Left-Handed Archery: Eye Dominance and Bow Choice

A left-handed bow is drawn with the left hand and held in the right: "left-handed" describes the drawing hand, on a compound bow or a recurve. Before you buy, check your eyes too. Archery 360 advises choosing the bow by your dominant eye, because that eye does the aiming.

What hand do you hold a bow in?

You hold the bow in your non-dominant hand and draw the string with your dominant hand. Archery 360 puts it simply: "you'll aim with your dominant eye, draw the bow with your dominant hand, and grip the bow with your other hand."

So a left-hander holds the bow in the right hand, draws with the left, and needs a left-handed bow. Seen from behind, its arrow and sight window sit on the right of the riser, the mirror image of a right-handed bow.

Why the eye? At full draw the string comes back under one eye, and that eye lines up the shot. Archery 360 explains that "Your dominant eye relays information, like the target's location, more accurately."

How to shoot a bow left handed: start with your eyes

The American Academy of Ophthalmology says eye dominance "usually matches handedness," but "sometimes the dominant eye opposes handedness." Archers call that cross-dominance.

Archery 360 describes a quick thumb test:

1. Choose a distant object and make a thumbs up.
2. With both eyes open, place your thumb over the object.
3. Close your right eye, keeping your thumb still, then close your left eye.

The eye that keeps the thumb on the object is dominant. Repeat the test a few times before you buy. Our guide on how to aim a bow explains why aiming depends on this eye, whichever method you use.

Cross-dominant? Your two options

Archery 360 sets out both routes. "Some archers find it easier to aim with their dominant eye while training their nondominant hand to draw the bow. Others find it more comfortable to shoot with their dominant hand and train their nondominant eye to focus on the target."

• Switch the drawing hand. A right-handed, left-eye-dominant archer shoots a left-handed bow.
• Keep your strong hand and close an eye. Archery 360 says that "In most cases, closing your dominant eye while aiming with the other eye solves the problem."

If you can, borrow club bows in both hands and let a coach watch which gives steadier groups.

Finding a left-handed bow and accessories

Archery 360 notes that "Manufacturers produce bows for right- and left-handed archers." We found no source counting models by hand, so check the maker's range for the exact model, draw length and draw weight you need. Our Samick Sage review confirms that popular beginner recurve comes in a left-hand version.

Handedness matters beyond the bow. On a compound, the rest, sight and cable guard are set up for one side, and a takedown recurve riser is handed too. Some accessories are reversible and some are handed, so check each listing. Measure your draw length before ordering; our first recurve guide covers the rest of the kit.

You can browse left-handed compound bows on Amazon or left-handed recurve risers. Treat any listing as an example to consider, and confirm the hand, draw length and draw weight in the description before you order.

Frequently asked questions

Is a left-handed bow held in the left hand?

No. A left-handed bow is held in the right hand and drawn with the left. The name refers to the drawing hand. A right-handed bow is the opposite: the left hand holds the grip while the right hand draws. If a listing is unclear, check which side of the riser the arrow rest sits on.

Can a left-handed person shoot a right-handed bow?

Yes, particularly if their right eye is dominant. Archery 360 suggests matching the drawing hand to your dominant eye, so a left-hander with a dominant right eye may suit a right-handed bow. If you choose a bow that doesn't match your eye, closing the dominant eye while aiming is the usual fix.

What hand do you hold a bow in if you're left-handed?

Usually the right hand, drawing the string with your left. That assumes your left eye is dominant too. The AAO says eye dominance usually matches handedness but sometimes doesn't, so do a dominance test first. If your right eye is dominant, you could hold the bow in your left hand instead.