surgery on my right eye to improve its vision so I could continue to shoot right-handed. 🤠

I'm a right hand shooter with a left eye dominance. What helps me most, is a mid bead on the gun in combination with shooting from the hip. I anchor the gun to cheek so if the sights are off and not aligned. I can switch dominance on the fly too my right eye. It takes some practice getting use to it. But, it works.

i might have to start trying this ive shot with one eye closed my whole time doing tray and avg 23.2 but we will see if this helps improve my shooting.

Crosseye dominant so have to do some stuff unconventionally to make things happen. Sometimes you just gotta do what ya gotta do even if it breaks the rules for you other guys

You are the first person to talk about center focus. What are the tips and tricks for the center focuses? In my life I have seen it go hard right, hard left, After Lasik soft right, and now back to glasses....it depends on how tired my eyes are. I can test, blink my eyes a couple times, test again and change eyes.. I am not a shotgun guy, so as I get into it....what are the tips and tricks.

You have talked me in to it, gonna try my ,left.

High teal coming toward me, I will miss every time with both eyes open. I learned to shot with one eye closed and now trying to train with both open but know sometimes I need to close an eye

Another situation where you might have to learn to with only your dominant eye open is if you have had a monovision procedure like I did with cataract surgery. I'm right hand dominant / right eye dominant and that eye sees at distance. My left eye is used for reading up closely. The benefit is I don't have to mess with reading glasses. I've tried to shoot with both eyes open but it confuses the hell out of my eyesight.

Love the videos! I shoot trap and skeet and some days I shoot really well and others I find my eyes are drawn to the gun...any suggestions on how not to look at the gun just before the shot? Thanks Sandy

I’m right handed and right eye dominant. For years I’ve closed my left eye just before shooting but I’ve tried to get accustomed to keeping both eyes open. I seem to see the lead better with left eye closed just before the shot and I usually break more with left eye closed. I know conventional wisdom says both eyes open but it doesn’t work for everyone. One of the best shooters I’ve shot with closes or at least squints his left eye just before shooting.

Allen Warren! Nuff said.

I'm right handed but left eye dominant so I shoot trap with my left hand it is weird at first but I got used to it

I actually have a condition where my eyes uncontrollably have a "vibration" that's the best I can describe it. Now if I close one of my eyes this inensifyes so I shoot everything both eyes open except rifles with a scope.

I agree that switching sides is possible once you get past the awkwardness. We should give our brains credit for their ability to adapt. It's awkward at first, but the mind adapts fast.

I’ve watched all 7 or 8 videos of the series along with that many other videos on the same topic. I bought and practiced with over 600 clays in the past 2 or 3 weeks.. my right eye is the dominant eye. But not by much I’m almost center dominant. When I was a kid I remember trying to shoot a BB gun right handed but with my left eye.. I believe through 20 years of sports my right eye has become the dominant eye but not by much. I’ve tried to shim and fit my gun and best as possible. But here’s the thing. I believe to shoot with both eyes open and be proficient. Your mount has to be identical every single time. Mine is not. And being that both eyes are almost as dominant.. with both eyes open I can’t tell if I’m flat on the rib or off to one side or the other when I mount. With one eye open I can tell how to adjust my rear sight (right eye) on the gun. Both eyes I can’t tell what’s going on really

Both of my eyes fight for dominance when I have them open. My left which isn't typically dominant and doesn't meet the line test tends to try to be the one to focus in because when I went to the Opthamologist tested it had better vision. Started closing my left eye and I'm breaking clays now. I will say it makes it harder to get high house in skeet with my left eye closed though. But it's a handicap I'm going to try to beat. It's more of a lead problem now that I've got used to the left eye closed. I think it comes down to the individual.

100 % yes! Tell them why Steve

I am cross eyed dominant, left eye dominant - right handed shooter. My under-over shotgun has a midbead and front bead but still had ditticulty shooting 'consistently'. I primarily shoot down the line trap shooting, my eyes were all over the place and was desperately looking for a solution. I removed my front bead and fitted a HiViz Comp Sight, visible only with my right eye, the bright green/red dot is only visible with the eye over the rib and absolute night and day difference in my shooting consistency.

I shoot both eyes open. It really helps on left and right targets. Both eyes open take a little getting use to but once you get it, you will always shoot both eyes open.

That's how we does that 👌

I am right handed and left eye dominant. I have always shot left handed even as a kid. When I first started shooting shotguns I would use one eye, then went to both eyes open and when the clay was thrown I would go to one eye. I final learned after a couple of years to shoot both eyes open and have become a better shotgun shooter.

I'm left handed and right eye dominant. I shoot pistols left handed but had to teach myself to shoot long guns right handed. Long range rifle I use one eye but for most shotgun stuff I'm both eyes open now.

I started shooting clays again after probably 30 years. Didn't know i had cross eye dominance. Tried shooting left handed. Have a very hard time with crossing target. Put tape on glasses seems to help a lot. Going to try and see an eye Dr who specializes in shooting.

I acquire the target with both eyes open then shoot or “aim” with only 1 eye open, dunno just works for me

I agree with you although I never have tried to shoot with both eyes using a shotgun. I try with hand guns and can not get used to it. Its a me problem though. Next time I shoot I will try both eyes open.

I shot with one eye open fairly well and have recently tried shooting with both eyes open. My scores got drastically worse. I cannot seem to know where the gun is pointed anymore. Very frustrating and makes me want to go back to one eye shooting.

The short answer is: it depends. In most cases, where you are not using an LPVO for long distances, you should shoot with both eyes open to maintain situational awareness.

Muy excelentes arma amigos elegante superpuesta

Every eye dominance tests indicate I am cross eye dominant. When I mount a shotgun or rifle to my right shoulder with both eyes open my brain picks the left image. If I close my left eye or just partially close it for an instant I then get right eye image and maintain the image even after I open my left eye. If I blink both eyes at the same time I can maintain the right eye image. With both eyes open at the same time staying focused on the target while holding a handgun I can detect two images and I can tell my brain to pick the on the one coming from the right eye.

right handed left eye dominant with means I will see double while trying to focus on the target.

RH/LE shooter here. Unfortunately, I suffered left shoulder injury, and the recoil can get painful. So I shoot RH, LE closed. Guess I'm an exception.

I am near sighted and wear prescription glasses to shoot. My glasses alter my dominant eye, however. Whenever I do the tests without my glasses, I am right eye dominant. With my glasses on, which is the only way I can see well enough to pick up a moving clay, I am left eye dominant. I have not figured out a good solution yet.

I shoot one eye closed, right eye dominate and right handed. Just how I’ve always shot. I shoot both trap and skeet leagues that way. Shot my PR of 23 in both, the 2 missed target probably would be hit with both eyes opened, but I’ve always shot 1 eye closed. Would love to train myself both eyes open though.

4:00 Bro still thinking about that game.

I'm right eye dominant. I close my left eye.This is my involuntary state😂😂believe me. As always superb, you're awesome bro.👍🌹

Hi, i was a one eyed shooter for years. I finaly made myself shoot with both eyes open. It took awile but i know am comfortable with it. Because of covid & shoulder & prostste surgery been away from clay shooting for 5 years. Joining a shotgun oriented club. Starting over at 71. Whew.

Can you please review the cynergy trap

I focus on the target with 2 eyes and close the left eye to ensure the lead is OK if time allows. Not on skeet station 8 for instance.

“I thought I told ya… you’re gonna miss if you close one eye” -Wrinkle Neck Mules (also TFL)

Got central vision, got to wear an occluder for shooty 😅

Right handed but learned to shoot lefty, bad right eye from birth.. I know my depth perception is compromised so just learned to keep the gun swinging pull through the target then bang. One hunting season had to shoot righty because of shoulder operation, no lead to right but had to double it for left shots.

Nice glasses. Brand plz?

Easy way for me to shoot cross eye dominant with both eyes open was to put on a red dot

It just depends on how you learn sometimes it's better for some people to shoot "targets" with both eyes open and sometimes it's better with one eye closed it really just depends on the person and the training. My left eye is messed up spots and lines so I always shut it no matter what I shoot TARGETS. EXCEPT when i shoot at flying skeets or birds haha

So I am center with "maybe" right eye dominating. Finger pointing method when I close one eye my first version is off to one side for both eyes. When I look down my gun focused on the bird my eyes see to barrels equally. I was told to look over the bead and focus on the target but it's not working anymore. 25 years ago it worked great, but not now. Help, I always go to one eye or back and forth and my shooting is terrible now.

I am very left eye dominant. I am right handed. I can tell you it doesn’t make as big of a difference as people say. I took second at state trap with one eye closed. Just don’t aim and practice practice practice

The sports analogies always talk about hitting a baseball or tennis or the like; this is based on convergence of the eyes which is WAY more important as something comes within a few feet of you. Up real close. Things moving away from you don't have much of an effect with this. Things moving side to side make you use "smooth pursuits" ; this can be done with one eye without problem and is why that elite trap shooter you mention does just fine using mostly single eye shooting.

@cgreeneblue

7 ай бұрын

I should note, I do think it's best to shoot with both eyes open, unless perhaps you are cross dominant and want to stay on the side of your dominant hand...just know that with enough practice you can probably make it work fine enough.

I'm strong left eye dominant but right handed. Anyone have a link to those dots for glasses he was mentioning?

Hey Steve what gun did u shoot today?

I am cross eye dominant. I have plenty of great shots on moving targets with my strong eye closed.. I have tried both eyes open switching sides but the way for me is tried and true method that has killed many squrrels, rabbits, doves, & ducks..

You have me convinced. Left eye dominant and right handed. Will switch my shotgun to the left side. But, for now, my off the rack over and under has a right hand cast.😕 Still gonna switch and evaluate. Thank you

@TargetFocusedLife

2 ай бұрын

Let us know how it goes.

Your points are solid, but some of us just can’t do it. I’m left eye dominant but just cannot shoot left-handed no matter how hard I try so I close my left eye at the last second to get my lead right, may not be the correct way, but nobody out shoots me in the duck blind🤷‍♂️

I'm right eye dominant but left handed. I have always shot long guns right handed, because that's how I got a good, comfortably cheek weld. I shoot pistol left handed. Weirds out my rangemaster during quals.

Compelling argument, but I use 2 eyes for better target acquisition and end up closing an eye when I pull the trigger. I don't shoot competitively anymore, but I have carded many perfect rounds with the various gauges. If I would dispute anything it would be the idea that you drive with your arm. If I drive with my arm instead of swinging from the hips I find I push the gun away from my face. I view the support arm as more of a pointer, which is why I agree that switching to the weak hand for shooting can be done fairly easily,

Hello thank you for your video! I am right eyed dominant and learning spearfishing and because of minor shoulder injury don't want to use right hand (it recoils into the shoulder). I need to use my left hand and will try to make it work. So my best option would be to squzze a right eye a little bit when aiming. Do you have any other tip?

What is your opinion on using red dot if you are cross eye dominant?

I am super cross eyed dominant and I started shooting when I was four years old. But I didn't know that I was cross eyed dominant until I was like 21 so now I just close my left eye

Do you have any recommendations for a 20 gauge pump shotgun

I`l l try both next time

I started life as a rifleman, then in 1980 got involved I the shotgun and into Olympic Trap. I shoot one eyed to this day at age 76. Don't think I will be changing anytime soon.

I always shoot with both eyes open since my right eye suffers from amblyopia. I had to wear eye patches as a small child to force my eye to learn seeing correctly, but to minimum avail. I can see with my right eye, but it's impossible to focus. It's basically just peripheral vision with this eye. As a result, I am left eye dominant and also am a left shooter, everything else is right dominant. So effectively, I have both eyes open with one eye basically non-functional

I've been trying to figure this out. I was supposed to be left-handed and for much of my life I was ambidextrous. I was made to write with my right hand, but I could do most other things with my left hand. These days (58 years old), I find it more difficult doing things with my left hand. When I do the eye dominance tests - I haven't been able to figure out which eye is dominant. It seems like the left, but I am not sure. I used to be a great shot when I was a kid with a shotgun, closing an eye and shooting right-handed. I just got a shot gun again and for the life of me can hardly hit a duck. I'm not sure what to do now.

I’m left eye dominant but when I’m shooting shotgun or bow my right fights for control. I have to close my right or I’ll be way right on my shot

Here is my dilemma. I am left eye dominant. But not completely. When I focus on the target i see two barrels. I used to try to shoot off my left shoulder. Since I now have a pacemaker i am forced to shoot off my right shoulder. I have learned the barrel on the left is the correct one. Should I continue to train myself to shoot with both eyes open?

If I am left eye dominant and right handed, what side eye do I put the tape on?

I have been shooting shotguns with one eye closed for over 50 years it's going to be hard to change that. I learned from youtube 10 years ago that I was doing it wrong, but only shot 200 rounds in the last 10 years so not much chance to practice the change.