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It would look the same as me trying to do it...haha. #UglyAtBest
Left vs. Right.... could the righties have it all wrong?
We used to do it for fun sometimes at the badminton club and try to play using our wrong hand - made for some good laughs
jjfcpa
Active member
Right handed, but eat and write left handed? I played soccer for many years and it wasn't until I severely pulled a quad muscle that I started using my left leg as my dominant one and that continued even after my right leg was completely healed.
I've often thought about hitting left handed but at 69 years old, that ship has probably sailed. Of course, I only started golfing two years ago.
I've often thought about hitting left handed but at 69 years old, that ship has probably sailed. Of course, I only started golfing two years ago.
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- #29
Some interesting replies and it starts to paint a picture a little.
Here in Canada, where Hockey is king, we all start playing road hockey as a minimum from a young age. When I was younger, sticks didn't have the big curves and often a plastic blade was dead strait (you put that wicked curve on after....LOL. Parents would hand a kid a stick, they didn't tell you which way to shoot, they just handed you a stick, What ever way you started shooting, was the way you were. Statistically speaking that's about a 60/40 split. 60% being left handed and 40% for the right. Some studies have pegged it even higher at a 70/30 ratio.
But with golf, right handed players dominate. I just wonder how much of it is due to availability of left clubs from an early age. When I picked up a set of clubs we had both hands (granted I was closer to my mid 20's. I could hit both ways but left handed clubs provided the better touch and feel, so that's what I stuck with. Makes me wonder if initial golf introduction should be done this way. Give a kid a couple clubs and let them decide. I'm reminded of a story of a customer of mine that played golf right handed, he told me his dad had right clubs so he shot right (he learned on those clubs). He was a terrible golfer. We went for lessons once and the instructor handed him lefties. Within a very short period of time he went from a 120 type golfer to sub 100's and since he can even dip into the 80's on a good day. He is incidentally right handed as well, so clearly the what hand you are has little determination on which side of the tee box you prefer to stand on. One of the guys in my regular foursome always tells me he struggles with his back swing, says he just never feels right (awkward), He's a pretty good golfer now, but his learning curve has been long. Might hand him my clubs next time just for giggles. Wonder how many of those guys/gals are out there?
Here in Canada, where Hockey is king, we all start playing road hockey as a minimum from a young age. When I was younger, sticks didn't have the big curves and often a plastic blade was dead strait (you put that wicked curve on after....LOL. Parents would hand a kid a stick, they didn't tell you which way to shoot, they just handed you a stick, What ever way you started shooting, was the way you were. Statistically speaking that's about a 60/40 split. 60% being left handed and 40% for the right. Some studies have pegged it even higher at a 70/30 ratio.
But with golf, right handed players dominate. I just wonder how much of it is due to availability of left clubs from an early age. When I picked up a set of clubs we had both hands (granted I was closer to my mid 20's. I could hit both ways but left handed clubs provided the better touch and feel, so that's what I stuck with. Makes me wonder if initial golf introduction should be done this way. Give a kid a couple clubs and let them decide. I'm reminded of a story of a customer of mine that played golf right handed, he told me his dad had right clubs so he shot right (he learned on those clubs). He was a terrible golfer. We went for lessons once and the instructor handed him lefties. Within a very short period of time he went from a 120 type golfer to sub 100's and since he can even dip into the 80's on a good day. He is incidentally right handed as well, so clearly the what hand you are has little determination on which side of the tee box you prefer to stand on. One of the guys in my regular foursome always tells me he struggles with his back swing, says he just never feels right (awkward), He's a pretty good golfer now, but his learning curve has been long. Might hand him my clubs next time just for giggles. Wonder how many of those guys/gals are out there?
Plin
Long Swinging Paul
Really interesting, love the parallel of power and mixed dexterity, op might have something there, given golf is a game of many opposites, perhaps this ought to be one of them, one particular thought I have is the fact the dominate hand tends to lead, in many cases cause casting, if you were doing it opposite it could help with lag and power. Great thinking ?
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I think that depends on who's swinging the club, but I also think it's more about what side of the brain is dominant and not so much which side of the body is generating the dominant force. So it's more about what is in control versus where the momentum is coming from.
I think that is why you have some people identify as either "swingers" or "hitters". Being left handed (but playing right handed), if I try to use my left hand to control the swing it goes overboard. Trying to "backhand" the ball results in 20+ of shaft lean with a face that is 20+ degrees open (give or take). I have to think about using my right hand and "hitting" the ball to get both sides of my body (and brain) to work together.
Great post in its entirety! The piece I quoted is not only funny, it's significant...
True that Phil is right handed. It's also true that many of the worlds past and present 'great' golfers are lefties. Someone else can do the fact-checking but I believe I read somewhere that Jack, Arnie, Hogan and many others are in fact lefties playing golf right handed. With that said, you make valuable points concerning the dominate side of the body in relation to a golf swing.
Someone told me when I was young, that a right handed golf swing is just a left handed Frisbee throw; in his attempt to stress the importance of the left side of my body controlling my golf swing while the right side of my body simply guides it.
Interesting on Hogan, he has been quoted as saying he wished he had 2 right hands to power the golf swing (paraphrasing) and later amended that statement to say he wished he had 3 right hands.
I think it makes a ton of sense for a left handed person to golf right handed and vice versa. the lead arm in the swing dictates quite a bit of the action so it makes sense to have your "stronger" side in control as much as possible.
That said I am far too old and have spent way to much money on clubs to switch sides now. That and the fact that I lack coordination and athletic ability are also good reasons to stay on this side of the ball.
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I wish I would have listened to that idea from the get go. I've ultimately worked my way to focusing on the right (trailing) hand and will never go back to focusing on the left. Hitting the ball with the right hand/side is just so much easier for me.
I've read Hogan's 5 Lessons several times and each time I find something I either missed or stopped doing by accident. This thread has reminded me to go back over it again.
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- #36
Been thinking about this and I've come to the conclusion I would never attempt to throw a Frisbee in public with my left hand for fear of looking as the kids would say "lit". It's just a good way to look at this. Last couple days I've been trying to do more things with my left hand.....not been successful LOL
SlightDraw
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I am a righty golfer but I play baseball/softball/hockey left handed. The only reason why I golf righty is because I was using my older brothers righty clubs at a younger age. He golfed much earlier in his life compared to me.
I am just as good of a putter left handed and can hit the ball farther left handed but I believe staying under control is more important so I have stayed on the right side.
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I am just as good of a putter left handed and can hit the ball farther left handed but I believe staying under control is more important so I have stayed on the right side.
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I'm the opposite. Do a lot of things left, but golf right. In fact, any sport with side specific equipment (golf, throwing a baseball, etc) I do right handed. Any sport without (baseball bat, throwing a football, etc) I do left. Hockey I guess would be the one exception. I attribute it to being left handed, but having older brothers that are right handed and passed down equipment to me. I do write right handed though...