Teaching a lefty

[codyw80]

So my 8yr old son is a lefty and just got his first gun, a Marlin xt-22yr 22 youth model. When he pulls the gun up he puts it in his right shoulder and leans over to look down the sights with is left eye. When he shoots his BB gun he does it both ways and is just as accurate at 20ft. My question is should I try to correct him to shoot from his left shoulder or let him shoot this way?

[PHATSPEED7x]

Being a lefty myself and have to had taught myself I would let him figure out what is more "natural" for him and fine tune from there. I'm left handed but right eye dominant. But I've trained my left eye to be just as accurate as my right. I also practice shooting weak side both pistol and rifle just incase I couldn't shoot from my strong side.

Good luck. And remember. Properly trained kids don't have accidents.

Sent from my DROIDX

[tman]

Being left handed sucks. If he's right eye dominant, get him shooting that way. If he's not, try find firearms that are neutral, like break-open shotguns and lever actions. Just my lefty .02.

[PHATSPEED7x]

Being left handed sucks.

But we are the only people in our right mind...

Sent from my DROIDX

[tman]

Being left handed sucks.

But we are the only people in our right mind...

Sent from my DROIDX

I'd trade that some days for being right handed.

[MNIceMan]

My son is right handed but left eye dominant so he shoots from the left. He has tried shooting from the right but has found it more comfortable and accurate shooting from the left.

[GunGoogler]

I am right-handed and cross-eye dominant, but I shoot right-handed and adjust for my sights. My GF--who I'm teaching to shoot--is a full lefty and is purposefully learning to shoot right handed well before she practices left because she wants to be able to comfortably shoot the majority of guns that are setup for a right-handed person.

I guess the point is that, do whatever he's most comfortable with. The great thing about learning for the first time is that you can learn anyway you want. Make a choice. In fact, learning to shoot both ways, proficiently, is an excellent choice and builds hand-eye coordination, which is probably easier to do when you are young.

[Lunchbox]

I am right-handed and cross-eye dominant, but I shoot right-handed and adjust for my sights. My GF--who I'm teaching to shoot--is a full lefty and is purposefully learning to shoot right handed well before she practices left because she wants to be able to comfortably shoot the majority of guns that are setup for a right-handed person.

I guess the point is that, do whatever he's most comfortable with. The great thing about learning for the first time is that you can learn anyway you want. Make a choice. In fact, learning to shoot both ways, proficiently, is an excellent choice and builds hand-eye coordination, which is probably easier to do when you are young.

Might be a good decision to train for both shooting styles. Growing up I was a right handed/right eyed shooter, as I grew older my eye dominance shifted to the left... Don't ask me how I'm not a doctor.

Handguns aren't an issue, long arms with irons sight I can manage my own just fine. Just remember the fundamentals of shooting and adjust sights accordingly. Shooting from a scope is still a challenge for me, I've never been really comfortable behind a scope(I need the trigger time to get that corrected) plus if I shoot long enough I start going crossed eyed and get a head ache.

Anyways, sorry for the tangent there. Get him learned early to be ambidextrous he will be a much more versatile shooter then any of us could hope to be and will have ways of dealing with issues that may occur further down the road for him.

[tt3]

I'm left handed and do almost everything left handed except bat and shoot. I can switch batting either way, and can shoot either way. I have three older brothers who are all right handed and was just taught to shoot right handed.

Having said that, I agree with the above, let him figure out whats comfortable, not that I'm a professional or even pretend to be one on the internet.

[GunGoogler]

I'm left handed and do almost everything left handed except bat and shoot. I can switch batting either way, and can shoot either way. I have three older brothers who are all right handed and was just taught to shoot right handed.

Having said that, I agree with the above, let him figure out whats comfortable, not that I'm a professional or even pretend to be one on the internet.

I am also not a professional, but I do pretend to be a tactikickin' interwebz ninja.

[gwilley1]

Having said that, I agree with the above, let him figure out whats comfortable, not that I'm a professional,But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express

Here I fixed it for ya.

[jshuberg]

When he pulls the gun up he puts it in his right shoulder and leans over to look down the sights with is left eye.

I'd recommend continuing to use his right hand to shoot if at all possible, but leaning over the weapon and using his left eye is a problem. I'd get him off that as soon as possible. If for some reason he has significant trouble using his right eye (even with left closed) then I'd suggest switching to shooting left handed shooting with his left eye. Using his opposite eye will put strain on his neck, limit his peripheral vision, etc. It may not cause him too many problems as a child, but as he grows into adulthood he may find that position increasingly uncomfortable.

My question is should I try to correct him to shoot from his left shoulder or let him shoot this way?

I would definitely correct him. Becoming a proficient shooter is not something that comes naturally to most people. It takes a conscious effort and a focus on the fundamentals to become good. The biggest problem I see most people have is unlearning poor techniques they've picked up, especially from childhood. If he starts shooting with a poor technique at age 8, it could effect his shooting ability long into adulthood.

Then again, Jimi Hendrix played a right handed guitar upside down, and was arguably one of the best guitarists in the world. There is no absolute right answer here, but steering him towards using well accepted techniques and fundamentals will most likely make him a better shooter than not.

[AFTERMATH]

So he's shooting right handed but still using his left eye? That seems rather tricky, and will likely become more difficult as he grows into the rifle and into centerfires.

[codyw80]

Thanks for all the advice guys. We are planning a trip out shooting tomorrow so we will see how he does. I will report on how it goes.