How many left handed ping pong players are here?
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There is no simple answer to your question. There are many variables in determining "how hard" it is to play with your non-dominant hand. For a start, how "right-handed" are you in ordinary, every day activities? Some people are very one side dominant, while others manage a high level of dexterity. Do you normally use both hands when you clean your teeth or hammer a nail? Secondly, how committed to the idea are you? There are lots of players who can play with either hand, but it's something they practise. No one ever just picks up a bat and plays comfortably. It takes a lot of time and patience, basically going back to being a rank novice. Thirdly, do you have someone willing to practice against someone who can't even make anything other than a basic serve or return a simple ball?
And your thread title is very misleading. There are lots of left-handers here (probably more than the average percentage in the community) but that has nothing to do with whether or not you can learn to play with your non-dominant hand.
And your thread title is very misleading. There are lots of left-handers here (probably more than the average percentage in the community) but that has nothing to do with whether or not you can learn to play with your non-dominant hand.
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It is amazing how fast you can learn how to do something with the other hand when your main one is injured.
A sprain will heal quickly you may not have that much time to adapt or you may really feel you don't need to adapt.
I broke my right wrist playing football. I quickly learned how to do a lot of things left handed because I had a cast on my right hand. You learn faster when you have no choice.
A sprain will heal quickly you may not have that much time to adapt or you may really feel you don't need to adapt.
I broke my right wrist playing football. I quickly learned how to do a lot of things left handed because I had a cast on my right hand. You learn faster when you have no choice.
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I'm a lefty. I was born that way though, no injury!
I've had to learn a few things "wrong-handed" when there were no left handed options. For example, I played guitar right-handed. It's very tough at first, but if you keep trying, there is almost a point at which your brain "flips", and you begin to make progress more quickly. Because of this need to learn right-handed things as a left-hander, I think we are better at using our wrong hand. Timo Boll and Koki Niwa for example seem to be much more likely to do switch-handed shots in matches.
In another sport, I know Rodney Mullen (the genius skateboarder who innovated most of the modern sport) was forced to skate in a left-handed "switch" stance for a while after an injury. He ended up advocating for a "stanceless" philosophy where any skill could be executed either left or right foot forward. His influence is huge and skating has ended up with "switch" skating considered an important skill, and people even create "mirror" videos showing the same tricks done both left- and right-footed, and the goal is to make them look as similar as possible.
I've had to learn a few things "wrong-handed" when there were no left handed options. For example, I played guitar right-handed. It's very tough at first, but if you keep trying, there is almost a point at which your brain "flips", and you begin to make progress more quickly. Because of this need to learn right-handed things as a left-hander, I think we are better at using our wrong hand. Timo Boll and Koki Niwa for example seem to be much more likely to do switch-handed shots in matches.
In another sport, I know Rodney Mullen (the genius skateboarder who innovated most of the modern sport) was forced to skate in a left-handed "switch" stance for a while after an injury. He ended up advocating for a "stanceless" philosophy where any skill could be executed either left or right foot forward. His influence is huge and skating has ended up with "switch" skating considered an important skill, and people even create "mirror" videos showing the same tricks done both left- and right-footed, and the goal is to make them look as similar as possible.
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I'm a native lefthander, but righthandedness was forcefully bestowed onto me in primary school. Lefthandedness was unacceptable back then.
I learned myself to play righthanded shakehand as well, but can more or less get by playing lefthanded. When playing lefthanded, the backhand snaps easier and earlier into place than the forehand; especially forehand topspin is a bit awkward for quite a while.
Not sure how much sense there is to this, but I've met coaches who make players fix basic technique errors by having them learn to hit properly using their irregular hand, and then transferring the changed stroke to the playing hand. Sounds interesting, and I wonder if it really works out that way.
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When using the irregular hand, you usually don't start with any different habits or strokes from tennis, racquetball, baseball, etc. so you will do what the coach tells you.
I'm left handed and I have been playing with my right hand on the last 3 sessions due to wrsit injury.
First session was awful, I couldn't even put the ball on table on warm up, so I had to train multiball.
I'm BH dominant, so my BH after these 3 sessions is not so bad. I don't have much control, but I can put ball on table with reasonable power and my movement doesn't feel very awkward anymore, I'm slowly getting used to it. My FH is still no good.
That been said, I'm not using my right hand 100% of time, actually I use it only when playing because my injury isn't serious. If I had to use it all the time, maybe my playing habilities with right hand would probably progress at higher rate.
First session was awful, I couldn't even put the ball on table on warm up, so I had to train multiball.
I'm BH dominant, so my BH after these 3 sessions is not so bad. I don't have much control, but I can put ball on table with reasonable power and my movement doesn't feel very awkward anymore, I'm slowly getting used to it. My FH is still no good.
That been said, I'm not using my right hand 100% of time, actually I use it only when playing because my injury isn't serious. If I had to use it all the time, maybe my playing habilities with right hand would probably progress at higher rate.
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I'm left-handed, as I am for most things which only require one hand (writing, throwing darts, racket sports, bowling etc.) However I bat right handed in cricket and when I was in the school cadet force I fired a rifle right-handed - working a bolt action is a pain in the bum from the left-handed firing position. I just do whatever feels most comfortable.
I'm told that when I was very young my grandfather was firmly of the opinion that I should be made to use my right hand, but thankfully my father was equally firmly of the opinion that the old boy should mind his own business. What my late mother thought of this is not recorded, but I doubt it would have been repeatable in a respectable forum !
I'm told that when I was very young my grandfather was firmly of the opinion that I should be made to use my right hand, but thankfully my father was equally firmly of the opinion that the old boy should mind his own business. What my late mother thought of this is not recorded, but I doubt it would have been repeatable in a respectable forum !
Thank you all. Surprise to see so many responses. Very motivating. I think the sprain is not too bad. At least that’s my hope that’s nothing serious. I think this gives me opportunity to try out the left hand mainly so I can balance it a bit. I do everything right handed. I also need the exercise :/ so that’s a reason why I shouldn’t stop exercising even though my right hand or arm is sprained for now.
And I got my first lesson with left hand today. Surprised I played well 
my coach also was surprised that I ramped up pretty quickly after a few pointers. Looks like I can still play and get some exercise until my right hand heals. I’m not that confident with my left hand but I will stick with it for now. And it’s very tired now :/ I never work out with my left hand as much as today.
my coach also was surprised that I ramped up pretty quickly after a few pointers. Looks like I can still play and get some exercise until my right hand heals. I’m not that confident with my left hand but I will stick with it for now. And it’s very tired now :/ I never work out with my left hand as much as today.So true. My right hand has some bad habits. Left hand is learning new things for the first time
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I am lefty. Got tennis elbow on my left hand so decided to play right hand while waiting for the tennis elbow to go away. It was extremely hard and I only did it for exercise! Fortunately my tennis elbow was gone after 3 months so I am back to normal using my LH. I also switch to LP to make the paddle lighter and my tennis elbow has not come back since the last 2 years.
I am born LH but my culture forced lefty to write RH. I also learned how to play guitar RH. However, I believe if society allowed me to write and play LH I'd be much better than now.
I am born LH but my culture forced lefty to write RH. I also learned how to play guitar RH. However, I believe if society allowed me to write and play LH I'd be much better than now.
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You could have played like Jimi Hendrix!
Nice post, though.
It is an awkward thing to explain but when using my left-hand (pure right-hander, shoulder and neck pains recently) for computer desk work, I feel like I am thinking differently. More of an open mind, albeit a lesser ability to focus under stress. Not sure if it is only due to breaking habits and conditioning, but there is definitely some re-wiring of the brain involved. My breathing also improves - using the right nostril, which I tend not to do - which sounds bonkers, I know.
Anyhow, it is a good thing to develop a full package and I am pretty certain ambidexterity is transferable to other things. It is the effects on the mind I am curious about, would welcome feedback if anyone had any sort of experience related to that.
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I'm left handed but when I did a coaching course we had to use opposite hand to see how it feels for a new player. If you decide to use your opposite hand it will give you an opportunity to ground correct technique with a fairly blank canvas. It could actually be exciting to start again.
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