If you surveyed the 100 people closest to you, chances are only 10 would be left-handed. Lefties may typically be the underdog, but not when it comes to one-on-one sports! If you asked 100 professional baseball players, there’s a good chance you’d right a high number of lefties among the group. This is because being left-handed gives athletes the upper hand (pun intended) early in their career.
Having the Upper Hand
Left-handed athletes have an advantage in sports that involve aiming something towards an opponent, whether that’s a baseball or tennis ball, or a contact sport such as boxing. The simple fact is, lefties are kind of rare. That’s pretty empowering for children who are left-handed and want to play sports. Around 90 percent of the popular who start playing baseball are right-handed. Being a leftie in baseball is like having a special powerup or a surprise attack. When a player faces off against a lefty batter or pitcher, it throws off their game.
Often, athletes practice the same plays that are guaranteed to bring an end result, such as striking out the other team. But when the opposing team is set in their play, and your left-handed player gets up to bat, their play is thrown off. You may just have a home run on your hands.
Research Results
This isn’t just theory: left-handed players have a leg up on their competition, and it helps them to rise to the professional ranks faster than their right-handed counterparts. Studies show that in comparison to the 10 percent of the people who are left-handed in the general population, lefties make up one-third of Major League Baseball players, 20 percent of the top-ranked boxers, and 20-25 percent of the top-ranked fencers. The same cannot be said for sports where lefties wouldn’t have an edge, such as American football.
Importance of Healthy Bones
No matter what arm your pitch with, it’s important to keep your bones and muscles healthy so you can be on your A-game. To prevent injuries, it’s important for athletes to exercise regularly, have a healthy diet and wear protective gear. If you do get injured during a game, our orthopedics at Orthopaedic Specialty Group are versed in sports medicine and are ready to help. Our physicians’ wide range of expertise provides complete care in all areas of treatment including advanced surgical and nonsurgical techniques, pain management, rehabilitation, and neurosurgery.
Simply put, we can fix virtually every bone and joint in your body. Quickly and safely. Contact us today to schedule your next appointment.
FAQs
Left-handed athletes have an advantage in sports that involve aiming something towards an opponent, whether that's a baseball or tennis ball, or a contact sport such as boxing. The simple fact is, lefties are kind of rare. That's pretty empowering for children who are left-handed and want to play sports.
What percentage of sports people are left-handed? ›
In sports in which handedness is neither an advantage nor disadvantage the percentage of left handed participants is about 10% the same percentage of left handers in the general population. In a sport like baseball where left handedness has some advantages left handers make up 30% of the players on the roster.
What sport is best for left handers? ›
Baseball/softball- definitely as a lefty pitcher and/or batter. In tennis and badminton, people think you are going to serve the other way and are quite shocked. In tennis there is an advantage since most people are used to play against a right-handed player.
Are left handers overrepresented in sport? ›
The studies in the literature state that left handed/footed players, in fact, have both tactical and perceptual advantages in some interactive sports and thus, overrepresented in those sports compared to the general population. Key words: Left handedness/footedness, sports, tactical advantage, and perception.
Why are lefties so successful? ›
Studies suggest that lefties might have advantages due to brain hemisphere differences, leading to superior divergent thinking skills and creativity. They also may potentially earn more in certain fields.
Why are left-handed people more talented? ›
Also, the corpus callosum – the bundle of nerve cells connecting the two brain hemispheres – tends to be larger in left-handers. This suggests that some left-handers have an enhanced connectivity between the two hemispheres and hence superior information processing.
What is unique about left-handers? ›
Neuroscientists have shown that left-handers use the right hemisphere of their cerebrum, which is widely viewed as the seat of creativity, more often than right handers.
Who are the most talented left-handed people? ›
Some famous lefties include great minds, such as:
- philosopher Aristotle.
- French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.
- baseball legend Babe Ruth.
- Renaissance artist Leonardo DaVinci.
- former president Barack Obama.
- Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
The term southpaw is sometimes used to refer to a left-handed individual, especially in baseball and boxing.
What are lefties good at? ›
Left-handed people are said to be good at complex reasoning, resulting in a high number of lefty Noble Prize winners, writers, artists, musicians, architects and mathematicians. According to research published in the American Journal of Psychology, lefties appear to be better at divergent thinking.
However, a left-handed pitcher would release the ball closer to the first base, which allows more room for a right-handed hitter to “pull” the ball. Moreover, the sidearm pitchers and pitches that move horizontally increase this angle advantage even more.
What positions can lefties not play? ›
Baseball administrators and coaches almost never give left-handed players a chance to play second base, shortstop, third base or catcher. Left-handers have a clear disadvantage at those positions. After fielding a ground ball, the left-handers must spin their body around to make the throw to first base.
What do left-handers struggle with? ›
One of the biggest challenges is dealing with everyday objects that are made for right-handers; Scissors, can openers, spiral notebooks, pens and even doorknobs can all be difficult to use with your left hand. This can be frustrating and lead to low self-esteem, low IQ and a lack of confidence.
What sport can you not play left-handed? ›
In the sport of Polo, playing with the left hand is NOT allowed. Polo is the oldest of equestrian sports. It is a game played on horseback between two teams of four players each.
Why are left-handed people more athletic? ›
The “nature” hypothesis posits that left-handers may innately be better athletes, perhaps benefiting, for instance, from the fact that the right brain hemisphere is in charge of both their dominant hand and visual-spatial awareness.
Is there an advantage to being left-handed? ›
Left-handed people are said to be good at complex reasoning, resulting in a high number of lefty Noble Prize winners, writers, artists, musicians, architects and mathematicians. According to research published in the American Journal of Psychology, lefties appear to be better at divergent thinking.
Is being left-handed a disadvantage in baseball? ›
For ages, it's been a well-known fact that lefties do better in baseball. Left-handed hitters are more valuable than their right-handed counterparts at the plate.
