# Considering Switching from right to left



## shewy (Sep 21, 2014)

Anyone made the switch from right to left handed?
I'm a natural leftie in everything I do except golf, left footed to so completely dominant side for me.
After another disaster yesterday (108!) I'm considering moving to left handed over the winter.
I really struggle with weight shift and as a result just don't get through the ball, all the skimming the stone practice makes no differance as I skim left handed!
I think I've reached a plateu as a right handed player and can't get below that.
Any thoughts?


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## North Mimms (Sep 21, 2014)

shewy said:



			Anyone made the switch from right to left handed?
I'm a natural leftie in everything I do except golf, left footed to so completely dominant side for me.
After another disaster yesterday (108!) I'm considering moving to left handed over the winter.
I really struggle with weight shift and as a result just don't get through the ball, all the skimming the stone practice makes no differance as I skim left handed!
I think I've reached a plateu as a right handed player and can't get below that.
Any thoughts?
		
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Coincidentally. i played yesterday with a chap (never met him before) who played left handed.

He explained that he had played golf right handed with limited success for a few years, but during a lesson his pro siggested he have a few swipes with a left handed club, and it felt much more natural.
He is right handed in everything, but had played cricket left handed.

Left handed seemed to suit him, we had all teed off ahead of him as he was hitting the ball so long - nearly drove a par 4 green uphill!


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## Ethan (Sep 21, 2014)

A number of great players play using their strong side at the front - Mickelson is a righty, Hogan was a leftie. It makes a lot of sense, but I haven't heard of anyone switching and I think it would take a certain amount of brain remapping to make it stick. Probably no real harm playing with it in the offseason.


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## Oddsocks (Sep 21, 2014)

If I was. Asking the change to left handed I would do so with an intensive course of basics and tweeks to ensure all the habits I had as a right handed player were no longer an issue.

Everything from takeaway, grip, stance... The complete set up.


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## duncan mackie (Sep 21, 2014)

Ethan said:



			A number of great players play using their strong side at the front - Mickelson is a righty, Hogan was a leftie. It makes a lot of sense, but I haven't heard of anyone switching and I think it would take a certain amount of brain remapping to make it stick. Probably no real harm playing with it in the offseason.
		
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I am as well (not a great player but a left handed righthander!) and believe it's a significant advantage to have my most motor controlled hand at the top of the club for normal shots.

Putting is completely different and brings in  huge number of different factors. Any combination of hands & eyes can work; but most people would just benefit from less putters and more putting lessons


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## HomerJSimpson (Sep 21, 2014)

I am naturally left sided but would never dream of undertaken such a mammoth change with no guarantee it'll be any better than what I have now. After 30 odd years of playing I think everything is too ingrained and to be honest I don't think I could empty my head and learn it all again (grip, stance, swing) without trying to simply mirror the right handed version. Not for me but if you do go ahead I wish you all the luck in the world and hope it works out for you


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## SGC001 (Sep 21, 2014)

I'm right handed and am playing a bit left handed now. I've done it for a couple of reasons, injury and to learn again.

I've never done anything left handed before and find switching challenging losing a lot of yardage and slicing longer clubs which can be a bit dispiriting as I'd be about 40 handicap. Think I'd appreciate forward tees like in europe and higher handicaps if I was starting again. I also wonder if ladies left hand clubs might be easier to learn with, I suspect they would be as most seem to find longer clubs more difficult when starting.

Played 4somes right and left handed and it helps me get round so I may practice a little more this way until I improve a bit more. If you find it awkward at 1st this may help keep you moving on the course. 

Weight shift would be a decent reason to change if it is more natural that way, I've also heard an extensor argument used for playing with your dominant side.


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## OldMate (Sep 21, 2014)

It depends how coordinated you feel swinging a club on the other side of the ball at a basic level I guess.  I'm also a lefty who plays right handed.  I batted left handed in cricket for my first year or so as a child and then inexplicably changed.  I have hit the occasional golf ball left handed over the years but it feels far from natural - even if I could work it out from a coordination perspective I don't think I could overcome the loss of power.  If you are able to pick up a left handed club and swing it without feeling completely unnatural then it probably can be done.  Worst case scenario I guess is that you give it a few months and if it doesn't work out then you can switch back to right handed.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.  Good luck with it.


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## Liverpoolphil (Sep 21, 2014)

A Guy on the combo committee played right handed until he stagnated so swapped to his natural left handed and has now got lower as a left hand golfer


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## Foxholer (Sep 22, 2014)

A guy at an old club played of 8-10 left handed, but had played off 6 right-handed before a shoulder injury put paid to right handed golf. He was apparently reasonably ambidextrous in other sports too.

So it can be done!


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## MadAdey (Sep 22, 2014)

Read an article in Today's golfer a few years ago about a lad that played off a mid teen handicap until he had a bike accident. He smashed up his left arm and after recovering tried to start playing golf again, but just couldn't get through the ball properly because of the injury. Tried left handed and could now swing the club properly, got down to single figures in a couple of years. 

It's make sense if you think about it. A right handed golfer is basically hitting the ball with his left hand and vice versa.


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## Ads749r (Sep 22, 2014)

I'm left handed, do everything left handed. But can't swing a golf club left handed for the life of me,  or right handed for that matter. I'm a right handed golfer. I have been tempted to buy a left handed club and just really give it ago. I swing a baseball bat left handed and tennis stick. I'm quite surprised how many people have said they swapped and it's worked for them.


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## Oddsocks (Sep 22, 2014)

MadAdey said:



			Read an article in Today's golfer a few years ago about a lad that played off a mid teen handicap until he had a bike accident. He smashed up his left arm and after recovering tried to start playing golf again, but just couldn't get through the ball properly because of the injury. Tried left handed and could now swing the club properly, got down to single figures in a couple of years. 

It's make sense if you think about it. A right handed golfer is basically hitting the ball with his left hand and vice versa.
		
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Based on that as a RH golfer all my pre golf injuries are on my left side, maybe I should give it a go!


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## srixon 1 (Sep 22, 2014)

It would be no good for me. Just looking down the shaft of a left handed club gives me the shivers.


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## MadAdey (Sep 22, 2014)

Oddsocks said:



			Based on that as a RH golfer all my pre golf injuries are on my left side, maybe I should give it a go!
		
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At impact it is your left side that all the pressure is being put on. I think the problem is we all know how tough it was to learn the game, now imagine having to unlearn the right handed golf swing and start from scratch to learn to hit it left handed. That would take some serious amounts of dedication, that person did it as it was either learn to play left handed or not play at all.


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## TheJezster (Sep 22, 2014)

I think it could work, and possibly will be easier than you think. I used to play competitive pool and would quite often spend hours practicing left handed to give me a little edge on certain shots. I'd got good enough to beat most pub players and it's really not as hard as you'd think. Give it a try, what's the worst that can happen?


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## garyinderry (Sep 22, 2014)

the swing is a learned movement.    I was taught to play snooker by a left hander. I was made to put my right hand down on the table. it is the most natural thing in the world to me now. 

when I was a kid I more or less stopped kicking the ball with my right foot for a year so I could get comfortable with my left.  sure enough in time I become pretty much as comfortable kicking with my left as my right.  granted my right side would be my stronger side but I can comfortably make the correct movements if the ball drops or I receive it to my left foot.


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## Liverbirdie (Sep 22, 2014)

garyinderry said:



			the swing is a learned movement.    I was taught to play snooker by a left hander. I was made to put my right hand down on the table. it is the most natural thing in the world to me now. 

when I was a kid I more or less stopped kicking the ball with my right foot for a year so I could get comfortable with my left.  sure enough in time I become pretty much as comfortable kicking with my left as my right.  granted my right side would be my stronger side but I can comfortably make the correct movements if the ball drops or I receive it to my left foot.
		
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Not what I seen at Tuesday night footy.......


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## louise_a (Sep 22, 2014)

I am left handed in everything except golf and batting at cricket, I can only assume that it is because they were 2 things I was taught to do, as opposed to sports you play with one hand where it is just natural for my to use my left.
I have thought on occasion whether I would do better changing but have never tried. We do have one girl at our club that swapped a couple of years ago, she hasn't had great results as yet, as far as I know.


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## garyinderry (Sep 22, 2014)

Liverbirdie said:



			Not what I seen at Tuesday night footy.......
		
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not much football played on the ground there!   more kick and rush style! :rofl:


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## simplyme (Sep 22, 2014)

My friend switched from right to left 4 years ago now. He was a very steady 14h/cap but just couldn't get settled and switched. He is now a single figure, regular player and it has worked wonders for him.


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## MadAdey (Sep 23, 2014)

Anyone thinking of doing it needs to answer one question, how often do you practice? If you don't practice often now how the hell are you going to learn to play the opposite way. If you do have the time to practice then why aren't you doing it now to improve using your natural orientation.


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