Playing from the Other Side

***iacas*** · November 17, 2005

I had a conversation a while ago about playing golf left-handed (I'm a righty). I mentioned that Steve Flesch in his Playing Lessons (TGC) said he was going to some day retire and ask to be reinstated as an amateur so long as he played righty (he's a lefty).

I then said "if you gave me two weeks to practice, I could easily break 100 lefty." That's bogey golf plus a little leeway.

Why? Short game - not much is different left-handed versus right-handed. Putting is nearly identical, and chipping and things have to be decent. Plus, the mental side of things - I'd hit 5Ws off the tee perhaps, 7-irons to lay up, and wedge on and try to two- or one-putt most of the holes.

What do you think? How would you shoot if you switched around to the other side and had two weeks to practice?

**Leftie_power** · November 18, 2005

I'm a leftie and althought i may not understand why you righties hit from over there i have ventured over to the dark side, and i hit it bout 100-150 yards, i think the most difficult thing is creating club head speed, but with two weeks of practice i think 100 is reasonable, any single-digit handicapper has a basic understanding of the golf swing and it's easily applied to either side, I wouldn't want to attempt this though, imagine how your normal game would suffer.

**Everardo** · November 18, 2005

I'm ambidextrous with some sports. I play golf righty but putt lefty, I play hockey left-handed so that might help a lefty golf swing. Might be worth a try during silly season

***iacas*** · November 18, 2005

I'm a leftie and althought i may not understand why you righties hit from over there i have ventured over to the dark side, and i hit it bout 100-150 yards, i think the most difficult thing is creating club head speed, but with two weeks of practice i think 100 is reasonable, any single-digit handicapper has a basic understanding of the golf swing and it's easily applied to either side, I wouldn't want to attempt this though, imagine how your normal game would suffer.

That's the thing - your normal swing may not suffer at all. The best players in the world routinely swing left-handed. Vijay Singh does it and I've seen him turn a 7-iron over and hit the ball 175 yards from beside a tree. In competition.

But anyway, not all of them HIT from the other side, but they certainly swing (train) from the other side, because it helps to build both sides of their bodies equally.

**golfin' girl** · November 18, 2005

I am also a left-handed golfer (lefties DO rule!).

Whenever I go to the driving range with my right-handed husband I always insist that we switch booths. We also take each other's pitching wedges and aim for the 80-yard pin. The "game" is to hit the ball as close to the pin and as straight as we can. I usually win but Barry is improving.

I don't think that Steve Flesch should return as a righty amateur. As Erik mentioned, Vijay Singh has already proved that professional golfers have both sides pretty much figured out.

**Thrash13** · November 18, 2005

I would probably shoot about a 125 or so. I can hit the ball left-handed, but I will shank one 10 yards sometimes. I've also been known to whiff on a few attempts on the driving range.

I do have a funny story about hitting left-handed in a tournament one time. I used to carry a left-handed PW during my high school playing days (I was awful by the way).

I hit my drive in the rough, and the only way I could get it out was to hit left-handed. So I got my lefty PW and punched it out into the fairway. I'm still not sure if my playing partners believed I got it back in the fairway.

I never used the lefty again, but it came in handy that one time anyway.

**Slicer** · November 23, 2005

Sorry, but I have enough trouble trying to play the game right handed. I have enough of a challenge already without adding insult to injury.

Thanks, not interested....

NEXT!!!

**You're Away** · November 23, 2005

I'm with Slicer...this game is hard enough as it is. I don't even watch lefties swing when I'm playing with them because I think it messes me up. However, one time I played in a scramble and on a short par 4 they had a left handed and right handed driver on the tee box with instructions that everyone had to use the opposite of their normal driver. I actually hit mine pretty decent, about 150 but it did get in the air , but it just felt wrong. You lefties need to 'get it right '.
Chris

**flap** · November 26, 2005

I am lefty and will hit my wifes driver at the range and can hit it about 175 to 200 but some god awful hooks but it still ticks her off.I think it would be hard to try to hit long or medium irons oppisite handed.I agree that the short game would be allmost normal and I'm sure you could win some good cash from your buds.

**mediaguru** · November 26, 2005

Interesting question. I play the drums professionally and about 20 years ago I switched my kit around from right to left handed out of boredom. I've been playing both sides ever since and my skills on both sides are smokin'.

But I don't think that would work for me on the golf swing. I've spent X years to get to a 2 handi. I've had to hit left handed shots before and I feel like the most uncoordinated golfer ever when I try it.

Long story longer, I don't think I could break 100 if I played 5x/week for a month left handed...

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