Regarding Dominant Eye

boogeyman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Feel free to watch the video:
http://youtu.be/CBxA3pe-PNU Ekkes

Hello, Ekkes. Great tool for finding one's visual center and, by definition, getting one's dominant eye in the correct position!

The sad truth is a lot of people simply don't understand what is meant by 'dominant eye' so they disregard it as 'fluff.'
It's real alright, and you explain it superbly within the context of pool!

If you still don't agree with or truly understand what is meant by dominant eye please watch this video;

ESPECIALLY from 2:45 to 5:00. LISTEN to what he is saying and you will understand how the dominant eye comes into play when aiming in pool.
Whether you know it or not, this is what is happening physiologically to virtually EVERYONE.
Although there are documented cases where neither eye is dominant; this is analogous to TRUE AND 100% ambidexterity in handedness.

REMEMBER: dominant eye does NOT mean using only THAT eye for aiming.
It merely means that the dominant eye takes in just a bit more visual information so that the (aiming) picture is more 'favored' by that eye.
Nothing fancy about it. It's just part of our physiology. It's natural. It's involuntary. It's in our makeup. Deal with it.
 
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Dunnn51

Clear the table!
Silver Member
To each their own .....

Perhaps for ME it is easy because of my trade that I find it easy to put things in alignment. I have no need for "sighting hardware" as I have no problem getting my dominant eye over the cueshaft for alignment.LINE OF AIM, (not dominant eye), is what is important to ME in lining up a shot. For others, it may be different,I can understand that.
In the end, it is whatever works for a positive result
 

Petros Andrikop

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Yes.

I could change dominant eyes in two weeks.

randyg

Sounds interesting, can you please elaborate more about this?
It is known that vision changes over time, I haven't read anything related to short time periods or back and forth phenomenon, are you perhaps talking about visual exercises that affect ocular perception some way?
Thanks,
Petros
 

DirtyJersey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
DirtyJersey;4457471]I like that (your Avatar) :D

http://youtu.be/CBxA3pe-PNU <------ yer kidding me right ?!?

Yeah she's damn fine. :thumbup: You got me wrong though. I like the tool. I think it could be very useful. I have cross eye dominance and I find it very difficult to find the proper eye alignment. I went to that sight to actually buy that product because I think it could very useful speeding up my alignment process, the price point is just ridiculous.:frown:
 

chevybob20

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I read where the eye dominance can shift from one eye to another over time/session.

My eye dominance shifts and I can force the change. Knowing this tidbit and how to apply it to the game removed much frustration.
 

ps611846

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Then both eyes are dominant?

All I know is I am extremely left eye dominant. In the past few weeks, I started putting the cue under my right non-dominant eye, and have been shooting lights out.

Someone explain that to me please.

You can prove this to yourself. Place the ob between the side pockets and shoot "a inside" and "c inside" shots to the upper corners. Cb-ob distance 2 diamonds, and then at 3 diamonds. Try to shoot with no practice strokes. If this works for both right and left cuts then you are ok. But I think that you make adjustments and you are not aware of this.

Panagiotis
 

naji

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Tap, tap, tap! :thumbup:

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

Thanks Scott this is great I agree 100% , but I like to add one should understand error correction in pool. There are multiple variables to make an ob in pocket, major variables are alignment (before bending), after bending, aim, stroke, and cb errors (swerve, squirt), and ob errors (throw), perhaps couple more. IMO aim if done right it's error contribution is almost none for 2 diamond shots or below, more separation between ob and cb errors starts to effect potting balls add other errors then it becomes a mystery to pin point. But IMO if the stroke is straight and good follow through and stay down it will hide aiming errors, the eye cannot be wrong by much.
 

dr_dave

Instructional Author
Gold Member
Silver Member
Lots of posts on dominant eye. I say it is less important to know that than it is to align to the shot properly.
I couldn't agree more. This is the whole point of the information, drills, and demonstrations on the "vision center" resource page.

The way our brain combines the images from the two eyes to visualize aim for a pool shot is a very complicated and individual thing. The "vision center" isn't necessarily related to which eye might be "dominant" or not. The best way to determine an individual's "vision center" is at a table with balls and a cue (per the drills on the "vision center" resource page).

FYI, for people want more information concerning eye dominance and its importance (or unimoportance) in pool, see the articles and links on the "dominant eye" resource page.

Enjoy,
Dave
 

FranCrimi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Here are my findings over 20 years of teaching and studying those who come to me for help:

Players favor their dominant eyes when aiming, meaning that they will tend to place their cues under or near that eye. The only instances where I've seen players shoot with their cue under their recessive eye were when they had a pathology in their dominant eye, such as near- blindness, where they had no choice but to aim with their recessive eye.

Can a player's dominant eye change over time? The experts say it can, but regardless, each player I've tested were aiming with their cue under their dominant eye at that time. So if it did change, they have adjusted accordingly.

Can you intentionally change your aim to your recessive eye? Sure, I guess you can, but I haven't seen any cases of it cross my path other than the pathology issues I mentioned earlier.
 

BeiberLvr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Here are my findings over 20 years of teaching and studying those who come to me for help:

Players favor their dominant eyes when aiming, meaning that they will tend to place their cues under or near that eye. The only instances where I've seen players shoot with their cue under their recessive eye were when they had a pathology in their dominant eye, such as near- blindness, where they had no choice but to aim with their recessive eye.

Can a player's dominant eye change over time? The experts say it can, but regardless, each player I've tested were aiming with their cue under their dominant eye at that time. So if it did change, they have adjusted accordingly.

Can you intentionally change your aim to your recessive eye? Sure, I guess you can, but I haven't seen any cases of it cross my path other than the pathology issues I mentioned earlier.

How could an eye that's near-blindness be considered the dominant eye? Not doubting you, just curious.

As I've mentioned before, since putting the cue under my non-dominant eye, I have been playing so much better. The last time I had a vision test done, I had pretty good vision in both eyes.
 

3andstop

Focus
Silver Member
Keep in mind the message in the first post. Aligning to see one straight line as the video demonstrates may in some instances not place your dominant eye over the shot in your stance as you would otherwise suspect.

Regardless, its more important to see one straight line than to adjust your dominant eye to a position you assume is correct.

In others words, forget the dominant eye concern, and verify your alignment with a tool like the video shows because it confirms itself.

Moving your head from side to side may align your dominant eye, but proves nothing about what your brain is seeing.
 

genomachino

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
All depends..........

How could an eye that's near-blindness be considered the dominant eye? Not doubting you, just curious.

As I've mentioned before, since putting the cue under my non-dominant eye, I have been playing so much better. The last time I had a vision test done, I had pretty good vision in both eyes.

The standard eye dominance tests are not accurate. Pointing and looking through holes to find the real dominant eye.

50/50 results at best. That means you have a 50% chance that when you point at an object and open and close an eye it will show you the correct eye as dominant.

If the cue is more over one eye than the other that is your real dominant eye. You are using the dominant eye. If the non dominant eye is working like the dominant eye the shot will look terrible. Just move it over to the other eye and see which one looks better. No brainer when you see it for yourself.

On the blind part of the question, an eye will work like the dominant eye on a pool shot until you lose 80 to 90% of the vision in that eye. Then at some point the vision will switch to looking out of the other eye like a telescope.

This is just not a theory but I have seen this over and over as I have help players find their dominant eyes to improve their aiming ability.

Good Luck........
 

genomachino

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This is getting the dominant eye in the correct position but.......

Lots of posts on dominant eye. I say it is less important to know that than it is to align to the shot properly.

Please check this video and forget dominant eye and concern yourself with this.


I believe this is most important.

But only as if it were a straight in shot.

When we cut a ball to the left or right we do not have such a definitive line to follow.

Kind of like jacking up.

This is where the real challenge begins. Cutting to the right and the left.

One is a dominant eye and the other is non dominant.

They both have their own issues when we aim a shot. One does really good and the other not so good.

When we cut to the right it is the right eye and when we cut to the left it is the left eye.

Just get down on a shot and open and close an eye and you will see this.

Pretty simple.
 

3andstop

Focus
Silver Member
But only as if it were a straight in shot.

When we cut a ball to the left or right we do not have such a definitive line to follow.

Kind of like jacking up.

This is where the real challenge begins. Cutting to the right and the left.

One is a dominant eye and the other is non dominant.

They both have their own issues when we aim a shot. One does really good and the other not so good.

When we cut to the right it is the right eye and when we cut to the left it is the left eye.

Just get down on a shot and open and close an eye and you will see this.

Pretty simple.


I Disagree. There are two and only two straight lines in any shot. From the pocket to the object ball, and from the cue ball to the object ball.

The second mentioned is the only line of concern. It must be accurate.

Envision the line in the video extending both forward through the cue ball to the point of contact on the object ball, and backward beyond the farthest point the butt of your cue stick reaches on the backstroke.

Cover that line with your cue as you stroke and thats it.

Raising the butt of the cue has nothing to do with anything if you stroke over that line.

I don't want to get into aiming, but, if you cut left, cover the line with the left edge of the cue, and the opposite for cutting right. So long as the front and rear of the cue cover the line at the same time through the entire stroke, nothing else matters.
 

dr_dave

Instructional Author
Gold Member
Silver Member
The standard eye dominance tests are not accurate.
...
If the cue is more over one eye than the other that is your real dominant eye.
Cutting to the right and the left.

One is a dominant eye and the other is non dominant.
...
When we cut to the right it is the right eye and when we cut to the left it is the left eye.
I think a big source of confusion in threads like these is that people seem to have different meanings for "dominant eye." The generally-accepted definition is described in the links on the "dominant eye" resource page. I personally believe (and have seen lots of supporting evidence) that a person's official "dominant eye" has little to do with the ideal "vision center" head position for that person (unless the person has extreme eye dominance or vision impairment in one eye, in which case the "vision center" position will often be with the dominant or "good" eye directly over the cue).

For many people who have an "dominant eye," the personal "vision center" position can be with the cue centered directly between the eyes. And for some people who have a "dominant eye," the "vision center" position can be with the cue somewhere else between the eyes, under the other eye, or even outside of the eyes (which is rare). The best way to determine an individual's "vision center" position is to ignore all of the "dominant eye" stuff and just do simple drills at the table, per the "vision center" resource page.

Geno, you seem to be implying that a person's "vision center" position should be different for cuts to the right vs. cuts to the left. Is that true? That's what I thought after watching your DVD, but sometimes you give mixed messages on this topic.

Thanks,
Dave
 

genomachino

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Pretty smart cookie........

Here are my findings over 20 years of teaching and studying those who come to me for help:

Players favor their dominant eyes when aiming, meaning that they will tend to place their cues under or near that eye. The only instances where I've seen players shoot with their cue under their recessive eye were when they had a pathology in their dominant eye, such as near- blindness, where they had no choice but to aim with their recessive eye.

Can a player's dominant eye change over time? The experts say it can, but regardless, each player I've tested were aiming with their cue under their dominant eye at that time. So if it did change, they have adjusted accordingly.

Can you intentionally change your aim to your recessive eye? Sure, I guess you can, but I haven't seen any cases of it cross my path other than the pathology issues I mentioned earlier.

I can see you understand a lot about how the eyes work.

Glad to see. What you say is usually on the right track.

Good Read....
 

FranCrimi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
How could an eye that's near-blindness be considered the dominant eye? Not doubting you, just curious.

As I've mentioned before, since putting the cue under my non-dominant eye, I have been playing so much better. The last time I had a vision test done, I had pretty good vision in both eyes.

It would be better if you asked an ophthalmologist who will give you a more scientific explanation. That's where I got my information. I was lucky to have one as a client of mine.

Basically, the eye that grabs the information first isn't necessarily the eye that sees the best. It's the eye that has more nerves that go straight back into the brain as opposed to nerves that are situated more diagonally to the brain.
 
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