Anyone ever switched...

[Chris Flamion]

Hands with which they play golf??

Last summer I struggled mightily with my  left shoulder subluxing at the top of my traditional right handed swing.  So much so that by the end of my final round at the Mashie last year I had shortened my swing by almost half.  I played a few more rounds throughout the season, but after even a short range session found that my shoulder was completely fried.  Moving forward I feel that as much as I enjoy golf the pain would likely get in the way more than it is worth, possible even causing issues at work.

So my question is, if you have changed sides, how did it go and did it stick?
If you haven't changed, how would you do it?

Chris

[David_Tepper]

I do everything, except play golf, left-handed. I have often wondered whether I made a mistake by not learning to play golf left-handed.

To overcome a debilitating case of the yips, I switched to a Bullseye putter and have been putting almost all of my putts within 4 or 5 feet of the hole left-handed. The good news is I am marginally better that way than putting them right-handed.

[Ronald Montesano]

I remember when Pat Mucci switched from using ... in his thread titles.

I played left-handed at Ohio University golf course one summer, for shits and giggles. I decided I wanted a different challenge. I then gave the game up for a few years as our family started to grow (I came to my senses.)

The toughest thing was timing and trusting the lag. Something I took for granted from the right side was quite challenging from the other. I did become a pretty decent putter on the left.

[John Chilver-Stainer]

Not exactly answering the question, but I know an Irish golf teaching Pro who plays off scratch right-handed and off a 9-Handicap left-handed.

I play tennis, table tennis, darts and snooker equally well or badly, left as right-handed – I’m a natural left hander brought up in a right hand environment. However I’ve never tried playing left handed golf – maybe I should try.

[Bill McKinley]

One of the members at my club was a 4 hdc right handed and switched to lefty beacuse he had a real bad left elbow.  Every time he'd take a divot or hit out of sand from the right side he would get a shooting pain.  So he switched to lefty and went pain free.  He started out improving at a rapid rate.  He shot 42 or something on the front nine at Canterbury during the 1st month of the switch.  But then he kind of hit a wall and regressed to about a 20 handicap from the left side.  He started to care and think more and that led to a lot of poor swings in a row.  The whole experiement lasted about a year or so, now he got the surgery on his elbow and is back to the right side.

[Jud_T]

Once when I was in Switzerland on business and just learning the game I took a lesson and they tried to convince me that as a left hand dominant player I was really better off playing righty.  Actually managed to hit some pretty decent iron shots, at least relatively speaking.  Many will tell you that the best way to learn the swing is to also learn to swing from the other side so as to fully understand the mechanics.  I'd say it's doable but not at all easy and you'll probably give up some distance.  But for a man with your athletic background and conditioning, you'll probably be giving me 2 a side in no time.  Besides all the great minds are lefties...

[Tony_Muldoon]

There's an Osteopath I have to visit form time to time.  He is insistent that I should alternate sides in warming  up and when at the range.  I've tried, but hitting a 6 iron 100 yards max, with an upside down club isn’t fun.  The one time I tried it on the course I messed up.

Echoing what’s been said, unless you're young supple and athletic, I think it would take a looong time to get proficient .

[Bob_Huntley]

Lyn Shackleford and David Moriarty may remember a game at Rustic Canyon a few years ago. My younger son Marc, a natural right-hander, asked Lyn if he could have a crack at his (left handed) driver. Permission was granted and the result was a a very long drive in the fairway.

He always has a left handed wedge in the bag to take of his wayward shots.

Bob

[George Pazin]

I play tennis, table tennis, darts and snooker equally well or badly, left as right-handed – I’m a natural left hander brought up in a right hand environment. However I’ve never tried playing left handed golf – maybe I should try.

Sounds like me. I feel sorry for you...

Too bad redanman doesn't post on here anymore. He has some experience with this. I think he considered switching due to back problems, but I don't think he ever got past the practice swing stage. Maybe he'll see this and email me.

My regular golf partner swears my swing looks better from the other side, but I think that's only because there's never a ball there. The ball speaks the truth.

A round with Bob H, Lyn S and Dave M - that's my idea of fun, from either side of the ball.

[Jason Topp]

I am also left handed but play golf right handed.  I recall a couple of frustrating seasons where I thought the game might be more fun if I switched sides and started over.  I never did it.

[David_Tepper]

"There's an Osteopath I have to visit form time to time.  He is insistent that I should alternate sides in warming  up and when at the range.  I've tried, but hitting a 6 iron 100 yards max, with an upside down club isn’t fun.  The one time I tried it on the course I messed up."

Tony M. -

Matt Williams used to have back problems when he was playing 3rd base for the San Francisco Giants. I remember reading that his physical therapist told him to take as many swings with a bat left-handed (not his natural side) as he did right-handed when he was taking batting practice.

I also seem to remember one of the Japanese players 10 or so years ago (Shingo Katayama, I think) warmed up hitting balls with a left-handed 5-wood to help loosen his back.

There is no doubt (in my mind at least!) that hitting a lot of golf balls swinging in one direction can create muscle imbalances that can lead to back & shoulder problems.

DT

   

[mike_beene]

Charles Barkley and he is much improved,which is not saying much. Mac Ogrady is the best with almost identical moves.

[Ken Moum]

A friend of my dad's did it back in the 70s.  He was a very good athlete, and had played baseball as a young man.  But playing well at golf eluded him.  He was a decent bogey golfer right handed, but never got any better than that, which didn't meet his standards.

He had batted left, so he figured he'd be better from the oter side of the ball.  He bought some lefthanded equipment and set about re-learning the game

He managed to get back to being a bogey golfer, but then ended up getting stuck there.

Then there was a weird period he played with lefthanded irons and righthanded woods (or vice-versa).  And he was still a bogey golfer.

Ken

[Tom ORourke]

A member at my old club switched to lefty to give himself "more of a challenge". Really. A bit of a headcase. But he ended up being almost as good lefty, so it can be done. Maybe you can be the next Titanic Thompson. 

[Giles Payne]

A friend of mine who was a very good left handed cricketer could play to about 13 left and right handed - the then decided to concentrate on right handed and got down to 4 or 5.

[Brent Hutto]

I first picked up a golf club at age 33 and it took me about a year to break 100 the first time. That was right-handed because I do everything else right-handed so it seemed natural.

Unfortunately, about that time I had a slight but persistent injury to my right big toe that ended up taking forever to heal. So I was unable to do a proper weight shift because I had to keep that toe up off the ground. I'd take a few weeks off from playing, think it was a little better but then, first time out, within 10-12 holes it would be too sore to walk on again.

So I switched to lefty to take the load off the sore toe and within about a year could break 100 again. Gradually got down to more or less bogey golf and that's where I sit a decade and half later. Can't say my lack of playing ability has anything to do with which direction I face, though.

[David_Tepper]

Remember, the two greatest all-time left-handed golfers are Bob Charles and Phil Mickelson, who do everything, except play golf, right-handed!

Bob Charles has said, "I stand on the right side of the ball and hit the ball with the right side of the clubhead. I far as I am concerned, I play golf right-handed."    

[Garland Bayley]

Remember, the two greatest all-time left-handed golfers are Bob Charles and Phil Mickelson, who do everything, except play golf, right-handed!

Bob Charles has said, "I stand on the right side of the ball and hit the ball with the right side of the clubhead. I far as I am concerned, I play golf right-handed."    

Then why did he name his book "Left-handed Golf"?

[David_Tepper]

Garland -

Maybe his publisher wanted him to!

From an interview with Sir Bob:

"WS: Do you think there’s an advantage for a right-handed person to turn things around and play left-handed golf?
BC: I think a lot depends on whether you’re left-eyed or right-eyed. You see, I don’t consider myself a left-handed golfer. I’m a back-hander. I prefer to use backhand, I play a double-handed backhand. I stand on the right side of the ball, I hit the ball on the right side of the clubface and I’m hitting to my right."

A link to the whole interview:

http://www.whifflingstraits.com/2010/11/visit-with-sir-bob-charles.html

DT

[Matt Day]

I'm pretty sure that David Graham was a left handed trainee pro who was told that if he ever wanted to win anything he needed to switch to right handed

[Jim Franklin]

I played baseball into college left-handed, but play golf right-handed. I did not want to ruin my baseball swing so that is why I play golf right-handed.

[Tim Martin]

When I first saw this topic I assumed it had to do with sexual preference and was surprised at the way the post count seemed to be racking up.

[Garland Bayley]

I played baseball into college left-handed, but play golf right-handed. I did not want to ruin my baseball swing so that is why I play golf right-handed.

I was in an highly unusual, for me, hitting slump in American Legion Baseball. Went out and played golf (same side hitter as baseball) and seemed to immediately get my eye back.

You can consider that statistical sample of one for what it's worth.

I have rented right-handed clubs and played that way when no left-handed clubs are available. I can't break 120 right-handed. Wait, maybe I can't even break 120 left-handed.

[Greg Thomsen]

Hi guys,

My younger brother was a very good left handed batsmen in cricket, but has always played golf right handed, probably because the first clubs he picked up were mine & my brothers righties.  Hits it very well, very long, probably plays to about 15. He uses a left hand low grip playing right handed. There is a guy Josh Broadaway who uses this grip successfully on the nationwide tour I think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTxp_Q3VNRQ

He has just got a set of left handed clubs and is starting the journey to become a leftie as he wants to improve further in the long run.
I went to the range with him yesterday, his basics look ok, I reckon he has got a solid 12 months of frustrating practice ahead of him though.

Cheers,

Greg

[archie_struthers]

 

I used to be able to play pretty good left handed, having batted lefty in baseball, now it seems likely breaking 80 right handed may be hard at some point lol!   

Mac O'Grady was rumored to be a plus five righty and better than scratch lefty!   Wow!   He is one of a kind.

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