any right hand golfers put left handed?

[tgleex]

I was experimenting today and am thinking about putting left handed right-hand low. While messing around today, I found that I see my putting line more clearly and have a better stroke. One problem however, I have no distance control, but I am thinking that is due to this being new. I am am an above average golfer (handi 2.8) but always struggled with putting - average 32 - 35 putts a round. Just looking to shave a couple strokes.

 

Has anyone else tried this, and if so, can you share your opinions.

 

Thanks

[Fore_Man]

played with an aquaintence that was lefty golfer, righty putter. He couldn't explain why, but said he was better that way.

 

it's kind of like right handed people who play hockey left handed, isn't it?

[Canuck]

Up here in the Great White North, we have more lefty putters per capita than any where else. Why? Because we all play hockey first. Most righties shoot left in hockey.

 

Consequently a number of us righties who don't play left will still putt left. Mainly because the putting stroke is the most similar to hockey. So I play right but putt left. Just feels right. I also switch hit in baseball so maybe I'm wired that way.

 

A few years ago I was paired up with three other guys who did the same. Weird!

 

Dr. Farnsworth the famous putting guru insists we see the line with our dominant eye. Maybe that's what's happening in your case.

 

32-35 putts and a 2.8 index. WOW! You should be able to cut 3-5 stokes off by just improving your putting. Do you three putt alot?

 

Any ways, hope this new set up gets you to scratch or lower. GOOD LUCK!

[Canuck]

Oh yeah, I also went right hand low last year. Found on really long lag putts had to switch to standard left hand low to get more "speed".

[franklin--J--franklin]

I am a lefty and play right handed. I also putt righty. I am a horrible putter, I went through a slump and decided to give lefty a try, Wow it was weird at first, distance control, right to lefters used to be easy to putt now they are hard. However I could see the line better, my posture was better, grip and stroke was better. I unfortunatly did not stick with it and practice like I should have. I will tell you this for the short time i messed with it, it made me appreciate my right handed stroke though not that good, i gained confidence and gave me a nice break and a different look for a while. you don't appreciate things like you should till they are gone. nothing wrong with switching it up every now and again

[BEND OF THE RIVER GC]

I am right handed, but can putt right or left although I prefer right better. When I played hockey, I always shot/played left handed, never right...

[tgleex]

Up here in the Great White North, we have more lefty putters per capita than any where else. Why? Because we all play hockey first. Most righties shoot left in hockey.

 

Consequently a number of us righties who don't play left will still putt left. Mainly because the putting stroke is the most similar to hockey. So I play right but putt left. Just feels right. I also switch hit in baseball so maybe I'm wired that way.

 

A few years ago I was paired up with three other guys who did the same. Weird!

 

Dr. Farnsworth the famous putting guru insists we see the line with our dominant eye. Maybe that's what's happening in your case.

 

32-35 putts and a 2.8 index. WOW! You should be able to cut 3-5 stokes off by just improving your putting. Do you three putt alot?

 

Any ways, hope this new set up gets you to scratch or lower. GOOD LUCK!

 

thats awesome to hear, i thought i was nutz. I also thought it might be something to do with my being a natural lefty but forced to do everything right handed all my life. Regardless, I think I am going to stick with this for a while, it is a little strange but if it helps me drop some strokes ima game.

 

as far as my current putting situation, Its not that I three put that often, but I dont make the putts I should, and am always leaving myself long combackers. Hopefully this works.

[StugyGolf]

I grew up playing hockey lefty, but then play golf righty. My dad golfs lefty and I can take his clubs and poke the ball relatively straight, but without distance control at all, more like a slap shot really. And can putt lefty really well whenever I pickup his putter.

 

I know a bunch of friends who putt lefty with a righty grip (right hand low lefty putting) and do fine with it, i use my dads putter whenever Im in a slump just to shake it up a bit and get my mind out of whatever it's in and it helps a lot. Like 2-3 rounds putting lefty and then i've cleared my head out.

[fortworthnative]

I'm right handed and I line up perfectly when putting left. Whereas, my right side gives me the wrong perspective -This is the primary reason I use a left handed putter.

 

Also, they say putting is about confidence and if putting on the left side makes you feel more comfortable then confidence will follow. In addition to the "comfort factor", you probably need to have a more scientific reason to make the switch. Experiment what side is best by putting on both your right and left sides. Make a note of which side gives you the correct perspective by using a training aid. In my case, when I putt on my right, my perspective is skewed right although my mind is telling me I am "inline" I am actually pointing a few degrees off. What it is is an optical illusion from not using my dominant eye. Its like aiming a rifle, one eye will be correct while the other will not. So test yourself thoroughly before making any permanent changes.

[jaskanski]

Slightly off topic - but is Notah Begay still doing that right/left putting thing?

[SetTheBarrHigh]

Kind of bumping an old topic. I'm going to be going through an experiement where I putt left handed, but I'm primarly right handed and play golf that way.

 

A little background: Due to a medical condition, I only have peripheral vision in my right eye. This causes my left eye to be my dominant eye and the one I use primarily throughout my life. My eyesight is also very poor in general, -13 contacts in both eyes. This has always caused me to have a little trouble aiming the putter where I intend for it to be. I've had putter fittings and it's not anything overly so, but it does make things a little more difficult.

 

Last week I was messing around with my left-handed friends putter and it felt really nice. My stroke wasn't better, speed wasn't vastly different. However, I did notice that I did get to use the peripheral vision that I do have in my right eye, as well as my dominant eye as well when aligning to my intended target. In short, I've never felt like I've gotten to use two eyes before when aiming. I felt very much more reactive to the putt, rather than being so mechanical and having to pick a spot in the green and create a stroke to that point in order to aim properly.

 

I picked up a used Ping G5i Anser in a left-handed version and had my first round yesterday. My lag putting and speed control will take some getting used to, but I was very pleased with the way I putted. Especially from 10 feet and in. I guess I was just wondering if anyone else uses this method and the reason you went to it.

[WayRight]

I have 20/15 in my right eye, and 20/60 in my left eye.

 

I might give this a try as well.

Just goofing around, I'll regularly putt left handed with the back of my putter and am always surprised by the result. A lot of that is because there's no pressure/expectations...but, now I wonder if I see the line better.

I'm guessing it's something I try for a week or two and give up on...but, why not try it out?

[spineshank]

I golf right. Putt left. But i am left handed too.

[wannabepar]

I'm right handed, play right handed and tried out putting left handed for the first time this past Saturday. The only reason I tried it is because I found an old left handed Ping Anser at our local SPCA resale store for like $2 and had to have it. Figured I would putt with it a few times Saturday and was very pleasantly surprised at how well I actually putted with it. Distance control was a little off to begin with, but I could see the line really well. It's definitely something I'm going to keep working on.

 

 

By the way, thanks for enabling the putter ho in me. At the time I bought the Ping, I also bought 4 Achushnet Bullseyes, a Slotline Inertial Onset, a Spalding TPM VII, an Action putter that looks somewhat like the precursor to the Cleveland 2135, plus 2 older pull carts. It looks like all the putters have original grips on them, including three leather grips in great condition. I got everything listed for a total of $20........lol

[Dan42nepa]

I toyed with the idea of using a bullseye and long putts right, short putts left handed. When I was young my older brother forced me to alternate right and LH when batting and I could hit very well. I could see putting well for short putts at least LH. Not sure my feel would be as good on longer putts.

[LHGolf4]

I am right handed, but have always played golf left handed. I have never been a great putter and even tried putting right handed for a short period of time since my dad plays right handed and had putters to try. That did not help so I have been all lefty for 20+ years. The only bad thing about these left handed experiments is that you are limiting your equipment choices :tongue:

[Tex1986]

I play golf right and putt right. I've tried left handed with a right hand low and put the ball on target but had no feel. It felt very mechanical.

 

I grew up playing hockey as a goalie shooting left handed given that my catching glove was on my left hand. Could launch hard passes and fire it high off the glass.

 

Playing forward in beer leagues these days I'm shooting right handed matching my golf stroke.

[dogleg0425]

Played many rounds with gentleman ( now deceased ) who drove and putted left handed but played all iron shots right handed! Go figure that one out ?! He was not an ex hockey guy. He reported switch hitting in baseball when younger but not determined by pitcher; rather, left for power and right for average.

[harolease]

Im Candian and play with many hockey players who are lefties at our club. Im also a lefty putter and righty full swing.

Tried all sorts of putting style and find the right hand low/left hand high- cross handed from the left side suits me best

[Lord Helmet]

I play lefty - putt righty. Switch hit in baseball. Left power, right average. Hockey right hand, shoot right hand gun, can write with both (better left than right). Im left eye dominant.

[DirtShark]

I'm right hand but putt left hand low. like how a lefty would hold his putter grip. I find it keeps me hitting the ball dead center on every putt and no breaking the wrist or pulling it left. took bout a week to get used of holding my hands like that but now when I go back to regular grip for putting I feel all weird and always catching the ground on putts. left hand low has helped me drop my cores lot lower then they were the week before I switched. long putts it has helped me out so much on ball speed. once you figure it out and get used to it. it's hard to go back. plus putting right handed I feel like I'm holding a hockey stick like Happy Gilmore

[philsRHman]

I'm left handed in real life (writing, throwing a ball), but learned to swing a wiffle ball bat righty, and batted RH in baseball. When I took up golf as a teen, that was the most natural swing. I had a bulls-eye putter that could putt either way and found that putting LH, with my RH grip (right hand low) gave me tons more fell, pace, direction, etc. It's been 20+ years now and I don't even bother trying out RH putting anymore, after several failed experiments a few years ago. My sense is that it's got to do with the eyes.

[BeGo]

left eyed, play right, putt left. :)

 

doing almost everything left handed, other than writing. :)

 

rifling left, billiard left, throw ball right, tennis left, table tennis right, bowling left, volley ball left, football left, etc

 

[Perkster029]

I'M NOT ALONE!! Hurrah!!

 

I'm a RH person, swing RH, but putt LH with a right handed grip. I seem to have better control using my more coordinated right arm to pull the putter through the stroke.

 

It started when my dad had an old LH putter he wasn't using, and I was just fooling around with it. I found it much easier to line things up, which may hinge on which of my eyes is dominant.

[BLLDWG23]

Had a left handed friend that bought a Scotty bullseye and he putted left handed on long putts and right handed on putts inside ten foot or so. He had days where it would work for him but he abandoned it after a couple of months or so. Putting was never his strong suit much like me and he was just trying anything. I think long term the only true thing that works consistently is having a solid routine and lots of practice.

[Roadking_6]

I am naturally left handed and my dad forced me right because of position opportunities for baseball. I batted switch all growing up but about 12-13 yrs old, I became all lefty at the plate. Played hockey left. I started golf and because of equipment not being evenly offered in left, decided to start right handed. Worked out because one swing never interfered with the other. I did putt left handed in High School for a year or so but gave up on it. I was a really good lag putter left handed and touch was good, but just didn't hit my lines the way I wanted to on <10 feet. If I would have worked at it and stayed, probably would have been a much better putter than I am no, just didn't have the patience to stick with it and I knew I already was much better right handed with the putts I needed to make.

[Mario Good Times]

Play golf right handed, play baseball left handed (throw left handed) switch hit, shoot left handed, kick left footed, box left hand, write and eat right handed. Left eye dominant. Never even thought about putting left handed, but mayb ill eBay a cheap putter and try.. This post got me thinking, or even try left hand low. I think being left handed and golfing right helps me hit it longer then the average joe..

[Cicero]

I just tried putting lefty cross handed on my carpet. Usually, changes feel like something different or awkward; this felt completely natural, very comfortable. It actually feels better than my normal putting stance?!? Why the heck would that be?

 

 

[SetTheBarrHigh]

Kind of bumping an old topic. I'm going to be going through an experiement where I putt left handed, but I'm primarly right handed and play golf that way.

 

A little background: Due to a medical condition, I only have peripheral vision in my right eye. This causes my left eye to be my dominant eye and the one I use primarily throughout my life. My eyesight is also very poor in general, -13 contacts in both eyes. This has always caused me to have a little trouble aiming the putter where I intend for it to be. I've had putter fittings and it's not anything overly so, but it does make things a little more difficult.

 

Last week I was messing around with my left-handed friends putter and it felt really nice. My stroke wasn't better, speed wasn't vastly different. However, I did notice that I did get to use the peripheral vision that I do have in my right eye, as well as my dominant eye as well when aligning to my intended target. In short, I've never felt like I've gotten to use two eyes before when aiming. I felt very much more reactive to the putt, rather than being so mechanical and having to pick a spot in the green and create a stroke to that point in order to aim properly.

 

I picked up a used Ping G5i Anser in a left-handed version and had my first round yesterday. My lag putting and speed control will take some getting used to, but I was very pleased with the way I putted. Especially from 10 feet and in. I guess I was just wondering if anyone else uses this method and the reason you went to it.

 

Updating anyone who was interested in this.

 

I ended up getting a promotion at work and quickly learned that being made a salary employee is a trick to see how much you can work yourself. I think I've had about eight rounds since I wrote this up. Two of these rounds were in a tournament that had a "two man" format and didn't want to completely let me partner down, so I putter right handed as I had always done.

 

My speed control is getting better on longer putts and I am feeling a little more comfortable overall. I ended up putting on a SuperStroke Slim 1.0 and using a cross-handed grip. I feel pretty solid on putts around 6 feet and in, but it will still take some time as it can be a little foreign still. I do like the Ping, but I would like to find a Newport terrilyum because I like the feel of that insert. I plan on continuing this experiment in casual rounds for the next 6 months or so and see what happens. I broke 80 for the first time this afternoon since making the switch to putting southpaw.

[Smiley_Face]

I play right and used to putt right handed but I have been putting left handed now for 5 years. I determined that I was very left eye dominant. Putting left handed I can see the line and get the putter lined up much better than before. It does take practice but it has worked well for me. Good luck!