Playing The Wrong Way

[r0wly86]

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. ??

It makes it much harder for the bowler, who are predominantly right handed. If they come over the wicket then they are opening themselves to be cut and clipped through leg, like Cook and Graeme Smith used to do. Come around the wicket and you take LBW out of the equation and so the batsman can just wait for the ball to come onto the stumps and then play that, leaving anything outside of off stump.

I'm a stump to stump bowler, and I hate left handers it really messes up my line, especially as seam away from the right hander, so to a leftie I have to pitch further outside off which makes it harder to get nicks

 

[Vikingman]

Right handed but left footed.

 

[Orikoru]

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.

If I lost my left arm I would probably switch to playing left-handed (so hitting with a backhand). If you've only got the one arm it would be easier that way because you can keep it straight, which gives you more chance of making solid contact with the ball I'd have thought. If you play it forehand/right-handed, the elbow bends and it introduces another variable.

 

[Yorkhacker]

I have cross dominance, so write and play golf right handed, but throw and catch left handed. When I used to play squash, I would swap hands rather than play backhands, but I was equally bad with both hands. I also kick left footed. I think I should have been left handed, bu that was discouraged when I was learning to write in the '60s

 

[BubbaP]

I'd say I am left footed but right handed. Pretty sure my mum said she thought I was leaning towards left handed but switched after starting school.

I'm sure a few pros have pasts where they played with half a set of each as juniors until encouraged to pick one side by the coaches- possibly Mickelson was one.
Shawn Clement is pretty handy as a lefty still also.

 

[rksquire]

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.

This is also me, but I don't think it gives advantage....I play most sports right handed despite writing left handed so I'm a leftie, but really I thing I'm a rightie who writes left handed. If your dominant arm is the lead arm, it could lead the shaft and open the club face; if it's the trail arm it could overtake and turn the clubface; in reality in both scenarios assume a pretty passive second arm which isn't really the case.

 

[harpo_72]

I favour my right hand, but my left is extremely strong. I played urban hockey left handed, but normal grass hockey there is no choice, however the stick control comes from the top and that’s the left hand.
I can write with my left, but it’s not practiced ( used to forge different parents signatures at school using both hands because they were different styles) . I also played table tennis using both hands, my back hands were both strong .. reason I did it was my knee was knackered so speed was impaired ..
I think my left hand / arm is strong which causes some sequence issues .. I have not tried to play golf left handed economically it probably doesn’t make sense

 

[DannyOT]

I write and play snooker left handed but everything else is right handed. I definitely pick up playing left handed faster than those who are right handed but I'd still guess it would take me years and years to break 100 left handed.

One thing I discovered when trying clay shooting was I'm absolutely useless as I hold it left handed but I'm right eye dominant so my aim was way off.

 

[GG26]

We are all different. I always thought of myself as naturally right handed and left footed until one day playing pool someone asked why I was holding the cue left handed. Since realised that I also play and deal cards left handed, but definitely write and play golf and cricket right handed.

 

[Captainron]

I’m left eye dominant and right handed. I do sometimes mess around and hit shots left handed with a flipped over lob wedge. My full left handed swing is able to get the ball out there.
In cricket I had a friend who tried to change their batting to left handed to keep their dominant right hand in control as the top hand. Worked reasonably well but they were still better playing right handed. Maybe just did it a touch late in life.

 

[rudebhoy]

I have cross dominance, so write and play golf right handed, but throw and catch left handed. When I used to play squash, I would swap hands rather than play backhands, but I was equally bad with both hands. I also kick left footed. I think I should have been left handed, bu that was discouraged when I was learning to write in the '60s

My mum was naturally left handed, but got it beaten out of her at school. Every time she picked up a pen or pencil with her left hand, the teacher would whack her across the knuckles with a ruler. She ended up writing right handed. Pretty barbaric.

 

[Swinglowandslow]

The thing you do first is a result of which hand is dominant. Tell a kid to catch a ball with one hand, throw it to them 10 times and watch how they catch it, there will always be a preferred hand.

Why is being left-handed such a benefit in cricket?

I've heard it said many times that natural lefties have faster reflexes.
If that's true, there's your answer.
I was told a story of a local Pro, back in the day. Rich Londoners playing his course would often play him for money. He would let them nearly win, and then offer them another chance if he played left handed.
Not knowing that he was better as a leftie!
I also was told that Brian Close the cricketer was a very good golfer, right handed or left handed.!

 

[Orikoru]

My mum was naturally left handed, but got it beaten out of her at school. Every time she picked up a pen or pencil with her left hand, the teacher would whack her across the knuckles with a ruler. She ended up writing right handed. Pretty barbaric.

I know it's different times and everything but I don't even understand why it was like that. What is the logic for forcing everyone to use their right hand? Did being left-handed make you a devil worshipper or something?

 

[sunshine]

I know it's different times and everything but I don't even understand why it was like that. What is the logic for forcing everyone to use their right hand? Did being left-handed make you a devil worshipper or something?

Writing is much harder left handed. The movement from left to right is designed for right handed people.