# Left eye dominant..right handed



## brendalee333 (Jul 25, 2016)

Awesome you switched to left handed. When I got my bow, they told me I should be shooting left handed (Which I write left handed), due to my dominant eye. Well, I have no strength in that arm to pull back, so I stayed with a right handed bow and I wear an eye patch in order to shoot. Not a fan I look like a pirate...but it works!


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## lacampbell2005 (Feb 17, 2015)

My wife is the same way. She overcame the awkwardness of shooting Lefty much faster than I expected. I think you made a wise decision.
But now you'll have to spend your life in the left handed classifieds. Slim pickings over there.


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## kstef (Jun 15, 2016)

I found out on my own when I shot for the first time and my arrow went way left into the field &#55357;&#56834; good thing I grew up in the country with only corn around to see my oops!

Once I went to an actual bow shop, I decided to move to left handed when I switched to recurve. Gotta say, it feels so much better! My next compound bow will be left-handed, as well. Good luck, the transition goes better than you think!


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## Iamewe64 (Dec 24, 2008)

I switched to lefty for eye dominance and love it. I had struggled right handed with consistency and TP for many years, once I switched it was a complete turnaround. Once you build muscle you'll love it.


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## misrider93 (Feb 27, 2012)

I am also right-handed but left eye dominant. Luckily my boyfriend is the same as we are and shoots left-handed too. It takes some getting used to while training your left-hand to release, but feels much better when you can use your dominant eye!


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## mike 66 (Jan 21, 2010)

well not every one can change. going from the strong side to the weak side.not everyone can do it. most cant shoot many arrows without getting wore out fairly quick.. then you gotta order a left bow..good luck on that. there is two things you can do.squint the left eye while you shoot. or there is a simple thing you can make or buy they are not pricey and they work great. they are called a double vision blocker.lancaster carries one under another name but both work just fine under $15.00.....coach mike


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## Sara-s (Mar 2, 2014)

My husband, like you, is a natural righty who is left-eye dominant. Fortunately, he learned this at lessons, before buying his first bow. Good for you, making the switch. I guess that's harder after you've been shooting for a while.


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## gralewaj (Apr 18, 2007)

While shooting your bow, wear clear or yellow shooting glasses, place a piece of regular Scotch tape (opaque, not clear) over the dominant eye sight line on the lens of the glasses. This allows you to keep both eyes open for depth perception and peripheral vision, but blurs the dominant eye sight picture forcing you to use the non-dominant eye to sight in. In time, you can learn to shoot without the glasses. Works for shooting clay birds with a shotgun too!!


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## Live4hunting (Dec 6, 2004)

This is more common than you think. Im rt handed shoot left, no true dominant eye. My son writes left handed, stick and ball sports rt handed shooting including pook lt handed. Guess what rt eye dominant. He too wore a patch when he was little to force him to use the correct eye. But its funny as hell to watch him play pool in your eye his shots do not line up but they do to him and yes he is using his rt eye.


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## Endi (Jan 22, 2017)

Oh my. I'm totally new to this, got a bow for the holidays and it is a right handed, which I am. I can actually do most things with either hand (minus writing). Thanks to this thread I see my left eye is dominate. Guess I will have to find another bow.


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## DeerTrax (Jun 13, 2017)

Shoot the proper eye, you'll be thankful you did


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## Deercreek90 (Sep 14, 2017)

Ill be switching after 9 year im nervous but have always know i was left eye right hand but i was always a great shot so i didnt care. The older i get the more i notice if i pull up a gun quick i close my right eye after shooting since i was 5. I feel my right eye is getting out of focus. I have had to add a clarifyer to my bow so i just said w.e. and ordered the new avail left handed im excited buy nervous


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## Abar (Sep 25, 2017)

I am right eye dominant right handed - but my wife and son are right handed left eye dominant and one of my daughters is left handed right eye dominant. We are all jumbled up over here.


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## Huntinsker (Feb 9, 2012)

Every cross dominant person I ever helped, including a couple in my own family, got a pretty hard sell by me to shoot with the dominant eye over the dominant hand. Every one that listened was very happy that they did and several who didn't came back later with bows of the other hand. It's easier to train your muscles to do something than it is to re-train your brain to so something that it's already been doing one way for nearly your entire life.


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## Pete53 (Dec 5, 2011)

if your eye dominant is not the same as hand dominant just shoot one eyed I do , i still shoot great and kill plenty animals too.


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## _kat_ (May 2, 2017)

i am the same way, except i was shooting for a while, and then my eyes changed on me


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## Hama Yumi (Nov 2, 2017)

I've read that if your dominant hand and eye are opposite, that it's best to shot with your dominant hand. For starters, some people are not able to draw nearly the same weight with their non-dominant side. Just close the eye that you're not using.


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## Dixonmike (Oct 17, 2015)

Envo said:


> Hello!
> 
> I got into bow hunting August 2014. My friend owned a bow shop and sent me top go pick something out. Bought a new hoyt ignite and all the accessories. Unfortunately I assumed I was right eye dominant. Last fall I bought a hha optiomizer single pin to replace my 3pin sight. My friend who owns the shop and is in archery 30plus years helped me sight it in. After 2 hours he's like somethings not right. We do the eye dominance test..waaallaa I am left eye dominant. I wish I knew that all along, his guys didn't ask I always assumed I was right eye right hand.
> 
> ...


Great to hear. I'm the same. Once I switched to a left hand bow, my accuracy improved dramatically. I tried the eye patch trick, just didn't work for me. 
It took a little time to build up strength to draw the same weight, but it wasn't difficult. It just took steady practice. 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk


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## full throttle (Nov 14, 2013)

Agree with the few on here saying to close the dominant eye. I’ve been doing it my whole life... don’t understand what is so hard about it. Been doing it on pheasants, dove, ducks and deer for the last 35 years with very little limitation.


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## Dixonmike (Oct 17, 2015)

full throttle said:


> Agree with the few on here saying to close the dominant eye. I’ve been doing it my whole life... don’t understand what is so hard about it. Been doing it on pheasants, dove, ducks and deer for the last 35 years with very little limitation.


It's a matter of preference. It doesn't feel right to some. 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk


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## john800 (Nov 18, 2015)

Dixonmike said:


> It's a matter of preference. It doesn't feel right to some.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk


When we tried this with my wife she would forget to close the eye and not realize she did it, she had better reaults shooting left handed. Depends on the individual, the only way is tobtry both.


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## bownero (Mar 12, 2011)

I shot bow for 17 years right-handed and decided to make the switch because I was getting a fuzzy sight picture with my non-dominant eye. Best switch I made. It didn't take all that long to adjust. I still shoot guns right handed, I write with my right hand and kick with my left. I'm all screwed up! lol..


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## archergirl24703 (Dec 27, 2018)

I'm the opposite, right eye dominant left handed and I shot a left handed bow for years when I was younger. As I got more and more into competing I was no longer doing as well making it work that way. It was pretty hard to retrain myself with a right handed bow but the results couldn't be better, my average has increased substantially.


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## kwood (Oct 4, 2011)

Envo said:


> Hello!
> 
> I got into bow hunting August 2014. My friend owned a bow shop and sent me top go pick something out. Bought a new hoyt ignite and all the accessories. Unfortunately I assumed I was right eye dominant. Last fall I bought a hha optiomizer single pin to replace my 3pin sight. My friend who owns the shop and is in archery 30plus years helped me sight it in. After 2 hours he's like somethings not right. We do the eye dominance test..waaallaa I am left eye dominant. I wish I knew that all along, his guys didn't ask I always assumed I was right eye right hand.
> 
> ...


Glad to hear of your success!!! 
What is crazy is, 3 of the 4 ladies I have helped get into bowhunting are RH people who are Left Eye Dominant and have had to shoot LH. Crazy! 

I ALWAYS recommend determining eye dominance when someone asks about what now to get their (wife, girlfriend, kid) as this is so critical to their success and enjoyment of the sport.

I cringe when I go into an archery shop and watch this conversation take place without discussing this. And what's worse is so often guys (like the husband) are like, "she is RIGHT handed so needs a right handed bow!" and so insistent about it... And then when it turns out she is struggling, they either chalk it up to "well she's just a girl not gonna be good at archery" or, they double down on the RH thing for being stubborn to eat crow and fix it with the right bow...

Good for you for sticking with it and learning what works!


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## kwood (Oct 4, 2011)

Dixonmike said:


> It's a matter of preference. It doesn't feel right to some.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk


Lots of folks are taught to shoot both eyes open. Something to do with tensing up muscles. Not sure it's as big of a deal they say it is . Maybe can see better too. 

As for cross eye doing opposite hand; I really dont think it would be a big deal to do opposite handed especially if done from the start or with patience.

I am RH/R eye. Write R, I shoot hockey L, baseball L, golf R (that one was after the other 2 sports, forced on me by my dad, who said he wasn't gonna deal with me being a lefty) Archery/guns R. Picking up a bow LH now would seem weird, but had I been LED, could have done it that way from the get go. Muscle memory.


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## jwoodyu (Mar 13, 2013)

I made the switch from right to left after trying all the tricks and getting decent. Not one regret and it is what i teach as well.


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## khromrell (Sep 18, 2018)

Go with the dominant arm and an eyepatch. It's not just strength, it's also coordination.


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## woof156 (Apr 3, 2018)

Envo said:


> Hello!
> 
> I got into bow hunting August 2014. My friend owned a bow shop and sent me top go pick something out. Bought a new hoyt ignite and all the accessories. Unfortunately I assumed I was right eye dominant.
> 
> Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk


Not too impressed with a bow shop that did not test for eye dominance--that would have saved you some trouble. It is better to shoot based on dominate eye- less brain gymnastics, not have to worry about closing one eye, taping etc. Glad you are set up and shooting well now.


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## Badassarchery (Dec 29, 2017)

I am right handed, and right eye dominant but have had my left eye take over before, I couldn't figure out why I was shooting so far left, and completely missing the target, but thats what it was. Glad to hear you were able to switch over to left handed.


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## NEWYORKHILLBILLY (Nov 17, 2007)

Envo said:


> Hello!
> 
> I got into bow hunting August 2014. My friend owned a bow shop and sent me top go pick something out. Bought a new hoyt ignite and all the accessories. Unfortunately I assumed I was right eye dominant. Last fall I bought a hha optiomizer single pin to replace my 3pin sight. My friend who owns the shop and is in archery 30plus years helped me sight it in. After 2 hours he's like somethings not right. We do the eye dominance test..waaallaa I am left eye dominant. I wish I knew that all along, his guys didn't ask I always assumed I was right eye right hand.
> 
> ...


I am in the same boat. I been shooting left handed most of my life and its second nature to me. My grand daughter is also right handed left eye dominate . I just starter her with a left hand bow, she shooting well. She did have a advantage because she never even shot a right hand bow.


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## Katrocc (Mar 18, 2019)

I am left eye dominant and right handed. I shoot with right handed. I think I do pretty good that way. I trained myself to automatically shut my left eye as I raise the bow. Works for me. If my left hand and arm were stronger I might try lefty. Maybe in the future.


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## nag (Jun 13, 2007)

mike 66 said:


> well not every one can change. going from the strong side to the weak side.not everyone can do it. most cant shoot many arrows without getting wore out fairly quick.. then you gotta order a left bow..good luck on that. there is two things you can do.squint the left eye while you shoot. or there is a simple thing you can make or buy they are not pricey and they work great. they are called a double vision blocker.lancaster carries one under another name but both work just fine under $15.00.....coach mike


Spot on! Not sure why everyone makes such a big deal about eye dominance when shooting sights. Big problem if shotgunning, because you point a shotgun, not sight it. That said, I am a cross eyed shooter and have found no issues with it. And because I am so right hand dominant, there is no way I can switch, just like coach Mike mentioned....it's not for everyone.
In time you can train yourself to keep both eyes open by slightly squinting at first. Before you know it, you'll have no problem looking through that peep.
If you are able to become a switch hitter, great. In the long run it will help you, especially if you decide to try shotgun, but PLEASE don't sweat it if you're unable to. 
By the way, statistics say that 95% of women are cross eyed dominant. Not sure what the The great creator was thinking there.


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## laur (Sep 6, 2017)

nag said:


> Spot on! Not sure why everyone makes such a big deal about eye dominance when shooting sights. Big problem if shotgunning, because you point a shotgun, not sight it. That said, I am a cross eyed shooter and have found no issues with it. And because I am so right hand dominant, there is no way I can switch, just like coach Mike mentioned....it's not for everyone.
> In time you can train yourself to keep both eyes open by slightly squinting at first. Before you know it, you'll have no problem looking through that peep.
> If you are able to become a switch hitter, great. In the long run it will help you, especially if you decide to try shotgun, but PLEASE don't sweat it if you're unable to.
> *By the way, statistics say that 95% of women are cross eyed dominant.* Not sure what the The great creator was thinking there.


Where did you find that statistic?


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## nag (Jun 13, 2007)

Sorry for the late reply...flooding here. 
Several years ago I was at a shotgun clinic, (eye dominance is a real big issue especially for the gals in trapshooting.)
That extremely well known shooter gave us that stat.
My coaching experiences have proven him correct because if a girl joins the shooting team, she's most likely cross dominant, just like he said.


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## kwood (Oct 4, 2011)

Super interesting. I was about to call BS on you but.... That Stat pretty much tracks for all the women I have helped get started in archery from a blank slate. 

My mom. My friend Kat. My friend Melissa. My friend Theresa. Okay, have I helped get anyone else started in archery from square one? Let's see no, I have not. Pretty much tracks doesn't it..... 

I feel like there needs to be a sticky on this forum for "what bow should I get/(my wife/girlfriend/sister) - considering that is 95% of the questions on here anyway. I think that would be step 1. I would love to see a source that cites this, like a legit research stat. 

Btw all the ladies I have helped shoot just fine with other hand. Since they learned archery from square one that way, I don't think it matters. Think back to what you could pull your first day. Is it the same? 

I know I could pull maybe 30 or 35 my first day I can now pull over 60# on bows with the wickedest, nastiest draw cycles. Archery muscles just seem to blossom into whatever you need them to do with constant practice. If I wanted to pull 70 or maybe even 80, I probably could, with practice. 

The reason I brought up the golf, hockey and baseball, is the point that all of those involve WAY more coordination than archery. They are all really similar swings. Please explain to me then, why, I was able to do better than the vast majority of my peers/competitors in those if this was an issue. Golf was RH the other sports LH. 

In fact if you consider back tension and how those shots are executed in archery there is no "coordination" really at all - coordination would only really be required for trigger-punch shooting style anyway.


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## kballer1 (Aug 31, 2010)

The blocker does work but also id have glasses shooting RH with LH eye dominance just put a piece of scotch tape over your center
of your LH eye glass & that will eliminate your cross eye problem & will be able to keep your LH eye open.


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## kwood (Oct 4, 2011)

^this is the most clever solution I have heard so far for those who stubbornly insist to shoot cross eye dominant! Have to admit it's well thought out.


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## laur (Sep 6, 2017)

nag said:


> Sorry for the late reply...flooding here.
> Several years ago I was at a shotgun clinic, (eye dominance is a real big issue especially for the gals in trapshooting.)
> That extremely well known shooter gave us that stat.
> My coaching experiences have proven him correct because if a girl joins the shooting team, she's most likely cross dominant, just like he said.


Interesting, I'm in the 5% minority then.


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## nag (Jun 13, 2007)

kwood said:


> Super interesting. I was about to call BS on you but.... That Stat pretty much tracks for all the women I have helped get started in archery from a blank slate.
> 
> My mom. My friend Kat. My friend Melissa. My friend Theresa. Okay, have I helped get anyone else started in archery from square one? Let's see no, I have not. Pretty much tracks doesn't it.....
> 
> ...


 Thanks for not calling out B.S. One of the great things about sites like this is one never knows what experiences others bring to the table. 
That shotgun clinic I was referring to was given by Gil and Vicki Ash. Gil is well known for his research in vision related to the shooting sports.


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## Trogers3 (Sep 7, 2015)

I shot right handed for about a year before anyone mentioned eye dominance to me. I was "okay" but no where near good. I started taking the USA Archery instructor training course and they discussed dominate eye almost first thing. Sure enough I am cross dominant. I shoot primitive (horsebow, off my hand, no shelf or anything else) and I keep both eyes open when shooting. I terrified one guy at the range the first day I switched to shooting left handed but once I got used to it I have never looked back. Different things work for different people but shooting a style where you keep both eyes open, switching to my dominate eye helped a lot.


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## tigerboy54 (Sep 24, 2018)

my gf is left eye dominant but right handed thinking of starting her off left handed from the start with bows


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## packets (Aug 5, 2019)

I’m left handed and right eye dominant, but my daughters are right handed and left eye dominant. So many extra bows because we didn’t get it right. Glad you found out.


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## DGarner211 (Apr 30, 2018)

My 13-year old daughter is the opposite - left handed and right dominant. She shoots right handed by choice and is very good. 

She’s nearly ambidextrous, so that helps. And it saves me money since she can share a right handed bow with her sister until we can afford to get one of her own.


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## southeast562.mc (Mar 30, 2015)

When I first start shooting that was the first test the bow shop did and like you I was left eye dominant but a righty. So being that I never shot before I dove right into shooting left handed best decision ever.
So my advice to a new shooter who has the same issue forget trying to shoot right handed go all in as a lefty

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## swbuckmaster (Dec 20, 2005)

Half the USA cadet and juinor team in Madrid Spain "12 out of 24 archers were either left handed or left eye dominant right handed archers" 
My personal opinion is keep a relaxed face "no squinting" and shoot with dominant eye. 


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## Carverscout (Dec 13, 2015)

I have a little different take on this. I am LH-left eye dominate, but due to an left eye injury I need to use my right eye. I switched and after the usual problems I found that the left arm, being the stronger arm holds the bow much more steady, (except now being 68 yrs old nothing is steady) so I seem to shoot better. I was a coach for Denise Parker when she first started and she was left eye dominate/RH and I switched her to LH bow and look at those results. Not saying it is for everyone, but for me it seemed to work.


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## Simplestman84 (Oct 22, 2019)

tigerboy54 said:


> my gf is left eye dominant but right handed thinking of starting her off left handed from the start with bows


Not a bad idea… 

My wife is right handed, but left eye dominant. Actually more of it right I stick man. She started out shooting in the 30 pound range on a left-handed bow, and she is now up to 53 pounds comfortably… Not bad for being 5’3” and petite. Just takes some practice and consistency, she is very comfortable shooting left-handed.


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## Simplestman84 (Oct 22, 2019)

Oops... 

* right eye stigma


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## benmitchell17 (Oct 30, 2019)

ive been figuring that out myself!


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## mmoorehead2 (Nov 6, 2019)

Envo said:


> Hello!
> 
> I got into bow hunting August 2014. My friend owned a bow shop and sent me top go pick something out. Bought a new hoyt ignite and all the accessories. Unfortunately I assumed I was right eye dominant. Last fall I bought a hha optiomizer single pin to replace my 3pin sight. My friend who owns the shop and is in archery 30plus years helped me sight it in. After 2 hours he's like somethings not right. We do the eye dominance test..waaallaa I am left eye dominant. I wish I knew that all along, his guys didn't ask I always assumed I was right eye right hand.
> 
> ...


i feel your pain


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## grammahunter (Dec 22, 2019)

That's funny! I am right handed but shoot left and my husband is a lefty but shoots right. I knew right away that I was left eyed dominant back when I picked up my 1st rifle exept the rifle is a right handed gun. It's not too bad shooting left eyed with a right handed gun but it would be pretty awkward shooting a bow right handed, at least for me. My husband shot left handed for years and finally figured it out and transitioned pretty easy. Then when we started archery about 15 years ago he bought a right handed bow and he's a natural.


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## Ahkhira (Aug 26, 2019)

I ended up shooting with both eyes open. It's not as difficult as some people make it out to be. It took a bit of practice, but now I shoot the recurve bare bow just the same as I shoot the compound with sights - both eyes open. My mom calls me a "freak of nature" because I'm also truly ambidextrous. I do shoot right handed because I was taught that way as a kid, and lefty feels really unnatural now. Do what is most comfortable for you, and don't be afraid to experiment.


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## HITYRA (Dec 26, 2019)

Once I went to an actual bow shop, I decided to move to left handed when I switched to recurve. Gotta say, it feels so much better! My next compound bow will be left-handed, as well. Good luck, the transition goes better than you think!


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## HITYRA (Dec 26, 2019)

HITYRA said:


> Once I went to an actual bow sh filezilla uc browser rufus op, I decided to move to left handed when I switched to recurve. Gotta say, it feels so much better! My next compound bow will be left-handed, as well. Good luck, the transition goes better than you think!


 left-handed, as well. Good luck, the transition goes better than you think!


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## Meatmissle22 (Jan 3, 2020)

I think spothogg makes a release that looks like a thumb release a wrist and they claim it helps to pull a heavier draw.


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## taylor.0124 (Jan 13, 2020)

I know about this all too well. I am in the same exact position. I am right handed, but left eye dominate. It makes everything complicated haha. My boyfriend shoot competitive and I cant tell you how many times he’s said “oh if only you were a righty so i could pass stuff onto you”


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## HiZ (Oct 7, 2018)

Unless you are chasing waterfalls remember that your eye is what takes control and operates everything through your ocular!

Of course I have a know how person that has a nickname of Lopez due to this case.... shooting right hand and can't be consistentf>testing points to left eye dom. on right hand set up......


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## DaveHawk (Jul 16, 2009)

Ever hear of anyone shooting right-handed using their left-eye? Is this even possible?


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## Daave (Jul 22, 2005)

DaveHawk said:


> Ever hear of anyone shooting right-handed using their left-eye? Is this even possible?


Yes with a no peep, or anchor sight this is possible.

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