How many here can shoot both lefty and righty? And vision.

[BrianK]

Just curious. Write as much or as little as you want. I tend to diahreah of the keyboard.

I get to go first. When I was in the military I thought it might be worth learning to keep my body behind cover as much as possible. But frankly, other than having the thought I didn't act on it because, well, it was the military and I had the thought that signing my M-16 out of the arms room for dry firing might be frowned on. 

But one terrible day  (civilian life) we had an ice storm during the night. It was "black ice" which is invisible and I went out to start my car, slipped and turned my right wrist into shards. I was put into an erector set of pins, screws , and rods and I got to thinking after talking to the surgeon... I was told that my wrist would never be the same, yada, yada. But then came the fighter in me. "No", said I silently, "I am going to get the full use of it back, but if I miss that goal I will never not be a rifleman and shooter. I just need to learn to shoot lefty. Heck, I'm already left eye dominant!". So while in the erector set I started to teach myself to shoot lefty. Eventually the pins, rods, and screws were removed and I was able to see what I had learned by actually shooting. Darned if I wasn't a better lefty shooter than I was as a righty. I just wasn't comfortable being a lefty shooter, meaning it didn't come naturally to me. I was so accustomed to thinking "righty". But I can do it, and with handguns the brain automatically has me using my dominant eye.  I  do everything I can for gear to force my right hand to use my right eye.

I'm older and with age sometimes comes cataracts. At one steel challenge match my brain started to use my left eye to sight with. I was silently muttering "What the eff!?? What's going on?". So I closed my left eye to force the use of the right eye. My preference is shooting with both eyes open and trained myself to do that.

Advancing forward a few months from the match. I had one cataract fixed for distance (right eye), I'd been profoundly near sighted since the 3rd grade and was now in my 70s. No need for glasses for distance anymore, and I had 20/20 vision in that one eye. I was still profoundly myopic in the left. I thought that would drive me nuts. It didn't. My brain did what it did during that steel challenge match and chose the eye with the best vision for the job. I had great close in vision, like having a built in magnifying glass, and great distance vision. I finally understood why I had been using my left eye during the match. My brain knew what "was best" and just used what was the best eye for the  job during that match, the eye with the better vision. I sorta liked the new "no need for any eyeglasses at all" new me, and considered keeping my left eye myopic, but instead had the left corrected for distance for binocular vision and the ability to shoot lefty or righty without requiring a Rx lense for the left eye.

Oh, the right wrist? I fired my therapist and searched for one that wasn't  going to treat me like someone about to die tomorrow having the attitude, "so who needs a right wrist?". I have full use of it today. I didn't baby it, I pushed it and dictated to the wrist what it was going to do. At times, rarely, I feel tauma arthritus but it's no big deal. Mostly it's just a wrist that I use and give no thought to.

[98Z5V]

I grew up shooting left handed.  I had a Red Ryder BB gun as a first, but my first powerful BB gun that could shoot pellets was the Daisy 880 Powerline.  That changed everything.  I'm right handed, so I could run the pump lever with my right hand faster - if I was shooting left handed.  Faster on target.  Faster on rabbit or bird.  Faster on fat pigeon, on the powerlines.  

I adapted to shooting left handed, at a young age, and stuck with it.  Hunted all as a kid left handed. I also played baseball as a kid.  I'd always practice throwing with my left hand instead of my right, and practiced batting left handed, when the coach would let me, and not tell me I was wasting everyone's time.  Couple times, he TOLD me to go to the plate and bat left - after batting right the whole game.  That strategy works. The other team doesn't know what to do...

Joined the Army, signed everything with my right hand.  Went to BRM, set up as a Lefty, and the Drill SGT's went apeshit.  YOU ARE RIGHT HANDED!  MOVE THAT GUN TO YOUR OTHER SHOULDER!  "But, DS, I shoot Left Handed..."   BULLSHIIT, PRIVATE, YOU ARE RIGHT HANDED!!!

That was literally the first time I HAD to shoot right handed.  Been doing it ever since.  I still practice Lefty shooting - and definitely not as much as I should.  I can shoot like a MFer still lefty, but I don't have the PROFICIENCY in running the gun left handed, like the muscle memory of running it righty. Mag changes, running the safety, all the finer skills that are just automatic right handed.  I don't think, running the gun.  I HAVE to think, running it left, if gun manipulation is a task.  Not shooting - I can shoot like a champ left, still.  I need to work on RUNNING the gun more left handed, and I've proven that to myself, in a match.  Lefty was mandatory on one stage, totally optional for double points on another stage.  I went Left.  I didn't run the gun well, through I shot left very well.  Nobody else even fukking tried to do it...

There was a time in the Army on the unit softball teams.  I always played unit softball - baseball roots as a kid. I ended up on a team that went to Military Worlds, all TDY, 15-pax van, the whole team travelling.  I'd bat right a bunch, and I could eat infielders up with my swing - I'd knock shots right over the shortstops head, put a spin on the ball, and it would drop before the outfield.  Only Hits Matter. They'd call me, on the other team, and I'd hear it - call the last hit...  "He went FIVE!!!"  That's the SS position.  I'd walk to the plate, hear that shiit, laugh, and mount up on the other side of the plate as a Lefty.  THAT fukced them up...     I'd drill that damn thing right over the 2nd baseman's head...   

I'm an anomoly.  I'm ambidextrous.  I'm primarily right handed.  I can write cursive lefty, print left, play sports lefty - I was deadly at high school soccer with my left kick, when the other team always though I was right-footed...  I was the Rover, Center Midfield.  Go wherever I need to without getting called offsides, switch left to screw the other team all up. 

When I shoot right handed, I use my right eye.  When I shoot left handed, I use my left eye.  It's same/same for me - give it to me, and I'll figure it out, and make it work for the best way possible for the application we need it to work for, right now.

It's both a blessing, and it's a curse. RLTW.

 

Edited 13 hours ago by 98Z5V