If you can’t see it, you can’t shoot it. Sounds simple enough. So why do so many people have so many issues with keeping both eyes open to shoot a shotgun?
Let’s back up a moment and investigate why it is so important to have both eyes open when using a shotgun. What is the main reason that it is so incredibly important to not shut down an eye when shooting the clay sports/birds? Well, to put it in the most basic terms possible, we are predators with stereoscopic vision. Humans, typically, are built with one head and two eyes placed in the front of the head, side by side. This allows for a slightly different view of the same object. The information from each eye is transferred to the back of the brain where the two views are processed and the slight differences are melded into one three dimensional image. This incredible ability allows us to see height, width and depth, also known as three dimensional imaging.
Stereoscopic vision allows us to see where objects are in relationship to our own bodies with greater precision, especially when those objects are moving towards or away from us. When you shut down an eye to shoot a moving object, you are taking out half of the information that you need to assess the entire situation and make an accurate assessment of the object’s path, distance and speed. It also causes you to aim at the object which is a huge no no in shotgun shooting. So, why do people shut an eye when they are shooting under their dominant eye? I have no idea other than they are trying to aim so carefully at that clay bird they don’t realize that the act of closing an eye is robbing them of valuable information. The other answer is that someone told them to shut an eye to make it easier to hit the clays and didn’t want to take the time to actually teach the person how to shoot. Either way, open both eyes!
What about shooters that are cross dominant, those individuals that are say right handed but left eyed or vice versa? Ideally, you should be shooting from under your dominant eye; however, it is not a mandatory and absolute rule. I myself enjoy shooting quite competently on either shoulder despite being right eye dominant. How can I do this? Well, practice for one and for two, the brain is an amazing thing. By shooting with both eyes open, regardless of which one is the dominant eye, our brain is able to process and disseminate that information pushing it back to us in a flash and allowing us to compensate and crush the clay. I have assisted numerous students that were cross dominant that insisted they had to shut an eye to break clays. Once they were taught the “process”, they were utterly amazed at how much easier it was to “see” the bird and make the connection. Every single one swore they would NEVER shut an eye again.
Now, with that all being said. If you have vision problems such as not being able to truly see in 3D, astigmatisms or other eye issues then you will need to make your instructor aware of these issues so that they can develop the necessary drills to assist you in building that vision. If you are just shutting an eye because someone told you to and it feels easier to “aim”, then go ahead and open that second eye and get ready to really start seeing the clays!