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Association between eye dominance and training for rifle marksmanship: a pilot study
Journal of the American Optometric Association
|February 1, 1996
Summary
Crossed dominance, where hand and eye dominance do not match, significantly hinders novice riflemen's ability to learn marksmanship. Individuals with uncrossed dominance achieved higher scores and qualification rates.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Human Factors Engineering
- Motor Learning
Background:
- Crossed dominance (contralateral hand and eye dominance) may affect rifle marksmanship acquisition.
- Understanding this relationship is crucial for optimizing training for novice shooters.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of crossed dominance on novice riflemen's ability to learn accurate rifle shooting.
- To determine if eye dominance influences marksmanship skill acquisition.
Main Methods:
- Assessed sighting dominance for eye dominance and arm used for shooting for hand dominance.
- Utilized qualification scores from 308 military recruits at Fort Benning Army Base.
- Measured marksmanship learning ability based on rifle range performance.
Main Results:
- Subjects with uncrossed dominance (matched hand and eye) achieved significantly higher qualification scores (p = .009).
- A greater percentage of uncrossed dominant subjects qualified (86.1%) compared to crossed dominant subjects (56.5%) (p = .000).
Conclusions:
- Eye dominance significantly influences the learning of rifle marksmanship.
- Individuals with crossed dominance learn marksmanship skills less readily than those with uncrossed dominance.
- Identifying and providing special training for cross-dominant individuals can improve their skill performance.