# Eye Patch?



## archeryal (Apr 16, 2005)

The current theory is that you have less eye fatigue when you don't close the other eye. Also, you get some residual depth perception with both eyes open. I learned in the era when they recommended closing one eye and don't think I could change now. Also, I am right eye dominant but do many things left-handed, so I'd probably be easily confused about which eye to use.

I do keep a couple of eye patches around for the younger kids I teach, as many of them haven't settled their eye dominance (at about age 7-9 or so) and can't hold the other eye closed.

I have a friend who uses what I believe is a pistol shooting trick: he puts a piece of frosted scotch tape on the lens of his glasses on the non-dominant eye. He can't focus clearly with it so he can't get confused about which eye to use for aiming.


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## LoveMyHoyt (Nov 29, 2008)

I have seen a few people with eye patches - but I've seen more people who put frosted transparent (scotch magic brand) tape over part of their non dominant eye lens. Seems to work ok for them.


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## Archery Ang (Apr 24, 2006)

I wore an eye patch over my left eye for about a year, and was able to train my left eye to not take over. I shoot right-handed and am left-eye dominant. To make matters worse, I'm left-handed. Yeah, I'm messed up.


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## Jim C (Oct 15, 2002)

One of Ohio's top ladies in the late 90's through about 2005 (Kim Burch) wore an eye patch. I generally have beginners shoot in conformity with their dominant eye. Another lady who shot in a compound league with me years ago would take a cheap pair of sunglasses and cut away the lens over her right eye (she was LE Dominant). Its true-keep both eyes open-rifle shooters have known that for years.


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

Kungur -



Kungur said:


> Does anyone use apatch over one eye? I wear glasses and ift seems if I keep my left eye closed it forces my right to be in better focus. I am right eye dominant.



If that's true, then there some competition going on for eye dominance for lack of a better term. If you DO find that actually helps, go to an opaque patch that lets light in. (If you ware glasses, a peice of SCOTCH brand transparent tape on the lens in your line of sight works well.) If you use a black patch, you'll get sympathetic dilation of the aiming pupil and that will hurt your focusing, not help. I'm cross-eye dom, and keep both eyes open for instinctive shooting, but close my left (dom) eye for Oly/sights.

Viper1 out.


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## archeryal (Apr 16, 2005)

Interesting point about sympathetic dilation with an eye patch: it makes sense, though I haven't heard about it before. 

Does closing one eye also cause this, or does the brain or eye compensate and "switch off" the dilation if you voluntarily close the off eye?

Is there a doctor in the house?


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

al - 

The eye lids are translucent so some light gets in, but there's usually enough "darkness" to cause some degree of sympathetic dilation, it's a graded response, not an all-or-none. 

The other thing is that if a shooter closes one eye "incorrectly" he may squint the aiming eye, and that might improve vision by a "pinhole" effect. I only mention that, as while focus might temporarily improve, overall strain might make shooting matters worse.

Viper1 out.


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## archerymom2 (Mar 28, 2008)

I asked my dad, who is a retired ophthalmologist, and he said that there is no sympathetic dilation of the non-patched eye. The eyes dilate independently.


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## Dado (Aug 1, 2004)

I try occassionally shooting with an eye patch, and it initally feels good. But then I accidentaly close my left eye and realize I SEE the target (through the peep/scope) much better that way,. hmmm


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## pbzmag (Apr 26, 2006)

Archery Ang said:


> I wore an eye patch over my left eye for about a year, and was able to train my left eye to not take over. I shoot right-handed and am left-eye dominant. To make matters worse, I'm left-handed. Yeah, I'm messed up.


I'm left-eye dominant and shoot left-handed but was taught to write right-handed by my mom because she thought writing left-handed was weird. I'm naturally left-handed and do most things lefty except for shooting guns and rifles. Yeah, I'm messed up just like you.

As for eye patches, I have a friend who just bought a patch that can attach to your glasses. This one is solid black. He also waiting for another patch that is lighter in color.


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## Archery Ang (Apr 24, 2006)

What's REALLY messed up, is the only things I do left handed are write and eat. I shoot a rifle right handed, bat right handed, throw right handed, shoot archery right handed..etc...I'm a freak. It was just natural for me to do these things right handed.


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## Arcus (Jul 7, 2005)

archerymom2 said:


> I asked my dad, who is a retired ophthalmologist, and he said that there is no sympathetic dilation of the non-patched eye. The eyes dilate independently.


Perhaps it's a terminology thing? I don't know what it's called, but when I place a hand over an eye, the other eye's pupil dilates. If I instead place a piece of transparent tape over a small portion of one of the lenses of my eyeglasses, the pupil of the other eye does not dilate, or at least it's an inperceptible dilation.

I shoot right-handed, am left-eye dominant, and wear eyeglasses. I put just enough tape on my left lens to avoid seeing two arrows.


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## therazor302 (Jun 2, 2008)

Viper1 said:


> al -
> 
> The eye lids are translucent so some light gets in, but there's usually enough "darkness" to cause some degree of sympathetic dilation, it's a graded response, not an all-or-none.
> 
> ...


This would happen to me a lot, I would have trouble remembering to close my left eye and when I did do it would squint my right.

Since then I trained myself to keep both eyes open, it's worked out pretty well but whenever I close my left eye to see the difference I seem to gain a little clarity. I figured the non squinting part beat out telling the fact I lost very little clarity because in the end I lost clarity from squinting eyes.

Overall I've seen people wear eye patches, I frequent watching professional shoots and the olympics and there was one famous fita archer who used an eye patch and he did pretty well, one of the JOAD coaches here has also prescribed an eye patch of sorts before.


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## LoveMyHoyt (Nov 29, 2008)

I have to shoot with my left eye closed and I found that squinting my right made the target clearer, but it was tiring. I can't wear my glasses when I shoot. Today was my first time shooting with contacts - wow - I could actually see the target to hit it. I've been saying "I can't hit what I can't see".


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## showmehntr (Oct 25, 2008)

I cant close my left eye, never have been able to. I started bow hunting using a eye patch and shootin right handed..killed many deer like that. One day I decided to switch and start shootin left handed. No more eye patch but my accurancy went downI believe. Just bought a right handed bow and back to my eye patch!


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## Les K (Apr 2, 2008)

Kungur said:


> Does anyone use apatch over one eye? I wear glasses and ift seems if I keep my left eye closed it forces my right to be in better focus. I am right eye dominant.


I've posted about this somewhere on here awhile ago, and since you wear prescription glasses it'll work great for you too. I bought those flip up sunglass things that clip onto your regular eyeglasses from Bass Pro in the general shape of my prescriptions. Bass Pro is the only place that I've found around here with a pretty large selection of those things. I cut off the right side lens and used black electrical tape to black out the left one. Now I have a very handy flip up blinder and I don't have to mess with an eye patch or tape on my regular glasses. When I'm done shooting, I just flip up the blinder and easily walk to the target with normal depth perception!


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## leo Malkin (Aug 6, 2012)

Hi all I am considering designing a eye block that can flip up and can directly attach to pillasport shooting glass. Thinking about a spring clip with non slip rubber material 

Any thoughts?


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## Wags02 (Jul 24, 2015)

My son is left eye dominate but shoots right handed. He wears contacts but takes his left one out while shooting. Without his contact anything beyond about 15 feet is blurry. Basically the same principle as taping over glasses, he can't shoot in glasses at all.


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

leo -

Great idea, but Knoblock has has that for a few decades.
Not familiar with pillasport. 

Viper1 out.


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## ZAWA (Aug 13, 2015)

I use one dark lens and a light lens in my sunglasses works great. Dark Brown and red or yellow depending on light conditions.


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