What Handed Golfer Am I?

Deciding whether to swing a golf club right-handed or left-handed seems straightforward, but it’s a source of genuine confusion for many new players. If you’re a cross-dominant athlete who throws a ball with your right hand but swings a baseball bat left-handed, you know exactly what this feels like. This guide will help you figure out your natural golfing side based on power and motion, not just which hand you write with, so you can start your golf journey with confidence and the right equipment.

Understanding Hand Dominance vs. Golfing Orientation

The first and most important thing to grasp is that your writing hand doesn't automatically dictate your golfing hand. The world is full of right-handed people who putt and write righty, but who are naturally gifted left-handed golfers. The most famous example is Phil Mickelson, who does everything in his life right-handed except swing a golf club.

The confusion stems from a misunderstanding of how the hands and arms function in the golf swing. Most people assume their dominant, more coordinated hand should be in control. In golf, it's more about power and structure.

• The Lead Arm &, Hand: For a right-handed golfer, this is the left arm and hand. For a lefty, it's the right. This side is primarily responsible for creating the structure of the swing. It controls the width of the swing arc and guides the club along the correct path. It's the "control" arm.
• The Trail Arm &, Hand: For a right-handed golfer, this is the right arm and hand. For a lefty, it's the left. This is the "engine" of the swing. It generates speed and transfers power through the ball at impact. It’s the "power" arm.

For many athletes, letting their dominant hand perform the role of the "power" arm feels much more natural. This is why a right-handed person might find a left-handed golf swing more instinctive - it puts their powerful right hand and arm in the perfect position to deliver force through the ball as the trail arm.

The Simple Tests to Determine Your Side

Forget overthinking it. Let's run a few simple, real-world tests to tap into your body's preferred movement patterns. Find an open space and grab a broom, a baseball bat, a durable stick, or a garden rake.

Test #1: The Batting Stance Instinct

This is the most reliable test because swinging a bat and swinging a golf club are biomechanically very similar rotational movements.

1. Step 1: Grab your broom or bat. Don't think about it. Just pick it up.
2. Step 2: Imagine you’re at home plate and the perfect pitch is coming your way. Take a batting stance and swing with the intention of hitting a homerun.
3. Step 3: Pay attention to how you stood. Did you stand with your left shoulder pointing toward the imaginary pitcher (swinging right-handed)? Or was your right shoulder pointing forward (swinging left-handed)?
4. Step 4: Repeat this 5-10 times. Close your eyes and let your body take over. Your intuitive stance will reveal itself quickly. The side that feels more powerful, balanced, and natural is almost certainly your answer.

If you instinctively swung like a right-handed batter (left foot forward), you will probably be a right-handed golfer. If you swung like a left-handed batter (right foot forward), you should start by learning to golf left-handed.

Test #2: The Shovel Test

This test focuses purely on generating raw power from a static position, isolating the feeling of pushing force.

1. Step 1: Get your test object (a shovel works great, but a bat or rake is fine). Hold it in both hands.
2. Step 2: Imagine there's a heavy, wet pile of snow or a large rock on the ground in front of you. Your goal is to heave it as far as possible down a field.
3. Step 3: Which way do you orient yourself to do this? Do you throw the contents over your left shoulder (a right-handed motion) or over your right shoulder (a left-handed motion)?

The motion you use to generate maximum force by pushing and releasing the shovel is very similar to how the trail arm and body fire in the golf downswing. The side that feels like your "power" side is where your trail hand should be.

Test #3: The Unilateral Swing Feel

This final test helps you feel the difference between the "control" arm and the "power" arm. For this one, a golf club is best, but a sturdy stick will do.

• For a potential righty:
  • Hold the club with only your left hand and make a few easy, one-armed swings. Does it feel relatively stable? Can you control the club's path reasonably well? This is how your lead "control" arm feels.
  • Now, hold the club with only your right hand. Make a few one-armed swings. This will feel very different. It might feel flimsier, but does it feel like you could generate some serious speed and "whip" the club through? This is how your trail "power" arm feels.
• For a potential lefty: Do the opposite.
  • Swing with only your right hand. This is your lead "control" arm. Assess the stability.
  • Swing with only your left hand. This is your trail "power" arm. Assess the feeling of power.

This test is secondary to the first two, but it can provide confirmation. Many players find that the decision becomes clear when one side feels more stable (lead arm) and the other feels more primed for speed (trail arm).

Common Scenarios and How to Handle Them

Still on the fence? Let's address some of the most common situations new golfers face.

"I passed all the tests as a 'lefty', but I'm strongly right-handed."

Welcome to the club! You are a cross-dominant athlete, and this can be a serious advantage in golf. Your dominant, more coordinated right hand will now be in the position of the trail "power" hand in a left-handed swing. This often leads to a more powerful and intuitive release of the club. Trust the feeling from the tests. Start lefty. It will feel strange at first, but stick with it.

"Both sides feel equally awkward and weak."

This is the most common feeling for non-athletes or anyone new to rotational sports. The golf swing is a foreign motion. If neither side felt obviously better, default to the result from Test #1 (The Batting Stance). Even if it felt only 5% more natural, that’s your starting point. The single most important thing now is to pick one side and stick with it. Trying to switch back and forth will completely halt your progress. Awkward will turn into comfortable with repetition.

"There aren't any left-handed clubs available to rent." or "All my friends golf right-handed."

Never let equipment availability or peer pressure dictate your natural motion. Committing to learning on your weaker, less natural side because it seems convenient will make an already challenging game feel almost impossible. Finding left-handed clubs is easier than ever before. Used sets are plentiful online, and nearly every golf store carries lefty starter sets. As for your friends, don't worry about it. Facing them on the tee while you both swing is actually pretty fun.

Practical Next Steps Once You've Decided

Okay, you’ve done the tests and made a choice. Congratulations! Now what?

1. Get the Right Starter Equipment

Don’t go out and buy a 14-club professional set. Find a decent beginner "box set" or a used half-set on a marketplace. A basic set with a Driver, a hybrid or fairway wood, a few irons (like a 6-iron, 8-iron, Sand Wedge), and a putter is more than enough to get you started on the correct side.

2. Focus on the Fundamentals: Grip and Stance Basics

Your handedness directly determines your grip and setup.

• If you are golfing right-handed: You will place your left hand at the top of the club's grip, with the right hand below it. When you address the ball, you will stand so the ball is on your left side when looking from your feet toward the target.
• If you are golfing left-handed: You will place your right hand at the top of the grip, with the left hand below it. When you address the ball, you stand on the opposite side, so the ball is now on your right side.

The goal is a neutral grip where your hands work together, not against each other. This is fundamentally about getting your palms to face each other on the club.

3. Your First Trip to the Range

Head to a local driving range and get a small bucket of balls. Start with just one club, like a 7-iron or 8-iron. Your only goal on this first trip is to get comfortable with the rotational feeling of the swing from your chosen side. Don't worry about where the ball goes. Just focus on making contact and holding a balanced finish. This helps solidify the awkward new motion and begins building muscle memory.

Final Thoughts

Choosing your golfing handedness is less about how you sign your name and more about identifying your body’s most natural, powerful sequence of motion. By using simple tests that mimic the athletic rotation of a golf swing, you can quickly find your instinctive side, giving you a solid foundation to build upon.

Once you've settled on your side, the real fun of learning begins. Sometimes the most frustrating part for new players is feeling alone with basic questions. If you find yourself wondering how to grip the club perfectly for a lefty or need a simple checkpoint for your stance, Caddie AI can provide instant, 24/7 coaching feedback. I designed Caddie AI to be a judgment-free expert in your pocket, taking the guesswork out of the game's fundamentals so you can focus on making confident swings and building a game you love.