Any natural lefties play with right-handed clubs from habit?

[TheSnapHooker]

I am left-handed, but when I first started playing golf I had access only to right-handed clubs so I used those. After a while I got decent with them (down to a 14) so I never bought a lefty set.

When I played with a lefty mate I would sometimes have a whack with one of his clubs, and I could hit it further than my righties, though not nearly as straight. I was unable to chip with them but I could putt with a lefty putter.

Occasionally after a particularly bad round with my righties I would vow to pick up a cheap used set of lefties, go down the range and become a decent lefty, but I never did.

I just bought a beautiful used set of RH irons (see sig) to get back into golf with, so I guess I wont be changing my dexterity anytime soon.

Any other natural lefties out there facing the wrong way over the ball!?

[Eore]

my dad is just the opposite. when he was a kid he couldn't afford clubs, so he learnt with his friends lefty set. he now carrys a lefty nine iron (a TM, I believe) cuz he pulls the crap out of the ball and would otherwise be standing in a pond if he hit rights.

[Sandwedge74]

hi
i am a natural lefty that hits right handed. I learned from my dad who also hits righty but is a lefty. I think there advantadges to both - i dont give it much thought but good luck!

[Eore]

i think that all three lefties to win the masters (not including phil) have all been actual righties-read that in a golf book

[nykfan4life]

this is kind of cool to hear about. People who have done this, have you found that switching to lefty works better for you.

[Habersham Golf]

Ah...such a shame. You should join us natural lefty's on the right side of the ball. The grass is greener over here.

[TheSnapHooker]

Interesting replies guys!

I am going back to New Zealand for a holiday next month, will be playing for the GolfTreeKillers championship with my mates (very important and prestigious tournament) so I will stick to righties till after that - then I will have a serious attempt at switching.

I will let you guys know how the transition goes - should be fun/frustrating! It will be cool to hit a bit longer for sure!

Habersham Golf - I may be joining you on the right(left?) side of the ball before too long

[Ruari]

I'm right-handed but play left-handed. Just the way I like to hold something with two hands and the way I see the ball, whether it's cricket, baseball or tennis (I have a two-handed backhand).

[JaY_B]

I write left handed etc, but play golf right handed, I play to about 20 ish if i play golf left handed

[Borf]

I am a lefty, but I can hit righty clubs, As a lefty I am a 2 handicap

I think I can hit the driver the same distance

I have never played 18 holes righty, but I would be able to break 90 easily

maybe ill try it out this season!

[Klew]

that is impressive. My mother in law is a lefty but plays golf righty.

[DougM]

Yep, totally left handed but play right handed... only clubs available as a kid...

[x-forged]

  Habersham Golf said:

Ah...such a shame. You should join us natural lefty's on the right side of the ball. The grass is greener over here.

its nice being lefty, isn't it? they have no idea what its like to go into a golf store and have to dig to find the poor collection of clubs for us southpaws

. yes, im a hater

[Habersham Golf]

  x-forged said:

its nice being lefty, isn't it? they have no idea what its like to go into a golf store and have to dig to find the poor collection of clubs for us southpaws

Even the PGA Superstore has MAYBE 1/4 the selection compared to righty's. It's not so big over in the lefty's section.

[leftythenext?]

i played righty when i first started. then my parents got me a set of used lefties from a garage sale. took 10 strokes off my game immediately (for 9 holes) i still mess around with my brothers' clubs every now and then but it doesn't feel as "natural" as it used to at all...

[Serenity Now]

I am a natural lefty who learned to play right handed due to lack of left handed clubs. I did however always putt left handed. I was never very good- could break 100 if all the stars aligned and was very short off the tee. About 14 years ago a moved into a neighborhood where there were lots of golfers so I began to play. One of the regulars was left handed and could hit it a mile. I began playing with him a lot. Finally after another frustrating round where he was 100 yards past me I said "let me try that driver". I swung hard it went way left and I made the comment that maybe I would switch. His brutal honest comment of "Well, you might as well because you are never going to be any good right handed" was an epiphany. The next day, I took my right handed clubs over to a used sporting goods store and traded them on an old set of Powerbuilt Citations that were lefthanded. The next day I was playing with my brother in law (right handed) and I told him on the first tee "No matter how hard I beg, do not let me touch one of your clubs". I played 18 holes and sprayed the ball all over the place but IT FELT RIGHT!. It took me 3 months to break 100, another 6 months to break 90 and 12 years later I am a 7 handicap and now my buddy only hits it 30 yards past me.

If you are getting back into it, I would strongly suggest ditching the righty's and get a set of left handed clubs. All my buddy's who are natural left handers but play righty for the reasons you and I mentioned, all wish they had the courage to have made the switch. It is so much more enjoyable.

I laugh now at all the people who told me that I was much better off playing right handed because my dominant hand would lull the ball thru-yada yada. THEY WERE ALL RIGHT HANDED!

Go Lefty...you'll be glad you did

[Terrier]

Your question "any natural lefties play with right-handed clubs from habit"?

I understand what you meant, but by your wording I could pose the same question vicey-versa.

When I was a kid, they tried to tell me and my father that I'd be much better off if I converted to righty then and now due to the availability of better equipment and "the stronger left hand philosophy" that was the BS-teaching rule during those days (which another poster touched upon).

So why weren't all the righties learning the game lefty back then -- and now --a la Mickelson mirroring his father?

Because it feels like shooting pool or a gun with the wrong hand??? Duh.

Back in the "olden days", teachers and nuns used to beat your left hand if you tried to write or use your left hand dominately. It was considered the sign of the devil. And ink pens didn't work for lefties back in the day for that same reason.

Lefties in the world of golf have come far since even...say...30 years ago. Better equipment options, better/more players...et al.

Righties reading this right now -- think about it: if they tried to insist that you play lefty due to equipment options and said you will enjoy -- really enjoy the game -- from the other side -- and had to -- would YOU play lefty?

[Serenity Now]

My grandfather was born in 1905 and when I was complaining about how hard it was to write on the desks in grade school he explained that when he was a little boy, they literally tied his left arm behind his back to force him to learn to write right handed. As he got older even though he could write better with his right hand, he wrote left handed poorly just "just to spite them sonsabeeches"

We have come a long way from our early days of discrimination. I wonder though, were it not for Phil & Mike winning the Master's, would we still have trouble getting quality LH equipment?

I personally think Mickleson's mirror image is more about the fact that he batted left handed in baseball so it felt more natural ala the Canadian hockey player thing creating a higher percentage of lefties up there than down in the states