How ambidextrous are you?

Legios

Senior member
Feb 12, 2013
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I was wondering for those that are not completely ambidextrous, (a large number of you will say you are) :rolleyes:. How far can you take using your "off" hand? Can you throw? Write? what about mundane things like meal time, do you use your off hand to eat with? Cut your meat?

And the whole reason Im asking is I have injured my dominant hand and well brushing my teeth and wiping my ass are nearly impossible.:oops: I do however hold a steak knife in my off hand and cut with it. I cant switch it around either. So strange.
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,638
6,522
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i'm left handed and pretty much the only things i can do comfortably right handed is eat and wipe my ass (not at the same time of course). i can also drive right handed but my car is stick shift so typically i'm driving left handed.
 

ProchargeMe

Senior member
Jun 2, 2012
679
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I'm right handed and I can't do jack shit with my left hand. I've tried over and over to be ambidextrous, I guess some of us just aren't meant to be.
 
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Juddog

Diamond Member
Dec 11, 2006
7,851
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I can write and draw pictures with my left hand, but it looks like something done by a 9 year old. In terms of eating, I can use a fork, knife, spoon no problem. Chopsticks I can use but it's difficult. I can use a mouse left-handed as well, but its' much slower than normal.

That being said, I started off doing a lot of things which made people think I was naturally left handed, for example wearing my watch on my right hand, etc.. I have this idea that I may have been left handed naturally but learned to do everything in life with my right hand so became better at everything using my right hand.
 

kt

Diamond Member
Apr 1, 2000
6,032
1,348
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I am right handed but I do some tasks that are usually considered left handed. Hold knife on my left and fork on my right. Shoot left handed when playing hockey and swing a bat on the left handed side but throw with my right hand. Actually, I am more of a switch hitter because I have no problem swinging a bat on the right hand side but I prefer the leftie side.
 

rcpratt

Lifer
Jul 2, 2009
10,433
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I am right handed but I do some tasks that are usually considered left handed. Hold knife on my left and fork on my right. Shoot left handed when playing hockey and swing a bat on the left handed side but throw with my right hand. Actually, I am more of a switch hitter because I have no problem swinging a bat on the right hand side but I prefer the leftie side.
I never understand how things like this happen. How does a right-handed kid start learning to swing a bat or use a hockey stick left-handed, unless it's intentional? I understand the value in switch hitting, obviously, but you do see a few baseball players like you (throw right, bat left).
 

Zeze

Lifer
Mar 4, 2011
11,395
1,189
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I think I became ambi because I was confused what I was supposed to be.

I use utensils with my right hand.

I eat with my right hand- my precision hand.

I pitch with my left.

Bowl with my left.

But what's retarded is that my strong punch arm feels like it's my right hand.
 
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vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
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I am right handed but I do some tasks that are usually considered left handed. Hold knife on my left and fork on my right. Shoot left handed when playing hockey and swing a bat on the left handed side but throw with my right hand. Actually, I am more of a switch hitter because I have no problem swinging a bat on the right hand side but I prefer the leftie side.

Wow another one like me exists. *HIGH FIVE*

I write and throw right handed. Bat and golf left handed. I can bowl in the low 100's left handed or in the mid 100's right handed.

For me I think I was supposed to be left handed, but in the first grade I broke my left wrist and was in a cast for 6 weeks, and then immediately after that had another accident and broke my left collar bone. So for over 3 months during a development period of writing and basic skills I had to use my right hand and converted to that.

Still feel much more comfortable doing a number of things left handed at the age of 35.
 

Uppsala9496

Diamond Member
Nov 2, 2001
5,272
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Righty. Do most things right handed. Play golf right handed but play hockey left handed. Right handed hockey feels beyond mental to me. In baseball, can switch hit and am comfortable doing so, but I have a lot more power right handed. When I was younger and played wiffle ball, I could not bat right handed. Just an ugly swing because the bat is so damn light.

I eat continental, meaning the fork is in the left hand and knife in the right.
 

drum

Diamond Member
Feb 1, 2003
6,810
4
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When I play ping pong I will transfer the paddle to the respective hand on the fly to return the ball depending on which side it was hit. If the paddle is in my right hand and the return shot is heading to the left side of the table I switch to my left hand to return it without even thinking about it. I serve it with my left hand.
 

kt

Diamond Member
Apr 1, 2000
6,032
1,348
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I never understand how things like this happen. How does a right-handed kid start learning to swing a bat or use a hockey stick left-handed, unless it's intentional? I understand the value in switch hitting, obviously, but you do see a few baseball players like you (throw right, bat left).

It's not intentional. It just felt natural for me to bat as a leftie and use a left handed hockey stick. When I first started playing hockey, I was given a right handed stick but I kept switching over to my left and try to hit the puck with the back side of the blade. Our coach noticed it too and told me to get a left handed stick.
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
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How do most people hold a hockey stick? For me I would I would have my left foot and shoulder forward and my left hand lower on the stick. Is that a "left handed" hockey approach?
 

MadScientist

Platinum Member
Jul 15, 2001
2,183
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Ambidextrous means you are able to use both hands with equal facility. There are very few people in the world capable of that.

I write and throw with my left hand, bat and golf righty or lefty, bowl lefty, use scissors and similar tools with my right hand, pee with my right hand, wipe with my left.

Those of us that were born lefties were either forced to use our right hand for certain things due to convention or need, i.e, only right handed scissors available.
 

Sho'Nuff

Diamond Member
Jul 12, 2007
6,211
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I'm not ambidextrous, at least not according to the definition of the term. My brother however, is 100% ambidextrous. He can write with both hands, throw with both arms (with equal facility), play forehand tennis with both hands, etc. As a professional pianist, his ambidexterity has been very useful to him.
 

clamum

Lifer
Feb 13, 2003
26,256
406
126
I'm left handed but use scissors with my right, and bat, golf, and shoot pistol/rifle right handed. I also play guitar right handed but I was made to learn that way; when I first picked up and strummed a guitar it was left handed.

I can eat with my right but not as well as with my left. Throwing a ball or writing with my right? Hell no.
 

drum

Diamond Member
Feb 1, 2003
6,810
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I'm not ambidextrous, at least not according to the definition of the term. My brother however, is 100% ambidextrous. He can write with both hands, throw with both arms (with equal facility), play forehand tennis with both hands, etc. As a professional pianist, his ambidexterity has been very useful to him.

I think that would be awesome
 

Markbnj

Elite Member <br>Moderator Emeritus
Moderator
Sep 16, 2005
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www.markbetz.net
I injured my right hand at 16, and subsequently became very adept with my left. The only thing I can't do reliably with it is write. Fortunately my right was not so badly torn up that I couldn't do that.
 

mizzou

Diamond Member
Jan 2, 2008
9,734
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not at all. So much so that when I use my left hand, it's like it's a totally different person.
 

Pantoot

Golden Member
Jun 6, 2002
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I never understand how things like this happen. How does a right-handed kid start learning to swing a bat or use a hockey stick left-handed, unless it's intentional? I understand the value in switch hitting, obviously, but you do see a few baseball players like you (throw right, bat left).

I am the same way. I am right handed but always wore a watch on the right, throw lefty, knife in left. I hit righty, everything but people that is, I box southpaw but write with the right. Some things are a major pain, I am left eye dominant, but I shoot righty.

Most things I can switch, but am way better with the preferred.

As far as I know, none of it was intentional.