Is anyone else a left-hander playing right-handed?

[Miller]

I'm a left-hander, but right eye dominant (from my shooting days). When batting at cricket, I'll bat right handed, but bowl left-handed. My arms are similar in terms of strength, but I have more dexterity in my left hand than right.

Is there anyone else like me? Does the lack of right hand dexterity have any real impact on club swing? When shooting, I feel as though my left hand was doing the "important" job of aiming while my right hand simply pulled the trigger. When playing cricket, my left hand (and leg) supply the direction of the bat and my right hand supplies the meat.

But golf seems to confuse my hands because I'm not sure which hand should be taking the "lead" or dominant role in the swing and I end up not really deciding and swinging my hands as one ill-defined lump. Some advice here would be welcome in firming the roles of both hands in my head.

 

[HeftyHacker]

I've a lefty who plays right handed. Over the years I've found myself having a real mix of dexterity for the various sports I've played and golf is one of those I seem to do right handed.

I've never been the longest hitter at golf for my size (tall, so you'd think longer levers) and I've never been able to hit a draw but I recently read on here somewhere that that may be the result of my left hand being dominant in the swing and therefore essentially having a back handed swing. I since went to the range and really tried to emphasise the right arm as if I was almost attempting to throw the club right handed. This seemed to help me get that in to out club path thats eluded me and resulted in me hitting a few draws for the first time ever!

Its something I'm going to work on through the winter for next season as I'm pretty happy with my swing as it is but the option and ability to hit a draw on demand would be nice.

 

[IanM]

Got a mate who does this, but putts left handed, has a left handed 9 iron in the bag ("Just in case!" )

As a cricketer who took up golf, I was taught bad shot in cricket is a decent shot in golf!

So, an excellent cover drive with a golf club is a blocked slice, but the larrup over cow-corner is a decent draw in golf... not totally true, but I hope the sentiment resonates. I sometimes suffer from lack of release of the hands for the above reason, but that's what I think of as a fix.

 

[Maninblack4612]

I do everything except golf left handed, even batted left handed when I played cricket. An old pro once told me that "the right hand just goes for a ride on the club until impact" & I don't think it's a bad thing for the left arm to control the arc of the swing. BUT, at impact, it is important to throw the right hand into the shot. Like skimming a pebble across a lake, a most unnatural movement for a left hander. When I fail to do it I get a pull or a slice & I really have to concentrate. Thinking about playing left handed, this would be the most natural action, I'd really whack the right hand into the shot.

Jim Hardy says that the throw should come from the very top of the swing. Controversial, but Jack Nicklaus has been quoted as saying that he tries to uncock his wrists as quickly as possible in the downswing.

 

[Highslice]

Yes lefty but golf right handed. As you say, I have to really concentrate to force my right arms and shoulders forward on the downswing.

Lefty for writing, tennis, other racquets.
Righty for cricket and golf for me.

Did manage to play a left-handed shot with a right handed club yesterday though (on purpose! Stuck behind a tree)

 

[Orikoru]

Mickelson is famously right-handed and he's done ok doing it backwards. I have heard there's a school of thought that going 'backhand' is actually the more sensible way of doing it. ??‍

 

[Canary_Yellow]

I’m also naturally a lefty and play golf right handed. I also bat right handed at cricket while bowling left.

I have always thought that being a lefty playing right handed has given me the advantage of naturally wanting to hit the ball from the inside (often too much!), with the inclination to play more of an off drive to create power in the swing than the typical over the top beginners move.

Not sure if that applies more generally to those playing the opposite way round to their dominant hand, but would be interested to hear what others think.

It does make the descriptions you hear in some online advice harder to relate to, e.g. the feel of skimming a stone, but there’s no one size fits all go instruction anywhere anyway, so just have to find the right advice that resonates with you. Certainly, playing “the wrong” way round is no hinderance in my opinion.

EDIT: To add my thoughts on the question you raised about the role of the hands, I don’t consciously think of either hand being particularly dominant in my swing, but it must be my left hand given my inclination to pull the handle down from the top (think off drive). Given my inclination to come too far from the inside, I have to make sure I get my right shoulder out towards the ball and try and counter a bit of the left side dominance. My view is that the key is having arms correctly connected and coordinated with the turn of the body, and depending on whether your problem is your right side being too active (over the top move), or your left side too active (too far under and an off drive type shot), gives you a guide to what you need to work on in terms of balancing the influence of your left and right side. But this is very much my experience, don’t know if it is relevant to you!

 

[Smiffy]

I'm a right hander playing cack handed.. ???

 

[Maninblack4612]

I’m also naturally a lefty and play golf right handed. I also bat right handed at cricket while bowling left.

I have always thought that being a lefty playing right handed has given me the advantage of naturally wanting to hit the ball from the inside (often too much!), with the inclination to play more of an off drive to create power in the swing than the typical over the top beginners move.

Not sure if that applies more generally to those playing the opposite way round to their dominant hand, but would be interested to hear what others think.

It does make the descriptions you hear in some online advice harder to relate to, e.g. the feel of skimming a stone, but there’s no one size fits all go instruction anywhere anyway, so just have to find the right advice that resonates with you. Certainly, playing “the wrong” way round is no hinderance in my opinion.

You & me both!

 

[louise_a]

Yes I am a lefty who plays righthanded

 

[Coreservers]

Yup. i write lefthanded, i metal detect left handed, but play golf right handed, in fact cant use lefty clubs

 

[Lord Tyrion]

And another...........

My right hand is on the club but does little more. I think that is a throwback to my cricket days where the thinking was very much top hand dominant, so different now.

 

[SurreyGolfer]

write left-handed, do most other things right-handed...aside from tennis where serve right-handed and switch hands to play 2 x forehands rather than a backhand. My left hand/arm is for sure dominant in my swing and I currently hit the ball between straight and right (never left). No idea if the two things are connected but will investigate and speak to my pro about it!

 

[chico]

I write with my right and golf right handed but everything else would be left dominant. I would hold a tennis racquet in my left or throw a ball left handed. I've never thought of it affecting the way I play golf before.
I tend to miss target left mostly I wonder if this is because my right hand is just on the club for somewhere to go rather than anything else.

 

[Barking_Mad]

I'm a left-hander, but right eye dominant (from my shooting days). When batting at cricket, I'll bat right handed, but bowl left-handed. My arms are similar in terms of strength, but I have more dexterity in my left hand than right.

Is there anyone else like me? Does the lack of right hand dexterity have any real impact on club swing? When shooting, I feel as though my left hand was doing the "important" job of aiming while my right hand simply pulled the trigger. When playing cricket, my left hand (and leg) supply the direction of the bat and my right hand supplies the meat.

But golf seems to confuse my hands because I'm not sure which hand should be taking the "lead" or dominant role in the swing and I end up not really deciding and swinging my hands as one ill-defined lump. Some advice here would be welcome in firming the roles of both hands in my head.

Left handed, but bat right handed, bowl left handed, throw left handed. Golf right handed.

I find it very easy to manufacturer and control a cut/slice on demand (and occasionally when I don't!), but a draw is a thing of mystery. The angle of club on face just looks wrong to me.

Interestingly I've found after a long period of struggling judging length of putts and getting a smooth backstroke, that by opening up my stance by a few inches, having the ball just in line with my left toe and getting more behind and square at address that my putting has improved no end.

I suspect this is because I'm also left eye dominant and being more behind the ball allows my left eye to see down the line better.

 

[Tinkerman]

Am the opposite, right handed at everything except swinging a golf club or cricket bat. My son is the same. A lot easier if it's round the other way though as the choice of equipment is far greater and easier to access.
I've always been told to strengthen my left hand/arm (my non-dominant side) and I sometimes have to conciously think of my left hand "pushing" through the shot otherwise my dominant side will "pull" the club, if you see what I mean.
Don't get on with putting left handed though. Distance control is much better when I putt right-handed.
I'm also left footed and left eye dominant.

 

[DannyOT]

I write left handed but I'm right handed for almost every sport. The only sports I play left handed are snooker and shooting.

I imagine a lot of it is down to how long you've played for. I've been playing golf since I was a kid so I don't know any different, however I did try to learn guitar right handed a couple of years ago and I gave up after a few months as I just didn't have the dexterity.

 

[Miller]

I write left handed but I'm right handed for almost every sport. The only sports I play left handed are snooker and shooting.

This is because you're right eye dominant.

If you point at something in the distance and close your left eye, your finger probably won't move. But if you shut your right eye, you'll see your finger "jump" to the right substantially. For shooting and snooker, the sight lines down the cue/gun are more important than the handedness.

 

[Carlwm]

Hello everyone. I'm new. First post!

I'm a bit mixed up. Anti-dextrous, as it were.

Right-handed with golf. Llke Miller, I bowled left-handed and bat right handed, during my cricket days, entirely left-footed, playing football, play guitar & fiddle left-handed, play darts right-handed but throw a javelin or shoot arrows left-handed, and, finally serve right-handed when I play tennis and other racquet sports then swap hands depending on which side the ball is coming.

 

[sunshine]

I'm left handed but play golf right handed. I generally hit a draw but have a tendency to an over the top move when not swinging well.

Cricket I batted right handed but bowled and throw left handed. Everything else I'm left handed. I think I just picked up a bat as a kid and copied others which is why I batted right handed. Golf came much later.

Just messing around I think I have much better hand-eye coordination if I stand left handed. Also I was putting on a practice green with a left handed putter and I couldn't miss. Too late now to start again left handed (the swing not putting). Right eye dominant, don't know if that makes a difference.