UNRAVELLING THE MIND’S EYE

If seeing is believing why do we sometimes miss a clay that we’re sure was in the bag? Why does the gun appear to breed two sets of barrels when we’re staring at the target? Why is it that some of us can shoot perfectly well with both eyes open yet others complain about having to close an eye?

These are the sort of questions that troubled CPSA Coach and Bisley Shooting Ground General Manager Richie Vallance for decades. Years spent teaching on Army shooting ranges, and then grounds such as Bisley, introduced him to shots who, despite their best efforts, were clearly struggling but didn’t fully understand why. It also gave him the opportunity to meet athletes who possessed a natural ability so strong that few targets troubled them.

So began years of research into the complex field of eye dominance where, at first sight, things are rarely as straightforward as they appear.

“Commonly, eye dominance will impact the shooter in one of four different ways,” explains Richie, “although it must be stressed that