Left or right-handed shooter question

[samman]

First of all, let me state that I am a novice to archery so any help is greatly appreciated. My son wants to get into the sport and we have been visiting some sporting goods stores to look at bows and ask questions. My son is right-handed, however, at one store the gentleman whos was helping us said that my son is a left-handed shooter because he instinctively grabbed the bow with his right hand and pulled back with his left. I'm not sure this is convincing enough for me to buy him a left-handed bow since I've seen him pull back a bow with his other hand also.

Are there righted handed archers who shoot left-hand? Is this common? What are the implications of getting him a right-handed bow if he is truely a left-handed shooter?

Thanks in advance!

Scott

[frommy]

Scott,

One of the first things that any coach will look at is which eye is the dominant one. The eye controls the shot from a bow, so, while a person might have a particular arm dominance, the eye dominance may be the opposite side.

It may then be that the coach needs to assist in determining whether the person should be shooting to an eye dominance, or an arm dominance. There are techniques to assist in both posibilities.

One of the things that concerns me is that a retailer could make such a determination on how your son picked up the bow. In my experience, most people, on any early introduction to a bow, do not know how to pick it up properly. I would not take that advice as serious.

The best thing that you could do is find an archery club in your vicinity and arrange for some assistance. I think that you will find nearly all archers will be willing to help newbies to the sport.

DO NOT just go out and "buy-a-bow" under any circumstances. Talk to a serious archer first. If you do not know what you need, the retailer has no chance in selling you what is the most appropriate gear.

You give no indication of your location, so I cannot try to assist you in identifying any club which might be able to help, but I hope this message might be of some assistance.

Brian

[frommy]

Scott,

I just re-read your message and the words "sporting goods store" caught my attention, previously missed. :oops:

On top of the previous message, try to deal with an archery dealer, not just a "sporting goods store".

Brian

[samman]

Brian,

Thanks for the info. I went home and checked my son and he is clearly left-eye dominant. I'm now starting to wonder if he should be shooting a gun left handed also?

I also found an interesting article on eye dominance in sport...

http://www.optometry.co.uk/articles/20030815/griffiths20030815.pdf


Thanks for your help!

Scott

[juniormum]

I totally agree with frommy. You need to be 100% sure what type of bow you buy be it left or right handed. I have seen archery shops sell completely wrong equipment to people who then become disillusioned as they feel they have been ripped off.

My son is left handed and he shoots left handed. I am right handed but shoot left handed so the theory of just "picking up a bow" is totally incorrect.

It is best to make contact with a club and see if they can help you. Quite often they have come and try days so that your son can see if he likes the sport. The club I belong to has a 4 week program where people come along and we teach them the basics of archery. Some people love it and others will try the 4 weeks and are never seen again.

Archery is a great sport for all the family, so you should give it a go as well.

[Marcus]

DO NOT USE EYE DOMINIENCE AS A BASIS OF CHOOSING YOUR BOW TYPE

This is an outdated concept and will put your back years as he would find archery awkward. Research by FITA found that the overall vast majority of top archers shot using their fast reflex hand regardless of eye dominance.

If your son is naturally right handed, he should shoot right handed. Especially if he shoots a rifle in that fashion.

[coach]

REALLY? :o

[Marcus]

REALLY? :oYes REALLY!!!
I can name more archers who have won National titles using wrong dominance than by using the wrong reflex hand also.
(some include 3 time recurve champ David Anear, World Jr Champ Nicole Bartlett plus many more)

Why what does ABA teach?

[frommy]

Marcus,

This was the very first time I have given archery advice on the forum, and I tempered my comments with it could go either way (eye or hand), and suggested a coach look at the kid.

I do not agree with juniormum.

I had heard that Jim Larven swapped to a lefty after previously he won an Oz title recurve shooting R due to eye dominance?

Brian

[Marcus]

frommy
yep and your advise is sound, get a coach to look, however even that may produce the wrong result.

I was quite happy when I read the FITA report, backed up what I have always believed. We don't even do the eye dominance test at our club anymore.

[andy]

frommy
yep and your advise is sound, get a coach to look, however even that may produce the wrong result.

I was quite happy when I read the FITA report, backed up what I have always believed. We don't even do the eye dominance test at our club anymore.
So what's the best way to know if they should shoot left or right handed.

[Marcus]

Dominate hand.
If they do everything right handed they should shoot right handed. If they ix up a bit ask them to throw a tennis ball. Pick the hand they throw better with.
If they are truely ambidextrous maybe use eye type, but even then get them to try both and go with what looks best.

[andy]

If they ix up a bit ask them to throw a tennis ball. Pick the hand they throw better with.
Good idea. I'm helping with beginners courses soon, so i'll remember to put a tennis ball in my bag. :wink:

[Flame]

Dominate hand.
If they do everything right handed they should shoot right handed. If they ix up a bit ask them to throw a tennis ball. Pick the hand they throw better with.
If they are truely ambidextrous maybe use eye type, but even then get them to try both and go with what looks best.

We had this trouble with CW when she first started
She was right handed we thought
She shot right handed and couldn't hit ****
Did the eye dominance which showed left handed and the rest is history
Mind you she is a strange one as she will catch better with the left but does other stuff with the right

Hope you get some straight forward cases Andy :D

[Marcus]

I would have kept CW on a RH bow and worked on her aiming technique. May find it helps with her clicker use.

[Flame]

Just as well I have RH identical bow on hand

Unfortunately it is red :D

[andy]

[quote=Marcus]Hope you get some straight forward cases Andy :D
Me too. The only beginners i've really coached were little ****s! Don't let go without an arrow in then "bang" and then again 5mins later.

If I have any problems with these guys I will just teach them the Korean way, that will get rid of them.

[Marcus]

Funny thing Flame is that I was going to test CW next time she was at the club, I said to Erika at Brisbane "I bet CW is right handed".

Andy. Take no crap from them. If they don't do what you tell them kick them out. Archery clubs should not act desperate. They are there to learn archery, too dangerous if they mess about.
I've kicked kids out of my club before. Enjoy doing so.

[andy]

Andy. Take no crap from them. If they don't do what you tell them kick them out. Archery clubs should not act desperate. They are there to learn archery, too dangerous if they mess about.
I've kicked kids out of my club before. Enjoy doing so.
99% of the time they are alright, but there's always one. The kid that kept dry firing the bow kept mucking about as well, so one of the coaches yelled at him. When the session had finished his dad turned up and had a right moan. We told him what actually happend and the father went wild on the kid which I thought was pretty funny. What have you kicked kids out for? The worst thing they've done?

[Marcus]

The worst was this girl who was firing arrows at random. Then she hit the metal number sign under the target (about the size of a small plate) she laughed as it went tink. Suddenly she hit this thing over and over again. Must had hit it 5 out of 8 shots. Her dad watched the whole thing too doing nothing. Walked over, stood next to her Dad and said "You are shooting that sign on purpose" she claimed she wasn't so I booted her off the field.
Can't stand kids who lie to get out of trouble.

[andy]

I think i'd be much happier hitting the gold rather than the target number! Some people hey... tut tut. :roll:

[Flame]

Funny thing Flame is that I was going to test CW next time she was at the club, I said to Erika at Brisbane "I bet CW is right handed".

.

Spoke to CW this morning

She says she is a LEFTY, end of conversation DAD :o

We'll see :D

[Marcus]

We'll see how long she wants to remain a lefty if I can get her another 100 points shooting right handed. ;)

[Flame]

I think she would switch in an instant :D

[CW]

I am a lefty (I think).

The only reason why I write right handed is because I was taught that way (I'm a sheeeep. {everyone else picked up their pens with their right hands so why not :-? })
I'm probably both left handed and right handed beacuse I catch stuff with either hand and I can't tell my left from right (happens in sport occasionally, I throw stuff with my left hand instead of the right and didn't even realise)
Shooting right handed :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o
I tried to pick a bow up right handed and couldn't even work it out. :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :-?

What if you are left eye dominant. Write with your right hand which has faster reflexes (I think not sure though). However you do most things with your left hand and catch stuff with your left hand even though it is less accurate. :o :-? :D

(Sorry if it doesn't make sense :o )

[CW]

As to shooting 100 points better. :D :D :D I might switch.

[CW]

Shooting right handed is stranger than strange and definately stranger than that. :silly: :D

[Flame]

Shooting right handed is stranger than strange and definately stranger than that. :silly: :D

Don't worry about it, your a girl and you can be like that :D

[CW]

what's that supposed to mean? :new-alien:

[CW]

Shoot compound left handed then
:D

then you'll se what I mean if you anit lefthanded

[Flame]

:D