Handgun training problem?

[GUNS-R-US]

I'm trying to help my mother with some training issues. She recently got her concealed carry license but has little experience shooting. I discovered the other day that she is right handed but Left Eye dominant. And it's causing an aiming problem, And I'm not sure how to instruct her to improve her aim. If anybody has some experience with this kind of problem I would appreciate some advice. 

[1776 Rebel]

Did you mean Left eye dominant?

[GUNS-R-US]

Did you mean Left eye dominant?

Yep thanks for catching that!! It definitely puts a different spin on the question.

[m25operator]

Hand gun is better than a long gun for cross eye dominancy, there are 2 ways commonly used, cant the pistol toward the dominant eye, just about 15 - 20 degrees, or more until the dominant eye takes over, or bury the head into the strong arm bicep, so the weak eye is below the line of sight, but the strong eye is level with the sights. The 3rd way is harder, and that is to teach her to shoot with the weak arm and dominant eye.

For personal protection at 20 -30' it won't matter much, but let her try these methods and see what she thinks. The weaver hold works really well with the buried head technique, the pistol cant works with the isosceles hold better.

I hope this helps.

[Big Frank]

She should be able shoot with both eyes open, aiming with her dominant eye. Neither of my eyes is dominant so they fight it out constantly and I end up having to shut one eye. Ideally you should have both eyes open but some of us have less than ideal circumstances. You could also put a piece of tape over the left lens of her glasses to make her shoot right-eyed.

[Sponsor]

[DesertMarine]

I am right-handed and left-eye dominant.  I lean my head to the right.  It does not take much to line up left eye to the sights.  If you are teaching the Weaver stance might try the Isosceles stance.

[tnroadrunner]

I've been right handed and right eye dominant until I lost the sight of my right eye.  So when shooting had to learn to shoot left handed and I was able to shoot and draw without much trouble.  The only weapon I've ever fired was in the army and that was an M1.  Then after loosing the sight in my right eye in 98 I moved to a gun friendly state in 2001 and wanted to buy a pistol which I did and that's when I found out I had to learn to shoot left handed.  I now shoot in IDPA, USPSA, and 3 Gun.  I also take additional training at least once a year as I also have my HCP here in TN.  I didn't start shooting a pistol until I was age 60 and now 67 and having a blast (excuse the pun).

[Rob Pincus]

Guns,

In my experience this is a NON-ISSUE for close quarters defensive shooting. She needs to "extend-touch-press" with both eyes open. If someone has her closing one eye to focus on the front sight to hit a man sized target in the chest at 10', that is where the problem lies, not in her eyes.  I have had several students show up to classes shooting way below their ability because they had it in their head that they had to do something special because of eye dominance.

As noted by M25 and DesertMarine, shooters with this issue (myself included) will find that their brain compensates automatically (by turning/canting the head) to get the stronger eye behind the front sight when the gun is at extension.

Long guns can be a problem for someone with an extremely dominant off-side eye, but it is not an issue with handguns.

In regard to fundamental shooting skill development, See the article here from last weeks Best Defense: http://www.downrange.tv/bestdefense/article1-ep1.htm

-RJP

[GUNS-R-US]

Hey everybody thanks for the replies. I appreciate the info and will have my Mother read these as well. 

[CZShooter]

If someone has her closing one eye to focus on the front sight to hit a man sized target in the chest at 10', that is where the problem lies, not in her eyes.

I couldn't agree more. I run an IDPA program at my local sportsman's club...and I will quite frequently have stages that require you to shoot "from retention" (arms not extended...gun drawn in to chest). Shooters that have never tried it almost always are intimidated (and complain loudly) until they run the stage and realize at distances of about 3 yards, you don't need to aim...just "point and click". That and at those distances...you don't want to put your gun within reach of your assailant where they could possibly disarm you.