Easiest method I've used with kids is to hand them a cardboard tube and have them look at you through it holding it in one hand. If they look at you through the same eye no matter which hand they are holding it with that is their dominant eye. Another way is to use a nerf gun or an unloaded bb gun and have them aim at your nose from both the right and left hand holds. It's pretty easy to see which eye they are trying to use to line up with.
Eye Dominance Issues
- Thread starter HiMtnHntr
- Start date
npaden
Well-known member
To test for eye dominance I've always done this:
Point at an object around 10 or 15 feet away with your finger with your arm fully extended with both eyes open. Then close your left eye, open them and then close your right eye.
When I close my right eye my finger stays pointing right where I was pointing with both eyes open. When I close my left eye my finger "jumps" about 6" to the left.
Point at an object around 10 or 15 feet away with your finger with your arm fully extended with both eyes open. Then close your left eye, open them and then close your right eye.
When I close my right eye my finger stays pointing right where I was pointing with both eyes open. When I close my left eye my finger "jumps" about 6" to the left.
I tried that with a 6yo...once.
HSi-ESi
Well-known member
My 7 y/o is right-eye, right handed - but the 4 y/o is left-eye dominant. The jury is still out for his "handedness" - he's still using both (writing, throwing, etc). He does prefer to shoot his bow right handed. We just focus on the fun aspect of any shooting right now.
On the upside, I may get to buy left-handed guns in the future.
On the upside, I may get to buy left-handed guns in the future.
pawhitetail
Active member
Well I'll have to try and get him settled in on left handed shooting. For testing I had him hold his hands out away from him and make a circle while looking at an object. Then had him keep looking at the object while moving his hands towards his eye. His hands end up around his left eye every time so he's definitely cross dominant. Guess well just have to put some time in shooting lefty and see how he does.
Unless you too are left-handed, that last sentence isn't all that fun IME. Much fewer options and an even slimmer used market...
I had the same issue with my son, he is right handed and left eye dominate. It took me longer to figure out the issue then I would like to admit. Even getting him to do the eye dominance test was causing frustration for both of us. We tried the eye patch solution and just making shoot right handed using his right eye and not rolling his head over the stock and it all just led to frustration and aggravation for both of us. I finally told him to shoot left handed. There was a little bit of awkwardness with hand placement but after that he is a completely different shooter. His check weld was better, he shouldered the gun better, and his accuracy improved. This was using crossbow and .22 rifles, we will see what happens with shotguns when he gets a little older.
davinski
Well-known member
I don't know the odds, but our three kids are left-handed and right-eyed. I taught them all to shoot rifle and shotgun right handed and so far (oldest is 18) it has stuck. Pistol shooting, not so much, but a guy has to pick his battles. Oldest shoots a bow right-handed too.
