Any theories as to why there are virtually no left-handed female pro golfers?

[Golf Dino]

14 hours ago, Rustbelt said:

When I was growing up in Seoul many years ago, I did not take up golf due to not having lefthanded golf equipment then.  I was the only left handed baseball batter in my league although I used right handers glove since there was no left handed glove.  I learned to pitch right handed.  Pretty much everything I did things right handed though because there are so many things that are subtly designed for right handers.  It may be simple as that.  There just are not too many left handed equipment available.  

 

In hindsight, looking back now, do you think you would have enjoyed golf or baseball more if you could have played lefthanded?  OR do you see a benefit to having developed muscle and brain coordination with your "weaker" side?

 

I ask, because modern training and kinesiology research tells us that by practicing and developing both sides of your body is important in how our body moves more effectively in the golf swing.

 

 

[fredogolfer]

I write left handed, play tennis left handed, kick with my left but use scissors with my right hand, pitch with right and golf with my right. I am not a pure lefty probably more mixed handed but aside from attempting to write with my right hand, playing golf left handed is one of the most awkward directional things to do. 

[Golf Dino]

1 hour ago, fredogolfer said:

I write left handed, play tennis left handed, kick with my left but use scissors with my right hand, pitch with right and golf with my right. I am not a pure lefty probably more mixed handed but aside from attempting to write with my right hand, playing golf left handed is one of the most awkward directional things to do. 

 

Fred, I suspect that you are not alone in how you tackled things!  I have come to meet a fair number of people who are in a similar situation.  I might be the only one on here, but I think it would be interesting if this type of issue was explored further from a kinesiology and sociological perspective.   

[fredogolfer]

On 11/20/2020 at 12:13 AM, Golf Dino said:

 

Fred, I suspect that you are not alone in how you tackled things!  I have come to meet a fair number of people who are in a similar situation.  I might be the only one on here, but I think it would be interesting if this type of issue was explored further from a kinesiology and sociological perspective.   

I think so as well!

[Rustbelt]

On 11/19/2020 at 9:05 PM, Golf Dino said:

 

In hindsight, looking back now, do you think you would have enjoyed golf or baseball more if you could have played lefthanded?  OR do you see a benefit to having developed muscle and brain coordination with your "weaker" side?

 

I ask, because modern training and kinesiology research tells us that by practicing and developing both sides of your body is important in how our body moves more effectively in the golf swing.

 

 

 

I am not sure if I would have enjoyed baseball more.  Baseball wise, I always hit left handed.  My bat control is really poor batting right handed.  For some reason, I believe I had more power that side, however.  One interesting thing is that I learned to hit to left field much more since there were times when pulling the ball to right was not allowed when there are not enough kids playing.  

 

As for golf, my club control is so much better lefthanded.  I am not sure if I would enjoy golf if I have hard time hitting the ball correctly.  Pretty sure I would have gotten really frustrated.  In fact, there were people discouraged me to play golf when they found out I preferred hitting lefthanded when I was young.

 

Interesting question.

[Golf Dino]

15 hours ago, Rustbelt said:

 

I am not sure if I would have enjoyed baseball more.  Baseball wise, I always hit left handed.  My bat control is really poor batting right handed.  For some reason, I believe I had more power that side, however.  One interesting thing is that I learned to hit to left field much more since there were times when pulling the ball to right was not allowed when there are not enough kids playing.  

 

As for golf, my club control is so much better lefthanded.  I am not sure if I would enjoy golf if I have hard time hitting the ball correctly.  Pretty sure I would have gotten really frustrated.  In fact, there were people discouraged me to play golf when they found out I preferred hitting lefthanded when I was young.

 

Interesting question.

 

 

That's definitely not a cool thing to do.  It's the antithesis to "Grow the Game" ... but, unfortunately, there seems to be plenty of that still going around.  Glad you still got into golf though!

[Tailgater]

My son is a lefty and it was really hard finding him lefthanded equipment when he was under 10. Most kids that pick up golf do so because their dads play golf. So if the dad is a righty I bet the kid is more likely to play as a righty too. 

There is a female golf influencer on Instagram that’s a lefty. Her name is Kaira Martin (UVA).  She’s with PXG. 

[Oh Hi Carl]

What are the theories on why so few women pros play blades?  Many of them have the speed to play them. 

[ThinkingPlus]

3 hours ago, Sonja Henie said:

What are the theories on why so few women pros play blades?  Many of them have the speed to play them. 

The women are smarter than the guys. 😉

[Baitkiller]

My daughter plays left. Getting her fit for players clubs at 15 came down to spending a couple K on a new order set or finding fresh heads and having them built. Her whole bag is built head up. It's my fault though, I could have started her right and handed down her brother's outgrown sets. I built all these great junior sets and pretty much give them away for pennies on the dollar. 

[Gsea]

30 minutes ago, ThinkingPlus said:

The women are smarter than the guys. 😉

 

[Hawkeye77]

1 hour ago, ThinkingPlus said:

The women are smarter than the guys. 😉

No way I’m disagreeing with that in writing!

[ThinkingPlus]

1 minute ago, Hawkeye77 said:

No way I’m disagreeing with that in writing!

Very prudent. 

[dlygrisse]

Ive never thought about this before, I’ve been playing golf since the mid ‘80’s and I can’t recall ever seeing a female play left handed in person. Interesting.  🤔🤔🤔🤔

[Mike_Honcho]

it's because the tours turn them into righties....

[Ferguson]

They're out there.  Along with left-handed bowlers and one-legged ballerinas. 

 

Just need to ask the right people and look in the right places. 

Roth won't go there but Johnny knows all the places.

 

 

 

 

[Golf Dino]

5 hours ago, Ferguson said:

They're out there.  Along with left-handed bowlers and one-legged ballerinas. 

 

Just need to ask the right people and look in the right places. 

Roth won't go there but Johnny knows all the places.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah, but making a statement like that get's you killed.

[TerpFangolfer]

Interesting thread...I was just talking about this very subject last week with my niece (lefty). She wants to take up golf and I didn't even know what she would be able to find in terms of equipment. 

My daughter is also a lefty, I exposed her to golf 15 years ago when she was 7-8. Tried to get her to play righty...but she never took to the game. I don't believe it was because of the left/right issue. She later tried lacrosse,  but stopped also. She said "I hate outdoor sports". We have a super funny video of her playing lax...and frantically swatting at some insect on the field WHILE PLAY WAS GOING ON! Lol...she then switched to volleyball and was a decent player (7th man - defensive/ serving specialist on her State Championship team as a Sr.)

 

I'll just add the one lefty I recall from "back in the day"(but not that long ago) was Leta Lindley.

 

 

[MaineMariner]

The hockey player to golf connection for lefties is really interesting. I played hockey all my life and was one of maybe 3 or 4 guys on my high school team that shot right handed. I have no idea why so many hockey players end up shooting lefty. I don't really buy the strategic advantage argument, at least not directly. Higher level hockey players tend to start the sport very young (you can tell "natural" skaters versus the ones who learned later in life). The choice of handedness is made when you're like 3-5 years old.

 

What's odd is that several of the hockey lefties I grew up playing with are golf righties. I'm guessing this was probably due to equipment availability. You don't have too many equipment options when you're renting clubs at the driving range or buying used clubs.

[new2g0lf]

Despite being a lefty, I learned how to bowl righty because I couldn't afford a new bowling ball and was forced to use my dads (most bowling balls in bowling alleys are drilled righty as well).  I'm guessing that's likely the reason for lack of lefty female golfers, you learn with the equipment you have and once you're good enough to buy a new set, you don't want to switch hands and learn all over.  

[randywildman]

OK, I'm 48 years old male, started golf in the early 80's. I'm left handed my first two adults sets were a patty berg signature set of blades. Now I know what your thinking already, Patty Berg is not a long hitting left handed Irish lad. She is neither a guy or left handed. shocker to me, because before the internet, I would have maybe found a picture of her in golf digest or have to look in the almanac and even then nothing but a picture would have told me she was right handed.  They were nice blades but quite old and heavy. My second signature set was former golf comedian Fuzzy Zoeller, who knew he was a masters winner left handed and had the style to pull off sunglass croakies 30 years after they went out of style.  Fuzzy lost his mojo one fine Augusta day tell an on course joke off it and never recovered. His clubs played played a lot like him they were fine for maybe one great round or tournament a year but were pretty average otherwise.

 

So if that is what guys have had to deal with lefty women had two choices growing up Ping custom, taylormade one set and wilson one set.

 

left handed women and men who grew up before1950 and went to certain schools were beaten with rulers when they used their left hand to write. (both my grandparents)

 

The kind of women who played golf left handed when I was growing up were all like my grandmother. They were white very well off, had country club memberships and didn't care how expensive clubs were they just charged them and ordered. 

 

Finally I have found lefthandedness to be a minority of a minority or a minority on the golf course.  Most left handed people can do things right handed, some can do a little, some can do a lot. Very few are all left handed and knew it from birth. I am all left handed, My daughter is all left handed, she dis likes golf but will push my bag around for fun.  If Lefty women are capable of the switch, I bet plenty switch and play from the other side. Most are not beholden to the left handed swing. Which is another reason you won't see very many of them.

[Callilady7]

I am left handed, and a woman so have double whammy when looking for equipment.  I started with Patty Bergs, used, steel shaft in my 30's, moved into mens senior graphite Cobras in my late 30's, used, the vibration was bad for me.  Then into a close out no name, new, with hybrids in my 40's, entire set.  Then started looking at game improvement clubs in my 60's.

 I went to as many of the Manufacturers Trial Days I could go to as vendors in my area had little to no clubs, or sets better than what I had in left hand.  

After a year or searching, I started with Callaway XR OS ladies irons with granite shaft and the Big Bertha driver and woods.  Big game improvement for me.  I upgraded to the Rogue diver and woods and hybrids this last year, more improvement.  

But, I had to keep going to Trial Days to find the upgrades for my game as vendors where lacking.  I am still going to trial days of all brands in case I find  better performing clubs as I am now in my late 60's.

 I guess I am going to suggest that Lefties go to the Manufacture Trial Days every chance they get, when they decide to change, get fitted, and find a teacher that can help you improve your game as you need to.  

Best money spent was on taking lessons then getting fit when I moved into better game improving equipment.  

It has been a journey and I got discouraged a lot, but the love for the game had bit me and I stuck with it.  

[nikegal]

Hi guys and gals. There are some great responses and Jeff brought up a super point regarding Canada, hockey and lefties. I have had 9 natural l lefty female l students in my 25+ years as a teacher, 7 of them being children with 5 of their fathers getting them right handed clubs and having them learn the game from the right side. One of those 5 was the daughter of former Canadian NHLer, Mark Recci, who ironically was an off-handed HoF left winger(right handed shot playing the "off" wing). Actually it was Mark's then wife and good friend Alexa who had pushed for their daughter to play the game from the right side, as it was an equipment concern for her(their daughter also throws RH and plays lacrosse, shooting from the right side). Also, in discussions, Mark's opinion on the "Canadian lefty phenomena" mirrored Jeff's thoughts. The other parents also had spoken to equipment issues as at least one parent played the game and had old RH clubs that they eventually cut down, but one father did say a few times that he did not want his daughter to "stand out" in that manner and be "different" from the other kids as a lefty. Take care 🙂 Madison
 

 

 

Edited February 28, 2021 by nikegal

[miamistomp]

On 12/1/2020 at 9:36 PM, dlygrisse said:

Ive never thought about this before, I’ve been playing golf since the mid ‘80’s and I can’t recall ever seeing a female play left handed in person. Interesting.  🤔🤔🤔🤔

 Come to Florida when the snow birds are here- Canadians seem to be half lefty

Edited February 27, 2021 by miamistomp

[cardoustie]

Being left handed and golfing righty is a big advantage .. Johnny Miller and Curtis Strange are good examples 

 

Being left handed does not mean golfing left side

 

Phil is right handed and golfs left

 

Canada .. so many lefties as half the hockey players shoot left side.  When I started golf I wanted to hit left side as that was my “hockey side”

[nikegal]

1 hour ago, cardoustie said:

Being left handed and golfing righty is a big advantage .. Johnny Miller and Curtis Strange are good examples 

 

Being left handed does not mean golfing left side

 

Phil is right handed and golfs left

 

Canada .. so many lefties as half the hockey players shoot left side.  When I started golf I wanted to hit left side as that was my “hockey side”

Hi Cards! Let's not forget Greg Norman from the lefty->righty camp, haha. Great point on the advantages of a lefty swinging/playing righty, and it was funny cuz Mark initially was dead set on their daughter playing from the right side till I spoke to him regarding the advantages if she decided to pursue the game seriously. It's funny because the PC camp even entered the golf instructional cadre as this very topic of how should a teacher/pro approach a left handed child if their parents asked for her guidance(this was an LPGA seminar). I have always taken the position that my teacher and mentor, Pete Snead, took, and that was to present both sides of an issue and based on that child's particular set of circumstances, allow the parents to make the decision, because if for whatever reason the outcome is not what either the parents or child had wanted, they could not lay the blame at my feet as THEY made the decision, THEY owned that decision(this is where a lot of younger parents still have a problem even after I pointed out that THEY made the desicion, hahaha) and if it did not work out as they had hoped, that was on them, as actually only one set of parents even took the child's wishes into consideration, and she would go onto play D3 collegiate golf as a righty. 
 

Getting back to the seminar lecture, the opinion was split regarding changing the child from lefty to righty as a group of pros, mostly younger in their 20's-early 30's, stated that this would 'unfairly' mark the child as being different from their peers, and to 'convert' them just to make them 'equal,' could potentially 'scar' them mentally/psychologically for life. I kid you not!! Even after citing the names of the tour pros who had done this very thing, along with addressing the biomechanical and physiological advantages to the switch, there still was a contingent of pros that thought that it unfairly singled out the child. When I was asked basically this very question by one of the little girls, I told her that indeed she was 'different,' and more importantly, she was 'special,' because she had a trait that could potentially give her a substantial advantage over all of her right handed friends, and one that could potentially elevate her game beyond theirs. She was one of my 2 students that stayed/played lefty though she switched to righty at age 13yo, and she is now a sophomore and #2 Player on her southern D1 collegiate team. Take care Cards😊 Maddie

Edited February 27, 2021 by nikegal

[Forged4ever]

This doesn't have much to do with lefty girls/Ladies, however since a few mentioned some lefty Tour Boys that played from the right side and I can't believe that Cards & Maddie didn't mention this cuz I know that she knows at least one of em are natural southpaws, and I'm speaking of Mr. Palmer and Ben Hogan, lol. Natural lefties both👌🏼

 

Excellent thread and some superb responses!!

 

Stay Well My Friends,

RP

 

 

[Bad9]

20 hours ago, cardoustie said:

Being left handed and golfing righty is a big advantage .. Johnny Miller and Curtis Strange are good examples 

 

Being left handed does not mean golfing left side

 

Phil is right handed and golfs left

 

Canada .. so many lefties as half the hockey players shoot left side.  When I started golf I wanted to hit left side as that was my “hockey side”

I's say closer to 3/4's shoot left side. I was an oddball, right handed, shoot right and when I got thrown in net blocker was on the left hand, glove on the right

[cardoustie]

Just looked up an article ... 60 percent left in NHL and Canada

 

60 percent right USA

[nsxguy]

Not sure if it was mentioned earlier but I can't concentrate on/read through long, run on paragraphs.

 

But has anybody (or everybody ) mentioned that hockey, being ubiquitous in Canada, need lefties and righties EQUALLY on the wings ?

 

And hockey is about the ONLY sport where lefty/righty really matters (roughly) equally, no ?

 

So it only makes sense that growing up, kids would (pretty much) equally learn/be encouraged to be lefty.