Open Your Eyes to Better Shooting I, like a lot of people, had no idea that it was actually better to shoot with both eyes open when they started shooting. It didn't help me that all my experience before bowhunting was over iron sights, a scoped rifle or the barrel of a shotgun. Without a mentor, I based my beginning form on what I had seen in movies and gleaned from my own self-reckoning. Billy Zane and Tom Berenger closed their eyes when they'd shoot and didn't one target, one sight and one eye make a lot of sense? At a skeet range in Roseau, Minnesota, a shooter gifted with more talent than I could ever hope to gain, watched as I made my way through a round. I grew more frustrated as every shot I took seemed to disappear before reaching the orange clays. At the end, this shooter stepped up and began to talk to me about eye dominance. He had realized that I was cross-eyed dominant (or the eye opposite my shooting hand was dominant) and that my left eye was not closed all the way and was therefore throwing my target picture off. Sure enough, after closing my left eye tightly, I shot some of my best rounds. Since coming to archery, eye dominance really didn't concern me. After all, looking through a peep and bow sight isn't much different than a scope, right? Well, the fact that you can line up a shot is the same, but the sight picture on most multi-pin archery sights takes up a lot more real-estate than the thin wires of a rifle scope. As my accuracy improved and my range increased, I noticed that it became more difficult to pinpoint my aiming point. A small pin that might only cover the 'X' on a target at 20 yards could cover a large amount of it at 80. There were a few possible solutions that would not have required me to learn how to shoot with both eyes open. One was getting smaller pins for my sight or a newer sight that already came outfitted with them. Both of these would reduce target cover, however it wouldn't eliminate the area where the pins protruded from the sight housing. To top it off, I hadn't planned for that expense in my budget for this season. So to take on the task of rewiring my brain to be able to use both eyes, I did what any well-seasoned, responsible researcher does, I went to the Internet. I found a lot of articles that cited no other sources and some random Yahoo answers from people who I'm sure had as much of a medical background as I did in spelunking in South-America (I don't). In my search, I did however find one somewhat useful description of what you see when focusing on a target. If you were to hold up your thumb and focus on the target behind it, you would see two thumbs in the foreground. The image of the thumb to the left is being rendered by your right eye and the image of the thumb to the right is being rendered by the left eye. I took this knowledge and spent the next few days on the train rides back and forth to work aiming my thumb at the ground and training my brain to focus on the image of the one on the left. I'm sure I looked ridiculous and anyone else on the train questioned my sanity. I did begin to feel very comfortable with being able to decide which sight picture I could choose on command now. Taking this newfound talent, I went to the range and put it to the test. I was pleasantly surprised by the results. Not only was the acquisition of the target faster and easier, but I was able to see the portion of the target that was originally covered by the sight pin armatures. A happy side-effect of using both eyes was immediately apparent as well. Since I could see the target easily during the shot with my newly opened eye, my tendency to drop my bow-gripping hand stopped completely. Even though I had a lot of success with opening both eyes, I did find that it became less reliable as the light began to fade. It became more difficult to maintain the focus on the right eye and the target picture of the left eye became more prevalent. I'm not sure if I'll be able to overcome this or if it is actually a characteristic of eye dominance, but I'm definitely sold that two eyes is the way to go when it comes to shooting a bow.
About about 4 months ago I noticed on the cover of my newest edition of Lancaster Archery Supply catalog all of the archers that were pictured were shooting with both eyes open. I too had been struggling with the same issue out past 20-25yd. I also shoot skeet but, am very proficient when it comes to that. My best so far is 49 of 50 shots and that was without contacts. With contacts if I miss I am surprised as well as my shooting buddies. Its been about a year and a half since I have shot skeet and I have been really wanting to do it it again lately. Anyways, when I saw that cover of the LAS catalog, it made me curious and think there had to be something to it. I started trying it and at first it didn't seem to help a lot but, I continued to do it anyways. I figured if top rated professionals were doing it there had to be a reason. As I started practicing more and more I noticed that it really made a huge difference once I had adjusted to seeing the target and my pins. Especially when it came to farther distances. This has been one of the biggest improvements I believe I have made to my shooting. I could hit the bag at 70yd but never hold consistent groups. That was four months ago. Now I can't shoot with one eye. I tried it two days ago while shooting and I just couldn't do it. Now at 70yd, I can keep it in the vitals almost every shot on my 3D buck and usually hold an 8" group an getting better every session at 70yd. It took me about five to six sessions to adjust and that was good hour long sessions. Even then up until about two months ago, I would still shoot a shot here and there with one eye just see to if there was any difference and there was every time. September 14th will make one year since the first time I ever picked up a bow so shooting with one eye probably wasn't as drastic of an adjustment for me as it is for someone that has been shooting for quite a while but, I feel it is something everyone should at least give a try. Good luck with it.
I too have just switched to keeping both eyes open. Have shot 2 eyed with a shotgun forever, but would close one eye with a bow or a rifle. Began practicing and noticed a big change. Was off target, but consistant. Resited with both eyes open and can't believe the long range improvement. Probably a little late for most to try and change up this late in the year, but well worth the effort for next year.
I have tried keeping both eyes open from time to time and the results range from, about the same to shooting better. Your post got me thinking about it again and so I used the "both eyes open" technique a couple days ago and below you can see the results This was at 30 yards. I also shot my best group ever at 50 yards, approx. 4". I guess I will have to keep practicing this method.
I went from both eyes to one eye to getting my shooting better. Don't know why but it works and it's much easier.
I would suggest shooting that way for a while and then try both eyes again. I think it's important to get the muscle memory down for your dominate eye and then add in the other eye. But even then it may not work well for you. The biggest reason I would like to be able to shoot with both eyes open is for a wider field of vision when hunting. I noticed last year when I shot an elk at 20 yards, the only thing I could see was a patch of brown. Just a thought!
