# how long to switch eye dominance with patch?



## Bigeclipse (Jul 7, 2013)

All,
I was curious of how long it might take to switch eye dominance if you wore a patch or used the tape method on your glasses everyday all day. The vision in both my eyes is the same but I am left eye dominant and right handed. My left arm is really weak compared to my right and I will never switch shooting rifle and bow from right handed to left so I thought I might try to train my eyes instead. I actually have a day job where wearing tape on my glasses is not a big deal (except I look stupid haha). Now if this would take months or even a year then I wont bother and ill just keep shutting my left eye to shoot, but if it is possible to change in a few weeks or less then I might give it a go. Anyone ever do this?


----------



## bowhunter727 (Apr 16, 2010)

I did not even know you could to that


----------



## cloquet (Jan 12, 2004)

Forget it. Won't happen. Always start kids out shooting with their master eye in charge. It really doesn't make any difference if they are right or left handed the master eye must be behind the sight.


----------



## Chris1ny (Oct 23, 2006)

You dominate eye is your dominate eye and that will not change.

Try shooting left handed. Since your right arm is stronger, you are going to love it. The bow will feel lighter.


----------



## oldpuck (Jun 25, 2009)

After I tore my my left biceps and later my rotator cuff, I switched from shooting right to left. This was better for me in one way since I am stronger on the left since I am left hand dominant. I used an eye patch and tried to switch dominant eyes or at least not rely on my dominant right eye. Well surgeries fixed my biceps tear first and later my rotator cuff and after dropping down poundage from 60 to 70 to 50 to 60 I am back shooting right. Switching dominant eye never worked for me. My vision is slightly better on the right and in order to shoot with both eyes open I need to shoot right.

Good luck, but I doubt you will be able to change the dominance of your eye. However, you may be able to improve your binocular vision and shoot left equally if you keep practicing. But ditch the eye patch it does affect depth perception and I know, I wore one hunting for 10 years.


----------



## Fury90flier (Jun 27, 2012)

Eye dominance is established around the age of 6. Beyond that age, it's set and the only way it's going to change is if you have a significant vision issue develop with the current dominant eye.

What you can do is train the brain so that YOU pick which eye is dominant for the situation needed. I'm RH/LE dominant and will use my right eye by choice...simply trained the brain to use my right eye when at anchor.

in order to train the brain, the dominant eye needs to have something to see--just make it blurry so the brain picks the clean image. A patch will just block out all light and when an image is reintroduced it will revert back to that eye being dominant. So, clear safety glasses, scotch tape the dominant eye lens...start reading, watching TV, looking at stuff in the distance all while thinking "right eye, right eye...". Of course you'll want to shoot too but you'll need glasses that are a fit for shooting.


----------



## ka_key02 (Mar 6, 2005)

My son started out Right hand, Left Eye. I started him shooting at 2 years old. By the time he was 4 he had become Right Eyed. I don't know about it for an adult though.


----------



## 1955 (Sep 22, 2009)

I don't have a dominant eye, so when I'm drawn back and looking through my peep, I have to slightly close my left eye for a second and then my focus goes to my right eye. I do not close my left eye, I just lower the lid very slightly to, kind of blur out my left eye and then my right eye takes over.


----------



## 18Bravo (Sep 1, 2009)

I changed mine from left to right when I was 20yrs old. Playing video games with a patch along with other drills did it in about 1 month.


----------



## avidarcher88pa (Sep 16, 2011)

1955 said:


> I don't have a dominant eye, so when I'm drawn back and looking through my peep, I have to slightly close my left eye for a second and then my focus goes to my right eye. I do not close my left eye, I just lower the lid very slightly to, kind of blur out my left eye and then my right eye takes over.


Same for me.


----------



## WALKER7036 (Aug 14, 2010)

1955 said:


> I don't have a dominant eye, so when I'm drawn back and looking through my peep, I have to slightly close my left eye for a second and then my focus goes to my right eye. I do not close my left eye, I just lower the lid very slightly to, kind of blur out my left eye and then my right eye takes over.


Well, judging by the looks of your avatar pic, you have bigger eye problems than left/right dominance! &#55357;&#56861;


----------



## 1955 (Sep 22, 2009)

WALKER7036 said:


> Well, judging by the looks of your avatar pic, you have bigger eye problems than left/right dominance! ��


Hahahahaha!!! That IS a pic of me, but it's from 40 odd years ago and I was messing around... My dad was pissed because I wasted film!


----------



## Fury90flier (Jun 27, 2012)

ka_key02 said:


> My son started out Right hand, Left Eye. I started him shooting at 2 years old. By the time he was 4 he had become Right Eyed. I don't know about it for an adult though.


during those years the brain is developing the wiring for life...as an adult, the brain is already wired.



1955 said:


> Hahahahaha!!! That IS a pic of me, but it's from 40 odd years ago and I was messing around... My dad was pissed because I wasted film!


I swear you look like one of the guys from Cadyshack...lol


----------



## pat13b (Nov 7, 2010)

I picked up archery again after about 20 years. When I was young My right eye was dominant. So I shot right handed. When picking it back up a few years ago I noticed something wasn't right with my site picture and went to a hat blinder then a site blocker. Tried closing one eye etc. nothing seemed to worked long term. Someone told me I should just convert to left hand. I was determined to somehow make this work. I put up with this for 3 to 4 years and just decided recently to switch to left hand. I'm glad I did. My site picture is great and totally different. No blinder / blocker required. It takes a little getting the mechanics down and I'm still building up strength but I think this is going to work out. 

Everyone is different but going with the eye that works seems to be good advice. 
Good luck.


----------



## bfisher (Nov 30, 2002)

Fury90flier said:


> Eye dominance is established around the age of 6. Beyond that age, it's set and the only way it's going to change is if you have a significant vision issue develop with the current dominant eye.
> 
> What you can do is train the brain so that YOU pick which eye is dominant for the situation needed. I'm RH/LE dominant and will use my right eye by choice...simply trained the brain to use my right eye when at anchor.
> 
> in order to train the brain, the dominant eye needs to have something to see--just make it blurry so the brain picks the clean image. A patch will just block out all light and when an image is reintroduced it will revert back to that eye being dominant. So, clear safety glasses, scotch tape the dominant eye lens...start reading, watching TV, looking at stuff in the distance all while thinking "right eye, right eye...". Of course you'll want to shoot too but you'll need glasses that are a fit for shooting.


Pretty much my situation also. I'd consider changing to a left hand bow, but after 42 years my brain is trained fairly well---at least in the situation. Other things? Not so well. LOL.


----------



## Macularhole (Dec 11, 2021)

18Bravo said:


> I changed mine from left to right when I was 20yrs old. Playing video games with a patch along with other drills did it in about 1 month.


how long did you wear the eye patch a day? what were your other exercises?


----------



## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

Macularhole said:


> how long did you wear the eye patch a day? what were your other exercises?


This Thread is 6 years old.

I've never agreed with a eye patch, maybe to start, but quickly moved shooters to closing their dominant eye for a time, squinting their dominant eye for a time and once target is acquired let the dominant eye open. May take some time, but eventually the aiming eye (off eye) will become dominant for the job at hand.

I am left handed and left eye dominant and shoot a bow right handed and pretty good. I shoot all firearms left handed and pretty good.......One wall full archery trophies and one wall full of firearms trophies (pistols, rifles and shotguns)


----------



## Fury90flier (Jun 27, 2012)

Eye patching doesn't work... At least not for the brain choosing which eye to use in which situation.... The brain needs visual stimulus for that to occur. Otherwise, when you take the patch off the brain says oh there's my good eye and select it. 

If you want to use a patch simply because you don't want to go through the training….. fine. But you can simply just close that eye too.

Use shooting glasses, eyeglasses etc with the same tape you wrap presents with… the crappy milky stuff, not that super clear stuff. Put the tape blocking the non shooting eye. 

Start reading books, watching TV, shooting while wearingsaid glasses... The more you use the glasses the faster the results.

If you're prior to the age of say 6 or 7, yes patching can work. After that the brain wiring is locked in, short of change in vision, trauma to the eye...


----------



## SHPoet (Nov 13, 2009)

Macularhole said:


> how long did you wear the eye patch a day? what were your other exercises?


It's been over a year since the OP has been on the system. I doubt he will see this.

Just fyi, patching does not ever change your dominant eye. Never. Ever.


----------



## BigXX78 (Mar 16, 2005)

Bigeclipse said:


> All,
> I was curious of how long it might take to switch eye dominance if you wore a patch or used the tape method on your glasses everyday all day. The vision in both my eyes is the same but I am left eye dominant and right handed. My left arm is really weak compared to my right and I will never switch shooting rifle and bow from right handed to left so I thought I might try to train my eyes instead. I actually have a day job where wearing tape on my glasses is not a big deal (except I look stupid haha). Now if this would take months or even a year then I wont bother and ill just keep shutting my left eye to shoot, but if it is possible to change in a few weeks or less then I might give it a go. Anyone ever do this?


You're talking about rewiring neural connections. Doing so might be possible. 30 years ago most neurologists believed neural tissues just grew to maturity and then stayed like that forever, until they began to degenerate with age. Now, experts know neural tissues change and regenerate through neuroplasticity throughout our life spans.

I say it's possible to do, but I wouldn't just slap on an eye patch to do it. You're very likely to experience unintended side-effects. Check out EMDR therapy, for example, and study how the brain is wired. The right eye is connected to the left brain hemisphere, and the left eye is connected to the right hemisphere, with all the neural circuitry connecting in the middle, right where the memory, and fight/flight/freeze alarm activation centers are in the brain. EMDR is a neurological therapy used for PTSD, among other things. Study how neuroplasticity works. You might find a way to do it right. (IDK.)There's a reason your body naturally aligned your hand and eye dominance, just as they are. It's not a defect either; it's a natural adaptation.

Personally, I think it would be easier and safer to learn to shoot a bow left-handed. It's easier to retrain muscles than neuronal pathways. After 35 years of shooting right-handed, with right eye dominance, my right side muscles are overdeveloped and unbalanced compared to my left side. Learning to shoot left-handed, for you, might actually be an advantage for long-term muscle tone balance of both sides.


----------



## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

BigXX78 said:


> You're talking about rewiring neural connections. Doing so might be possible. 30 years ago most neurologists believed neural tissues just grew to maturity and then stayed like that forever, until they began to degenerate with age. Now, experts know neural tissues change and regenerate through neuroplasticity throughout our life spans.
> 
> I say it's possible to do, but I wouldn't just slap on an eye patch to do it. You're very likely to experience unintended side-effects. Check out EMDR therapy, for example, and study how the brain is wired. The right eye is connected to the left brain hemisphere, and the left eye is connected to the right hemisphere, with all the neural circuitry connecting in the middle, right where the memory, and fight/flight/freeze alarm activation centers are in the brain. EMDR is a neurological therapy used for PTSD, among other things. Study how neuroplasticity works. You might find a way to do it right. (IDK.)There's a reason your body naturally aligned your hand and eye dominance, just as they are. It's not a defect either; it's a natural adaptation.
> 
> Personally, I think it would be easier and safer to learn to shoot a bow left-handed. It's easier to retrain muscles than neuronal pathways. After 35 years of shooting right-handed, with right eye dominance, my right side muscles are overdeveloped and unbalanced compared to my left side. Learning to shoot left-handed, for you, might actually be an advantage for long-term muscle tone balance of both sides.


Look at post date > Oct 29, 2015 

Yep, I shoot a bow right handed, but I R a lefty when it comes to firearms. Old timer custom made the holster for me - Try $90.00.


----------



## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

deleted double post


----------



## BigXX78 (Mar 16, 2005)

SonnyThomas said:


> Look at post date > Oct 29, 2015
> 
> Yep, I shoot a bow right handed, but I R a lefty when it comes to firearms. Old timer custom made the holster for me - Try $90.00.
> 
> View attachment 7520864


Man...I wish I hadn't wasted so many of my best words on a 6 year-old post!🤣🤣🤣

Duped again by software best suited for quilt making!🤣


----------

