Random thoughts on dominant eyes

[rackmsuckr]

OK, for anyone that doesn't know which is their dominant eye, find an object about a foot wide (a picture on the wall will do) 6-10 feet away from you.

Stand or sit directly in front of it, extend both arms out in front of you and fashion a 'frame' using both hands and cinch down so that you are making a really tight frame around that object.

Look through the frame with both eyes and make sure you are centered. Now close your right eye, open it, and then alternately close your left eye. Which one is most centered in your 'frame'? That is the one that is dominant.

Well, I know I am left eye dominant, but after not wearing my contacts since last Wed. (see thread http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=34324), I decided to put brand new ones in on Sat. morning for a tournament.

My eye dr. said that to be able to see closeup (reading and computers) AND distance, to put in one contact (a -2) in one eye and a -3.5 in the other eye, even though the prescription to see clearly in both eyes is -3.5. If I wear both -3.5's, I can't even tell if a ball is frozen.

Well, I did, and it wasn't until Sunday that I figured out that I had the weaker strength in my dominant eye....the one that does most of the sighting and aiming! And guess what, it didn't work. I kept missing balls that should have been easy, and had me scratching my head...and selling out.

My reasoning was that when I was 18, I was in a bad accident that tore off part of my eyelid. I feel it damaged my right eye a lot, and was very surprised that even after all these years, the right and left eye are both the same degree of blindness, lol. So I felt that the right eye needed the most correction, while my dominant eye should be ok with the weaker prescription.

If you did the little exercise above, you may have found that your recessive eye can't even see anything in your 'frame'.

It should have made sense to give the most correction to the dominant eye, again the workhorse that does all the sighting, aiming, and calculations, but I was trying to be smarter and figured just the opposite.

So, I really played poorly and wondered if anyone else has played around with that method of working their contacts to take advantage of their dominant eye. I would really love to get the eye surgery, except I am a big chicken and heard of 2 reports where their eyes got even worse than before the surgery.

Don't worry, Umma and 1PRoscoe, The Queen should have it all fixed by Wed.

 

[beetle]

I wonder if there is a correlation between handedness and eye dominance? I'm left handed and right eye dominant. I guess I'd expect the dominance to be on the same side. But then I seem to remember that the optic nerves convey to opposite sides of the brain. So if that's true, then it makes sense to have eye dominance opposite of hand dominance.

Like you, I received an injury to one eye (while I was attempting to volley, my left eye received a tennis ball at 100 mph...now I'm a baseline groundstroker). So I need a stronger prescription in my left eye for far vision (my closeup vision is fine for both eyes). I guess this just exagerrates my right eye dominance.

Sorry, my ramblings really have no point....

By the way, aren't you wearing the wrong kind of crown?

 

[sixpack]

OK, for anyone that doesn't know which is their dominant eye, find an object about a foot wide (a picture on the wall will do) 6-10 feet away from you.

Stand or sit directly in front of it, extend both arms out in front of you and fashion a 'frame' using both hands and cinch down so that you are making a really tight frame around that object.

Look through the frame with both eyes and make sure you are centered. Now close your right eye, open it, and then alternately close your left eye. Which one is most centered in your 'frame'? That is the one that is dominant.

Well, I know I am left eye dominant, but after not wearing my contacts since last Wed. (see thread http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=34324), I decided to put brand new ones in on Sat. morning for a tournament.

My eye dr. said that to be able to see closeup (reading and computers) AND distance, to put in one contact (a -2) in one eye and a -3.5 in the other eye, even though the prescription to see clearly in both eyes is -3.5. If I wear both -3.5's, I can't even tell if a ball is frozen.

Well, I did, and it wasn't until Sunday that I figured out that I had the weaker strength in my dominant eye....the one that does most of the sighting and aiming! And guess what, it didn't work. I kept missing balls that should have been easy, and had me scratching my head...and selling out.

My reasoning was that when I was 18, I was in a bad accident that tore off part of my eyelid. I feel it damaged my right eye a lot, and was very surprised that even after all these years, the right and left eye are both the same degree of blindness, lol. So I felt that the right eye needed the most correction, while my dominant eye should be ok with the weaker prescription.

If you did the little exercise above, you may have found that your recessive eye can't even see anything in your 'frame'.

It should have made sense to give the most correction to the dominant eye, again the workhorse that does all the sighting, aiming, and calculations, but I was trying to be smarter and figured just the opposite.

So, I really played poorly and wondered if anyone else has played around with that method of working their contacts to take advantage of their dominant eye. I would really love to get the eye surgery, except I am a big chicken and heard of 2 reports where their eyes got even worse than before the surgery.

Don't worry, Umma and 1PRoscoe, The Queen should have it all fixed by Wed.

I had my nose cut off and my right orbital shattered. They re-attached my nose and rebuilt my right orbital using bones from other parts of my skull. The focus in my right eye can be a little lackadaisical sometimes. Needless to say it affected my pool game quite a bit. Sometimes I get really frustrated on the big tables because I just literally can't see the balls right. Other times I am firing them in like they're all hangers.

Anyway, I was finally doing okay with my contacts until the last year, then they started getting fuzzier. I went to the eye doctor and he said I'm developing an astigmatism in my dominant (right) eye. We tried the normal recommended strength and it didn't work for pool, so we upped the strength in my right eye by two, that seems to help, but there was an adjustment period of a couple of weeks.

There are special contacts for astigmatisms, but they are a lot more expensive, and since they have to maintain the same orientation on the eye, I'm not sure how well they would work for pool. Has anybody tried them?

Anyway, not sure if this applies, but I just felt like sharing

Cheers,
RC

 

[rackmsuckr]

I had my nose cut off and my right orbital shattered. They re-attached my nose and rebuilt my right orbital using bones from other parts of my skull. The focus in my right eye can be a little lackadaisical sometimes. Needless to say it affected my pool game quite a bit. Sometimes I get really frustrated on the big tables because I just literally can't see the balls right. Other times I am firing them in like they're all hangers.

Anyway, I was finally doing okay with my contacts until the last year, then they started getting fuzzier. I went to the eye doctor and he said I'm developing an astigmatism in my dominant (right) eye. We tried the normal recommended strength and it didn't work for pool, so we upped the strength in my right eye by two, that seems to help, but there was an adjustment period of a couple of weeks.

There are special contacts for astigmatisms, but they are a lot more expensive, and since they have to maintain the same orientation on the eye, I'm not sure how well they would work for pool. Has anybody tried them?

Anyway, not sure if this applies, but I just felt like sharing

Cheers,
RC

Wow, you have gone through some bad stuff! Was that a car accident? I have astigmatism too, but they say the contacts are no problem. I know what you mean. I have never seen the balls clearly, but I just point my stick. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, lol.

Beetle, thanks for the new pic. I will need to use that for my avatar IF I ever get dethroned around here, like on Wed., lol.

 

[Gerry]

I like your way of testing for eye dominance better than just pointing at something and switching eyes.

I'm left handed and left eye Dom, which I guess has meant nothing to me most of my life, except my high school golf coach loved it! supposedly I had the golden mixture of left handed, left eye Dom, and I played golf righty! When I learned nobody had any lefty clubs for me so I played righty. That put my Dom eye over the golf ball, and my stronger Dom left hand/arm towards the golf shot. I didn't know any better, but in 2 years of coaching I got to a 5 handicap!

Now, back to the subject of pool. I've always been plagued with misalignment playing pool from day 1 (about age 6 I started playing). I'm not sure if my eyes have something to do with it or not? I do have a slight astigmatism, but I don't know what that would or wouldn't do? I do have a funny sidearm kinda stroke left over from starting so young I think too, and not being able to reach the table. In the last year I"m playing better than I ever have by just tricking my self by getting behind the shot normally and over or undercutting depending on which way the shot is going and how I normally miss. I've been playing on and off for 30+ years and I can't/won't change my stroke.....but this little trick works just fine. Funny thing is on dead straight shots, and back cuts I don't have to adjust!!....just your everyday standard cut shots. that's why I think it has something to do with my eyes...kinda screwed up huh?!

Gerry

 

[RunArak]

I also have a serious astigmatism and am far sited. Can't read anything in front of me without my reading glasses or contacts. I never have any trouble reading or seeing anything at a distance. I recently got contacts because I cannot stand to play in glasses. I am having trouble with the contacts as well because the balls often times become fuzzy with the contacts because toric lenses self adjust due to the shape of my eye. That is all good unless I am focusing on a shot or a thin cut. I am trying to get used to them, but have not played competetively with them yet. Age is going to force me to get used to them soon..
BTW, for those who wear contacts, how do they hold up in the smoke filled rooms?? Have not worn them in that environment yet, how do you keep them clear??

Peace, Joe

 

[Over 40]

I have been wearing contacts for 3yrs & tried many different brands,best I've come up with is Bausch & lomb Multi-Focal.I wear a +1.75 with low added,cost about $48.00 for box of 3 pair but worth it.Best solution is Amo complete Moisture Plus works alot better in smokey rooms.

 

[PoolSleuth]

I shoot Left Handed, and am Right Eye Dominant. Works for me...

 

[Brian in VA]

Lenses in the Smoke

I also have a serious astigmatism and am far sited. Can't read anything in front of me without my reading glasses or contacts. I never have any trouble reading or seeing anything at a distance. I recently got contacts because I cannot stand to play in glasses. I am having trouble with the contacts as well because the balls often times become fuzzy with the contacts because toric lenses self adjust due to the shape of my eye. That is all good unless I am focusing on a shot or a thin cut. I am trying to get used to them, but have not played competetively with them yet. Age is going to force me to get used to them soon..
BTW, for those who wear contacts, how do they hold up in the smoke filled rooms?? Have not worn them in that environment yet, how do you keep them clear??

Peace, Joe

Joe,
I find that smoke filled rooms don't bother my eyes with contacts unless I've had them in for a very long time, say longer than 18 hours that day. I've worn contacts for almost 30 years, and the first 20 were hard lenses. A lot of your comfort is going to depend on how dry your eyes become. It's good to carry some bottled tears around with you to be sure that your eyes get enough moisture until you figure out this piece of the puzzle. I make sure to get mine out as soon as I get home from the pool room and get them in solution to soak overnight so that they remain reasonably clean. I also make sure to change out for new lenses regularly. ( I swap mine about once a month since I don't sleep in them.)

BTW Linda, a friend of mine got Lasik last fall specifically so he wouldn't have to wear contacts in the pool room; he suffered for very dry eyes and was constantly removing them between matches at tournaments. He said it was the best thing he's ever done for himself. His game has picked up, he's seeing the balls better and he had no problem playing for hours in a smoke filled room. I may have to do it next year although I'd still have to use reading glasses because I notice my arms are getting shorter as I near 50.

Best to all!

Brian in VA

 

[RunArak]

Joe,
I find that smoke filled rooms don't bother my eyes with contacts unless I've had them in for a very long time, say longer than 18 hours that day. I've worn contacts for almost 30 years, and the first 20 were hard lenses. A lot of your comfort is going to depend on how dry your eyes become. It's good to carry some bottled tears around with you to be sure that your eyes get enough moisture until you figure out this piece of the puzzle. I make sure to get mine out as soon as I get home from the pool room and get them in solution to soak overnight so that they remain reasonably clean. I also make sure to change out for new lenses regularly. ( I swap mine about once a month since I don't sleep in them.)

Brian, Thanks for the advice. Also, thanks for the ride to the CCB tourney last year at the Open. I don't forsee making it this year but hope to do it again in the future.

Best Regards, Joe

 

[rackmsuckr]

Joe,
I find that smoke filled rooms don't bother my eyes with contacts unless I've had them in for a very long time, say longer than 18 hours that day. I've worn contacts for almost 30 years, and the first 20 were hard lenses. A lot of your comfort is going to depend on how dry your eyes become. It's good to carry some bottled tears around with you to be sure that your eyes get enough moisture until you figure out this piece of the puzzle. I make sure to get mine out as soon as I get home from the pool room and get them in solution to soak overnight so that they remain reasonably clean. I also make sure to change out for new lenses regularly. ( I swap mine about once a month since I don't sleep in them.)

BTW Linda, a friend of mine got Lasik last fall specifically so he wouldn't have to wear contacts in the pool room; he suffered for very dry eyes and was constantly removing them between matches at tournaments. He said it was the best thing he's ever done for himself. His game has picked up, he's seeing the balls better and he had no problem playing for hours in a smoke filled room. I may have to do it next year although I'd still have to use reading glasses because I notice my arms are getting shorter as I near 50.

Best to all!

Brian in VA

When your friend got the Lasik, did he get 20/20 vision? I am afraid that if I get both eyes corrected that far out, it will be the same as putting -3.50's in both eyes and I won't be able to see anything within 5 feet. I would rather be able to see 2-12' and wear glasses to drive to be able to see long distances.

 

[rackmsuckr]

I got the lasik and can't see anything within 5 feet, and frankly my dear, I don't give a damn. 175 glasses help me read fine if this give you some clue of the weakness in my reading range. When you shoot pool all you have to do is to be able to see long. On short shots, I can cut balls (90 degress or more) with the best - just ask my teammates . I do this BTW with my cue directly over the cueball, even though I am extremely right eyed dominant. But I do stand up higher than today's crowd, say 8".

Bottom line, don't be a sucker and get one eye done for reading and one for long distance. This is just MHO. You could experiment with the contacts to see if you like this before you go under the knife.

There is one thing that probably no one has told you about the surgery: if an eye has to be done again, they take a long long long needle about 4" long attached to a handle and they literally carve out manually the unhealed seam so that they can open the flap again. My eyes were done by Whitten (TLC) one of the best in the country. I have a friend who is just as scared as you are, and after I told him this (I though he would balk for sure!), he later decides to go under the knife. I told him the improvement would be so great that he would probably go up 2 skill levels Bottom line, if you know the worst that can happen, the fear will go away. Don't worry about Sands of the Sierra symptoms as I get that sometimes (not every day). Just use Thera-tears for dry eyes. See, now you know the worst that can happen - just get the operation done by the best, and remember - you get what you pay for in this arena (follow up visits, life long guarantees etc.)

When I went for my surgery an old man was ahead of me and his wife was coddling him and telling him not to be afraid. I told the nurses to get him the hell out of my way and do me first.

But if I can't see anything within 5', that is basically most of the shots, and I am blind as a baseball bat without correction. That is why I would only like to be corrected for pool table distances.

I get dry eyes now. In fact, my left eye tears continually now from actually being too dry. Too bad there isn't some kind of bionic eyeballs you could get!

Knowing the worst about the LASIK has not helped, it sounds worse than I had imagined!

 

[Cornerman]

Well, I know I am left eye dominant, but after not wearing my contacts since last Wed. (see thread http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=34324), I decided to put brand new ones in on Sat. morning for a tournament.

My eye dr. said that to be able to see closeup (reading and computers) AND distance, to put in one contact (a -2) in one eye and a -3.5 in the other eye, even though the prescription to see clearly in both eyes is -3.5. If I wear both -3.5's, I can't even tell if a ball is frozen.

Well, I did, and it wasn't until Sunday that I figured out that I had the weaker strength in my dominant eye....the one that does most of the sighting and aiming! And guess what, it didn't work. I kept missing balls that should have been easy, and had me scratching my head...and selling out.

After I had LASIK, my left eye (my non-dominant eye) is stronger (20/15 vs. 20/25). Consequently, when shooting, my left eye has become "dominant" in so far as it's the side that I see the center of the cueball and cuestick.

Fred

 

[Cornerman]

INow, back to the subject of pool. I've always been plagued with misalignment playing pool from day 1 (about age 6 I started playing). I'm not sure if my eyes have something to do with it or not?

Centergistics. Ask your nearest BCA Instructor from the SPF family.

Fred

 

[Eric.]

After I had LASIK, my left eye (my non-dominant eye) is stronger (20/15 vs. 20/25). Consequently, when shooting, my left eye has become "dominant" in so far as it's the side that I see the center of the cueball and cuestick.

Fred

I guess the $64,000 question is:

How much has Lasik helped your game?

I know this may not be a cut and dried answer but if you can quantify it somehow, us blind bast@rds would love your insight.


Eric > 8 L 1 N D

 

[Cornerman]

I guess the $64,000 question is:

How much has Lasik helped your game?

I know this may not be a cut and dried answer but if you can quantify it somehow, us blind bast@rds would love your insight.


Eric > 8 L 1 N D

First and foremost, I never did the LASIK surgery for my game.

That being said, the areas that it has helped the most are during a long period of playing and/or where there's a lot of smoke. My contacts and my astigmatism in both eyes just couldn't keep up.

Nothing has improved in my game, per se. I'm still the same sucky player, but I can suck for a little longer.

Fred

 

[Brian in VA]

Lasik continued

When your friend got the Lasik, did he get 20/20 vision? I am afraid that if I get both eyes corrected that far out, it will be the same as putting -3.50's in both eyes and I won't be able to see anything within 5 feet. I would rather be able to see 2-12' and wear glasses to drive to be able to see long distances.

Linda,

He got corrected to 20/15 in both eyes and has no trouble reading but he's in his early 30s. The short arms routine usually happens at around the age of 40 and he said he's willing to deal with reading glasses when he gets to that point.

I haven't done any research but I'm pretty sure a good doctor can correct your vision with Lasik to whatever distance you want and may be able to provide you with good vision at many distances. It depends on your current condition and how correctable that is I like your idea about having to wear glasses to drive though.

I agree that this is something you want a quality provider doing....we only get one pair of eyes!

Good Luck!

Brian in VA

 

[rackmsuckr]

Linda,
The short arms routine usually happens at around the age of 40 and he said he's willing to deal with reading glasses when he gets to that point.
Brian in VA

That reminds me of what my eye dr. said. That there are more Asians that wear glasses or contacts because they need them sooner than other taller nationalities. The reason? Asians are shorter and can't hold the paper out far enough!

 

[Rich93]

I guess the $64,000 question is:

How much has Lasik helped your game?

I know this may not be a cut and dried answer but if you can quantify it somehow, us blind bast@rds would love your insight.


Eric > 8 L 1 N D

I didn't get Lasik to improve my game - I wasn't even playing at the time, it was one of my "off" decades. That being said, I think it did improve my long shots somewhat because I can get lower over the ball now (I wore regular glasses, not contacts). It's certainly made playing more pleasant.

After Lasik, my dominant eye is still my dominant eye. I'm still a little nearsighted in both eyes, but it's not a problem over 9 feet.