Eye Dominant?
- Thread starter L.S. Dennis
- Start date
Yup and it gave John Morra back problems causing him to switch to left handed. I would bet albin gets back problems from it too when he is past 35 or so.
I’m not sure why people focus on the dominant eye. At Cue-Tech, Randy G. had us do the following exercise:
- Place a small object, such as an upright golf tee, at one end of the table.
- Place your cue stick at the other end of the table so that it is pointing directly at the golf tee. This must be done carefully.
- Sight down the cue stick as though you are in the address position (but leaving the cue on the table). Move your head to the back and forth (right and left) until the cue stick looks like it is pointing straight at the golf tee—that is the correct head position for you.
L.S. Dennis
Well-known member
Thank you for this, I’ll give it a try tomorrow
Idiot Savant
Well-known member
I took a lesson from an instructor once a very long time ago. He taught my how to determine eye dominance. I was right handed and right eye dominant, which pleased him.
Fifteen years later I'm getting back into pool, and I perform what I think is the same test. I determine I am now left eye dominant, which disappoints me. I wonder if it is the time elapsed, or the LASIK operation I had performed.
This weekend I stumble upon the book The Fundemental Guide to Playing Pool by Jon Denn. On page 52 it describes how to determine eye dominance:
I now determine I am right eye dominant, and most likely always have been. I don't know what the heck I was doing to think I was left eye dominant.
I understand eye dominance theory has largely fallen out of favor among instructors. It is my understanding most would simply instruct the student to place the cue under the chin, between the eyes.
Do you think eye dominance is important? Do you try to align your dominant eye with the cue, and shot line?
Fifteen years later I'm getting back into pool, and I perform what I think is the same test. I determine I am now left eye dominant, which disappoints me. I wonder if it is the time elapsed, or the LASIK operation I had performed.
This weekend I stumble upon the book The Fundemental Guide to Playing Pool by Jon Denn. On page 52 it describes how to determine eye dominance:
I now determine I am right eye dominant, and most likely always have been. I don't know what the heck I was doing to think I was left eye dominant.
I understand eye dominance theory has largely fallen out of favor among instructors. It is my understanding most would simply instruct the student to place the cue under the chin, between the eyes.
Do you think eye dominance is important? Do you try to align your dominant eye with the cue, and shot line?
Everyone has a dominant eye and for the vast majority of people it's the same side as the hand they use. In Trapshooting if your dominant eye is opposite to the shoulder you mount your gun on you most likely have to tape the eyeglasses lens over your dominant eye or close it. I don't believe dominant eye is a major problem in pool, the cue will just naturally move to the right position whether under the dominant eye or under your chin.
L.S. Dennis
Well-known member
I’ve seen the aforementioned players with one directly over the cue but none so exaggerated as Earl in my opinion
Neils is the one that I've noticed most:
My guess is that he and Earl sight down the shaft unless they are sighting down the edges for fine cuts.
My guess is that he and Earl sight down the shaft unless they are sighting down the edges for fine cuts.
Some people are say LEFT EYE dominate, and shoot RIGHT HANDED WELL.
They improvise, adapt, and overcome.
Some people started playing Pool on Milk Box because they were short kids when they started.
Their form is not textbook perfect but again they adapted.
They improvise, adapt, and overcome.
Some people started playing Pool on Milk Box because they were short kids when they started.
Their form is not textbook perfect but again they adapted.
phreaticus
Well-known member
I think in both pool and shooting guns, where stance and eye dominance really matter - is when teaching someone totally new to the sport. Mostly to identify whether someone is cross-eye dominant or extremely strong eye dominant - since we generally/ideally want to orient our stance to our natural binocular (both eyes) center vision - and it can become a bit mechanically/physiologically difficult for these folks when they are first learning how to form a quality, consistent stance. Roughly 80% of the population don't have these issues and will naturally center up just fine, following basic conventional instructional methods. Personally, I think this is the very first step that any good instructor will help beginner students understand. If someone is cross eye dominant, they will almost always need some help to sort out an effective stance, otherwise they tend to end up with really awkward head/neck angles and fighting all sorts of issues. For shooting pistols effectively, it's almost impossible - in my experience these folks will have to either have to learn how to close their dominant eye, or learn to make their other eye dominant with both eyes open. Which is a nice segway to my next comment below.
One interesting aspect of eye dominance that comes up in both competitive shooting and pool, but which I never see discussed is - offhand shooting. As a right handed, right eye dominant shooter, when I shoot left handed (both guns and pool), its much more conducive to shoot with my left eye dominant, otherwise I'll end up fighting all the same issues that cross eye dominant shooters do. All can be tamed different ways, but my experience is that one can simply learn a bit about eye dominance and how to shift to let the same side be dominant and this will result in a much more natural stance, which is also much more consistent with how you stand/see the balls when shooting right handed. That might sound complex to do, but it's really not as difficult as it seems. It does take some work at first, like most new things - it may not feel comfy or natural at first.
Just some thoughts. Cheers
One interesting aspect of eye dominance that comes up in both competitive shooting and pool, but which I never see discussed is - offhand shooting. As a right handed, right eye dominant shooter, when I shoot left handed (both guns and pool), its much more conducive to shoot with my left eye dominant, otherwise I'll end up fighting all the same issues that cross eye dominant shooters do. All can be tamed different ways, but my experience is that one can simply learn a bit about eye dominance and how to shift to let the same side be dominant and this will result in a much more natural stance, which is also much more consistent with how you stand/see the balls when shooting right handed. That might sound complex to do, but it's really not as difficult as it seems. It does take some work at first, like most new things - it may not feel comfy or natural at first.
Just some thoughts. Cheers
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Neils is legally blind in his left eye.Neils is the one that I've noticed most:
My guess is that he and Earl sight down the shaft unless they are sighting down the edges for fine cuts.
I’m not an eye doctor and in turn may be wrong but I would think it would be better if the cue was under the center of the chin and both eyes work together.
tomatoshooter
Well-known member
I'm strongly left eye dominant. My vision center is my left eye, very rarely will I get the "synthesis" thing with a vision center anywhere other than my left eye. Being right handed, I seem to do better with my chin a few inches above the cue, leaning over and bunching up my shoulder seems to make my stroke inaccurate and ruin the mechanics.
I shoot a rifle from either side but generally stick with my dominant eye. I don't shoot pistols much but can bring the gun under my dominant eye. I don't really shoot shotguns but when I get one I'll definitely go left handed.
I shoot a rifle from either side but generally stick with my dominant eye. I don't shoot pistols much but can bring the gun under my dominant eye. I don't really shoot shotguns but when I get one I'll definitely go left handed.
True. But not necessarily directly under the dominant eye..
Neils says he has a lazy eye so that might be part of why he favors one eye so much.Neils is the one that I've noticed most:
My guess is that he and Earl sight down the shaft unless they are sighting down the edges for fine cuts.