Keep both eyes open!

Would you play basketball with one eye closed?  If you had to close one eye to shoot, would you be able to see what each player is doing?  Could you run into your own team mate?  Could you be easier for the defense to stop?  So why would you close one eye when you shoot a handgun?

Just this afternoon, I was shooting with an ex-Army MP and I noticed he closed his left eye when he shot.  You could argue, “He only has it closed for a second,” but what happens when he has to fire several rounds quickly?  You guessed it!  He has to keep that left eye closed and totally misses everything happening on his left.

In a defensive situation, don’t you think you want as much of your vision as possible?  Is a family member running at you from your blind side?  If so, could you possible hit them?  Or could another bad guy be moving toward you or firing at you from your blind side?

There have been a few people tell me through the years that they “can’t” keep both eyes open.  Yes, you can.  It’s a skill, just like trigger control, grip and sight alignment.   If you want some help, please feel free to ask and I will give you some dry fire drills to do at home.  If you disagree, why do you believe closing one eye when shooting is an acceptable practice in a defensive situation?