Switching from Left hand to Right hand

[firescar33]

I’m new to golf and have only been doing it since beginning of this summer. I didn’t realize how rare being a lefty is, I’m right handed but in most sports I play lefty (forget what they call that) but I was wondering if it was worth trying to switch to right handed and if being left handed had any disadvantage besides being able to find left handed clubs.

 

[Dando]

When I started playing it was right handed and after a few games i switched to left handed (I was a left
handed batsman) and haven’t changed back.

There’s plenty of leftie clubs about but they’re just a bit more expensive

 

[Bratty]

When I started playing it was right handed and after a few games i switched to left handed (I was a left
handed batsman) and haven’t changed back.

There’s plenty of leftie clubs about but they’re just a bit more expensive

And you're terrible at chipping with either! ?

 

[hovis]

I am left handed playing right. After 12 years I'm starting to wonder if I could make the change ?‍

 

[AAC]

I’m new to golf and have only been doing it since beginning of this summer. I didn’t realize how rare being a lefty is, I’m right handed but in most sports I play lefty (forget what they call that) but I was wondering if it was worth trying to switch to right handed and if being left handed had any disadvantage besides being able to find left handed clubs.

Hi

Welcome along to the forum.

Its not unusual if you take my regular PP's as a sample, I regularly play with around 12 different people and at least 4 are left handers. From what I can see there isn't a downside to being a leftie.

Where are you based, I know that Silvermere in Surrey has a good LH equipment shop.

 

[firescar33]

Hi

Welcome along to the forum.

Its not unusual if you take my regular PP's as a sample, I regularly play with around 12 different people and at least 4 are left handers. From what I can see there isn't a downside to being a leftie.

Where are you based, I know that Silvermere in Surrey has a good LH equipment shop.

That’s good to know. I’m located in Pennsylvania.

 

[Orikoru]

Hi

Welcome along to the forum.

Its not unusual if you take my regular PP's as a sample, I regularly play with around 12 different people and at least 4 are left handers. From what I can see there isn't a downside to being a leftie.

Where are you based, I know that Silvermere in Surrey has a good LH equipment shop.

There's also an upside, in that you have more chance of winning the Masters. They often used to say that anyway.

 

[firescar33]

I guess I should probably stay lefty then.

 

[NearHull]

As a youngster, I was always a left handed batsman, despite being right handed, so naturally took up golf ( at the age of 40) with left handed clubs under instruction of a 2 handicap colleague. It took three weeks for him to tell me to play right handed as I hadn’t got the dominant hand sorted out. I didn’t understand the message, but I did turn around. It was awful, but he insisted.

30 years later , I still play right handed. In the first few years of playing, I did carry a LH 6i which was very useful to get out of those awkward tree/bushes moments but the ability to hit a ball left handed has now left me.

on the plus side, there are more RH clubs than LH clubs around.

 

[Dando]

And you're terrible at chipping with either! ?

Haven’t you got a candle to light?

 

[firescar33]

As a youngster, I was always a left handed batsman, despite being right handed, so naturally took up golf ( at the age of 40) with left handed clubs under instruction of a 2 handicap colleague. It took three weeks for him to tell me to play right handed as I hadn’t got the dominant hand sorted out. I didn’t understand the message, but I did turn around. It was awful, but he insisted.

30 years later , I still play right handed. In the first few years of playing, I did carry a LH 6i which was very useful to get out of those awkward tree/bushes moments but the ability to hit a ball left handed has now left me.

on the plus side, there are more RH clubs than LH clubs around.

How long did it take you to adjust to switching to right hand?

 

[NearHull]

How long did it take you to adjust to switching to right hand?

That is very difficult to answer. It was quite a long time ago, so my recall of adjusting is suspect.

There was a period of a few months when playing RH felt very seriously wrong, but I persevered and invested in a mid to low range set of RH clubs in the first month. I think that act itself was mentally significant ( and financially) as it demonstrates a commitment to yourself and of course to others to play RH. To revert back to LH would signal some sort of ‘failure’. In hindsight, it would have been an important motivator.

My first handicap ( under the old system) was 26 - for approx a year or so. I was cut regularly down to 17 where I stayed for a few years. At this point , I was still able to play LH in order to take advantage of a LH ‘lie’ as apart from being blocked by a tree for. a RH ‘lie’. Over the next few years I moved down to 13 and I think it was aroundd this time that I stopped carrying a LH club.

In a roundabout way, I could say the adjustment took several months to be able to move from the driving range to a course and play RH, but then again, how long would it have taken me to move from the range to the course playing LH? I could also answer by saying the adjustment took many years until I stopped carrying a LH 6i.

I apologise for writing a potted history of early golfing years but I am struggling to answer your question any other way. But I will emphasise that the RH golf market has overwhelmingly greater access than the LH market.

As an aside, we used to work temporarily out of RAF Goose Bay ( in Labrador?) in the 90s. The local 9 hole course, which was playable for 4 or 5 months a year, was very friendly often inviting a group of us Brits into their competitions. They would split us up amongst themselves, with two members plus a guest ( us) in each playing group. Without fail, at least one of the members was LH and often both members were LH. Their ProShop was dominated by LH equipment. Goose Bay is a very isolated place, the next sizeable town is around 200 miles away.

 

[cliveb]

As a youngster, I was always a left handed batsman, despite being right handed, so naturally took up golf ( at the age of 40) with left handed clubs under instruction of a 2 handicap colleague. It took three weeks for him to tell me to play right handed as I hadn’t got the dominant hand sorted out. I didn’t understand the message, but I did turn around. It was awful, but he insisted.

I'm intrigued by the comment about the dominant hand. If anyone can explain, I'm all ears.
I've always thought that it's important to "pull" the downswing with the leading hand rather than "push" it with the trailing hand, so that would seem to suggest that it would be best if the dominant hand is the leading one.

I'm very right hand dominant and play right handed, and think that sometimes the right hand gets too busy in the swing.
I've long wondered if I should have started out playing left handed.

 

[Orikoru]

I'm intrigued by the comment about the dominant hand. If anyone can explain, I'm all ears.
I've always thought that it's important to "pull" the downswing with the leading hand rather than "push" it with the trailing hand, so that would seem to suggest that it would be best if the dominant hand is the leading one.

I'm very right hand dominant and play right handed, and think that sometimes the right hand gets too busy in the swing.
I've long wondered if I should have started out playing left handed.

I have heard that before, but if I liken it to tennis, which I played as a kid before I took up golf: I use a two-handed backhand, because hitting back-handed with my strong hand is weaker than hitting forehand. Translate that across to golf where you use two hands anyway - I'd expect going 'backhand' - i.e. left-handed swing for the right-handed person - to be weaker. Like you my left hand/arm is weak so I want it to be doing less work. In the right-handed swing you simply keep the left arm straight and it almost functions as a pendulum, while the right hand dictates the direction.