Figuring out whether you should be swinging a golf club from the right or left side can feel surprisingly confusing, especially if your body has never given you a clear signal. You’re not alone in this uncertainty. This guide is designed to cut through the noise with simple, practical tests, helping you understand your natural motion and choose the set of clubs that will set you up for success and enjoyment in the game.
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It’s Not Just About Your Writing Hand
The first and most important thing to understand is that the hand you write with doesn't automatically determine which side you should golf from. This is the most common point of confusion for new golfers. We see players sign their name with their right hand and then naturally pick up a club to swing left-handed all the time. Why? Because the motor skills for writing involve fine, precise movements of the wrist and fingers, while a golf swing is a full-body, rotational, athletic motion.
A golf swing is much more similar to other two-sided actions like swinging a baseball bat, shooting a hockey puck, or even shoveling dirt. In these activities, one side of your body leads and guides the action, while the other side acts as the trail side, providing a powerful push. For a right-handed golfer, the left side of their body (arm, hip, shoulder) leads the swing toward the target, while the right side delivers the power. For a left-handed golfer, this is simply reversed.
Don't get bogged down by what feels normal for everyday tasks. Instead, your goal is to find which direction your body naturally wants to rotate and unwind to generate athletic power.
The Ultimate Litmus Test: The “Natural Swing” Trial
The best way to begin your discovery is with a simple test you can do right now, without any special equipment. The goal is to see which direction your body swings instinctively, before you have a chance to overthink it. This first, untainted reaction is often the truest indicator.
How to Perform the Test
Find a common household object you can hold like a golf club - a broom is perfect, but a yardstick or a rake will also work. If you have nothing, you can simply clasp your hands together and mime the motion.
Stand in an open space with your feet about shoulder-width apart.
Hold the broom (or your object of choice) in front of you.
Now, without analyzing it, take a natural, powerful swing as if you were trying to hit a ball sitting on the ground a few feet in front of you.
Pay close attention to what just happened. Did you swing so that the "clubface" of the broom moved from your right side to your left side? If so, you swung right-handed. Or, did it feel more natural to swing from your left side over to your right? If that's the case, you have a left-handed motion.
Do this five or six times. Try a few swings with more power. Try to make a balanced finish. Your body will likely favor one side pretty consistently. This instinctual motion is the one your brain and muscles have already decided is the most efficient and coordinated path for this type of rotational movement.
Analyze the Feeling
As you take these test swings, ask yourself a few key questions:
Coordination: Which direction felt smoother and less awkward? The better swing may still feel clumsy if you're new, but one side will probably feel slightly more fluid than the other.
Power: On which side did it feel like you could generate more speed and force without losing your balance?
Balance: When you finished the swing, which side allowed you to hold your finish position more easily without wobbling? A natural swing ends in a stable position.
Trust what your body is telling you here. If swinging right-handed feels forceful and fluid while swinging left-handed feels like trying to write with your opposite hand, you have your answer.
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If the broom test still leaves you wondering, look for supporting evidence from other sports or activities you’ve done in your life. The way you perform other two-handed, rotational movements is an excellent predictor for your golf swing.
Batting in Baseball or Softball: This is perhaps the strongest correlator to the golf swing. If you bat right-handed (with your left shoulder pointing toward the pitcher), you will almost certainly be a right-handed golfer. If you bat left-handed (right shoulder to the pitcher), then lefty clubs are for you.
Shooting in Hockey or Lacrosse: The motion is identical in principle. Which way do you naturally shoot a puck or ball? The orientation of your body relative to the target in these sports is a direct match for golf.
Shoveling Snow or Raking Leaves: Pay attention to your hands. When you're driving the shovel or rake forward with force, which hand is positioned lower on the handle? A lower right hand indicates a right-handed motion, while a lower left hand points to a left-handed preference.
If you've consistently performed one of these activities from a certain side your whole life, it’s a very strong sign that your golf swing should follow suit.
An Often Overlooked Factor: Eye Dominance
While motor skills are the primary driver, your eye dominance can also play a subtle role. In a target sport like golf, having a clear line of sight is helpful. Your dominant eye is the one your brain prefers to use for processing visual information, especially for lining things up.
How to Find Your Dominant Eye
Extend your arms out in front of you and create a small triangular opening between your thumbs and index fingers.
With both eyes open, look through this triangle and center a distant object within it (like a doorknob or a light switch across the room).
Now, close your left eye. Did the object stay centered in your triangle? If so, you are right-eye dominant.
If the object jumped out of the frame when you closed your left eye, open it again and close your right eye. The object should now be centered again. This means you are left-eye dominant.
A right-handed player often benefits from having the dominant eye as the rear eye during the turn, which can help with viewing the target line. For example, a right-handed golfer with right-eye dominance has their dominant eye further from the target, providing a good perspective down the line. However, this is far from a strict rule. Many of the greatest golfers in history, including Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, play right-handed but are left-eye dominant. You should treat eye dominance as a minor data point, not a deciding factor. If it conflicts with what feels physically powerful and natural, always ignore it and go with the feel.
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You’ve done the research and have a strong hypothesis. The final and most conclusive step is to get your hands on actual golf clubs. Heading to a local driving range or a golf retail store with a hitting bay or simulator is the best way to get definitive proof.
What to Do at the Range
This is a concrete test where theory meets reality. When you arrive, tell the staff you’re a total beginner trying to figure out which side to play from. They are completely used to this request and will be happy to help.
Ask if you can borrow a single right-handed and a single left-handed club to try. A 7-iron is a perfect club for this experiment.
Start with the side that felt most natural with the broomstick test. Hit a few balls.
The goal here isn't to hit a perfect shot. Don't worry about where the ball goes. Instead, focus entirely on the feeling of the swing.
After a few swings, switch to the other side. The difference will likely be immediate and obvious.
One side will feel like it has potential - you can imagine, with practice, making a fluid and powerful move. The other will just feel fundamentally awkward, as if your limbs are fighting against your body's natural sequencing. Go with the side that gives you that flicker of athletic potential.
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Occasionally, new golfers who feel naturally left-handed will ask if they should just force themselves to learn right-handed since it’s more common. The answer is an emphatic no.
While it’s true that there is a wider selection of right-handed equipment available both new and used, this minor inconvenience is nothing compared to the lifelong frustration of fighting your body's natural mechanics. Choosing your non-dominant side will severely limit your potential for power, consistency, and ultimately, enjoyment. Players like Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson have had incredible careers playing left-handed. The most significant advantage you can give yourself in golf is to swing from the side that your body was built for.
Final Thoughts
In short, finding your correct orientation in golf comes down to trusting your body's athletic instincts, not your writing hand. By using simple swing simulations, looking at clues from your other activities, and trying a couple of well-determined swings, you can confidently determine the path that’s right for you, giving you a solid foundation for your game.
Once you’ve figured out whether you’re a righty or a lefty, a whole new world of questions opens up. As you move from choosing your clubs to actually using them on the course, we built Caddie AI to be the perfect companion. You can ask us anything, anytime - from clarifying what "a draw versus a fade," means to getting guidance on how to deal with an uphill lie. We provide simple, clear answers right when you need them, taking away the uncertainty so you can play with more confidence from day one.
Spencer has been playing golf since he was a kid and has spent a lifetime chasing improvement. With over a decade of experience building successful tech products, he combined his love for golf and startups to create Caddie AI - the world's best AI golf app. Giving everyone an expert level coach in your pocket, available 24/7. Caddie's mission is simple: make world-class golf advice accessible to everyone, anytime.
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