[SS-Traveller]

So what's the big deal about being left-handed?

I was born a leftie, converted to write with the right hand, wrote love letters in a mirror image script with the left hand (wife still has those letters! ), and presently do all delicate work (writing, drawing) with the right hand and heavy work (using tools, opening tight bottle caps) with the left. When I started out in my profession, the equipment we use was (and still is) set up for a right-hander - I adapted, and have had no issues. Can use either hand for most work, which is an advantage in certain situations, except that the left is the more powerful hand. Switched to wearing the watch on the right hand after breaking a couple of them accidentally when the left hand was deployed instinctively to break a fall etc.

My daughter is a complete leftie. She wears a watch on the right hand.

No big deal being a leftie as I see it.

[kirantp]

Folks,

I am ambidextrous per the doctor. I use both hands depending on the situation.

1) Eating food with hand - RH
2) Eating with spoon/fork - LH
3) Cricket - Batting - RH; Bowling - LH (I open the innings with both bat and ball )
4) Carrom - RH
5) Tennis, TT, Badminton - LH
6) Shooting - LH and RH
7) Household things - LH most of the times. Will switch over to RH if I get bored or if I feel any strain in my LH.
8) Football - Left
9) Writing - RH
10) Computers - Operating the mouse - LH/RH depending on the mood

My younger son is showing signs of being LH. Still observing him as its early to say whether he is heading my way.

[Dieseldunk]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

As a kid, I originally started using my left hand. I guess this is the natural reaction of a child based on a mirror image of a right handed person.
Now my son also started off as a left handed person. I did not have it in me to change the way he wrote/ ate. So he continued and is now perfectly left handed in writing/ eating/ throwing etc.



My question is if all left handers eventually adjust to right handed life? Or does anyone find workarounds or solutions to a right hand dominated society?

I appreciate all contributions in terms of suggestions or your own experiences that may help me/ my son in saying left is right too

Hi Selfdrive

Welcome to the club mate -am a left hander too (natural) . My mom changed only my eating habit to right hand when by hand otherwise am levodextrous by all means.

Left handers have a right side developed brain and changing the hand may result in improper cerebral impact since the right side of the body is dominated by the left cerebral and vice-versa.
left handers are logical and very good in fuzzy logic especially. Creativity is high and they are conceptual learners by design.
In fact while driving a right hand car in India the left hander has a unique advantage of handling the gear lever better since it is on the left side.
Never change your son's writing by force allow them to become natural in adapting the hand which becomes more dominant.
My son uses both hands whilst doing many activities and i leave it to him.
To add while was in research my professor never bothered me much since all the instrument and paraphrenalia was to the left of the work table and he needed to move all to right so I got to do many more assays and finally my professor alloted a a separate work table.


Cheers
Prasad

PS: Once in a class our teacher wanted that (without knowing i was left handed) we write our names with the left hand to prove that the challenge lies in change and needless to say i graduated suma cum laude. Mortals are right handed. Legends are left handed.

[sgiitk]

Sometimes I wonder whether a left hander forced into right-handedness gets an advantage in some sport. Take Sachin & Ben Hogan (the Tiger Wood of the 30's) who appear to be natural left handers forced to be right handers. Hogan was forced into RH Golf since as a youngster the only old Golf clubs he could find were right handed. In both cases if you look at the way one handles the bat/club as a right hander is that the right provides the punch while the left provides the control. Being natural left handers most probably they developed better control.

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by ra'ul M

I am surprised that you use a different hand for lawn tennis. The skills are quite similar to T.T. and Badminton.

Simply because we can. You can too.

I can play it left handed but I practiced only right handed. Only other sport other then cricket where I got "trained".

Originally Posted by noopster

better sense of humour than righties. Don't know if that's a wild generalisation or there is some truth in that!

Absolute truth

Originally Posted by download2live

Aren't left handed guitars available?

I play the guitar right handed. Played for a group so I believe I am good. I started off stringing one on my own. Never bothered which hand or insisted on left hand. Loved the guitar too much to bother about these small details.

You beat Milind Soman by an year. Upen Patel beat you by an year.

How do you know that?

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Power tools don't 'feel' right. And those can be dangerous.

No issues at all. I do use the screwdriver and others with my right though. Again I can use left, but now its a habit.

Oh while washing/cleaning the car I use the left hand. Crazy..

In our education system, fast writing speed gives a decided advantage. Discriminates against lefties.

If the right hand gets tired. Use the left. Simple. Yes fast writing was a concern with the left. Especially devnagari script.

Good to know so many lefties here.

[Daewood]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

Sometimes I wonder whether a left hander forced into right-handedness gets an advantage in some sport. Take Sachin & Ben Hogan (the Tiger Wood of the 30's) who appear to be natural left handers forced to be right handers.

In my opinion batting left handed despite being a natural right-hander is an advantage, simply because most of the bowlers(even the left handed ones) lose their rhythm when they have to bowl to a left handed batsman.
This is more advantageous in the shorter forms of the game. IMO that partly explains why left handed batsmen like Raina who are basically right handers excel in the shorter versions.

In school level too i've seen right handed batsmen who are basically defensive in their game suddenly become aggressive with their heaves and drives, once they switch to the left handed stance. Watching them you'll feel as if they suddenly got liberated from their clutches.

[ra'ul M]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

Simply because we can. You can too.

I can play it left handed but I practiced only right handed. Only other sport other then cricket where I got "trained".

I can but not with the same pedigree. One of reasons why I am good at tennis, football, volleyball and snooker is my ability to switch during the action. I am 6' 2" and more than anything people are bewildered when I do it. I once had an instance where I switched the tennis racket to my right had while going for a stretch ball and the other guy stopped playing only to find out it's perfectly legal . Not everything is against us you know. I have spent a lot of time taking advantage of my situation!

Originally Posted by Spitfire

Good to know so many lefties here.

I know and it's great. So many distinguished BHPians as well . I rated it 5 stars!

[noopster]

@Sgiitk- I know a guy who went to school with Sachin Tendulkar and he claims that Sachin was always right-handed and only picked up writing with his left hand on a bet with a classmate. No idea how far it is true but suffice to say he does what he does best right-handed so he IS in fact a righty

There was a guy in my building whose Dad practically forced him to bat left-handed (he does everything else right-handed). Years later he tried to switch back to his natural hand but realised he was too conditioned the way he was, so stuck wit it!

@raul and the other guitarists out here (seem to be a fair number!)- there is an interesting school of thought that says lefty guitar is actually MORE suited to a right hander since you use your dominant hand for fretting, which is technically a finer motor skill tha strumming/picking! I have been playing guitar (right-handed) for nearly 25 years now but cannot for the life of me switch hands, except maybe play a simple chord repititively- changing positions is a pain!

[ra'ul M]

Originally Posted by noopster

@raul and the other guitarists out here (seem to be a fair number!)- there is an interesting school of thought that says lefty guitar is actually MORE suited to a right hander since you use your dominant hand for fretting, which is technically a finer motor skill tha strumming/picking! I have been playing guitar (right-handed) for nearly 25 years now but cannot for the life of me switch hands, except maybe play a simple chord repititively- changing positions is a pain!

Hey. Thanks for calling me a guitarist. I am far from it though! But, I have not given up yet as I am all of 25 and with your great tip about using my better hand [I am more deft with my left since I write with it] for fretting I will be able to at least be a non irritating guitarist

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

and fast writing speed? I can probably out write a right hander with neat and legible handwriting too!

If you are a leftie, and the script is left to right, the pen tends to dig into the paper. The way to avoid it is to hook ones hand. Speed seems to be slower in either case.

Originally Posted by Spitfire

Good to know so many lefties here.

Statistical necessity?

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

So what's the big deal about being left-handed?
....
No big deal being a leftie as I see it.

Nothing, if you have adapted in a RH centric world.
A leftie converted? Also nothing, provided you don't stammer!

Regards
Sutripta

[shankar.balan]

not in my particular case though.
i dont hook my hand around. but i do place the writing surface at a certain angle. speed is not compromised in any way and nor is legibility.

Originally Posted by Sutripta

If you are a leftie, and the script is left to right, the pen tends to dig into the paper. The way to avoid it is to hook ones hand. Speed seems to be slower in either case.

Regards
Sutripta

[Dieseldunk]

I am levodextrous by birth and surprisingly neither of my parents or grandparents were. My school principal (bless him) told never to change my dominant hand whilst admitting me in school. My mom forced me to eat with the right and anything religious right hand comes to the fore.

Driving on the RHS is a great boon since gear shift is with your natural dominant arm. Guitar well I can relate to the pain as mentioned in a few posts , while learning the mridangam my teacher was extremely happy no need to change the sides.

Eating if spoon left else right, keypad right, all activities am a south paw.

Both my kids are pure right handers ( feel a bit let down by the gene)

[Dieseldunk]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

not in my particular case though.
i dont hook my hand around. but i do place the writing surface at a certain angle. speed is not compromised in any way and nor is legibility.

Agree , in my case angle of book changes but speed and angle of writing are not affected . Yes few pen grips will not be comfortable for left handers

[am1m]

Great to see so many parents of this generation understanding that there is absolutely no need to force a left-handed child to "become" right-handed. That is progress! Unfortunate that so many kids of my generation were forced to do so because of irrational superstition, coming mainly from the 'elders' of the family. I remember one unfortunate friend who used to be literally beaten at the dining table. I'm sure eating must be a difficult experience for him even today. Kudos to you guys, you are far wiser and kinder!