Whether you’re a seasoned bowhunter or just getting started with a right handed bow, there’s a critical aspect of shooting form that might be sabotaging your accuracy without you even realizing it. I’m talking about eye dominance – an issue I’ve personally battled through my competitive career that can make the difference between consistently hitting your mark or watching your arrows drift off target.
In this video, I discussed shooting with one eye versus two eyes open when using a right handed bow, where I explained my hybrid approach of starting with both eyes open, briefly squinting my non-dominant eye to verify alignment, then reopening both eyes for maximum light gathering. This prompted a flood of questions from archers dealing with cross-dominance – being right-handed but left-eye dominant, or vice versa.
If you’re struggling with this issue while shooting your right handed bow, you’re not alone. Cross-dominance creates a specific pattern of misses that gets worse as distance increases. Let me break down exactly why this happens and share the field-tested solutions that saved my own shooting career.
The Cross-Dominance Problem with Right Handed Bows
When your dominant eye doesn’t match your dominant hand, you’re fighting a biological tendency that directly impacts accuracy with a right handed bow. Here’s what happens in practical terms:
If you’re right-handed but left-eye dominant, your brain naturally wants to align your sight picture with your left eye. But since you’re holding the right handed bow in your left hand and drawing with your right, this creates a fundamental conflict. The result? Your arrows will progressively impact further left of your target as distance increases.
The reason is straightforward – your left eye takes over the aiming process, creating an angular offset that amplifies with distance. What might be a 1-inch miss at 10 yards becomes a devastating miss at 40 yards. For left-handed shooters with right-eye dominance using a left handed bow, the pattern is reversed, with arrows drifting increasingly right.
This isn’t just theory – I experienced this firsthand years ago when dealing with an astigmatism that caused my sight picture to split between both eyes when shooting my right handed bow.
Three Field-Tested Solutions for Right Handed Bow Shooters
Through years of competition and coaching archers with right handed bows, I’ve found three reliable methods to overcome cross-dominance. Each has pros and cons, but all are effective for ensuring your shooting eye takes control of the aiming process.
1. The Complete Eye Closure Method
The simplest approach for right handed bow users is completely closing your non-shooting eye. If you’re right-handed but left-eye dominant, keep that left eye firmly closed throughout your shot sequence.
My wife Sharon uses this method with her right handed bow. She’s right-handed but left-eye dominant, and she’s developed the discipline to keep her left eye fully closed during her entire shot process.
Pros: Simple, requires no equipment, immediately effective Cons: Reduces light gathering ability, can create facial tension, potentially challenging in low-light hunting scenarios
2. The Eye Patch Method
Some archers who shoot right handed bows prefer using an actual eye patch over their non-dominant eye. This allows the eye to remain physically open (reducing facial tension) while blocking its vision.
Pros: Prevents peeking with the non-dominant eye, eliminates the need to maintain eye closure Cons: Requires additional equipment, can be uncomfortable for extended sessions, might shift during active hunting situations
3. The Blinder Method (My Personal Solution for Right Handed Bow Shooting)
Early in my career, when struggling with astigmatism and cross-dominance issues with my right handed bow, I developed a specialized solution – a small blinder attached to the brim of my hat.
I created this using a small piece of black plastic card, positioned precisely so it blocked my left eye’s view of my sight picture while allowing me to keep both eyes physically open. When properly positioned, it sits directly in front of the non-dominant eye, blocks the sight picture, but allows peripheral vision and light gathering.
Pros: Allows both eyes to remain open for maximum light gathering, eliminates facial tension, can be adjusted for various shooting scenarios Cons: Requires creating or purchasing a specialized piece of equipment, takes some experimentation to position correctly
Setting Up Your Right Handed Bow for Success
Regardless of which eye dominance solution you choose, proper right handed bow setup is essential:
- Ensure your bow’s centershot is correctly aligned
- Verify your peep sight is properly positioned for your dominant eye
- Consider adjusting your anchor point to better align with your dominant eye
- Test different sight extensions to find the optimal distance for your vision
Implementing Your Solution with a Right Handed Bow
Whichever method you choose for your right handed bow, consistency is critical. Here’s how to implement each solution effectively:
If Using Eye Closure with Your Right Handed Bow:
- Establish your anchor point with both eyes open
- Deliberately close your non-dominant eye
- Verify your sight picture with only your dominant eye
- Complete your shot sequence
- Practice this consistently until it becomes automatic
If Using a Blinder with Your Right Handed Bow:
- Create a small black blocker (approximately 1″× 2″)
- Attach it to your hat brim using a small clip
- Adjust the position so when at full draw, it blocks only your non-dominant eye’s view of the sight
- Ensure it’s clear of your bowstring
- Fine-tune the position until you can keep both eyes comfortably open without your non-dominant eye influencing your sight picture
Regaining Confidence Through Training with Your Right Handed Bow
The good news is that with consistent practice using your right handed bow, your brain can adapt. After dealing with my own vision challenges, I’ve gradually trained my dominant eye to take control to the point where I no longer experience the split image that plagued me years ago.
Start at close distances where success is guaranteed, then gradually move back as your confidence builds. Pay close attention to your groups – if they begin drifting consistently to one side as distance increases, you likely need to refine your cross-dominance solution for your right handed bow.
Conclusion
Eye dominance isn’t something you can change when shooting a right handed bow, but it’s absolutely something you can manage. Whether you choose complete eye closure like my wife Sharon, an eye patch, or a custom blinder like I used, the critical factor is addressing the issue directly rather than fighting against your natural biology.
By implementing one of these three proven solutions with your right handed bow, you’ll eliminate a major source of shooting inconsistency and finally achieve the accuracy you’re capable of. Don’t let cross-dominance keep you from reaching your full potential as an archer or bowhunter – it’s a common challenge with straightforward solutions.
Remember, the right approach for your right handed bow isn’t necessarily the most complex – it’s the one you’ll use consistently in the field when it matters most.
Frequently Asked Questions About Right Handed Bows and Eye Dominance
Q: Can I switch to a left-handed bow if I’m right-handed but left-eye dominant? A: Yes, some archers choose this option, but most find it easier to address the eye dominance issue while maintaining their natural hand dominance with a right handed bow.
Q: Will using a blinder affect my field of view when hunting? A: When properly positioned, a blinder only blocks your non-dominant eye’s view of the sight picture, maintaining peripheral vision crucial for hunting situations.
Q: How do I know if eye dominance is affecting my right handed bow accuracy? A: If your arrows consistently impact to one side as distance increases despite proper form, cross-dominance is likely the culprit.
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