Left hand / Weak hand / non dominant

Willie Lowman · October 19, 2016, 06:47 AM

I spent last fri - sun at a carbine class. (Costa) It was the level 1 basic carbine. During the barricade drills we were shooting from a number of improvised kneeling and urban prone positions. There were a few spots where folks were really contorting themselves to shoot from the left side of a barrier. When it was my turn to shoot, I transitioned to my left shoulder and shot the left side. ...weak hand / non dominant shooting was not covered in the class. When I mentioned to other students that I had shot with my off hand they looked at me like I was crazy.

So, when I was 8 my granpa taught me to shoot. He was a lefty and I learned to shoot lefty despite being right handed. When I was 10 my dad took me shooting for the first time. Dad shot right handed despite being left handed due to his eye dominance. Dad got me squared away so to speak. So between the two of them, I learned to shoot using either eye / hand.

So are there any other ambidextrous shooters out there in TFL land? Anyone who practices shooting from both weak hand / eye?

shafter · October 19, 2016, 08:14 AM

Excellent skill to have and one worth developing if you don't have it already. Dry fire is your friend as well as forcing your weak hand to perform other non shooting related tasks to build coordination.

MarkCO · October 19, 2016, 08:20 AM

I shoot rifle, pistol and shotgun weak side in almost all practice sessions. When it is required or beneficial, no problem just transition to the other side and shoot. I have shot geese and 2 deer on my non dominant side as well.

T. O'Heir · October 19, 2016, 11:58 AM

"...other ambidextrous..." Not quite. Shoot a long gun left and hand gun right. Left master eye. Story I've been using is about one's right hand being for your sabre, the left for the carbine. snicker.

g.willikers · October 19, 2016, 12:48 PM

Count me in.
I shoot either or, too.
More handgun than rifle, though.
Do a lot of things that way.
Never know when being able to use either side will come in handy.

FireForged · October 19, 2016, 01:23 PM

there are very few truly ambidextrous people.. simply being able to perform tasked with your off hand does not mean you are ambidextrous. If you can use either with the same level of proficiency.. that is ambidextrous. In other words, you have no weak hand or weak side.

That being said, I can shoot from a barricade by transitioning to my off side but it feels awkward. A person who wants to consider themselves capable with a firearm should probably have a decent grasp of shooting off hand or weak shoulder. They should probably also need to be familiar with transitioning right and left shoulder while wearing a sling.

K_Mac · October 19, 2016, 01:46 PM

I am far better off hand with a handgun, but it's still a little awkward. With a long-gun more so. I regularly practice using either hand, and wish I could say speed and accuracy are the same. They are not, but I am confident enough in my fundamentals not to worry much about it.

boondocker385 · October 21, 2016, 02:49 AM

I am not ambidextrous but I routinely practice shooting with my off hand.

SocialAnarchist · October 21, 2016, 04:59 PM

Being able to shoot both handed and both eyes is an excellent skill and may hold an important advantage later in life. For example I am right handed, right eyed, and I find myself at this point in my life with nerve damage to my right eye that no longer allows me to shoot right eyed. I am shooting right handed left eye with the pistol and converting to left hand left eye for rifle and shotgun. If I had spent more time practicing that as a younger man it wouldn't be such a weird transition for me today.

tony pasley · October 21, 2016, 06:52 PM

I practice either hand and 1 handed shooting reloading, and clearing.

October 19, 2016, 06:47 AM	#1
Willie Lowman Senior Member Join Date: March 5, 2009 Location: Uh-Hi-O Posts: 3,006	Left hand / Weak hand / non dominant I spent last fri - sun at a carbine class. (Costa) It was the level 1 basic carbine. During the barricade drills we were shooting from a number of improvised kneeling and urban prone positions. There were a few spots where folks were really contorting themselves to shoot from the left side of a barrier. When it was my turn to shoot, I transitioned to my left shoulder and shot the left side. ...weak hand / non dominant shooting was not covered in the class. When I mentioned to other students that I had shot with my off hand they looked at me like I was crazy. So, when I was 8 my granpa taught me to shoot. He was a lefty and I learned to shoot lefty despite being right handed. When I was 10 my dad took me shooting for the first time. Dad shot right handed despite being left handed due to his eye dominance. Dad got me squared away so to speak. So between the two of them, I learned to shoot using either eye / hand. So are there any other ambidextrous shooters out there in TFL land? Anyone who practices shooting from both weak hand / eye? __________________ "9mm has a very long history of being a pointy little bullet moving quickly" --Sevens

October 19, 2016, 08:20 AM	#3
MarkCO Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1998 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 4,307	I shoot rifle, pistol and shotgun weak side in almost all practice sessions. When it is required or beneficial, no problem just transition to the other side and shoot. I have shot geese and 2 deer on my non dominant side as well. __________________ Good Shooting, MarkCO www.CarbonArms.us

October 19, 2016, 11:58 AM	#4
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	"...other ambidextrous..." Not quite. Shoot a long gun left and hand gun right. Left master eye. Story I've been using is about one's right hand being for your sabre, the left for the carbine. snicker. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

October 19, 2016, 12:48 PM	#5
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	Count me in. I shoot either or, too. More handgun than rifle, though. Do a lot of things that way. Never know when being able to use either side will come in handy. __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

October 19, 2016, 01:23 PM	#6
FireForged Senior Member Join Date: November 4, 1999 Location: Rebel South USA Posts: 2,074	there are very few truly ambidextrous people.. simply being able to perform tasked with your off hand does not mean you are ambidextrous. If you can use either with the same level of proficiency.. that is ambidextrous. In other words, you have no weak hand or weak side. That being said, I can shoot from a barricade by transitioning to my off side but it feels awkward. A person who wants to consider themselves capable with a firearm should probably have a decent grasp of shooting off hand or weak shoulder. They should probably also need to be familiar with transitioning right and left shoulder while wearing a sling. __________________ Life is a web woven by necessity and chance...

October 19, 2016, 08:14 AM	#2
shafter Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2009 Posts: 1,624	Excellent skill to have and one worth developing if you don't have it already. Dry fire is your friend as well as forcing your weak hand to perform other non shooting related tasks to build coordination.

October 19, 2016, 01:46 PM	#7
K_Mac Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2010 Posts: 1,850	I am far better off hand with a handgun, but it's still a little awkward. With a long-gun more so. I regularly practice using either hand, and wish I could say speed and accuracy are the same. They are not, but I am confident enough in my fundamentals not to worry much about it. __________________ "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Benjamin Franklin

October 21, 2016, 02:49 AM	#8
boondocker385 Senior Member Join Date: March 6, 2013 Posts: 640	I am not ambidextrous but I routinely practice shooting with my off hand. __________________ No second place finishes in a gun fight.

October 21, 2016, 04:59 PM	#9
SocialAnarchist Junior member Join Date: April 16, 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 508	Being able to shoot both handed and both eyes is an excellent skill and may hold an important advantage later in life. For example I am right handed, right eyed, and I find myself at this point in my life with nerve damage to my right eye that no longer allows me to shoot right eyed. I am shooting right handed left eye with the pistol and converting to left hand left eye for rifle and shotgun. If I had spent more time practicing that as a younger man it wouldn't be such a weird transition for me today.

October 21, 2016, 06:52 PM	#10
tony pasley Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2006 Location: western north carolina Posts: 1,641	I practice either hand and 1 handed shooting reloading, and clearing. __________________ Every day Congress is in session we lose a little bit more of our Liberty.