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1 eye,2 eyes and prescription glasses

3K views 18 replies 15 participants last post by  Matt Colman 
#1 ·
I have a question for my first post on the board. I have primarily been a 1 eyed shooter sice starting trap back in the 80's. Always with just my prescription glasses (no special frames Decot,etc.) .With my aging eyes I would like to try 2 eyed shooting again but while all the tests say I am right eye dominent when I open both eyes I see both beads from a left side view. I tried back in the late 80's for one season to be a 2 eyed shooter doing eye exercise and evry thing I could get it but it just wouldn't work for me. I am wondering if in my prescription glasses I got my left lens altered for distance or my regular vision and my right lens made for shorter distance to make the beads clear if that would clear my left eye dominance problem. Any other suggestions are greatly appreciated. I have been lurking on the site for about a month and find it very informative.

Thanks, Ed Pedersen
 
#2 ·
Ed,

If your gun fits you well and your mount is consistant, try blacking out the mid-bead with a marker and mount the gun with both eyes open. If this helps eliminate the "eye confusion" then I'd say give it a try. It does take a while to retrain your eyes.

I know a couple of very good shooters that shoot one eyed. They both tried to shoot 2 eyed at different times in their life but were never able to make the transition.

ss
 
#3 ·
I also am a one eyed shooter, who has researched a lot in the last year about this issue. There are many out there that know about it, and many who don't. I tried to switch back to two eyed last year and during the process, I listend to the advice of "experts", one in particular.(good & bad, mostly erroneous).

What I can say is that this issue of eye dominance is not really an eye issue - it is a brain issue. The eye(s)are just a part of what is going on for you as you shoot - and you can't always control what your brain wants to do. You need to identify the best solution for you and your enjoyment of the sport.

Therefor, for eye dominance and more importantly cross firing (the real culprit here) physical modifications to the gun, beads blocking, prescriptions, etc. can only go so far. It is your brain you need to understand and it's relationship to trap shooting for you. Then you experiment and make you best informed decision.

Somtimes Phil Kiner chimes in here on ts and he is likely the most knowledgable person around that has researched trapshooting, eye dominance, eye/mind performance and he is also a world class shooter. Listen to Phil. His DVD is a start to learning about this issue. Buy it.

Also, use the seach feature here and read the (many) threads about eye dominance. Everybody seems to have an opinion, but the closer you get to the science and data, the better you'll find a sustainable solution. Best wishes. I am happy with my solution, but I continue to try to improve & understand more.

js
 
#4 ·
I am an eyedoc. I think you are saying that you are left eye dominant when shooting despite being told you appear right eye dominant on quick dominance type tests. If you are right handed you then shut your left eye to shoot. Is that about right?

If that is the case, I would say the ease at which you might really change your dominance from your left to your right eye is pretty slim (given the many years you have trained it) and not worth your time unless you are maybe a pro shooter. Your best bets are to continue closing the left or as others have suggested put a dot/magic opaque dot or something over the center of your left lens. The advantage of that, is that you have the advantage of peripheral vision and some depth perception via using both eyes. Hope that made sense to you.
 
#5 ·
I do want to clafify that the one expert I did finalize on (PK) was super. It was the others that tried to offer advice (erroneously)that was problematic. Often shooters advice on eye dominance is well intentioned, but their level of knowledge is typically individual and personal.

PK's advice is data driven and researched across many. You should also visit the topic with your eye professional.

js
 
#6 ·
Capt. Ed,

Your shooting glasses need to be distance vision perscription. You want to see the target clearly, not the beads.

The next time you shoot a round of trap you can try this exercise and see if it helps. Close your left eye and shoot a couple targets. Then shoot the next target with both eyes open. Repeat this format for the rest of the round.

Then shoot shoot a round of trap with both eyes open and see if there is an improvement of the eye dominance problem. HMB
 
#7 ·
Am 75 and have always shot one-eye. Have tried in all. Had an
execllent shooter/eye specialist try and build me glasses to blur
the left eye. He said at outset it wouldn't work - it didn't. Have
used tape, spots and blinders - none worked. Last month underwent
cataract surgery both eyes. Talked to Dr and Phil Kiner about trying
to build a master eye with implants - both said NO. Vision now 20/20
and will be shooting one-eye. Kiner a great source of info and very
helpful.

Doyal
 
#8 ·
Doyal , sounds like I am up against a brick wall. Its not the end of the earth if I stay a 1 eyed shooter as I am happy with my shooting over all. I just like the look of the feild when I open both eyes. As I said before I tried all the exercises before and couldn't overcome it and it sound like I won't be doing it with changing my corrective lenses. I appreciated all the advice from everyone and again this is a great forum. I hope I get to meet a few of you when I finally decide to retire and take my game on the road.
 
#9 ·
Just a thought, when I was wearing glasses I had bifocals--this was a fairly expensive routine--getting 4 to 6 lenses a year. Just got Lasik. The money I will save over the course of a few years will equal the cost of the Lasik & then I'm ahead.(provided God lets me) (man makes plans and God laughs)

Phil Berkowitz
 
#10 ·
CAPT ED been there done that stronger lense in right eye and I could not see front bead. the dot only worked once in while then I found an eye patch worked better but PIA. If my left eye opens I MISS. I can not believe om a straight away bird if my left eye opens I go back to beads and am 5ft off target.
 
#11 ·
One more 1-eyed shooter here...

Similar situation, have tried to shoot 2-eyed, but I also got that double bead in my secondary field of vision. Within the last few years I have gone to shooting solely with contacts and using a plano shooting glasses system.

For those who do, is there a real benefit by blurring a lens and keeping both eyes open vs. closing one eye?!

Thanks in advance,

Jay
 
#12 ·
I have that problem too, I am right handed and my left eye is actually stronger than my right eye.

I tried the tape and the other methods of correcting the problem and finally I developed the habit of keeping both eyes open until I am about 2/3 to the point of shooting the target, then closing the left eye.

I think it is a matter of how the brain responds to the visual input, rather than one eye being stronger.

While I am a right hand shooter, I am a left hand shoveler and baseball batter and I do quite a lot of things left handed except writing and stuff like that. My mouse is on the left side and all the keyboard commands are done according to which hand is closest.

I actually thought just getting a clear left lens for the glasses, but it sounds like that won't work either.
 
#13 ·
Hawk44. I am about as confused as U. Shoot R, Bat R, Shovel R,
Write on table L, Write on blackboard R. Shoot one-eye. Left eye
might be little brighter than R but both now 20/20 uncorrected.
Will continue to shoot one-eye. Phil says no hope for two-eye and
believe him.

Doyal
 
#14 ·
I think if you can shoot good with one eye, just shoot with one eye. If your like me you shoot with one eye and you tried two eyes before and you didnt do to good shooting then i just think you should pick what ever helps you the most.

Also if you are trying to switch to two eyes, then i recommend a mid-beed sight. it helped me a little.
 
#17 ·
If you are having trouble switching from one eye to two eyes give this a try. Go to the patterning board and shoot a few shots at the target from 13 yards. Use one eye and aim the shotgun like a rifle. Put up a new target and shot a few shots using two eyes. Compare the points of impact. If you want to be sucessful using two eyes the POIs should be the same. If they are different, adjust the gun so they are the same. HMB
 
#18 ·
It's not just "switching" from one to two eyes for shooting a moving target. Using both eyes requires learning how. It's certainly not something everyone can do but some can and do. It took my die-hard one eye shooting brother over a thousand targets to make the switch!! After he made the change, his averages went up too! Convincing him to change was the hardest part of the chore and sticking with it long enough to see if he could make the change work.

Hap
 
#19 ·
Capt_Ed,
When i started shooting in the late 70'S i was in high school, every one said that to shoot trap you had to use two eyes or you were some kind of freak. During that time i was a class D, 21 yd shooter. After high school i stoped shooting for close to 30 years now i have been shooting for 3 years this time with one eye and proud of it, with one eye i am a class A singles, 27 yd class A doubles shooter.
 
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