Deciding whether to swing a golf club right-handed or left-handed is one of the first and most important choices you'll make in the game. For many, the answer is obvious, but for others, it can feel surprisingly confusing. This guide provides simple, clear tests and explanations to help you figure out which side is the right side for you, so you can build a solid foundation for your swing.
For the vast majority of people, the hand you use for everyday tasks is the best indicator of your golfing orientation. About 90% of the population is right-handed, and a similar percentage of golfers play right-handed. This isn't a coincidence, the fine motor skills, strength, and coordination you've developed over your lifetime directly translate to the athletic motion of a golf swing.
Think about these simple questions:
If you answered "right hand" to most or all of these, you are almost certainly going to feel most comfortable playing golf right-handed. If you answered "left hand," you should start by trying a left-handed stance. This is your baseline, the starting point from which we'll confirm your choice with more golf-specific tests.
Before we go further, it's good to be clear on what each orientation actually looks like. A common point of confusion for beginners is the role of each hand on the club. It can seem backwards at first glance, but it makes perfect sense once you understand the mechanics.
If you play right-handed, you are a "righty."
The confusion often stems from the fact that a right-handed person's left hand is on top. Why? Because the left hand and arm guide the club and control the arc of the swing. The right hand and arm provide a significant amount of the power and "speed" through impact. Your dominant, more coordinated right hand is in the power position.
If you play left-handed, you are a "lefty." Everything is simply a mirror image of the righty.
Famous lefties like Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson are great examples of this powerful, mirror-image swing.
If your daily dominant hand doesn't give you a clear answer, or if you just want to be absolutely sure, trying a few physical tests can make the decision crystal clear. You don't even need a golf course, a broomstick, a baseball bat, or any sturdy stick will do just fine in your backyard.
This test helps you identify which arm feels more natural and powerful when creating a swinging motion.
You will almost always find that swinging with your dominant hand feels more powerful and far less awkward. This feeling of control and power comes from your trail hand (the one lower on the grip), confirming your natural orientation. For a righty, the right arm feels powerful. For a lefty, the left arm feels powerful.
The golf swing is fundamentally a rotational motion where you push the club through an impact zone. We can simulate this with motions you already know.
This is arguably the most reliable indicator of all. If you have ever played sports that involve swinging an object to strike a ball, you’ve basically already chosen your side.
What if you perform the tests and still feel conflicted? Here are a couple of common situations.
This is more common than you'd think. The most famous example is Phil Mickelson. He is right-handed in everything he does - signing autographs, throwing a football - except for golf. The story goes that as a toddler, he learned by mirroring his father's right-handed swing, leading him to swing left-handed. There are also people who are "cross-dominant," where their bodily coordination simply prefers the opposite motion for a two-handed swing.
The Advice: Go with what feels natural and powerful. Do not fight it. If you are naturally right-handed but swinging lefty feels significantly more balanced, coordinated, and strong, then play lefty. The goal in golf is creating a repeatable, comfortable motion, not conforming to a rulebook about handedness.
For a true beginner, *neither* side might feel particularly natural at first. The golf setup and swing are unique athletic movements unlike anything else. You're bent over, your hands are locked together, and you're rotating around your spine. It's objectively a weird motion!
The Advice: In this case, default to your dominant hand from daily life. If you're a righty, commit to setting up right-handed. Do the drills, take some practice swings, and give your body and brain time to build the new motor pattern. The awkwardness will fade with practice. The biggest mistake you can make is to continually switch back and forth. Pick a side and commit to it for at least a few weeks of practice before second-guessing.
Finally, don't let equipment availability influence your decision. While it's true that you'll find more right-handed clubs in most golf shops, left-handed equipment is easily available both new and used from all major manufacturers. Choose the side that fits you, not the side that has more options on the rack.
Ultimately, figuring out whether to play golf right-handed or left-handed boils down to discovering what feels most powerful, balanced, and natural for your body. By using these simple tests that mimic actions you're already familiar with, you can choose a side with confidence and start building a consistent swing from the ground up.
Once you’ve picked your side, you'll find that even bigger questions will pop up on the course and range - about setup, strategy, or what to do from a tricky lie. To help you with that, we built Caddie AI to be your personal golf expert that you can ask anything, anytime. Instead of guessing, you can get clear, simple answers right in your pocket, helping you learn the game faster and play with more confidence from your very first round.
Thinking about hosting a golf tournament fundraiser is the first swing, executing it successfully is what gets the ball in the hole. This guide will walk you through the entire process, step-by-step, from laying the initial groundwork months in advance to watching your happy golfers tee off. We’ll cover everything from securing sponsors and setting your budget to planning the on-course fun that makes an event unforgettable.
A golf handicap does more than just give you bragging rights (or a reason to demand strokes from your friends) - it’s the game’s great equalizer and the single best way to track your improvement. This guide breaks down what a handicap is, how the supportive math behind a handicap index a is, and exactly how you can get one for yourself. We’ll look at everything from Course Rating to Adjusted Gross Score, helping you feel confident both on the course and in the clubhouse.
The compression of a Pinnacle Rush golf ball is one of its most defining features, engineered specifically to help a huge swath of golfers get more distance and enjoyment from their game. We'll break down exactly what its low compression means, who it's for, and how you can use that knowledge to shoot lower scores.
Figuring out which spikes go into your new (or old) pair of Puma golf shoes can feel like a puzzle, but it’s much simpler than you think. The key isn't the brand of the shoe, but the type of receptacle system they use. This guide will walk you through exactly how to identify your Puma's spike system, choose the perfect replacements for your game, and change them out like a pro.
The Golf Genius app is one of the best tools for managing and participating in competitive golf events, but figuring it out for the first time can feel like reading a new set of greens. This guide cuts through the confusion and shows you exactly how to use the app as a player. We’ll cover everything from logging into your tournament and entering scores to checking the live leaderboard so you can enjoy the competition without any tech headaches.
Walking onto the first tee with sweaty palms, worried you’ll be a good partner to paly wtih...or even asked back again ...We’ve all been there - trust me! The real trick of feeling confortable... is about how you handle you’re ready to plsy. THIS guide explains the simple rules of the rode to show you hnow t play golf while staying calm relaxed and focused... an having much morse fun while you,',re aat it? You'll also play with confidence a dn make fiendsa while you're at i
Just ask a question or share a photo and Caddie gives personalized guidance for every shot - anytime, anywhere.
