Reluctantly, I must submit to the reality that I'm a left-handed longbowman. I've shot both ways for years, and discovered quite by accident that LH was much more comfortable (due to a relatively unstable left bow arm).
The only real downside is that I'm right-eye dominant. Threads on other forums shed little light on the matter. Howard Hill was famously cross-eye dominant. I watched some early film of him close-up that, to me at least, appeared to show him subtly rotating his face toward the arrow shelf just a bit extra as he came to full draw. Both eyes open.
I tried this with pretty amazing results this morning. I shot for hours. Two factors culminated in the confidence that I can do this: 1. the afore mention facial rotation. 2. a slightly increased bow cant.
I'm very interested in the experiences of others who may have had to deal with the same challenge. I used to just squint my right eye nearly closed. Never liked having to do that!
Mike
Not so much knowledge as experience in experimenting with MY form and equipment. I am getting better, much more consistent, but still have those 1 outta 10 ( or 20 or 30) episodes. We all think we are doing certain things. Take video. A lot of us are not actually doing what we think we are. We also develop crutches that allow us leeway to get away with....issues. watch yourself, critically. And give change time. Lots of time. As a bowyer friend drilled into me, if you are at the point where you walk yourself thru the mantra, when da big buck comes by you are gonna revert back to what you always do. It takes time....but first you need to see what you are doing and accept that you are actually doing it.
I'm keenly interested, Chuck. May I ask? Please share your story! I feel like there's a wealth of knowledge forthcoming...
Experiment. That move of the arrow could also mean your hand is coming away from your face, plucking. Again, ask how i know.
I've no first-hand knowledge of this, Mike, but I do know the brain is a phenomenal computer that's capable of re-calibrating to changing conditions. James Berry lost his dominant eye. My oldest grandson is right-handed and legally blind in his right eye. Both can outshoot me on my best day. But they don't have two functional eyes, so not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison to someone who does. I've never actually asked James what adjustments, if any, he made. I know my grandson does exactly as you described Mr. Hill doing. Still, I've always wondered if shooting left-handed exclusively for a prolonged period of time wouldn't strengthen one's left eye so much that it could become equal to, or dominant over the right eye.
Makes sense to me that it would, but I do have a pretty simple mind. For what it's worth, my LH cursive handwriting became really good in fifth grade when I snapped my right arm, so I have that profound knowledge going for me 😁. I suspect the muscles in the eye used to focus would strengthen quite a bit, especially if you shoot a lot. I'd be very interested in your results after a few months.
Good luck!
Rick
I think that you can train either side to be dominant by having it as the center of the world. Having your eye close to the arrow can help. Or....simply close the other eye as you draw. This takes time to work out...ask me how i know... as does changing from right to left hand or simply changing shooting styles and form. We all think we can just....change....but it takes months of shooting, or, when the pressure is on...you just revert to what you always did. Again...ask.
Nearly all things are possible, but change....real change...takes a long time.