Should Your Dominant Eye Be Your Close Up Eye?

Mike Templeton

Confidence........
Silver Member
I wear contacts when I play, and it's time for a new checkup.

The past 2 times I got prescriptions, once the eye doctor made my dominant eye for close vision (looking at the cue ball) and my other eye for distance. The other time, a different doctor made my dominant eye for distance (looking at the object ball).

For those on the board who wear contacts when they play, is your dominant eye your close up or distance eye? I don't remember which worked best for me.

Thanks,
Mike
 

henho

I Beat Fidelshnitzer
Silver Member
You probably don't remember which worked best because there would not be a big difference between the two. The truth is you need your dominant eye to be able to focus on both the cueball and object ball to line up the shot. Your non-dominant eye supplies additional spatial information about depth.

If you have to go with wearing contacts of different strength, your brain will combine the signal from both eyes and (hopefully) give the illusion that you are able to have multiple distances in focus. Once the signal from both eyes is combined it doesn't matter which eye supplied what information, so it shouldn't matter which eye is on distance or close-up duty.

That being said, since you must choose, I would pick your dominant eye to allow distance vision to facilitate lining up with the object ball.
 

dr_dave

Instructional Author
Gold Member
Silver Member
You probably don't remember which worked best because there would not be a big difference between the two. The truth is you need your dominant eye to be able to focus on both the cueball and object ball to line up the shot. Your non-dominant eye supplies additional spatial information about depth.

If you have to go with wearing contacts of different strength, your brain will combine the signal from both eyes and (hopefully) give the illusion that you are able to have multiple distances in focus. Once the signal from both eyes is combined it doesn't matter which eye supplied what information, so it shouldn't matter which eye is on distance or close-up duty.

That being said, since you must choose, I would pick your dominant eye to allow distance vision to facilitate lining up with the object ball.
Good post. I agree. In my view, eye dominance is really not that important in pool. For people interested, resources related to this topic can be found here:

Regards,
Dave
 

SpiderWebComm

HelpImBeingOppressed
Silver Member
Good post. I agree. In my view, eye dominance is really not that important in pool. For people interested, resources related to this topic can be found here:

Regards,
Dave
Eye dominance has a lot to do with pool. For example, I'm right eye dominant, but my left eye is in a dominant position. When I first used Joe Tucker's 3rd Eye, I could only "see" center ball by taking visual data from my left eye exclusively. Using my "vision's center" or my right eye produced a center ball illusion that was offset 1/4 tip right of true-center.

Since learning this (for me), I've forced my left eye into a more dominant position as to prevent my right eye from trying to take over the shot. I even go as far as turning my head a little to the right while standing up to ensure my left eye captures the true alignment line.

I keep reading how dominant eyes aren't important in pool and it's simply nonsense. Although the statement CAN be true for a good percentage of players, there is DEFINITELY a population of players who are cross-dominant and might even be forced to use a non-dominant eye due to their shooting style (like myself). If you keep talking about using vision-center and or the position where he/she perceives the straight line--- you CAN hold someone back in regards to progressing.

I took that advice for many years and probably NEVER hit center ball until about 6 or 7 years ago (I always had right english on the ball). I was simply setting up to where I perceived "straight" to be. "Straight" was actually a parallax view.

It perplexes me how someone could spend all their spare time in this game and think dominant eyes have little to do with pool. Just because that might hold true for yourself, certainly doesn't hold true to everyone. Therefore, you're basing your view on conjecture based on your own beliefs (based on your own style of play) rather than real research with REAL pool players (not a wikipedia article on dominant eyes).
 

dr_dave

Instructional Author
Gold Member
Silver Member
Eye dominance has a lot to do with pool. For example, I'm right eye dominant, but my left eye is in a dominant position. When I first used Joe Tucker's 3rd Eye, I could only "see" center ball by taking visual data from my left eye exclusively. Using my "vision's center" or my right eye produced a center ball illusion that was offset 1/4 tip right of true-center.

Since learning this (for me), I've forced my left eye into a more dominant position as to prevent my right eye from trying to take over the shot. I even go as far as turning my head a little to the right while standing up to ensure my left eye captures the true alignment line.
To me, the adjustments you have made have allowed you to find your true "vision center." I agree with you that this is extremely important in pool. Every person should find the head and eye position that allows him or her to best perceive center-ball alignment and the desired line of the shot. For some people, this head position will have the "dominant eye" positioned directly over the cue, and for others it might be with the nose centered over the cue, and for others it might be with the non-dominant eye over the cue, and for others it might be any point within (or even outside of) this range of possibilities. From what I have seen, experienced, and read, "eye dominance" probably has little or no correlation with the ideal "vision center" position.

Now, some people might interpret the phrase "dominant eye" differently. For example, if your "vision center" has the left eye more over the cue than the right (i.e., your chin and nose are to the right of the cue), some people might say this person has a "dominant" left eye, but this might not be the case. On the contrary, it is possible that either eye is the "dominant eye." It is also possible neither eye is "dominant." Likewise, if a player has their head and eyes exactly centered over the cue (like many people do when they play), it is still possible that one (or neither) eye is "dominant." That's why I and others often say "eye dominance" (using the scientific and generally accepted definition of the phrase) isn't really important in pool.

Regardless of how people define or use the terms, consistent and accurate head/eye alignment is critical in pool. It is very important to find one's "vision center," regardless of which eye might be "dominant."

For people who want more info and advice on this topic, see:

I keep reading how dominant eyes aren't important in pool and it's simply nonsense. Although the statement CAN be true for a good percentage of players, there is DEFINITELY a population of players who are cross-dominant and might even be forced to use a non-dominant eye due to their shooting style (like myself).
Your example makes my point exactly. The ideal "vision center" for an individual might or might not be related to "eye dominance."

Regards,
Dave
 

SpiderWebComm

HelpImBeingOppressed
Silver Member
I'm not gonna get caught up in this thread because you don't get it. Sometimes a player's vision-center is an illusion (facing the shot squarely). If you force a dominant eye into position (or out of position for that matter) in order to see a straight line----- that means dominant eyes are important in pool.
 
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SpiderWebComm

HelpImBeingOppressed
Silver Member
The ideal "vision center" for an individual might or might not be related to "eye dominance."

Regards,
Dave

Well, if it might be related to eye dominance, how can eye dominance not be important in pool? You're flip flopping worse than Obama and his stance on Super PACs.
 

The Renfro

Outsville.com
Silver Member
The blanket statement that dominance isn't important is what I have issue with.... For about the 10000th time not everyone's eyes work the same... Some reasons are physiological, some are from the hardening of the lenses from age, smoking, or workplace conditions.....

I cannot cross my eyes at ALL.... For me dominance is everything because the assist info from my non-dominant eye is totally unreliable because of the fact that distances vary... If I shot the same shot at the same distance exclusively maybe dominance wouldn't matter for me but I don't know any games on the pool table where you get to do that....

But back to the original question.... Which eye should get which lens??? I think I would get both lenses the same unless your vision is so bad that you cannot see the cueball clearly with the distance lenses.....

The reason I say this has to do with Parallax which is the ability of the eyes to work together to accurately to determine distances and depth....

By lensing the eyes differently your brain will eventually make an adjustment but I would think you would be being forced towards being in the boat I am in.....

Since my Geno Lesson I tossed out my contacts.... My vision is still close to 20/20 and I had lenses to get me to 20/15 thinking that my vision was my problem... It was dominance the whole time....

Now IF I throw a contact in which I may do for a tournament I toss only the left one in because it is my dominant eye and Geno got me to the point that I can now setup and totally ignore everything my right eye is trying to tell me about aim... It still helps with distance and depth and peripherally but it has no business in trying to line up whitey and the object ball.......
 

genomachino

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You need them both sir..............

I wear contacts when I play, and it's time for a new checkup.

The past 2 times I got prescriptions, once the eye doctor made my dominant eye for close vision (looking at the cue ball) and my other eye for distance. The other time, a different doctor made my dominant eye for distance (looking at the object ball).

For those on the board who wear contacts when they play, is your dominant eye your close up or distance eye? I don't remember which worked best for me.

Thanks,
Mike

Hi there Mike,

During my learning all the ins and outs of Perfect Aim I had eye surgery. Like most pool players I thought I shot and aimed only with my dominant eye. So he made my left eye, which was my dominant eye, for distance and the right eye for reading.

I tried to play the next day and found my vision was real bad when i was cutting balls to the right. This is when I realised that the right eye does the aiming when you cut a ball to the right. the left to the left.

Having and keeping the dominant eye in the correct position will put the non dominant eye where it needs to be with the cuts that way.

There are other issues cutting to the right and to the left that I teach with Perfect aim. Without knowing these things we are just kind of mindlessly aiming, kind of like using a gun without using the sight. Because that is just what you are doing by not knowing this.

And many players can shoot pretty well not knowing this from repetition. Shoot 8 hours a day 7 days a week. Quit your job and divorce your wife. Close your bank account because there will be no money. And you will naturally get the eyes pretty close to this Perfect position most of the time. I say again from repetiton.

Or you can learn how to really get the eyes to this most correct position to envision the shot and cut your practice time in half or more. When you get to that crucial shot for all the bananas you will see it right and have the best chance possible to pocket the ball and get your shape.

That's what it is all about. Seeing things right in this game of optical illusions, and there are plenty of them.

There is no way in a million years that anyone is going to tell our own Spidey, here on AZ or anyone else that has really learned and understands Perfect aim that the dominant eye isn't everything.

Everyone has a dominant eye unless they have some kind of medical problem, though I have never seen that personally. The ones that had medical trouble that called me had a dominant eye also and we found it.
And we were able to help greatly with their aiming.

If you would like to I am still doing the Perfect Aim phone lessons and you should give me a call. My time is limited right now but I am still doing a few.

Give me a call. 715-563-8712. It's free. Just want to help.

Talk to you soon. geno...After 8:00 PM central time.
 

dr_dave

Instructional Author
Gold Member
Silver Member
To me, the adjustments you have made have allowed you to find your true "vision center." I agree with you that this is extremely important in pool. Every person should find the head and eye position that allows him or her to best perceive center-ball alignment and the desired line of the shot. For some people, this head position will have the "dominant eye" positioned directly over the cue, and for others it might be with the nose centered over the cue, and for others it might be with the non-dominant eye over the cue, and for others it might be any point within (or even outside of) this range of possibilities. From what I have seen, experienced, and read, "eye dominance" probably has little or no correlation with the ideal "vision center" position.

Now, some people might interpret the phrase "dominant eye" differently. For example, if your "vision center" has the left eye more over the cue than the right (i.e., your chin and nose are to the right of the cue), some people might say this person has a "dominant" left eye, but this might not be the case. On the contrary, it is possible that either eye is the "dominant eye." It is also possible neither eye is "dominant." Likewise, if a player has their head and eyes exactly centered over the cue (like many people do when they play), it is still possible that one (or neither) eye is "dominant." That's why I and others often say "eye dominance" (using the scientific and generally accepted definition of the phrase) isn't really important in pool.

Regardless of how people define or use the terms, consistent and accurate head/eye alignment is critical in pool. It is very important to find one's "vision center," regardless of which eye might be "dominant."

For people who want more info and advice on this topic, see:
I keep reading how dominant eyes aren't important in pool and it's simply nonsense. Although the statement CAN be true for a good percentage of players, there is DEFINITELY a population of players who are cross-dominant and might even be forced to use a non-dominant eye due to their shooting style (like myself).
Your example makes my point exactly. The ideal "vision center" for an individual might or might not be related to "eye dominance."
Well, if it might be related to eye dominance, how can eye dominance not be important in pool? You're flip flopping worse than Obama and his stance on Super PACs.
I've quoted the entire message above for context. I think we agree completely on what is important here ... we just disagree slightly on semantics and definitions.

Here's a good summarizing statement I think is more appropriate, even if taken out of context:

There is no direct correlation between a player's vision center and their "dominant eye" (if they have one).

Regards,
Dave
 

Mikjary

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I see 20/20 at a distance and use a contact in my right dominant eye for closeup work. I don't even notice the contact anymore and can shoot pool the same with or without it.

I don't really look at the cue ball while I am lining up the shot. I look at the object ball and let my peripheral vision "see" the cue ball. Trusting this gets you into the zone quickly and gives your subconscious mind a way to come into the alignment process.

With your dominant eye alignment directing traffic, you can use both eyes to cut to the left and right. Keeping the dominant eye dominant takes some practice, but is necessary to be consistent. Some players do this naturally and can't understand what all the eye dominance thing is about. We all see the shots differently.

Best,
Mike
 

Jodacus

Shoot...don't talk
Silver Member
Both

I have both eyes corrected by contacts for distance. Can't read a menu but I can see the cue ball and object ball.

This seems to be most popular way.

Good Luck!
 

genomachino

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
After working personally with about 2,000 plus players and having to find there dominant eye to help them aim better than ever I can confidently say that all 2,000 plus had a dominant eye.

Some were hard to figure out but when we were done the player absolutely knew which eye was dominant for sure.

Dr Dave, if you remember correctly, we even figured out which eye was your dominant eye. I think it was your right?

What scientific study did you find to support " If they have one" a dominant eye.

In the preshot up above it makes no difference how you look. Right eye or left eye , it looks good both ways. But when you get down on the shot to aim you have to have the dominant eye in the correct position or the shot has no chance.

Fortuanately, most players get it close to the correct position naturally. Some better than others. That's why some players aim better than others.

I feel that some of the teachers around the country have tried so hard to defy what I teach just because they don't understand it. How could this be that they don't know this? Just because we teach doesn't mean we stop learning. They need to turn off the stop. That's too bad. I hope that they havn't kept some players from seeking some great info that would help their game immensely.

On the other hand, many teachers that I have taught are teaching this to their lucky students.

I can't change the way the eyes work. That's all I figured out was how they work and how to enhance your aim to the best of a your ability. Which can be very accurate.

Now that the code has been cracked, and it has, there is no other way. Once a player learns this they can see it for themselves. They know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is it because seeing is believing with your own eyes. I'm not being arrogant, but just stating a fact. it is what it is and that's it.

And dave this wasn't all directed towards you, just the dominant eye part.
Oh , and by the way, your description of Perfect Aim on you web site couldn't be further from the truth and misleading. But then I guess it's OK because someone else said it.

You do alot of good for pool. Just make sure you got it right before you write it down as fact.

Maybe this will help you. Player might go to your site to find this misinformation.
 
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LAMas

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
In order to see how to stroke and aim on a given day, I shoot a series of straight in shots and adjust my cue under my chin/eyes to where I make the most shots to the target....on other days, that positoining of the cue has changed. Does eye dominance change day to day?
 

genomachino

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Cue is like a spear............

In order to see how to stroke and aim on a given day, I shoot a series of straight in shots and adjust my cue under my chin/eyes to where I make the most shots to the target....on other days, that positoining of the cue has changed. Does eye dominance change day to day?

Hi there LAMas,

If you were throwing a spear you are adjusting your body to what your eyes are seeing. And you are controling the aim until that spear leaves your hand and fingertips. In fact you can change the aim at the very last nano second.

With a pool shot it is just the same except we are throwing the spear underhand. Depending what english you are using the cue cannot be in the exact spot everytime. Close but not exact. But your eyes need to be in the most perfect position everytime.

In fact if your eyes are not right you can almost feel it. This is the main reason we jump or twist. we knew the shot didn't look right and were subconsiously trying to correct it but at this point it sabatages the shot completely.

We aim with the eyes not the cue.

The problem is that when we cut a shot the way of our non dominant eye our mind tries to put that eye in the dominant position. This causes big trouble for your pool game.

This is why we have more trouble cutting the way of our non dominant eye.

I share the whole answer in the FREE perfect aim phone lesson. You will not only be able to understand how it works but will be able to apply it to your game with very little effort and cut your misses in half almost immediately.

Give me a call after 8:00 PM central time 715-563-8712

Talk to you soon Geno...........
 
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Mikjary

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
In order to see how to stroke and aim on a given day, I shoot a series of straight in shots and adjust my cue under my chin/eyes to where I make the most shots to the target....on other days, that positoining of the cue has changed. Does eye dominance change day to day?

My biggest problem with eye dominance is that my non dominant left eye tries to get in the shot from time to time. Some days are better than others. A solid PSR usually helps me settle into a dominant position on most of the shots I take.

I will be sailing along running out and suddenly I miss a ball badly. Before I knew about my dominant eye I thought it was poor stroke mechanics or rushing the shot. When I miss I stay down and look to see which eye is directly over the cue. 95% of the time it is my left, non-dominant eye.

Over the years I have trained myself in activities to use both sides of my body equally well. I picked back up shooting pool a couple of years ago and found my eyes were trained to switch dominance more than I wanted them to do. It is a battle that I have been slowly winning with help from people like Geno. And I find some days I feel like I took two steps back instead of moving forward with my game. I'll just bet there are a lot of other players out there who have similar problems, but haven't figured it out yet. The frustration level is toxic to be playing strong and drive an easy ball into the rail. :confused:

Be well, E!

Best,
Mike
 

whitewolf

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I wear contacts when I play, and it's time for a new checkup.

The past 2 times I got prescriptions, once the eye doctor made my dominant eye for close vision (looking at the cue ball) and my other eye for distance. The other time, a different doctor made my dominant eye for distance (looking at the object ball).

For those on the board who wear contacts when they play, is your dominant eye your close up or distance eye? I don't remember which worked best for me.

Thanks,
Mike

I have had cataract surgery and see 20/20 with both eyes. I am right eye dominant. To read my laptop screen, I need the 175 correction, and for close reading I need the 225 correction.

Having said this, I personally don't care if the cue ball is blurry or not. In most scenarios it is blurry. I could be dead drunk blurry eyed and I can still see where my cue tip is going. I believe that LONG DISTANT FOCUSING is what your eyes should be doing, especially as you get older - when your lenses cannot react as fast (contracting and espanding) when looking up and down the table. And if you are anal (no offense to you intended) by trying to focus too hard to focus on the cue ball, your long distance shot WILL suffer.

So, to answer your question, I would have both eyes seeing the same.
 

dr_dave

Instructional Author
Gold Member
Silver Member
After working personally with about 2,000 plus players and having to find there dominant eye to help them aim better than ever I can confidently say that all 2,000 plus had a dominant eye.

Some were hard to figure out but when we were done the player absolutely knew which eye was dominant for sure.

Dr Dave, if you remember correctly, we even figured out which eye was your dominant eye. I think it was your right?
When I do the standard tests for eye dominance, I seem to have only a slight preference for my right eye. When I met you, I think I aligned the cue slightly to the right of my nose (on the right-eye side). I remember you suggesting I shift my head to the right a little for shots to the right and to the left a little for shots to the left. As I remember, your DVD also suggests this.

Over the last couple of years, after doing various drills (e.g., the vision center drill) and playing with my head position, I've found that I am most consistent and accurate on all shots (straight-ins, and cuts to the left or right) when my head is centered perfectly over the cue with my face square and eyes level. I know this is not the best position for everybody, but it seems to work the best for me. In other words, my "vision center" happens to be exactly between my eyes, even though I am slightly right-eye dominant. But not everybody's "vision center" is exactly between the eyes; although, many people do seem to prefer aligning the cue directly beneath, or even touching, the center of their chin, on all shots.

What scientific study did you find to support " If they have one" a dominant eye.
Here's a quote from the Wikipedia ocular dominance page:
Approximately two-thirds of the population is right-eye dominant and one-third left-eye dominant;[1][4][5][6] however in a small portion of the population neither eye is dominant. Dominance does appear to change depending upon direction of gaze[2][7] due to image size changes on the retinas.[8] There also appears to be a higher prevalence of left-eye dominance in those with Williams–Beuren syndrome,[9] and possibly in migraine sufferers as well.[10] Eye dominance has been categorized as "weak" or "strong";[11]​

The page cites several scientific studies on the topic, indicated by the linked references numbers in brackets.

Now, what you mean by "dominant eye" might be different from what the scientific community means by "dominant eye."

How do you define "dominant eye," and where do you think this eye should be placed relative to the cue (or line of the shot) for straight-in shots, cuts to the right, and cuts to the left?

In the preshot up above it makes no difference how you look. Right eye or left eye , it looks good both ways. But when you get down on the shot to aim you have to have the dominant eye in the correct position or the shot has no chance.
Again, how do you define "correct position?"

I feel that some of the teachers around the country have tried so hard to defy what I teach just because they don't understand it. How could this be that they don't know this? Just because we teach doesn't mean we stop learning. They need to turn off the stop. That's too bad. I hope that they havn't kept some players from seeking some great info that would help their game immensely.
I agree with you that not enough emphasis is placed on making sure one's head is in the best position to accurately and consistently visualize the line of the shot. I think finding one's "vision center" is as important as any other fundamental of pool.


... by the way, your description of Perfect Aim on you web site couldn't be further from the truth and misleading.
Here is my statement on the Perfect Aim section on my website:
Perfect Aim is a method of sighting recommended by Gene Albrecht. It is about getting the eyes in the right place for different types of shots.​
I think that is an accurate description, based on my understanding. I've also mentioned your system in my BD article dealing with sighting:
Aim, Align, Sight - Part III: Sighting” (Billiards Digest, August, 2011)​

But it sounds like you are referring to the quote from PJ:
[In Gene's Perfect Aim DVD, he suggests] that we should sight all pool shots by aligning the “inside” edge of the CB with the place on the OB where it should overlap for the cut angle we want, and that we should position the eye nearest that side of the CB directly over this line to get the truest picture of it.​

Again, based on what I understood from your DVD, PJ's description sounds reasonable.

I would be happy to add a quote from you if you provide a clear, concise, and meaningful description. For example, I think it would be helpful if you define "dominant eye" and "correct position." It seems like both concepts are critical aspects of "Perfect Aim." I'll also watch your DVD again to see if I or PJ have any misunderstandings concerning what you presented.

Gene, I applaud you for helping to bring awareness to the importance of consistent and purposeful sighting. This is an extremely important fundamental of pool.

Regards,
Dave
 

SpiderWebComm

HelpImBeingOppressed
Silver Member
Gene, I applaud you for helping to bring awareness to the importance of consistent and purposeful sighting. This is an extremely important fundamental of pool.

Regards,
Dave

Gene's Perfect Aim focuses heavily on dominant eyes (which is something you think has nothing to do with pool). So, one one hand you say it's an extremely important fundamental of pool; yet, in the other you say it's a red herring.
 
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Not Dead Ted

Formerly Dead Crab
Silver Member
The original poster has monovision correction: one eye corrected for distance, the other for near vision.

The question of eye dominance for him is moot for the purposes of pool. He is essentially a one-eyed player (not necessarily bad) with poor depth perception (probably not good). Eye dominance has been forced by the type of correction.

Unless you have a cross dominance or shifting dominance issue, I would think you would be better off with binocular distance correction for pool. If you wish to continue with "monovision", the eye corrected for distance should be the one directed down the long axis of the cue.
 
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