Years ago, I heard that your "eyedness" has to be the same as your
dominant hand. In other words, if you were right handed, and not right
eyed, some say that you would have a hard time being well-coordinated
and, possibly be clumsy. I am right handed and right eyed, but my
friend who is a semi-professional golfer says he is right handed but
is left-eyed. Obviously, this friend has exemplary physical
coordination and skills, so hence, the confusion. Please clarify this
question of "eyedness" for me.
Thanks,
Yesmam

If there's a law that that your "eyedness" has to be the same as your
dominant hand, then I'm a lawbreaker.

The phenomenon of being right-handed and left-eyed, as I am (or
left-handed and right-eyed) is called "cross-dominance" or "mixed
dominance." For many years, there have been debates regarding whether
cross-dominance is a harmless variation, or whether it should be
regarded as a defect. Here's a presentation of one side of the issue:

"Your foot, eye, and ear should be dominant on the same side as your
dominant hand. If one or more is not, you have mixed dominance issues.

People with mixed dominance often display certain characteristics,
which can include any/all of the following (this is lifted directly
from my NACD parent training seminar notebook):

 emotionality,  
 inconsistent retrieval of information,  
 forgetfulness,  
 tendency to shut down under pressure,  
 poor test-taking skills,  
 reversals (sorry, I’m not exactly sure what this one means),  
 outbursts of anger,  
 good memory for trivia,  
 easy to upset but difficult to calm down.  

If this describes you, you may very well be one of the thousands
(millions?) of Americans with mixed dominance in one or more of your
senses."

Web Pages of Katherine Bell
http://www.katherinebell.com/HS%20Mixed%20Dominance.htm

There have been medical studies which noted that cross-dominance is
sometimes linked to certain kinds of mental illnesses and central
nervous system disorders:

"A battery of performance tests was conducted to compare motor
laterality and eye dominance in Nigerian schizophrenics and normal
controls. Both groups were similar in age and sex distribution. While
no difference emerged with regard to right, mixed, or left handedness,
or foot or eye dominance, cross-dominance (i.e. full left eye
dominance and full right handedness) significantly differentiated the
2 groups. The same feature differentiated paranoid from nonparanoid
subtypes of schizophrenia. Cross-dominance may represent a more
reliable measure of sensorimotor lateralization in schizophrenia since
it may be less likely that it is masked by cultural factors."

PubMed Abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=3364205&dopt=Abstract

However, there is a world of difference between the statement "Many
schizophrenic individuals are cross-dominant" and the statement "Many
cross-dominant individuals are schizophrenic." The presence of
cross-dominance is certainly not an indicator of mental illness or
learning disability, as was once believed by some "authorities."

In certain sports, cross-dominance may provide an advantage:

"Cross-dominance helps too: batters who are right-handed and left-eye
dominant, or vice versa, tend toward a higher batting average. Nobody
knows why."

Cincinnati.com: Strange, but true
http://www.cincinnati.com/freetime/strange/080403_strange.html

"Cross dominance (or cross laterality) is where there is a right
eye/left hand or left foot dominance or vice-versa. In sports where a
side-on stance is required, his condition has definite advantages -
for instance, batting in cricket. In a study of PGA players,
measurements were made of the golfers' driving distances, and those
who were cross dominant were also the longest hitters... Contrary to
popular belief, it is only when addressing a stationary ball that one
has to keep one's eye on it all the time (it is impossible to track a
fast-moving ball continuously). If a golfer is asked to close his
dominant eye while swinging his club, he may well not be able to see
the ball. However, if his stance is altered, even slightly, it may
ensure that his dominant eye is definitely kept on the ball with the
result that he will be able to hit further and more accurately."

Peak Performance Online
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0148.htm

More on cross-dominance:

Internet Addiction: Laterality
http://pages.prodigy.net/unohu/dominance.htm#Whatis

Golfalot: Cross Dominance and How to Correct It
http://www.golfalot.com/lucylocket/cross.shtml

Google search strategy:

Google Web Search: "cross-dominance"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22cross-dominance

I hope this information is useful! As a person of mixed dominance, I
may be expected to exhibit a "good memory for trivia," but then
there's that part about "inconsistent retrieval of information." If
anything seems unclear, please request clarification, and I promise
not to "shut down under pressure." ;-)

Best wishes,
pinkfreud

Oh boy. Pinkfreud, this was really a fun one. As for lawbreaking, I'm
one too. As a right-handed, right-eyed person, emotionalism,
forgetfulness, poor test-taking and having a good memory for trivia
are my modus operandi . If life is a sandbox, perhaps I'm playing with
the wrong kids. It's time to get out an empty toilet paper roll to do
some retesting.
Pinkfreud, as usual, your answers are entertaining and informative.
Thanks so much.
Yesmam

"Cross-dominance helps too: batters who are right-handed and left-eye
dominant, or vice versa, tend toward a higher batting average. Nobody
knows why."

Ummm, because they can see the ball more clearly (the bridge of
their nose is not in the periphery of their dominant eye) with
their dominant eye?  :-)

Here is an easy way to find out your dominant eye, from the
FreeVisionTest.com website.
http://www.freevisiontest.com/selfvision5.php

"Find something to use as a target on a wall about 10 feet
away from you. You can use almost anything as an object to
focus on.
1. With both eyes open, stick out your arm with your elbow
extended and your thumb up.
Place your thumb so it appears to cover your target.
2. Ideally, the focused object should be something that your
thumb can cover.
3. Now, close your left eye then your right eye while watching
your target.
4. Your target will be visible beside your thumb through one
eye and hidden by your thumb through the other eye."

A similar test, with great illustrations, from (appropriately)
Archery Focus Magazine.
http://www.archeryfocus.com/ArcheryFocus/JanFeb99~Article7/go

Hunters are sometimes encouraged to switch to their "weak" hand
if they are cross dominant.

Me, I am ambidextrous, "right eyed" and possibly superphrenic.

Fun stuff!  denco-ga

http://www.freevisiontest.com/selfvision5.php

denco-Thanks for that great "eyedness" test chart. It beats the empty
toilet paper roll test. This is nothing to stop the presses over, but
at this late stage in life, I have realized that I am "cross-dominant"
too. Is it hyperbolic to proclaim that my life focus is now going to
be golf? Perhaps so, but it's fun to fantasize about. Thanks for
kicking in some more fun and useful information.
Yesmam

Thank you very much for the five-star rating and the generous tip! I
think I am going to splurge on a full toilet paper roll. I'll use the
toilet paper to blot the tears from my cross-dominant emotional
outbursts, and when it is all gone I can use it to retest myself.

Unfortunately, my poor test-taking skills will probably mess things
up, but that's OK.

I'll just do a "reversal," whatever that is. ;-)

~Pink