Swinging both ways

[Sante TwoGloves]

I have played from both sides of the ball in the past with decent results. This year for the first time I am trying a mixed bag. I am still putting my set together. I haven't played in ten years. I was curious if anyone here has played this way and what advice you have as far as which clubs to carry, course strategy, etc. What would you carry? Two drivers, left and right? I remember reading online one player who had left handed odd number irons and right handed even number irons. That might be a bit much for me. I play those ugly looking Cleveland Vas irons right handed and love them. I WAS looking for leftys on eBay the other day though lol

[saevel25]

I have played from both sides of the ball in the past with decent results. This year for the first time I am trying a mixed bag. I am still putting my set together. I haven't played in ten years. I was curious if anyone here has played this way and what advice you have as far as which clubs to carry, course strategy, etc. What would you carry? Two drivers, left and right? I remember reading online one player who had left handed odd number irons and right handed even number irons. That might be a bit much for me. I play those ugly looking Cleveland Vas irons right handed and love them. I WAS looking for leftys on eBay the other day though lol

Guy I golf with hits everything right handed and putts left handed.

As for golf set make up, I would stick to playing one way or another. To quote from this book, http://lowestscorewins.com/

"Golf is hard"

It is tough enough to try to play good hitting one way. Why would you want to complicate things by playing two ways?

I see no significant benefit from trying to play left and right handed during the same round.

[joekelly]

Well, putting is not exactly like the driver and 6iron shots.  All sorts of putting variations are seem each Sunday on the TV as the pros use the claw. the left hand low, the belly putter, the broomstick...you name it.  I used the left hand putting style for years coz the stance relieved the  back pain i got practicing right handed.  Worked ok.

Would say now that no inherent merit in left over right.  Might depend on dominant eye.  Left hand putters can be found very cheap in 2nd hand shops.

[turtleback]

Oh

It's not about . . .

Never mind.

[iacas]

You probably won't find many others who do this.

I would ask you this: why?

Golf is hard enough as it is. If you find interest and fun in playing this way, cool. Carry on.

I do know of a few guys who will play from both sides, and have two sets of clubs. But most often they'll play the round basically entirely righty or entirely lefty. Maybe they putt the same way all the time or something.

Switching depending on the shot just seems a bit odd, and too much.

[Golfingdad]

Any decent golfer could probably play with 12 or so clubs instead of 14 and still be nearly equally decent, so for that reason (and one other I'll highlight below) I could see virtue in replacing a couple of clubs with off-handed clubs, but no more than that.

In just the last year or so, I have been stymied by a tree 3 times where I felt like my best option was flip over a 9 iron and hit it left handed, and there have been several other occasions where I've had a super awkward stance with my ball above the right side of a bunker and my forced to stand in it and swing horizontal, or my ball in the bunker and me above it where I'm almost on one knee.

No doubt that in the long run, if I had an option to hit all of those shots left handed, I'd have been better off.

Now, if I was to alter my set to 12 clubs, I'd probably dump the 50* wedge, and replace the 54 with a 52, and then just lose the 4 iron. (I can tee off on the short par 4's with a hybrid or 5-iron just as well).

If I was ambidextrous, then I'd simply add back in a lefty wedge for those stymies and greenside shots near the wrong edges of bunkers and a mid/long-ish iron for recovery shots from the trees where my righty swing is interfered with, or my stance is awkward.

[Sante TwoGloves]

Why? last year I injured my left shoulder and still had some pain and loss of motion when I decide to pick up the game again. Until just recently I was hitting the long clubs much better left handed so that is when I decided to go left with my driver and woods. Loaded up my bag with some old Adamsgolf redline clubs and have been reaching distances I only dreamed of before. All of the swinging and some yoga has gotten my left shoulder almost back to normal. now I am thinking of adding a right handed driver and wood or two so depending on the hole and lie I would have some advantage. I don't really work the ball much so I thought I could change sides depending which way I want my slight fade to go. I guess I could just pick one side and work on shaping my shots better. My wedges are left too just because I got a good deal on them. :) I'm having fun with it so I guess that is most important.

[Sante TwoGloves]

Here is a coincidence. Just picked up an old Golf Digest Sept 2014 in a waiting room I'm in and there is an article explaining why it is a good idea to practice the opposite way. Swinging left can improve a right hander's follow through says Sean Foley who teaches at Orange County National. It helps improve balance, and coordination and better results in getting your body to do what your brain tells it. As a bonus training this way improves muscular balance and helps avoid the common overuse injuries from hitting a lot of balls in one direction-particularly lower back issues. The article recommends at least half as many practice swings in the opposite direction as your regular. PGA tour player Shingo Katayama of Japan used to practice that way it says.

[dchoye]

I swing righty and stroke putts lefty. I played with a dozen guys who play exactly like that. Also played with two guys the exact opposite. Swing left and putts right

[Sante TwoGloves]

well after tinkering with my bag all season I finally have settled in. Going all lefty with only one offhanded club, a 4 iron for under trees, for crazy lies in the fairway, and off the tee should my driver and 3 wood start failing me. :)

[dchoye]

Wtg I settled into lefty putter and 3 lefty wedges and playing rest of my clubs righty

[newtogolf]

A buddy of mine uses a Titleist Bullseye putter, he putts left handed on long putts >10 feet and right handed on shorter putts.

[Sante TwoGloves]

Wtg I settled into lefty putter and 3 lefty wedges and playing rest of my clubs righty

I tried that for a few rounds Only the other way then read here that right eye dominant people might benefit putting left-handed so I switched. Picked up a mb ping zing putter and I don't know if the switch is making the difference or the putter itself but I'm a stud now on the practice green. Trying out my new approach tomorrow and on very fast greens. we'll see. I don't think I will go back to right though no matter what. Just seems more natural now. Being ambidexious can be confusing sometimes.:-)