Left handers in golf

I just saw a video on instagram of Stenson playing tennis with McEnroe. What struck me most was that Henrik is left handed, when of course we recognise him as playing golf right handed.

c.10% of the population are left handed, but over the last 20 years, there have been hardly any top golfers who play left handed. And the most famous, Mickelson, is apparently right handed anyway!

Other sports, on the other hand, are full of lefties. Apparently 40% of top level tennis players are left handed, 14 of the top 20 all time baseball batsmen bat left handed and if you watch an international cricket match pretty much every side has at least 3 left handed batsmen.

It occurred to me that there are probably many more left handed people who play golf right handed - myself included. Why do so few people play left handed? Is it the lack of equipment?

I'm also a left hander who plays right handed, I think I do so because when I was young, it was all hand me down clubs and was taught by people who are right handed and I watched people playing right handed.

More left-handed pros than there used to be, but am sure you're right. Not just shortage of left-handed clubs for young adults, but especially for very young people.
My lad is left-handed and showed an aptitude early (not by watching me) and we got him a couple of clubs made for him to see if he really fancied it. Probably when he was about 3. By five he had a half set and playing regularly. That was the only option reasonably available until he was much older, probably about 11.

Johnny Miller another left-hander - there's a video of his somewhere, striping long irons left-handed.

Equipment availability I would think. Probably not a bad thing though as your 'off' hand is meant to control club path etc through the swing so if your 'off' hand is actually your naturally stronger side, might be better once you get over the initial cack-handed feelings etc.

I'm also left handed and I golf right handed.   I think there may be degrees of "left handedness".  If an activity requires two hands then it's comfortable for me to do it the right handed way -- playing golf or guitar, using knife and fork, etc.  But if an activity requires one hand -- tennis, writing, using knife/fork/spoon on its own -- then I use my left.  I'm sure there must be exceptions but that's the way it generally feels comfortable.

Plunky wrote:I'm also left handed and I golf right handed.   I think there may be degrees of "left handedness".  If an activity requires two hands then it's comfortable for me to do it the right handed way -- playing golf or guitar, using knife and fork, etc.  But if an activity requires one hand -- tennis, writing, using knife/fork/spoon on its own -- then I use my left.  I'm sure there must be exceptions but that's the way it generally feels comfortable.

I think if you're left handed you learn to use both hands much better eg using a knife or scissors, because everything is designed for right handed people.

I think it goes without saying that left handers are smarter and more adaptable than right handers.  

I've a couple of pals who are right handed, but golf left handed - both reckon it's because when they were tots they learnt by standing opposite their fathers and became mirror images?
Also, happened to be at Silvermere (large shop, driving range golf course complex in Surrey) last week. They now have a left handed golf shop, not just a section of the main complex.
Bit of useless information - if you happen to buy clothes etc from the House of Fraser Golf Shop online - it all comes from Silvermere!

puligny wrote:
Also, happened to be at Silvermere (large shop, driving range golf course complex in Surrey) last week. They now have a left handed golf shop, not just a section of the main complex.

Not Neds Leftorium by any chance is it?

Incidentally the English word "Sinister" has it's origins in the Latin word "Sinistra", which means Left handed, or Left sided. Those Lefites, not to be trusted!

Dexter and sinister.

Be the ball are re you also a blood spatter fan

Sorry Mc no, studied Latin in school.

I'm also a "leftie" who plays right handed. It just seemed natural to me. It was the same when I played cricket with my brother as a small child - I bowled left-handed but naturally batted right handed. Obviously when it came to playing hockey later in life I had to play right handed (there are no left handed hockey sticks!) and so there was no problem when it came to golf. Tennis, squash and badminton I always used my left hand. As for the rest of my life, apart from using a knife and fork the "correct" way round (my mother made sure I did but didn't worry about spoons) and strangely using the computer mouse in my right hand, I think I use my left for just about everything else!

All the left handed hockey players I have played with were great dribblers of the ball - dominant hand at the top of the stick seemed to really help in that department.