# Shooting with both eyes open



## NY_Whitetail (Dec 16, 2014)

I started shooting spots and 3D a couple years ago. I've got lots left to learn - but, I feel like I'm making progress.

This years spot leagues and indoor tournaments are just starting up, and I've spent the last year at periscope depth working on some things that I've struggled with forever because I started archery as a hunter with zero help or instruction (read as lots of bad habits, incorrect fit, etc.). I've spent the last year trying to vanquish my demons and have really been struggling with a few (i.e. proper follow through (bow hand flop, closed release elbow), and getting stuck below the X). 

I've spent as much time blank bailing as shooting to try to get my follow through right - and I can do it every time when I'm not aiming...and it feels so good. But, I can only do it right about 30% of the time when I'm aiming. 

I've also tried to transition away from aiming (i.e. focus on the center of the center, and let the arrow go) - this has worked well for me a bout 30% of the time. I've tried ignoring the pin and framing the target face with the housing - this has worked well about 50% of the time (thought about trying SA double vision).

So, I was doing some reading a few days ago about shooting with both eyes open - which I had NEVER even tried. I always just assumed that my sight picture would be doubled, blurry, and generally useless. 

But, I tried it - just to see how messed up my sight picture would be...and I love it. 

I wish I could explain it, or why it is so - but, everything is easier. I don't feel like I'm struggling to aim so much that I can't execute proper follow through most of the time. I'm not getting stuck below the X. I'm just focusing on the middle of the middle and letting my blurry blob of duplicated pins float around the middle of the middle - and let the arrow go when my form feels good. Almost all my arrows are finding X's, and it's becoming rare that I shoot a 9 - it feels like magic. Before, I was lucky to have 75% of my arrows be 10s - and the rest where mostly 9s with an occasional 8.

I love it - and I hope it lasts, because sometimes I try something new and it works for a week and then I struggle again. I don't think my progress is entirely about shooting with both eyes open - but, it seems to have been a light switch or a gate that let all the things that I was struggling with easier (not 100% perfect - but, easier and closer to 100% perfect).

I wish I could understand why this happened like this. Is this a typical condition / response? Does anyone know why this works like this?


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## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

Old saying; God gave you two eyes, use them....Using both eyes has proven the best.

I'm left handed/ left eye dominant. I shoot all firearms left handed. I shoot a bow right handed - can't help it and I ain't changing. I do darn well. It took a bit, but I shoot a bow with both eyes open. I started with squinting to have/make my right eye take over.

First ran into this "using both eyes" when learning to shoot Trap. A few practice rounds (25 shots per practice round) and I began shooting with the best shooters of the 4 Trap clubs in my area. I carried this over to competition pistol and rifle. Only made sense to do the same with a bow.


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## Apurkey (Jan 13, 2019)

i shoot alot better using both of my eyes and its more comfortable for me.


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## P_K (Mar 6, 2019)

It's more comfortable and seem more "clear" to me which allows me to relax and follow through.


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## pherrley (Jan 24, 2015)

I have had some of the same experiences, but without the changes in score. With one eye closed, I can clearly see my pin against the target and therefore, can clearly see all of my pin movement. When I can see my pin moving, it's harder for me to relax. When I shoot with both eyes open, it makes my pin / target picture more blurry and I can shoot more relaxed. My problem is, unless I have very good light; if I hold for a long time with both eyes open, I might come out of my peep a little and not know it, so I usually shoot with one eye closed.


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## sandollars (Aug 26, 2016)

I HAVE to shoot with both eyes open. If I don't, I am all over the target. I'm not clear why but I suspect it's because I am ambidextrous in most things.


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## ralph85 (Aug 2, 2007)

I've had both experiences. When I started shooting many years ago, I shot with one eye closed and it worked well. In my never ending quest to improve, I started shooting with both eyes open. This seemed to reduce stress and I could see the sight picture clearly. However, as I've gotten older and started wearing glasses, sometimes I have to close one eye. Many times I see double with both eyes open. In fact one night practicing, my FITA face suddenly turned into an NFAA, which was actually the target adjacent to mine on the range....lol. That's unusual, but it's fairly common for me to see two images of my scope with both eyes open. All that said, I still try to shoot with both eyes open, but sometimes I just can't.


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## Goatshoes (Jul 25, 2016)

I'm a right handed shooter but left eye dominant. I perform best with both eyes open but sometimes need to close the left depending on light situation.


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## Bend3r (Feb 17, 2019)

Both eyes if possible. Guess it is the same as for gun shooting, where two eyes is the preferred way as long as you do not use scopes.


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## Djqpaz (Oct 10, 2018)

I like shooting with both eyes open. There is a reason all the pros do it. 


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## Vincent10 (Jan 19, 2015)

I used to shoot precision rifle with both eyes open. Even using a blinder, my eyes were better able to adjust to the lighting. I'd settle onto the target and use diaphragm breathing (stomach). This helped to steady my aim. Once I was ready to send the shot my pause in breathing was limited to 8 seconds. After that I'd put the rifle down and reset. Research shows that after 8 seconds vision can begin to blur. 
I shoot informal target archery and use a similar shot sequence as with rifle. I also plan to try using both eyes open and maybe a blinder.


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## Sbt110 (Feb 8, 2019)

I'm not sure how long it took everyone on this thread to train for 2-eyes open, but I've been working on it for a while now and the best I've got is the 2nd eye half open. I don't have a light on my sight right now, but maybe that would help. Any thoughts?


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## NY_Whitetail (Dec 16, 2014)

Sbt110 said:


> I'm not sure how long it took everyone on this thread to train for 2-eyes open, but I've been working on it for a while now and the best I've got is the 2nd eye half open. I don't have a light on my sight right now, but maybe that would help. Any thoughts?


I've been doing it for about 3 months now & it is completely natural. Don't even think about it or realize it anymore. It probably took me a week or two to get used to it and for my eyes (more likely brain) to stop seeing the extra pin to the right.

My suggestion to you would be to try a cap blinder or a double vision blocker


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## dk_ace1 (Mar 31, 2015)

Sbt110 said:


> I'm not sure how long it took everyone on this thread to train for 2-eyes open, but I've been working on it for a while now and the best I've got is the 2nd eye half open. I don't have a light on my sight right now, but maybe that would help. Any thoughts?


Sounds like you have some amount of cross dominance in your eyes. Lots of people do. You should try blocking or obscuring your non-dominant eye and see if that helps. Some use bent playing cards on the bill of their cap or something similar to that. You can also use a pair of shooting glasses and make some dots or lines on the non-dominant eye with a dry erase marker. The less occlusion you can use and get the job done, the better.

D


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## Sbt110 (Feb 8, 2019)

Maybe that explains why my son shoots better than I do with 2 eyes open...even though he's 'left eye dominant' and shoots right handed. Looks like I'll be testing a few things out on the practice range. Thanks for the suggestions.


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## msjcan1234 (Jun 27, 2004)

So far I have only ben able to shoot with my left eye closed. Losing sight of errow tip with both eyes open.


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## Sherbert (Aug 8, 2018)

I just cant seem to focus on the target with both eyes open


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## MikePhelps (Mar 22, 2019)

both eyes open works much better for me as well. it seems to me with my confidence in the distance as I can see the deep of field better. I would ensure you are shooting with the correct dominant eye. feel free to youtube how to test that if it doesn't make sense.


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## christianslick (Aug 2, 2018)

interesting. I experimented with this off and on and I just can't seem to do both eyes open. I understand the depth-perception aspect of it but it just becomes blurry and I seem to have trouble focusing on a pin as opposed to one eye which is odd considering i try to shoot rifles and shotguns with both eyes almost always.


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## Bucket (Jan 6, 2006)

As a youngster, my grandfather once said "keep both eyes open, that way one eye can look for the opening to shoot thru while the right eye can stay on your target". I don't know if that is possible, but he was know as one of the best hunters in the area (maybe he was part lizard). Ever since I've tried to do it...with not much success, but it did teach me at an early age to shoot with both eyes open. Now, shooting into the sun, I have trouble shooting with only one eye open.


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## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

christianslick said:


> interesting. I experimented with this off and on and I just can't seem to do both eyes open. I understand the depth-perception aspect of it but it just becomes blurry and I seem to have trouble focusing on a pin as opposed to one eye which is odd considering i try to shoot rifles and shotguns with both eyes almost always.


You don't focus on pin. You focus on the target.


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## dorkbuck33 (Sep 12, 2011)

Interesting this came up . I am getting into trap shooting full bore this year and need to force learn myself to shoot with both eyes open . Never really noticed or tried what i did , sub-concience or other. It helps with depth perception and your brain is wired to use both eyes . I have some things to try and get use to it . It's hard to explain what i see when the bird bird breaks but i get it now . 2 barrels , one is dismissed and it comes automatic with the beads and POA . Never tried with my bows yet but i'm sure it will help . Shooting scoped rifles is one eye for me for now .


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## Bow Rider (Jan 16, 2015)

I have always shot with both eyes open. If I am focused on sight picture, my brain seems to ignore what the other eye sees. Squinting or closing one eye seems to make me too focused on the sight picture and other things fall apart. Sometimes I find myself subconsciously squinting one eye as if my brain knows it needs a little help on that shot for some reason. Really, I just ignore the non-aiming eye and let it do whatever it wants to do in the background.


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## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

dorkbuck33 said:


> Interesting this came up . I am getting into trap shooting full bore this year and need to force learn myself to shoot with both eyes open . Never really noticed or tried what i did , sub-concience or other. It helps with depth perception and your brain is wired to use both eyes . I have some things to try and get use to it . It's hard to explain what i see when the bird bird breaks but i get it now . 2 barrels , one is dismissed and it comes automatic with the beads and POA . Never tried with my bows yet but i'm sure it will help . Shooting scoped rifles is one eye for me for now .


Trap Shooting is where I heard; "God gave you two eyes, use them." Didn't take but a couple 25 bird practices and I was off and running. In local club events I went on to twice take 3rd in Year End High Overall in singles and took High Overall 4 years straight in Doubles. Won merchandise, food goods and cash every weekend. 10 and 12 boxes of shells every weekend.


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## Blam62 (Apr 14, 2019)

Just converted to left hand. Shot right handed and left eye dominant form many years. Not that I am shooting left handed I see the target and can stay on it better using both eyes.


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## Andrewrolltide (Jan 28, 2015)

I shoot much better with both eyes open. It seems as though my pins are less blurry and easier to see.


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## FD3S (Jul 1, 2018)

I shoot with both eyes open, but often find myself closing my left eye so I can find the target through the sight with my right eye. Then, I open my left again so I can focus on the target with both eyes. The sight is a blur around the middle of the target. 
I don't know if this is a good thing, and I'm working on keeping both eyes open. My instructor wants both eyes open.


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## Andrewrolltide (Jan 28, 2015)

After reading this post I began shooting with both eyes open and saw an immediate improvement in my accuracy. Thanks for the tip.


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## "TheBlindArcher" (Jan 27, 2015)

Both eyes closed... And usually with all the club lights turned off... Always wear sunglasses... Sometimes also wear blindfolds when training for a WA/USAA event. 

[I just wanted to play too]


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## hydnawaab (Apr 19, 2019)

I believe the video link below can help you understand why. This helped me a lot.
https://youtu.be/HnmnMhLJmuU


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## mgx1138 (Mar 29, 2019)

So I am new to competitive archery, but I have been a competitive shooter for 35+ years. I shot smallbore and highpower rifle and am Distinguished with the Service Rifle. EVERY rifle shooter shoots with the non-aiming eye covered. There is not a single shooter that shoots a rifle with both eyes looking downrange. That said, squinting the non-aiming eye closed is BAD; that causes sympathetic change in your aiming eye. Obscuring the non-aiming eye is what EVERY competitive shooter does both with open sights and when shooting a scope. Virtually all of my competitive shooting experience is with open sights and I have always obscured my non-aiming eye. It's curious to me that archers don't do the same, but I am just a newbie. It is even more curious to me that archers mistakenly think that any competitive shooters shoot with both eyes looking downrange. That is just not the case.


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## huteson2us2 (Jun 22, 2005)

When I was a kid, my father made me shoot a gun with both eyes open. I was lucky to be right eye dominate and right handed because he would have forced me to open both eyes no matter what. During basic training in the army, the sergeant in charge of rifle training tried to force me to shoot with my left eye closed. He thought it was John Wayne to open both eyes while aiming. During qualification, I kept both eyes open and shot expert. For a short time in the army, I shot competition at 1000 yards with the M21 with both of my eyes open. Idiots are people that believe that everyone must do things the same way as they do it. Some pros shoot with one eye closed while other shoot with both eyes open. Only you can decide what works best for you.


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## mgx1138 (Mar 29, 2019)

Sorry... but if you look down the shooting line at the National Championships, at any big regional match, or at any Army Marksmanship Unit, Marine Corps Shooting Team match etc., you won't find a single top shooter that doesn't obscure their non-aiming eye. Same thing at any smallbore match from State Championships to the Olympics; everyone covers their non-aiming eye.


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## NoviceAddicted (Dec 25, 2015)

A lot of good posts here. A lot of things to consider. I started shooting both eyes open all the time for last winter, indoor spots with compound. What worked for me so I didn't get all messed up was closing off eye, drawing onto target then opening off eye so I didn't get any cross eye, aim at wrong target kind of things. I'm a lefty, left eye dominant and think a lot of us may be wired a little differently. One thing I was told by a very knowledgeable archer was both eyes opened you relax more and easier to get hinge to go off, shot to go off. I try not to squint off eye after opening and if anything gets fuzzy, let down. I have been doing the same thing both eyes opened after getting on target for Field Archery. I have found that when low light conditions, it's getting dark and I'm still out here, not much contrast, it has helped me to revert to one eye open shooting. I also see posts about all the Pros shooting both eyes open, but then there's Jessie Broadwater. I have not tried this yet, but think the posts about rifle shooting and obstructing non aiming eye from target while still keeping it open may have a valid point, giving you both relaxation and focus advantages? It should be fun and hopefully one of the cheaper experiments I can run concerning buying anything.


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## dschonbrun (Nov 14, 2012)

mgx1138 said:


> Sorry... but if you look down the shooting line at the National Championships, at any big regional match, or at any Army Marksmanship Unit, Marine Corps Shooting Team match etc., you won't find a single top shooter that doesn't obscure their non-aiming eye. Same thing at any smallbore match from State Championships to the Olympics; everyone covers their non-aiming eye.


Appreciate the observation, but archery and marksmanship differ here.

In World Cup archery, and in coaching athletes competing nationally and internationally, the USAT coaches try to get archers to shoot with both eyes open when possible. Some archers use diffusion to gently blur the off eye.

The main or draw-arm eye is used to find and center on the target, the off or bow-arm eye maintains awareness of bow movement in space. I find many archers will close the off eye during anchor, transfer, and aiming, then open the off eye fully or partially to help maintain steadiness during expansion and follow through. Some who have strong dominance in the main eye are able to keep both eyes open through the entire shot process.

USA Archery NTS recommends shooting with both eyes open to 1) minimize unnecessary tension in the head and neck, and 2) leverage the benefits of binocular and peripheral vision.

Watch Alexis Ruiz in her recent matches. It will give you a great example of the NTS.

D


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## Brandman99 (Apr 7, 2019)

I shoot better with both eyes open but I have several friends who close an eye.


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## NoviceAddicted (Dec 25, 2015)

NoviceAddicted said:


> A lot of good posts here. A lot of things to consider. I started shooting both eyes open all the time for last winter, indoor spots with compound. What worked for me so I didn't get all messed up was closing off eye, drawing onto target then opening off eye so I didn't get any cross eye, aim at wrong target kind of things. I'm a lefty, left eye dominant and think a lot of us may be wired a little differently. One thing I was told by a very knowledgeable archer was both eyes opened you relax more and easier to get hinge to go off, shot to go off. I try not to squint off eye after opening and if anything gets fuzzy, let down. I have been doing the same thing both eyes opened after getting on target for Field Archery. I have found that when low light conditions, it's getting dark and I'm still out here, not much contrast, it has helped me to revert to one eye open shooting. I also see posts about all the Pros shooting both eyes open, but then there's Jessie Broadwater. I have not tried this yet, but think the posts about rifle shooting and obstructing non aiming eye from target while still keeping it open may have a valid point, giving you both relaxation and focus advantages? It should be fun and hopefully one of the cheaper experiments I can run concerning buying anything.


Tried the experiment of impairing vision of off eye for about 5 minutes before realizing it wasn't for me on field course.


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## ShastaRN (Apr 23, 2017)

Both eyes open for me.


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## mgx1138 (Mar 29, 2019)

mgx1138 said:


> Sorry... but if you look down the shooting line at the National Championships, at any big regional match, or at any Army Marksmanship Unit, Marine Corps Shooting Team match etc., you won't find a single top shooter that doesn't obscure their non-aiming eye. Same thing at any smallbore match from State Championships to the Olympics; everyone covers their non-aiming eye.


So just to report back to this thread... I have been shooting an olympic recurve bow for a few months now... still a beginner, but am grouping well enough to test different setups and techniques. I've shot several days with both eyes open (right handed, right eye dominant) and several days using a piece of scotch tape on my sunglasses to obscure my non-shooting eye. While I can see the sight and the string alignment better with one eye obscured, I think my groups are better when shooting with both eyes open. That is DIFFERENT than shooting the rifle or the pistol for me. 35 years of competitive shooting the rifle and pistol, and virtually everyone shoots with the non-shooting eye obscured... shooting the bow, I seem to shoot better with both eyes open. That's my verdict for now.


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## NoviceAddicted (Dec 25, 2015)

I've found what works for me is close off eye while drawing bow, after settling anchor and centering target with dominant eye, open off eye. Depending on lighting conditions I am anywhere from both eyes open wide (good lighting), to squinting somewhat off eye (lower light conditions) to off eye closed, (lower light conditions to, it's so dark I can hardly see the target anyways).


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## tnjr5 (Dec 2, 2016)

I was one-eye for a long time. I started using both eyes during pistol shooting; adapted this to archery. Now (gleaning a technique from the Push Archery videos) I do a quick "wink" with my non-dominant eye to check alignment. After I which I execute with both I eyes open. I'm now finding out that after doing this for some time, I'm winking less and better able to discern my alignment with both eyes.


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## AABryan (Nov 21, 2018)

Same here! It felt extremely awkward at first, but I'm more consistent with both open and my right eye doesn't get so fatigued by the end of a long tournament.


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## michaelwood (Aug 4, 2019)

Thanks for the info.


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## 3DTOYOTA (Sep 14, 2019)

Wish I could but as much as I try I haven’t been successful


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## asa1485 (Jan 16, 2008)

Some can and some can not. Just do what works for you and be the best you can with it. Main thing is make sure you are aiming with your dominant eye......If not, that is a whole other can of worms


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## Ebennett2014 (Feb 5, 2018)

If you can’t focus with both open then shoot with dominant eye only


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## Thomas Campbell (Apr 3, 2019)

I have been shooting both pistol and shotgun with both eyes open for many years, but when I try with my bow its not as easy for me so I revert back to closing my left eye and use my right I still like to play with both eyes open.


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