Which of your eyes is dominant?

[BLINGMW]

I just realized I'm a freak. :oops: Apparently (if I'm doing these tests right), I have no ocular dominance. No wonder I can't shoot a damn handgun with both eyes open very well. Ok, I'm not good at it either way, but I'll stick with that excuse for now.

How about you?

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocular_dominance">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocular_dominance</a><!-- m -->

This one seems to be simplest:

The Porta test. The observer extends one arm, then with both eyes open aligns the thumb or index finger with a distant object. The observer then alternates closing the eyes or slowly draws the thumb/finger back to the head to determine which eye is viewing the object (i.e. the dominant eye)

When I do that, I see two thumbs, and they're pretty equally strong. If I focus on the thumb, then I see two targets. I didn't know that wasn't normal. :dunno: But I asked a few in the office and some have trouble getting a positive result either, so maybe we're doing it wrong. Man, I'm glad I came to work today!

[ScottyB]

i'm the same way...focus on something far away and i have 2 thumbs. focus on the thumb, 2 targets :dunno:

[Apoc]

Everyone sees two thumbs, it has to do with which you use to cover up the object without thinking about. If you can't decide, then you're thinking about it. :wink:

[HAULN-SS]

I'm left eye dominant and right handed...I pretty much have to shoot with two eyes open or I miss.

[Sijray21]

When I do that, I see two thumbs, and they're pretty equally strong. If I focus on the thumb, then I see two targets. I didn't know that wasn't normal. :dunno: But I asked a few in the office and some have trouble getting a positive result either, so maybe we're doing it wrong. Man, I'm glad I came to work today!

use this one:
1.The Miles test. The observer extends both arms, brings both hands together to create a small opening, then with both eyes open views a distant object through the opening. The observer then alternates closing the eyes

I'm left eye dominant and right handed...I pretty much have to shoot with two eyes open or I miss.

i'm exactly the same way. i sometimes close my right eye when shooting.

[WRXtranceformed]

If I'm looking though a scope I use my right eye, but both of my eyes are pretty good last time I checked. My left eye was 20/15 and my right eye was 20/20

[mrbaggio]

I used this test:
hold your arm out and make a circle with your finger and thumb. put a distant object in the middle of that circle. The bring your hand back until it touches your face. If you keep the object in the circle you will be touching your dominate eye.

Im left eyed and left handed.

[D_Eclipse9916]

Right eyed and right handed

[ViPER1313]

Right eye / Right handed

[BLINGMW]

use this one:
1.The Miles test. The observer extends both arms, brings both hands together to create a small opening, then with both eyes open views a distant object through the opening. The observer then alternates closing the eyes

So this and cutting a hole in a piece of paper (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.usaeyes.org/lasik/faq/lasik-monovision-dominant-eye.htm">http://www.usaeyes.org/lasik/faq/lasik-monovision-dominant-eye.htm</a><!-- m -->) seems to be a little better. Having thrown the thing up like 30 times and thinking about it all day, I think I might have a slight favor for the right. But really, when I bring it up, I'm usually blocking the target and see two holes pretty equally, it's just when I force myself to choose... well see, then I'm thinking about it. How am I not supposed to? I'm still not convinced. But I am convinced I've wasted quite a bit of time on it! :lol:

I used this test:
hold your arm out and make a circle with your finger and thumb. put a distant object in the middle of that circle. The bring your hand back until it touches your face. If you keep the object in the circle you will be touching your dominate eye.

haha just tried that one. If I use my right hand I end up at the left eye and if I use left I end up right. :vomit:

If I'm looking though a scope I use my right eye

I think that's just dictated by how you're holding the gun. I'm pretty sure if you're left handed and have the stock on your left shoulder, it'd be hard to use your right eye for the sight/scope. So sure, I use my right eye like you, but I pretty much have to.

[CaptainHenreh]

If you see "two holes" you're doing the test wrong.

FOCUS ON THE TARGET THROUGH THE HOLES. Then slowly draw the paper back to your face, while maintaining sight picture. (or, alternately close your eyes) Unless you are crosseyed, one eye or the other is going to show dominance, by merit of binocular vision.

So, for these tests, look through the hole at the target. Then, close one eye but don't move the hole. Can you still see the target? Close the other eye. How about now? Whichever eye you can *still see the target through* is your dominant one. "Bringing the card to your face" brings up some bias, since you're trying to maintain the sight picture while you do it. Alternate closing eyes, it's easier.

The way I normally have people do it is to put your thumbs and index fingers together, making a vaguely diamond-shaped hole with your hands. Put them at arms length, and center some object in the hole. Then do the alternating eye test. The target may not disappear altogether, but it will not appear centered, or will be less centered through one eye than the other. (Using both hands will eliminate the left/right hand bias channing noticed). Also, with some people there is a very strong dominance. With others, not so much. If you find that it varies wildly depending on the test, then you may not have a very strong dominance, in which case you should just shoot with whichever eye your dominant hand is and then 'train' your other eye into submission.

Also, shooting pistols with both eyes open is *very* difficult. More difficult than a rifle (just hard) or shotgun (which is how you're supposed to do it). It requires lots and lots of practice even for someone with a very clear and strong dominant eye/hand combo. In fact, with pistol bullseye shooting, it's almost impossible to do without at least squinting your non dominant eye, because you have to focus on the front sight, while lining THAT up with the out-of-focus bullseye. The parallax difference between the two eyes makes doing this with any degree of accuracy absurdly difficult. Now, having both eyes open is an important skill for two reasons:
1: Squinting your eye tenses up your body, making your shot more difficult. (This is why you'll see a lot of shooters with blinders or a piece of tape on their glasses)
2: For close-range shooting, fast target acquisition and situational awareness is a lot more important than accuracy.

This problem has led to the increase in holographic sights for pistols in "open class" competitions. Since only one eye can see the dot, you can focus on the target with your binocular vision, getting the best of both worlds. (not to mention not having to line up dots to shoot.)

[ViPER1313]

FOCUS ON THE TARGET THROUGH THE HOLES. Then slowly draw the paper back to your face, while maintaining sight picture. (or, alternately close your eyes) Unless you are crosseyed, one eye or the other is going to show dominance, by merit of binocular vision.

This is how I did it, it works perfectly. I just used my thumb - extended my arm as far forward as I could reach and focusing on a power light on my stereo "past" the thumb that was covering it. Close left eye, thumb still covering light 100%, close right eye and it was way off the target.

Edit: I also guess I have a pretty strong dominance on the right eye, so this test is easy for me :dunno: Don't know if that is a good or a bad thing.

[Mike]

left eye / right hand.

[Steve85]

right eye / right hand

This topic is kind of in the forefront at home right now. My son is going through vision therapy right now to stop and reverse the onset of a lazy eye'. He does once a week in the office and 4-5 nights a week at home on various eye exercises that force his brain to use both eyes to complete. He has 20/200 vision in his left eye and when challenged it's amazing to see the brain completely give up on the eye and let it wander (severe astigmatism in that eye). Right eye dominant to the point of acting like the left eye doesn't even exist.

I can't believe how much it effects everything he does. Before forking over the $5K, I wanted to be convinced, I wanted to "see he what he sees". The doc took me through some pretty challenging eye exercises and explained how Michael performed on the same tests and it actually made me sad to think about how his perception of things is so screwed up. Not just blurry, or double vision, literally incapable of accurately processing the signals.

I'm glad we caught it early, it can lead to a lot behavioral issues.

[BLINGMW]

If you see "two holes" you're doing the test wrong.

FOCUS ON THE TARGET THROUGH THE HOLES.

I am. I focus on the target, put the paper or hands up, and I then am faced with picking which hole to look through. Usually I cannot see the target when I put the paper up since it's in between the hole. I'm not changing my focus from the target, then I have to pick a hole. Like I said, I usually end up with the right eye on this test. So I may favor the right, but it's near a wash IMHO. I found some videos addressing this for shooting purposes, and like you mentioned, it's not that easy, and for most it takes some training of the eyes. Fair enough.

This topic is kind of in the forefront at home right now.

hmm interesting

[Steve85]

We only found out because the school required an eye check at kindergarten. His eyes were bad already and got worse over the last year. Some schools don't require eye check until several years later so whether it's needed or not, I suggest gettting your kids eyes checked at school age (K-1st).

You get to pick the hole? Lucky man.

[BLINGMW]

You get to pick the hole? Lucky man.

I knew there was a joke in here somewhere....

[ScottyB]

just tried the "look through the circle method" and it worked. i realized i was trying too hard before.

left eye / right hand