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Broken right hand- request advice

2K views 19 replies 14 participants last post by  Wildcat Creeker 
#1 ·
Last week I broke the scafoid bone in my right hand. Naturally I am right handed. :( I ordered a left hand holster this morning and am going to start practicing shooting left handed. Here is the question: I am right dominant eyed, so should I shoot with my right eye closed, or hold the gun a lttle further to the right and use my dominant eye? Using my dominant eye seems easier because I keep both eyes open, however it is more awkward to hold the gun in that position. Opinions?
 
#4 ·
Place the firearm in the center of your face with both eyes open, the dominant eye will take over naturally.

I shoot right handed and am slightly left eye dominant. It's never been a problem using the method mentioned above. If you are one who sees two guns or two targets, squint the non dominant eye slightly and the double image usually disappears.

Brownie
 
#5 ·
Good Advice

Or try tucking your chin into your left shoulder and then you can keep both eyes open and your dominant right eye will naturally take over.
(old paper puncher cross dominance trick)
 
#6 ·
Take Advantage Of That Busted Hand

A great time to practice your weak hand draw.
Practice it with your firearm unloaded just to get the basic skill and motions patterned into your brain.

You might need it some fateful day. :yup:

Reach over to to your strong side holstered firearm.

Grab the pistol butt and bring the firearm up to your chest.
The muzzle will be pointed off to your strong side.

Press the pistol firmly against your chest & w/ good control of the firearm I like to roll the pistol downward and then grasp the pistol with the weak hand in a normal gun grip.
Present the firearm & cross your thumb over to flip off the thumb safety (if applicable) then get your normal grip again and you're ready to roll.
 
#7 ·
This is for future reference. As soon as your doctor gives you rehab, start. If you are in a cast, you will really need to work that hand to get it back into shape. Good luck with your recovery.
 
#8 ·
I sympathize with your plight, since I broke my right arm and wrist back on Labor Day weekend. Had to have surgery to fit everything back together.

QK makes an excellent point about practicing with the "off" hand. I've always made it a point to practice shooting with both hands, but its all the supporting tasks that are truly awkward.

For example, I'm now carrying a Detective Special instead of my usual 1911. I've gotten used to placing everything where its easily accessible by my left hand. I've started doing extra exercise to improve my left-hand grip strength. It seems that every day I find something else I can improve. I'll certainly be glad when I get out of my cast and get the pin out so I can start my own PT.
 
#9 ·
begin training with "weak hand" and never, ever stop.....
both eyes open and run drill after drill...
also include reload drills and holstering/unholstering as well....
BTW, never carry or train while on pain meds, safety first....
here's to rapid recovery....
 
#10 ·
Thanks everyone for the replies and encouragement.:biggrin2: I am having surgery tomorrow. The surgeon says he is going to put a screw into the bone. Then I will be in cast for about 8 weeks. Hate the thought of going naked for 8 weeks just because my right arm will be in a cast.
 
#11 ·
Best of luck

I had a hand injury that led to my first Glock purchase. Easier to find holsters, more time between one hand magazine loading, and easy to shoot one handed. (Plus, lots of time to kill looking through the Lone Wolf catalog:image035:)

This may be a wake up call. Any of us is just a slip and fall away from being weak-hand only. The time to plan is now. What would you do if you were at reduced capacity right now? Practice often, get a mirror image set of gear or a weak-side set up. (Get a Glock:image035:) What made me the most aprehensive is that I felt like the old crippled Wildebeast that all those lions look at. Don't want some preadator to pick on me because I wasn't 100%. Need a gun more than ever when you're walking around with a cast, splint, or surgical dressing showing.

Best of luck for a speedy recovery.
 
#13 ·
Left hand only practice has begun. Started with my Ruger .22 bull barrel bullseye pistol. Has a BoMar solid rib and Clark trigger. Shoots like a dream. Fired 3 mags left handed, and using dominant eye, as suggested. It was not as awkward as I thought it would be. Great. Moved to the Glock 23 with 357SIG barrel. Was shooting a hanging steel target about 8" diameter. Normally very easy to hit shooting 2 handed rapid fire from 10 yards or so. Same target shooting with weak (left) hand only is much harder to hit. I must look like noob. (I've been shooting handguns for 37 years now) :redface: Thanks again to everyone for the advise.


Lefty

P.S. Ever tried to load magazines with your weak hand only? :tired:
 
#14 ·
I know how frustrating it is. I can shoot my 1911 just fine with my left hand, but it's the supporting tasks I find difficult. For example, I can manage to rack the slide, but it's difficult and clumsy -- not something I could manage very quickly under duress. So, if I were to have a malfunction, I'm not confident that I could clear it fast enough.

That's why I've made the Dick Special my primary carry. I'm confident in all phases of operation with one hand or minimal right hand assist. It's easy to handle and I've gotten pretty good with the speedloader. 12 +P Gold Dots should do the job.

I do, however. really miss having a premium hoster for LH use. I now fully realize how spoiled I am with the great functionality provided by my Tucker holsters. I'm currently using a Bianchi IWB model which is serviceable, but rather unstable and a real pain to reholster one handed -- it collapses when the revolver is drawn. Of course, if I should have to draw in a defensive engagement, reholstering will be the least of the issues to deal with.

I'm going back to the doctor on Monday for a follow-up to the surgery, and hopefully they'll remove the pin and I'll be switched to a less restrictive, removable splint. I'll always have a titanium plate in my arm from now on, though. I'm anxious to start some PT so I can determine if I can get back to 100%.

Hang in there and keep us posted on how you're doing.
 
#16 ·
Wildcat,

I recommend simply canting the pistol over so it aligns with your right eye. It is a technique we teach our students that are cross-eye dominant.

I know of several other "high speed, low drag" organizations that teach this also.
 
#17 ·
+1 to canting.

I had a student last week who is left handed, right eye dominate. He was a police officer for about 5 years, so he was used to the Weaver stance / postition. I noticed that when he sighted in, he turned his head far to the left so that his right eye lined up with the sights. It took about 3 minutes of this for the muscular strain to kick his butt.

I asked him to give the Isocolese a try and to slightly cant the gun to the right. The combination was a success, and he was able to improve his shooting and decrease the eye and neck strain.
 
#18 ·
Seeing as you have a Scaffoid fracture, my first piece of advice would be,....quit hittin' walls!! But seriously, there are lots of ways to overcome the cross eye dominant issue with a handgun. But the first thing I would encourage is to build up your handstrength with your weak hand. Others have given good advice on shooting stance, I know some guys that have good results with an squared up stance with the sights tilted toward the dominant eye side. YMMV
 
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