How to determine your dominant eye (all you need to know )

As a new archer, you are eager to take the bow, nock the arrow and shoot some rounds. But, with which hand should you grab the bow? Left or right? The answer is not as obvious as you think.

Unconsciously, each one of us has a dominant eye, which has to be determined. This is a very simple process, but it’s key to everything in archery like, for instance, for purchasing a left-handed or a right-handed bow. Surprisingly, not always right-handed people are right-eye dominant. However, this is to find out, and I’ll show you several ways to do it. 

Why determining eye dominance is important?

As it happens with the hands, one of our eyes dominates the other. It may seem that we look with both eyes, which is true but, if we have to look at a very specific place, we look mainly with our dominant eye.

It’s usual to think that, if you are a left-handed person, you’ll grab the bow with your right hand and, if you are a right-handed person, you think you’ll feel more comfortable grabbing it with your left hand. However, that’s not always true, and that’s why we should determine which eye is the dominant one.

Determining your dominant eye

From the very beginning, knowing which one is your dominant eye will determine which side you feel most comfortable shooting, and it will tell you with which eye your brain feels natural to aim. This factor will say if you will grab the bow with your left hand and draw the string with the right one, or the other way around. This will also determine when you are purchasing equipment if you have to buy it left or right-handed. In essence, the two most common pieces of gear for what you need to consider your hand are the riser and the finger tab.

Determining your dominant eye is a quite simple task, and you can even do it yourself, without the help of anyone. Here I’ll show you two easy ways to do it.

Method 1: Closed eye

This one is excellent because you don’t need anyone around to help you. And you can do it both indoors and outdoors. 

1. Extend your arms in front of you. Form a triangle with your hands, with your palms pointing away from you.
2. Move the triangle so you can see an object through it. The tighter the triangle the better.
3. Without moving the hands, close one eye, leaving the other open. Then, do the same with the other eye.
4. Your dominant eye will be the one with which you were able to see the object.
   

Method 2: Zooming in

The method is also very useful and don’t need other person to help.

1. As in method 1, extend your arms in front of you and a triangle with your hands.
2. In the center of the triangle lock a distant object. The farther the better.
3. Move the triangle towards your face, while trying to keep looking at the object with the triangle.
4. Unconsciously, you will take the triangle towards your dominant eye. And, that’s it!

The only problem with this method is that, some people, need another person nearby to check towards which eye you are moving your hands. If you can do it by yourself, then great! You have two methods for determining your dominant eye.

Conclusion

Needless to say that knowing which one is your dominant eye is very important. Not only for buying gear, but also you will feel more comfortable using equipment proper to your side.

Now, you have two methods to quickly determine your dominant eye. If you didn’t do it already, then go.

If you manage to get someone to help you determine your dominant eye, that will simplify things for using the zooming method. The other person will stand in front of you to see to which eye you move your hands.

Do you know other ways to determine the dominant eye? Please, share it with us commenting below.

If you are starting archery, after determining your dominant eye I recommend you to go to our step-by-step guide to start learning archery on your own.
If you already started but are a beginner (or not), perhaps you want to check this common beginner mistakes, I also show you tips on how to avoid them or these great tips I wish I knew when I started archery.

Feel free to comment. I hope to see you around our blog.

Stay safe and good arrows!!!!!!!