# Why can't you shoot left eye with right handed bow?



## gpbst3 (Sep 17, 2012)

Wouldnt you punch yourself in the nose if you even tried? Where would your anchor point be?


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## damiaan (Feb 17, 2014)

the whole point of a good anchor is to put the aiming eye, ideally, above the arrow. This allows for the abillity to shoot multiple distances. if you're only ever shooting a single distance, it doesn't really matter. you might not reach out far enough with the sightpin however.


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## Atascaderobow (Nov 4, 2014)

Isn't there a compound gal who anchors on the opposite of her face just for that reason? I can't find the video I saw, but she shoots pretty darn good that way.


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## RMBX10 (Jun 20, 2002)

Randy Holland was a successful professional archer in the 80's and early 90's who shot right-handed while being left-eye dominant. I believe that he won the PFSL championship in Vegas back when that was a competitive division with the likes of Butch Johnson, Eric Hall, and Tim Strickland.


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## dchan (Jun 29, 2004)

Adaptation. You do what you need to do in order to go have fun and shoot. 

Ideal? not really but if your goal is to get out and play, have at it.

Not having your reference points close together or in horizontal alignment will create some challenges that you will have to compensate for in other ways (like putting your sight way over to the left) and it can be done.

Don't let anyone tell you it Can't be done. Just be prepared to do some non standard things to do it and prepare to say to well meaning people around you, "I know but this is what works for me"

If they can't understand that.. you don't need to listen to them.


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## RMBX10 (Jun 20, 2002)

dchan said:


> Don't let anyone tell you it Can't be done. Just be prepared to do some non standard things to do it and prepare to say to well meaning people around you, "I know but this is what works for me"
> 
> If they can't understand that.. you don't need to listen to them.


:thumbs_up:thumbs_up:thumbs_up


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

Hockey - 

There's no reason why you can't. 

You have two basic options:

1. Replace the patch with an opaque filter, (a piece of scotch tape on sunglasses works well), or you can get creative. 
2. You CAN use your left eye, but you will need a very long threaded rod to hold the aperture. (Like several inches longer that standard.) That introduces another variable, but it's a minor one. 

It's not that difficult, really. 

Viper1 out.


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## Stash (Jun 1, 2002)

One other obstacle is string alignment. You need to see the string and you can't do it with the opposite eye.


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## dchan (Jun 29, 2004)

Stash said:


> One other obstacle is string alignment. You need to see the string and you can't do it with the opposite eye.


You don't "*need*" to see the string but it does help a lot. There are other ways to get good string alignment and head alignment. 
Kisser button, nose contact, etc will give you reference points. Not as good as visual alignment but it can be done.

It's an obstacle and challenge but can be overcome.


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## theminoritydude (Feb 11, 2013)

Kisser button and nose contact are not adequate replacements when shooting at targets over distances. It's like shooting an open sight rifle without the rear aperture at a distance of 100m. Good luck hitting anything.


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

Hockry -


dchan said:


> You don't "*need*" to see the string but it does help a lot. There are other ways to get good string alignment and head alignment.
> Kisser button, nose contact, etc will give you reference points. Not as good as visual alignment but it can be done.
> 
> It's an obstacle and challenge but can be overcome.


^^ This.

Viper1 out.


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## Stash (Jun 1, 2002)

Well, you don't "need" to shoot a bow at all. 

There is no substitute for visual string alignment that is as accurate.

So, in reference to the OP, if you can use your right eye to align the string at least, then yes, a long sight pin should allow you to aim with your left.


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## Unk Bond (Aug 1, 2004)

Hello
I am right handed and shoot a left handed bow right handed, And aim with my right eye, [ Later


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## dchan (Jun 29, 2004)

theminoritydude said:


> Kisser button and nose contact are not adequate replacements when shooting at targets over distances. It's like shooting an open sight rifle without the rear aperture at a distance of 100m. Good luck hitting anything.


Just reading the OP's comments it sounds like this person is not trying to shoot multiple distances or be an elite archer. Judging by the way things were worded, Hockry has some physical limitations that need to be overcome. Lack of ability to close one eye (which would be the dominate eye) and lack of flexibility to shoot with the hand that matches the dominate eye.

In these cases very often the athlete is just trying to find a way to continue to enjoy the sport. Telling them there's no way to do so, is not helpful to the person or anyone else reading the thread. 

consistency is the key to archery. Teaching one's self to use as many reference points as possible, even if they are not the conventional ones will usually result in good shooting.. Luck has very little to do with finding a way to enjoy the sport.. except maybe being lucky to avoid running in to people that tell you "it can't be done unless you do it THIS way"


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## dchan (Jun 29, 2004)

Stash said:


> There is no substitute for visual string alignment that is as accurate.
> 
> So, in reference to the OP, if you can use your right eye to align the string at least, then yes, a long sight pin should allow you to aim with your left.


I said it's not as accurate. That's not the point.

It would probably be less consistent if you tried to align with a less dominate eye, then switch mid shot to aim with the dominate eye. This would also depend on how dominate that left eye is. If the inability to "close the dominate eye" is not completely a physical issue but mental block ie: the mind won't let the eye close, then trying to focus with a non-dominate eye even for a short time to get an alignment will be extremely difficult. putting on a eye patch may be very tiring and troublesome for some. While it may work it's not always in the best interest of the archer. More evaluation needs to be done.


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## theminoritydude (Feb 11, 2013)

dchan said:


> Just reading the OP's comments it sounds like this person is not trying to shoot multiple distances or be an elite archer. Judging by the way things were worded, Hockry has some physical limitations that need to be overcome. Lack of ability to close one eye (which would be the dominate eye) and lack of flexibility to shoot with the hand that matches the dominate eye.
> 
> In these cases very often the athlete is just trying to find a way to continue to enjoy the sport. Telling them there's no way to do so, is not helpful to the person or anyone else reading the thread.
> 
> consistency is the key to archery. Teaching one's self to use as many reference points as possible, even if they are not the conventional ones will usually result in good shooting.. Luck has very little to do with finding a way to enjoy the sport.. except maybe being lucky to avoid running in to people that tell you "it can't be done unless you do it THIS way"


I did carefully read the OP's original comment before making my own comments. I'm a cross dominant archer myself, I have actually encountered one individual who has a condition in his right eye, who is genuinely forced to use his left eye, and I am stating as a fact, you can't hit anything consistently with that method, because I watched him come to practice day after day despite not being able to land the shots consistently.

I've been working on a prototype to go around this problem for three years now.


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## toxoph (Mar 24, 2005)

As someone who switched to 2-eyes-open after decades of closing my left eye, (I'm R eye dominant and RH, not sure why I closed L eye. in my mid 50's, I need more light) it took a conscience effort to remember to use the left aperture for aiming. I wear contacts and am very blind without them. I was having issues with my left contact and needed a prescription change which naturally made my right eye clearer. This made aiming and transition to 2-eyes-open easier.

I have wondered if people who wear contacts could remove or put a less clear contact in, to help train to be R eye dominant? I don't know if its a possibility for OP but food for thought.


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## taz00 (Jun 28, 2015)

Unless you have eyesight issues with one of your eyes IMO there is no reason to switch handeness.
Wearing an eyepatch can be tiring but there are other ways to block your other eye. A small piece of paper, plastic or something similar can be placed to the brim of your hat with a clip. It will not impede your eyesight too much since it will placed to the side and since it is at a distance from your eye the same amount of light reaches both eyes.
This is extremely common in olympic pistol shooting disciplines such as 10m air pistol and 50m free pistol and there are also lots of archers that use the same technique eg Martin Damsbo.
If you have problems with the size/stiffness of the brim while shooting recurve you can always use the same method with a bucket hat or a welder's cap like I do.


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## lksseven (Mar 21, 2010)

If you shoot with both eyes open, for some (most?) people it's easy to learn which 'image' of the sightpin (fyi, it's the image on the left if you're shooting righthanded) is being presented by your right (non dominant) eye as you look through the sight while focusing on the target downrange. After you learn that, then you just use the sight image on the left, and it no longer matters which eye is dominant because you now know which image to use.


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## echavezval (Oct 9, 2013)

You should be able to do that, but in order to make it more effective, the anchor point must be modified to the left side of your chin in order to align the arrow with your eye... Especially if you're shooting multiple distances.


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## Jackson22 (Jan 26, 2005)

Atascaderobow said:


> Isn't there a compound gal who anchors on the opposite of her face just for that reason? I can't find the video I saw, but she shoots pretty darn good that way.


Maya Marcen..... shoots for Columbia....(the country)..... She shoots right handed, anchors opposite side of her face in front of her left eye, with a wrist release under her chin.


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## chrstphr (Nov 23, 2005)

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I suppose you could do this with a recurve. 

Chris


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## erose (Aug 12, 2014)

Yeah that is how my wife shoots. She does very well with this technique shooting in the 280s indoors and 290s outdoors, after just a year and a half of practicing. Haven't seen any issues. In fact I actually think it helps her get a much better and consistent anchor.

Not sure how it would work with recurve. If I would have to guess you may not be able to shoot with as much draw weight, as you would have to lean in more with your head, which I think would make it more difficult to transfer load into your back.


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## sdcoyote (Oct 19, 2016)

I saw two very good indoor recurve archers who learned to do this extremely well back in the 70's. Although this was during the indoor season I imagine it would work well at all distances. The body can adapt in amazing ways!


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## Unk Bond (Aug 1, 2004)

Hello All
Well I tried all the ways to construed my anchor to see through a peep.
Where as I could aim with my left eye while holding a right handed bow.
I finally added a Anchor sight to replace my peep. Peep was never missed.
after once setting up my AS.
Found I also had to extend my sight scope more out to the left.
Actually now use the AS. Now release me from the level vial in my scope 

Once my bow was put in a bow vice and brought to vertically level.
And then turning the vertical cross hair of the AS to aliened with my bow string.
I now attained my bow to be vertically and horizontal level. After placeing the AS dot in the circle of the AS . I might add my form gained as well. [ Later


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