Eye Dominance Testing and Issues in Sporting Clays, Skeet and Trap  . . . Go Slowly Please

 I’ve just finished reading Peter Blakely’s informative article “EYE DOMINANCE Isn’t All It Seems,” in the March 2017 issue of Clay Target Nation. Based on my experience, Peter’s descriptive explanations are well written and very much on the mark, especially the high numbers of women who are cross or center dominant. 

When I went through Instructor certification training in the mid-1990's, we were taught that a cross-dominant shooter…an individual whose mounted gun was not under the dominant eye…could not hit targets with both eyes open. That made sense so I didn’t write it down. No need. Understandably, I taught what I was taught.

Maybe a year or so after that certification class, I was working with a corporate group at my home club, River Bend, just outside Spartanburg SC. All went well so we retired to the clubhouse for lunch. Merely by chance, I overheard one of the shooters mention to another, “I thought you were left eye dominant. How do you compensate for that?” He replied, “I don’t.” UH OH! The shooter in question happened to be the best shot in the group, all morning by a wide margin. 

I politely inquired about this and he allowed me to check. He was right handed and strong left eye dominant. Accepting my invitation to shoot some more at no charge, this gentleman accompanied me to the range. As we moved around the stations in random order, out of a full box of ammunition, he dropped 4 targets and his hits were decisive. Hmmmm . . .

 Later that evening I phoned 8 Instructors I had certified and taught: a cross dominant shooter can not break targets with both eyes open. I asked those 8 gentlemen to go to a Skeet range and shoot from their opposite shoulder, keeping both eyes open and call me back. At that time, I chose not to share what I’d learned earlier that day. Like I can’t…at all, 6 called me back and said they couldn’t hit anything either. However, # 7 said he broke 12 . . . and # 8 said he broke 20!

Since that time, over a long period, I’ve taught about a dozen students who were cross-dominant or center-dominant. They could break targets very well thank you with both eyes open and no eye adjustments at all. In each of these cases, after field-testing, I recommended NO adjustments. Now, while these few people are a small fraction of my students who have eye issues requiring adjustments, the fact is, there exists a very small minority of cross-dominant/center-dominant shooters who need no adjustments at all. 

Why is this important? Because an eye-dominance adjustment should never be made hastily. Further evaluation…before a recommendation is made…just might reveal that no modification is needed.

For the record: the odds are high a cross-dominant and center-dominant shooter will need some adjustment. But I prefer…and teach Paragon Instructors…check first, make sure, then go slowly before making adjustment recommendations. For shooters who do need adjusting, there are multiple options that can be recommended. At that time, choosing the “best change” can be discussed and then applied according to the student’s needs, physical capabilities and preferences. 

 Eye dominance testing is far too important to result in a misdiagnosis that can have serious consequences for years. For that reason, casual testing and making quick, one-size-fits-all adjustments, before field-testing, is unwise. 

Thanks for stopping by. Be safe and I hope to see you out on the course.

For more information: 

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