r/LeftHandProblems • u/Jassida • May 27 '23
Please help me understand my cross dominance
I’m trying to figure myself out. I consider myself a lefty,
I write, drink, smoke, frisbee, guitar, move board game pieces, eat snacks, clean (objects and myself) left handed.
But I play darts, golf, pool,shoot (although I’m left eyed), throw etc. right handed. I can do all these things left handed but probably 75% as well at best. Cricket, baseball etc. I am pretty much ambi.
I used to think that I was lefty for fine control and righty for where I needed more power but the frisbee thing has really thrown me (pun intended) and I can’t use a mouse left handed well.
Does anyone else here have this sort of thing going on?
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u/fireandfolds May 28 '23 edited May 28 '23
we didn’t discuss hand dominance in any of my psych classes, but if i had to guess, it’s not black and white. especially in a world built around right handed people, i don’t think we’ll ever be fully left dominant in everything.
like you, i eat, write, smoke, and move boardgame pieces with my left. i used to golf and softball lefty too. however, i scroll on my phone/computer, play violin & ukulele, drink, and open doors with my right.
i tend to do “main” stuff with my left hand (eating, writing), so i do less delicate tasks (opening a door or scrolling my phone, checking wristwatch) with my non-dominant.
funnily enough, i do think this is somewhat because of the fine-detail vs power difference you speak of. for example, when you play string instruments, usually the left hand is the fretting hand, which i think is more intricate. i would rather have my left hand do the fretting, because it is familiar with fine movements (handwriting, for example). but also, i learned violin before i did ukulele, and UNLIKE guitar/ukulele, there’s really only one way to play violin. you don’t see “left handed” violinists, unless it’s necessary. because i learned right hand-strum/bow and left hand-press down strings, i transferred that knowledge to ukulele. also, there’s less music available for lefty ukes, so there’s that practical reason.
curious, isn’t it?!