I'm left handed but play golf right handed.

[villa]

Anyone else do the same? (or vice versa)

Interested to hear how many people play golf the opposite way to their dominant hand.

I know that Sergio Garcia is left handed and Phil Mickelson is actually right handed so it seems reasonably common.

Does anyone else play backwards?

[Shaitan]

Don't play golf backwards but I do play pool lefthanded, which is a little unusual - they say your hand preference comes from the first time you pick up the equipment and watch others play

[villa]

That's interesting. I've always wondered if there's an actual reason for it.

 

I wonder who Phil was watching when he first started.

[Sakman]

I'm too am left handed, but play right handed. :D

[d__d]

im left handed but play right handed as well. im kinda glad too, from what i see left handed equipment is harder to come by.

[littlepingman]

My father is left handed and plays right handed also. :D

[villa]

I'm too am left handed, but play right handed. :D

 

 

im left handed but play right handed as well. im kinda glad too, from what i see left handed equipment is harder to come by.

 

 

My father is left handed and plays right handed also. :)

 

Do any of you (or your Father littlepingman) find it a hindrance at all?

 

When I first started I remember I found it difficult to release the club properly but I suppose that could be the same for anyone.

[SHERO]

I heard that Phil plays left handed because he copied a mirror image of his father's swing at a very young age

[d__d]

I'm too am left handed, but play right handed. :D

 

 

im left handed but play right handed as well. im kinda glad too, from what i see left handed equipment is harder to come by.

 

 

My father is left handed and plays right handed also. :)

 

Do any of you (or your Father littlepingman) find it a hindrance at all?

 

When I first started I remember I found it difficult to release the club properly but I suppose that could be the same for anyone.

 

kind of. being left eye dominant and setting up right handed messed with me a bit. it seemed like i was looking "in front" of the ball and had a hard time staying behind it. it basically had me setting up open unintentionally.

[littlepingman]

My father is left handed and plays right handed also. :)

 

Do any of you (or your Father littlepingman) find it a hindrance at all?

 

When I first started I remember I found it difficult to release the club properly but I suppose that could be the same for anyone.

 

My father sometimes thinks this is the main cause for his lack of distance and his inability to create very much lag or speed during his downswing. But he does hit the ball strait as an arrow. :D

[oldpalchamp]

I am primarily left-handed and play golf right-handed. Actually, I'm pretty wierd (as my friends can attest). I throw a baseball left-handed, a football right-handed, write left-handed, bowl left-handed, kick with my right foot, and play golf right-handed.

[villa]

kind of. being left eye dominant and setting up right handed messed with me a bit. it seemed like i was looking "in front" of the ball and had a hard time staying behind it. it basically had me setting up open unintentionally.

I used to have a massive problem setting up open as well so that makes sense. I've heard that Tiger is left eye dominant as well (although not left handed) and he says it's an advantage on the greens. I've never really understood why but it sounds good.

 

My father sometimes thinks this is the main cause for his lack of distance and his inability to create very much lag or speed during his downswing. But he does hit the ball strait as an arrow. :D

I've always wondered if it causes a lack of distance as my dominant hand isn't my 'impact' hand but I don't think i'm short. I think your Father's just using it as an excuse! (but it's possible I suppose)

 

I am primarily left-handed and play golf right-handed. Actually, I'm pretty wierd (as my friends can attest). I throw a baseball left-handed, a football right-handed, write left-handed, bowl left-handed, kick with my right foot, and play golf right-handed.

Yes, you do sound like a weirdo. Just kidding mate, i'm weird as well in all fairness. I throw right handed, play golf and cricket (yes cricket!) right handed but I write left handed, play pool and snooker left handed and kick with my left foot.

[d__d]

kind of. being left eye dominant and setting up right handed messed with me a bit. it seemed like i was looking "in front" of the ball and had a hard time staying behind it. it basically had me setting up open unintentionally.

I used to have a massive problem setting up open as well so that makes sense. I've heard that Tiger is left eye dominant as well (although not left handed) and he says it's an advantage on the greens. I've never really understood why but it sounds good.

 

 

interesting.. i havent heard that. i wonder what he meant by that.

[littlepingman]

My father sometimes thinks this is the main cause for his lack of distance and his inability to create very much lag or speed during his downswing. But he does hit the ball strait as an arrow. :)

I've always wondered if it causes a lack of distance as my dominant hand isn't my 'impact' hand but I don't think i'm short. I think your Father's just using it as an excuse! (but it's possible I suppose)

 

You might be onto something. :D

[villa]

interesting.. i havent heard that. i wonder what he meant by that.

I've heard it a couple if times but as I say, i've never really understood it. Maybe someone else knows more?

 

You might be onto something. :D

Sergio and Phil are quite long so maybe it's not true but it's an interesting thought.

[DOUGLY]

Lefty playing righty as well here.

I also bat and play hockey right-handed.

[scotty01292]

My father sometimes thinks this is the main cause for his lack of distance and his inability to create very much lag or speed during his downswing. But he does hit the ball strait as an arrow. :D

 

He may have something when he says that. I'm left handed for darts, pool, writing, ice hockey & guitar, but right for cricket, football/soccer, throwing & play golf right handed... I hit the ball straight as an arrow, (hit 78% of fairways in 2006 season) but probably only drive about 230-240 & hit 6 iron about 135-140 yards...

[leftygolf]

I'm right handed and play left handed.

[chasm]

I am right handed (bowl/throw a ball, play tennis, write etc) and originally played golf right-handed as I used a set of my Mum's old clubs when hacking around as a child. However, I batted left handed as a cricketer and always had a stronger backhand at racket sports. So, four years ago, I turned round and decided to play golf as a lefty. It feels a lot more natural, and despite a lack of time to play or practice (I only play 12-15 times a year) I am playing off 14 and striking it way better than as a righty.

 

That said, I tried putting left handed and have reverted to putting right handed. Not quite sure why - I tell myself I can read it better as a right hander but that has got to be nonsense!

 

When I was playing cricket as a junior, coaches made no attempt to turn me round and one even ventured that it made more sense, because (in cricket) the top hand should be in control and it was better if that was the dominant hand. This may be more of a moot point in golf since the hands are meant to be more passive (or at least work together).

 

Finally, I still don't inderstand why there aren't more lefties - I'm sure they are under-represented compared to cack-handers in other sports, especially tennis and cricket - although maybe not in Canada. Is this down to lackof equipment availability??

[conorgolf22]

I'm left handed and i play golf right handed.

[jdhallissey]

I am left handed but play right, I think it is an advantage for me because I can pull down harder to the ball with my left then my right. Your left arm for a right handed swing controls everything. Your right hand/arm is just the guide and not the power. If your not understanding what I mean watch VJ hit a ball. When he is at impact his right hand is almost off of the golf club.

[gatorsteve]

I'm right handed but play left handed. When my dad played baseball he swung right handed but got more power swinging lefty so he switched and never went back and for some reason he just taught me to swing a baseball bat and club lefty.

So I write, throw, and kick righty but swing a bat, club, hockey stick lefty!

 

 

steve

[Cameron Carter]

I am left handed and play golf right handed and i am so glad. For one obviously left handed equpment is much harded to come by and it seems like it is easier for me to hit ball a long way because my left arm is stronger so i can really get speed on the way down by pulling with my left. And yes I am like many of you I would set up open when i was younger because of left eye dominance

[ERuhling]

That's interesting. I've always wondered if there's an actual reason for it.

 

I wonder who Phil was watching when he first started.

 

 

Phil tried to mirror his dad's swing when he was little. so his dad was right and he became lefty.

Also my sister and dad are left handed but both play righty

[gjones77]

I've heard that Tiger is left eye dominant as well (although not left handed) and he says it's an advantage on the greens. I've never really understood why but it sounds good.

 

I'm right handed, but left eye dominant also, The following was in a Golf Magazine article:

 

Golfers who are right-eye dominant tend to see the hole to the right of its true location. The reason is that they set up with their right eye too far inside the ball and the target line. Initially, they push their putts to the right. Then they adjust their stroke accordingly (outside to in) and then pull their putts to the left on a regular basis. (The opposite is true for those who are left-eye dominant if the left eye is out of position.)

 

About 70 percent of the population is right-eye dominant, which puts the trailing eye (that’s the one farthest from the hole) in the driver’s seat when putting. If this eye is not positioned properly, your view of the hole becomes distorted, lessening your chances of holing out. Not sure which eye is your dominant one?

 

IF you take an empty paper towl roll, and put a ball on the ground, stand over it and with bot eyes open put the ball in the center of the roll.

 

Now close your right eye, if you see the ball, you're left eye dominant

 

Here's the link to the mentioned article

http://www.golfonline.com/golfonline/instr...1139927,00.html

[Superman]

I have played baseball for 14 years and i bat left handed but i play golf, write and throw right handed. It's weird

[w8liftr]

I'm a lefty and play right handed. The same for my dad. He learned to play right handed because it was the only clubs he could play with when he was learning.

 

It's funny, both of us kick a ball with our right foot.

[Dsk321]

Yessuh I'm lefty that plays righty. I'm also left eye dominant, but I have more muscle control in my right. So precision left, mass stuff right. It works out fine for golf. I could have easily started golf as a lefty, but I honestly think it wouldn't have made a difference.

[d__d]

I've heard that Tiger is left eye dominant as well (although not left handed) and he says it's an advantage on the greens. I've never really understood why but it sounds good.

 

I'm right handed, but left eye dominant also, The following was in a Golf Magazine article:

 

Golfers who are right-eye dominant tend to see the hole to the right of its true location. The reason is that they set up with their right eye too far inside the ball and the target line. Initially, they push their putts to the right. Then they adjust their stroke accordingly (outside to in) and then pull their putts to the left on a regular basis. (The opposite is true for those who are left-eye dominant if the left eye is out of position.)

 

About 70 percent of the population is right-eye dominant, which puts the trailing eye (that’s the one farthest from the hole) in the driver’s seat when putting. If this eye is not positioned properly, your view of the hole becomes distorted, lessening your chances of holing out. Not sure which eye is your dominant one?

 

IF you take an empty paper towl roll, and put a ball on the ground, stand over it and with bot eyes open put the ball in the center of the roll.[/

 

Now close your right eye, if you don't see the ball, you're left eye dominant

 

Here's the link to the mentioned article

http://www.golfonline.com/golfonline/instr...1139927,00.html

 

great find, very interesting.

[villa]

Finally, I still don't inderstand why there aren't more lefties - I'm sure they are under-represented compared to cack-handers in other sports, especially tennis and cricket - although maybe not in Canada. Is this down to lackof equipment availability??

Good point mate. If you watch cricket, baseball and tennis, there's always plenty of lefties but very few playing golf. It's interesting to see the amount of left handers playing right handed on here.

 

great find, very interesting.

Agreed, thanks for the find mate. This must be why i'm so awesome :D