Dominant eye

justadub

justadub

Rattling corners nightly
Silver Member
In Okie's thread, the "dominant eye" is discussed, and since I didn't want to derail his thread, I thought I'd start my own train-wreck here. :p

I know this has been beaten about over the years, and I've tried to follow it with limited success. Ekkes made a reply that seemed easier for me to follow, but I have a few questions to make sure that I'm doing the test correctly, what the results likely mean, and how I should act upon them.

Ekkes said this:
"You can do a little test for yourself:

Stretch one arm and point to a spot at the wall having a pencil vertically in your hand- holding the pencil in between your both eyes and having both eyes open.
Focus on lookin with both eyes and it may happen that you seem to see two penils. Then close your non dominant eye and see how the position of the pencil moves.
It will move more when you close your dominant eye and in the oposite direction!In case you are right eye dominant the pencil will move to the left in case you are left eye dominant it will move to the right.

Now let your both eyes open and move your head to left: In case you are right eye dominant, the pencil will move to the right in case you are left eye dominant it will move to the right as well!!! The same happens when you close the left/eye.

Now tilt your head like he does in his set position after having moved your head to the left a bit (tilt your head in away that your left ear/eye his higher then your right ear/eye) and keep one eye closed (whichone ever because if you only look with one eye this ey is always dominant :-) )

The tilting of the head brings your pencil back to to the left - the more you tilt your head the bigger is this effect which shows him his wrong picture!"

#1: Do I hold the pencil with my arm centered away from my body, or having the arm straight out from it's shoulder?

#2: When conducting this test, do I make my eyes see two pencils, or one, before shutting each eye? (Doing this with my arm centered away from my body.)

If I make myself see two pencils before closing the eye, the pencil moves when I close each eye, though it moves further to the right (when closing my left eye) than it does opposite when closing the other. But in both cases, the pencil does not stay centered.

If I let my eyes focus and only see one pencil, it moves equally the opposite direction, when closing each eye.

Based on my interpretation of the test, I "think" that makes me left eye dominant.

Assuming that all this is correct, what does one do about that? I shoot right handed. Do I try to get the cue more underneath my left eye when lining up the shot? What effect will tilting my head create?

Thanks for your patience with all this drivel I have spewed out this morning. It is interesting, I've always tired to follow the various "dominant eye" threads over the years that I've been here. It just struck me this moring to see if I could make the determination.
 
This is the test I use for eye dominance.

The Dolman method also known as the hole-in-the-card test. The subject is given a card with a small hole in the middle, instructed to hold it with both hands, then instructed to view a distant object through the hole with both eyes open. The observer then alternates closing the eyes or slowly draws the opening back to the head to determine which eye is viewing the object (i.e. the dominant eye).

Whats interesting about this test is when used on a pool table (4.5 x 9.0)
is that when a shot is lined up straight in say 6 diamonds between the QB and OB, using the card standing behind the shot say 5 feet from the QB, looking thru the hole with both eyes open at the QB and then bringing the card back to your face the hole will end up a little toward the bridge of you nose rather than back exactly to the center of your dominant eye.

Now get in the shooting position and repeat the card test again using the QB, you may notice that the hole has come back to the center of your dominant eye.

Going further perform the test using the OB, you may notice that when the hole in the card is brought back to the face that the hole ends up almost on the bridge of the nose.

What this test tells me is that, the further away an object the less of a role eye dominance plays.

Now when I line up a shot in the standing position I line up using my right eye (briefly closing my left eye to check alignment)

What is interesting is that in the shooting position my right eye is very close to the QB so that would mean that the QB is lined up exactly in the center of my dominant eye. Now looking down the shot line which is 6 diamonds away my right eye is less dominant.

I believe one of the instructors commented on eye dominance, to use the dominant eye to pick out the targets and shot alignment and just let the brain figure the rest out. This seems to be good advise. :wink:

It would be interesting if a few instructors could comment on their experiences with some of their students.

Here we go again. :)

John
 
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Thank you, John, for the reply and suggestions. And thanks to those who have PM'd me, as well.

I guess I am more confused now than when I started. Perhaps I'm too literal minded, or maybe not enough, but I always seem to have questions for most of the steps in any of these instructions, so I can't be sure of the results, as I doubt that I am performing the tests properly.

This is probably why I gave up in this the last time the subject was popular here.

I know, I should call Geno. He's very gracious about helping, but wants callers to be at a table when they call, and I don't have one at home. Arranging uninterrupted time at a table to call him isn't as easy a task as I would like it to be, but perhaps during my next vacation i can arrange a time when the pool room isn't busy.

Thanks again, folks.
 
Here's the way I test folks.

extend your arms out in front of you, and put your hands flat next to each other and only leave a small circle of space (about a silver dollar wide) and then with both eyes open, look through the opening and focus on something hangin on the wall....

It could be the top of a painting, or a kitch light, something, anything.

And then close your left eye first.. did the object move?

Then open your left eye, and close your right eye, did the object move?

For most folks, that are right handed, they tend to be mostly right eye dominant... I say "mostly"....

I'm right eye dominant, but playing baseball for 40 years right handed, my left eye got the best "look" at the pitcher, and eventually my left eye likes to look at the object ball more than my right.... I think I thoroughly confounded Stan Shuffet :)

but at least I think I know why my left eye wants to "sneak" in on the shots... and it works for me, and Stan said if it works, why fix it....just be consistent on the approach with all shots as I also learned from Geno......need to get on the same line, in the same position for consistency purposes.....
 
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ChicagoRJ said:
Here's the way I test folks.

extend your arms out in front of you, and put your hands flat next to each other and only leave a small circle of space (about a silver dollar wide) and then with both eyes open, look through the opening and focus on something hangin on the wall....

It could be the top of a painting, or a kitch light, something, anything.

And then close your left eye first.. did the object move?

Then open your left eye, and close your right eye, did the object move?

For most folks, that are right handed, they tend to be mostly right eye dominant... I say "mostly"....

I'm right eye dominant, but playing baseball for 40 years right handed, my left eye got the best "look" at the pitcher, and eventually my left eye likes to look at the object ball more than my right.... I think I thoroughly confounded Stan Shuffet :)

but at least I think I know why my left eye wants to "sneak" in on the shots... and it works for me, and Stan said if it works, why fix it....just be consistent on the approach with all shots as I also learned from Geno......need to get on the same line, in the same position for consistency purposes.....
Click to expand...

Using your method, RJ, the object moves sharply to the left when I close my left eye.

Whats the diagnosis, doc? :p
 
ENGLISH! said:
Bruce

What does it do when you close your right eye?
Click to expand...

Moves a very, very slight amount but stays centered enough to see through the gap in my hands. Cosing my left eye, the object is no longer visible in that same gap.
 
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Bruce,

The eye in which you close and it moves significantly, that is your dominant eye.

This was how we were tested in the military to decide which hand we would shoot rifles. If you were right handed and left eye dominant, they made you switch because you cannot be accurate enough unless sighting with dominant eye. I don't know if that practice is continued but it was true 20 years ago!

Steve
 
Then I would say you are left eye 'dominant' playing right handed.

Now what is the best thing to do? I'm certainly not the best one to advise about that but I know I have to play with the cue under my 'dominant' eye.

I would guess that you would at least need to make sure that the cue is under your chin & not under your right eye. Obviously under your left eye would be best but that might effect your stroke mechanics.

At least now you know that you are not right eye dominant & I'm sure you will get some helpful insight & advice on how to play your best with this issue.

I would think Gene is your man.

Best Wishes to You &
 
I give up.

Now when I do RJ's test, it jumps out of frame when I close my left eye.

I give up. Screwy goddamned eyes of mine
 
Bruce,

Pick a target with both eyes open & then tilt your head back & close both eyes & determine if you can see out of your nose.

Sorry, I know how good natured you are so I could not resist.

I hope it made you chuckle.

Gene will probaby be able to help you & then if I were you I would hook up with him in person whenever I could.

All the Best to You &
 
ENGLISH! said:
Bruce,

Pick a target with both eyes open & then tilt your head back & close both eyes & determine if you can see out of your nose.

Sorry, I know how good natured you are so I could not resist.

I hope it made you chuckle.

Gene will probaby be able to help you & then if I were you I would hook up with him in person whenever I could.

All the Best to You &
Click to expand...

I have enough nose on my face, that might actually work :p
 
justadub said:
I give up.

Now when I do RJ's test, it jumps out of frame when I close my left eye.

I give up. Screwy goddamned eyes of mine
Click to expand...

You are right eye dominant, thus thinking you are right handed as well :)
Sounds like it works, it should "move" out of the window when you close one eye or the other.

The tricky part is to really test yourself to see how you line up, and you will need a partner to check it for you. If you need a table to work with Geno, go to the local pool hall and call him from there.... OK, you might look like a dork... but what the hell :)
 
You can take the camera you used to post your video... place it behind the middle of the table - and then shoot the cue ball straight from the head spot through the middle spot and then back to your tip. Continue to do this until you get the cue to come back very near your tip... then look at the video and see where the cue was on the shots your brought it back to your tip.

That is your natural line of sight. I've seen many locations - under each eye, below chin, etc. That little drill will definitely help you figure out where you see straight.
 
Thanks for the help, Rick, Steve and RJ.

One last time, so I understand it, if the object moves out of frame when I close my right eye, that indicates right eye dominance, right?

And if so, the cue should be under my right eye, for the most part, right?

I will try to film that drill sometime, Steve. Just a matter of my having the time at the pool room without interruption. Did you mean for me to film it looking toward the camera, or from behind, or perhaps both? Could be tricky, I used my phone, propped up against the wall, and I can't remember if I can arrange that centered down one of the tables. Four of our five tables are along that wall, so hopefully I can line it up on one of them :p

Again, my thanks.
 
I would try it like this: Buy a roll of quarters and prop your phone on the end rail, center diamond. Go the head rail, shot at the center diamond across the spot... evaluate. This will show your natural alignment. I don't think you need to post it or anything, it is for your reference. You do that until the ball comes back to the tip - you wont be worrying about which eye is dominant anymore :)
 
boyersj said:
I would try it like this: Buy a roll of quarters and prop your phone on the end rail, center diamond. Go the head rail, shot at the center diamond across the spot... evaluate. This will show your natural alignment. I don't think you need to post it or anything, it is for your reference. You do that until the ball comes back to the tip - you wont be worrying about which eye is dominant anymore :)
Click to expand...

Very cool. Tho I don't mind posting it, I was thinking I might do that drill first, then try some stuff from different angles and such. I can have you folks see if I've made any progress or not... I have pretty thick skin :p
 
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