dad needs advice

[Schandler]

my son is almost 6 and i want him to not just like but love the shooting sports - i am right handed and all my guns are right - well without a doubt my son is left eye dominant and he always wants to stand as if he is shooting right handed and look through scope with his left eye - now to get him to look with hsi right eye is a challenge - its not natural for him i can see that but my son will NOT be left handed - i might be in the wrong about that but im DAD and it just aint gonna happen plus he throws eats writes right handed so he is gonna shoot right handed as well - any of you experts on this or even the dads out there had the same problem ?? how did you help or resolve this ???

 

[jb77]

Garretts dad if you are teaching handgun then let him use his left eye and shoot righty. Shotgun and Rifle are harder. Shotgun and rifle put tape on the left eye of his shooting glasses.

Be advised though that you have a tough row to hoe,he is going to want to use his dominant eye. At six he could learn to be a lefty pretty easily and not have to worry with eye dominance.

I taught both my kids to hit baseballs and softballs righty and lefty by repetition from the time they could swing a bat. 10 righty then then lefty. They are both so smooth and natural now that you can't tell.

Gentle persuasion and a lot of patience. Good luck.

 

[FBecigneul]

Teach your son to shoot left if you're talking about rifle. Teach him early. If he isn't enjoying shooting he won't want to do it. Get a left handed rifle.

 

[rayjay]

i might be in the wrong about that but im DAD and it just aint gonna happen

Great attitude 'dad'

 

[JohnJ]

If your son holds and functions the rifle ok in his right shoulder...he can be taught to use his right eye

take his shooting glasses and some FROSTED packing tape and cover his left lens...the reason for the frosted tape is to let the light in but make it fuzz to see through there by letting his right eye do all the work

hopes this helps him and you out

JohnJ

 

[vmthtr]

My son is left handed, but he shoots right handed through my teaching. He goes doggin wioth me every year and has gotten a couple deer already and in the heat of the moment still shoots and uses his right eye.

Mike

 

[Schandler]

fellas its not attitude honest - if my son protested it at this age i would reconsider - love him more than life itself i do - if the dominant eye thing was something that would affect him if i tried to change it i would think differently - i guess thats what i was asking for - its good to know that others have covered the left eye and it worked out ok - actually we have been playing around with him hitting baseball left handed so dont throw me to the dogs just yet - if he learns to shoot benchrest right handed at early age with his right eye and remain,which im sure he will) left eye dominant - i guess he will adjust just fine - plus he will have lots of guns to shoot and i wont have to go broke buying left hand guns

 

[Schandler]

johnj i really like the idea of the tape - im going to give it a shot and see what happens

 

[treeman]

garretsdad, I have the same problem as your son. right handed &left eye dominate. I wish to hell I'dave learned how to shoot left handed as a child. I shoot a shot gun very poorly 20 out of thirty. and can only shoot a rifle left handed if i have plenty of time. since your son is now learning the motor skills to shoot i'd advise on teaching him to shoot left handed. that will make him almost abidextrious when it comes to shooting. Thats just my opinion as a thirty + year shooter. I think he'll be way ahead of the game.__________treeman

 

[FBecigneul]

Garrett:
Tell your daddy that you are left eyed and can see better with that eye. Promise him that you will learn to handle the rifle in no time at all. Tell him your age works in your favor. Tell him it will take no time at all to learn to load, aim, and shoot if you learn this early. Tell him shooting left handed makes you no less of a human being. Tell him you are not biased.

 

[TiGuy]

My youngest son has the same problem. He couldn't hit the broad side of a barn until a range officer at my club took him by the hand and showed him how to shoot target left handed. My son balked at MY advice, but someone else's guidance straightened him out almost instantly! He has so much more fun at the range now because he is getting good results.

IMO, it's so much easier to correct mechanics than it is to correct eye dominance. How many years do you think it would take to completely correct a brain function compared to a mechanics problem? Can you imagine how hard it would be to become a good wing shooter with that kind of a handicap?

 

[jb77]

TiGuy it is almost impossible to learn those fine motor skills after you have developed muscle memory doing something only one way.

I agree with you 100% on the wingshooting thing. Saw a guy trying to switch to lefty after he had shot Skeet righty for a number of years, what a train wreck. I can't imagine how frustrating it must have been for him.

Garretsdad you are getting some great advice and know one is throwing you under the bus. We are gently trying to persuade you to not fight nature.

Sincerely, good luck to you and Garret.

 

[cliffe]

i am left eye dominant and shoot right handed. none of my guns have sights i just use scopes and close my left eye. it works ok. my muzzleloader with open sights is alot harder with one eye. i switched to left handed with my bow, it took longer just to get the release on and the arrow on the string but now i shoot with both eyes open and with anything moving it is so much easier. i wish when i was younger someone would have made me shoot left handed with a rifle because i think it would be alot easier especially on moving game.there are alot of left handed firearms out there. your son,i think, would shoot better lefthanded and it would be easier to start with his correct eye.great to hear you want to get him started early. cliffe

 

[BigJim]

My daughter has the same problem right handed and left eye dominat - she is 20 now and still aims with her left eye at the scope. I didn't start shooting with her until she was 18 or I would have bought a left handed rifle just for her. I know we are both good dads and your know what you are going to do so bite the bullet and spend the bucks. Get him a decent hunting caliber for when he is 14 say a 243 and let him pratice with it now 6 is a little young,and short for a full stock or even a youth stock) so teach him to bench rest fire it now. Get him a rifle that you can re-stock when he gets bigger.

Big Jim

 

[7stwhunter]

I actually had that same problem when i was younger and through my own stubborness i learned to shoot right handed. I am actually quite happy that i learned to shoot right handed. Ive noticed that it really doesnt matter which side of the rifle i sit down on when shooting which i feel is a major plus when hunting. I do notice it a little when i shoot trap because it is some what hard to use both eyes open on the shotgun but i have learned to get around that and hold a 23-24 average. and your right when i first started wing shooting i couldnt hit the broad side of the barn but as soon as i started shooting trap twice a week for an entire summer ive really learned how to get those ducks to fall. I might just be an oddball here but i am quite happy that i dont shoot left handed. But again that was through my own stubborness that i didnt want to shoot left handed im not sure if there was somone forcing me if i would have wanted to do it so much. but thats just my .02
Nathan

 

[rayfromtx]

In benchrest competition it is an advantage to be left eye dominant and shoot right handed. The primary focus is on the windflags with just enough attention on the crosshair to stay on target. Both eyes are used at the same time and a weighting towards paying attention to the flags is plus. I fight like the dickens to overcome my right eye dominance.

 

[Schandler]

ray i never thought about the flags - just an update for you fellas - i left it up to him and told him if he wanted to use his left eye it was ok - he is now shooting a 22 that i cut off and he starts out using the left eye but will switch back and forth - its right handed gun so he shoots it right handed - after a few weeks of every other day he shoots with his right eye and actually does very good - i didnt cover up the left lens and every now and then he takes a peak with that left eye but goes to the right to shoot - its funny because he has trouble closing one eye and keeping the toher open - funny to watch but i guess time will take care of that - if later down the road he wants a left handed gun i will have to buy it but i think it will work itself out with practice - fellas i will post on his progress just for others with this problem to read about and make their own decisions - thanks for all the ideas and input - way i look at it as long as he is shooting and having fun then im happy