Playing The Wrong Way

[USER1999]

I don't see a benefit. If you liken it to tennis - it's like hitting a forehand or a backhand. Personally I can get more power + control in a forehand than a backhand. And what OP is doing is effectively playing golf 'backhand'. Phil Mickelson is famously right-handed and has done rather well playing golf 'backhanded'. But if it was really advantageous to play that way, then wouldn't everyone have been taught that way round since the year dot?

For me, tennis wise, my back hand is more controlled, and also more powerful. It just depends where your strengths lie.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

In golf it comes down to whether you would be better leading with your dominant side or as we normally do, leading with the less dominant side.
Much like boxing the orthodox stance is to lead with the less dominant side. With the power coming from the back foot.

 

[sunshine]

I'm also left handed but play "right handed".

Often an analogy that is used by teaching pros teaching the swing is the feeling of skimming a stone, but that's useless to me as I would never skim a stone with a backhand throw!

I'm not sure whether it's an advantage or not, I'd say playing right handed while being left hand dominant makes it less likely that the player in question will have an over the top swing because there is no temptation for the right arm / shoulder to throw the club as that's not a natural motion for a left hander. Actually I suffer with the opposite, too much from the inside on the downswing, like I'm playing a cricket cover drive!

Like you, I'm left handed but play golf right handed. Sadly I struggle with an over the top swing so I've broken your theory and in fact from tennis I believe the opposite is true:
I always found it much easier to hit a top spin forehand and a backhand slice. Much more natural motions.

It was natural for me to play golf right handed, because I batted right handed. I probably batted right handed from copying my dad. I was a rubbish batsman. I think my natural hand/eye coordination is much better addressing a ball left handed, but it's a bit late to change now.

 

[RichA]

In right handed/footed in everything except playing cards. Always shuffled and dealt left-handed. No idea why.
Practicing my swing in the garden during lockdown I always warm up swinging 2 clubs. Just to even things out, core-wise, I swing with equal force in both directions and have wondered if it wouldn't be that difficult to swap. Don't know any lefty golfers, so I guess I'll never know.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

OP you are correct, the hand at the top of the handle [not allowed to call it grip when teaching youngsters any more] controls the swing.
If all right handed golfers played left handed they would probably have been better players.
As a youngster I spent hours strengthening my left hand and arm to benefit my game.

My father was ambidextrous he golfed right handed and shot left handed.
Perhaps his first gun was a left handed one.

 

[sunshine]

For me, tennis wise, my back hand is more controlled, and also more powerful. It just depends where your strengths lie.

Good point but I think this is a minority. There are a few players who love to hit backhands, but many who run around to hit forehands

 

[Crazyface]

I don't see a benefit. If you liken it to tennis - it's like hitting a forehand or a backhand. Personally I can get more power + control in a forehand than a backhand. And what OP is doing is effectively playing golf 'backhand'. Phil Mickelson is famously right-handed and has done rather well playing golf 'backhanded'. But if it was really advantageous to play that way, then wouldn't everyone have been taught that way round since the year dot?

Agreed. But, by playing the wrong way round my dominant hand is placed at the top of the club, where it can generate more, for want of the correct word, swish, and my weaker hand is placed underneath and therefore lower and therefore less swish. So playing the right way round, ie your right handed and play right handed would mean your WEAKER (Left) hand / arm /shoulder is placed on the club at the point where it would generate the most swish.

This is my train of thought. Not weather it's better, eye co-ordination or populace or anything else. Just a power thing. Imagine throwing a frisbee. You would stand facing the opposite way to throw it with your dominant hand

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Good point but I think this is a minority. There are a few players who love to hit backhands, but many who run around to hit forehands

A lot of modern players, especially women, seem to prefer the double handed backhand to a forehand.
I presume it gives more stability than a single handed shot.

 

[Deleted member 25172]

The ones of you who are right handed and play golf right handed - would you play hockey right handed, or guitar? I'm fairly certain you wouldn't. Why that is I don't know though.

 

[Pants]

Perhaps his first gun was a left handed one.

Left eye dominant??

 

[Orikoru]

Agreed. But, by playing the wrong way round my dominant hand is placed at the top of the club, where it can generate more, for want of the correct word, swish, and my weaker hand is placed underneath and therefore lower and therefore less swish. So playing the right way round, ie your right handed and play right handed would mean your WEAKER (Left) hand / arm /shoulder is placed on the club at the point where it would generate the most swish.

This is my train of thought. Not weather it's better, eye co-ordination or populace or anything else. Just a power thing. Imagine throwing a frisbee. You would stand facing the opposite way to throw it with your dominant hand

I guess I see it more as my left-arm does the 'dog's work' i.e. straight back and forward, whereas the right hand controls the club face direction, so needs to be that hand that is more dextrous - i.e. my stronger hand, for that reason. So perhaps if I'd have been taught to play golf leftie, I may well have more power, but less direction control?

 

[Sats]

Right eye dominant, right handed, right footed.

 

[jim8flog]

Golf is always about contradictions

If you want the ball to go right you swing right to left and if you want to go left you swing it right to left. If want the ball to go higher hit with a more downwards stroke etc.

So it seems a bit obvious, use you weaker arm to make it go further

 

[jim8flog]

I once tried to hit with a left handed club using the correct stance etc for a left hander after about 10 balls I realised I was wasting my time it was worse than when I first started to play.

 

[HeftyHacker]

Interesting this. I've a mate who, due to a motorcycle accident, now only has the use of his left arm. I automatically assumed that he would therefore play golf/cricket left handed (in terms of his set up and stance) but was surprised to learn that he plays both as a right hander ie.plays backhanded. When he catches one its a sight to behold! I dread to think how good he would be with both arms, he's a 23 handicap but struggles with the more deft touches around the green. His full swing is absolutely fine.

I'm a leftie at writing and football, but play most sports right handed. Even rugby i always found it naturally easier to pass off the right.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

I once tried to hit with a left handed club using the correct stance etc for a left hander after about 10 balls I realised I was wasting my time it was worse than when I first started to play.

I played 9 hole challenge match against an 18 handicap golfer who boasted he was the best lefthander in our society.
Started as a joke then got a bit serious.
I won quite comfortably playing punchy 6 irons and putting everything from within 50 yards of the green working on the basis that 9 bogies would win me the game.
After a couple of holes the guy was 2 down, started lashing out at everything, then just crumbled.
Felt a bit sorry for him in the end as quite a few of his chums were watching and there was a bit of money staked on the outcome as they all thought I would lose easily.

 

[Green Bay Hacker]

A thought struck me today. I'm left handed but play right handed. I think this gives me an advantage. Why? Well, if your strongest arm is your lead arm and holds the club at the furthest point it can then the leverage must be greater (physics). Yes? Surely the power comes mainly from the lead arm? Eg. If you threw a frisbee you'd use your strongest arm sort of like a golf swing but on a flatter plane. So then a leftie will be stonger playing right handed and vice versa.

I'm the same but never found it an advantage. It seemed to give me a weak high fade that took a while to conquer. I am pretty good at putting one handed (left) from 4ft in though.

 

[r0wly86]

I would have thought it would give you less power but more control. Less likely for your dominant hand to do too much etc

 

[MarkT]

Mac O’Grady is one of the greats at this. PGA Tour winner right-handed and scratch left. Considered playing right-handed professionally and left-handed as an amateur and once attempted to play in a team event as his own partner!

 

[Deleted member 23344]

The proportion of lefties in national and first class counties is staggering

I had never really thought about it, but you are right ... the percentage of left handed batsman in test cricket is way higher than that of left handed people in the population generally. And yet left handed players on the golf tour are very few. ??