Left handed vs. Right handed - Kids

[sixfortynine 1]

I have a six and seven year old that recently started playing hockey. Both of them are right hand dominant and shoot right handed. Admittedly they shoot right because I put the wrong stick in their hands. Should I consider switching them to the left before too much time passes?

[Souldriver 64]

Get a lefty stick and give it to them to play with as well. Whichever one they're more comfortable with is the one they should use. No need to force them into one way or another, neither is right nor wrong.

[shotty 7]

but if you want them to play D in the nhl, keep them playing RH.

[Jordan 13]

With my son, my method was to find a straight stick and let him decide, I figured he would just migrate to what was the most natural for him.

[gxc999 7]

Jordan's idea is the best one to me as well.

[JJStripes 1]

I second Jordan's idea. Natural selection (lol) with a straight stick is the way to go, but I'd be hoping he chooses to be a lefty because I think it is beneficial to have your dominant hand on the top of your stick.

[hunterphfr 12]

I completely disagree with letting them decide and there's a long thread in here somewhere I posted why with a lengthy explanation. I'll try and find it to link to it. Don't sell your kids out like my parents did me just to take the path of least resistance.

Here you go, don't take my word for it read the research and science that backs what I say, as well as hockey and baseball Canada,

Preference is tainted by previous exposure to other sports and can put the wrong stick in a kids hands. One of my kids coaches and a good friend saved my kid early on and I feel like I've been cheated out of having hands for the last 40 years of my life.

http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php/topic/63890-anyone-ever-make-switch-from-rh-to-lh-stick/#entry972404

[Larry54 243]

I completely disagree and there's a long thread in here somewhere I posted why with a lengthy explanation. I'll try and find it to link to it. Don't sell your kids out like my parents did me just to take the path of least resistance.

Here you go, don't take my word for it read the research and science that backs what I say, as well as hockey and baseball Canada,

http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php/topic/63890-anyone-ever-make-switch-from-rh-to-lh-stick/#entry972404

I read that long post in your link. The sentence that gets my attention is when you write "My PERSONAL opinion, with anecdotal, reading and some SLIGHTLY scientific support is that allowing the child to pick up and decide which way he shoots is not a good decision". You even capitalize PERSONAL and SLIGHTLY for emphasis. That doesn't make for a very convincing argument. Maybe some links to the research and science to which you allude would help.

[hunterphfr 12]

Are you sure you read the whole thread? I capitalized those because in no way am I claiming to be any sort of expert. But I grew up playing lacrosse and hockey, shooting right in both. I feel far more comfortable with a lacrosse stick even though I started playing at 12 as opposed to the 4 and/or 5 at which I started playing hockey. I also linked later in the thread to several videos and an article about Baseball Canada and the problem that early exposure to hockey has caused them as far as predisposing Canadian baseball players to batting left as opposed to the right that is dominant in the rest of the world.

The links are there, just not in my initial post.

[Larry54 243]

Are you sure you read the whole thread? I capitalized those because in no way am I claiming to be any sort of expert. But I grew up playing lacrosse and hockey, shooting right in both. I feel far more comfortable with a lacrosse stick even though I started playing at 12 as opposed to the 4 and/or 5 at which I started playing hockey. I also linked later in the thread to several videos and an article about Baseball Canada and the problem that early exposure to hockey has caused them as far as predisposing Canadian baseball players to batting left as opposed to the right that is dominant in the rest of the world.

The links are there, just not in my initial post.

Yes, I'm sure I read the whole thread, and I watched the videos. And they provide no evidence that starting out with your dominant hand on top at a young age will make you a better puck handler. The first two videos only show that the top hand controls the stick, but they don't prove that the non-dominant hand can't be trained to be as effective as the dominant hand in controlling the stick. About you forcing your son to playing left-handed, there's no way to know that he wouldn't be as good a puck handler if he started out right-handed. And in blaming your parents for your poor puck-handling, there's no way to know that you would have been any better if you had started out with your dominant hand on top.

[salibandy 21]

Yes, I'm sure I read the whole thread, and I watched the videos. And they provide no evidence that starting out with your dominant hand on top at a young age will make you a better puck handler. The first two videos only show that the top hand controls the stick, but they don't prove that the non-dominant hand can't be trained to be as effective as the dominant hand in controlling the stick. About you forcing your son to playing left-handed, there's no way to know that he wouldn't be as good a puck handler if he started out right-handed. And in blaming your parents for your poor puck-handling, there's no way to know that you would have been any better if you had started out with your dominant hand on top.

I'd have to agree with Larry on this one; there's no telling whether he couldn't have developed his non-dominant hand to be just as effective as his dominant hand on top. I'd say starting with the dominant on top gives an advantage to finesse initially for sure though.

[hunterphfr 12]

Yes, I'm sure I read the whole thread, and I watched the videos. And they provide no evidence that starting out with your dominant hand on top at a young age will make you a better puck handler. The first two videos only show that the top hand controls the stick, but they don't prove that the non-dominant hand can't be trained to be as effective as the dominant hand in controlling the stick. About you forcing your son to playing left-handed, there's no way to know that he wouldn't be as good a puck handler if he started out right-handed. And in blaming your parents for your poor puck-handling, there's no way to know that you would have been any better if you had started out with your dominant hand on top.

That is why I put disclaimers in CAPITALS in my post. There is also no way to know that if some nun had beaten me with a ruler throughout elementary school to write with my left hand that my handwriting wouldn't have eventually looked better than what I am capable of with my right. The effort, pain, time, energy and suffering expended and endured to achieve such gains (if actually attainable) do not necessarily mean it was the path I should have chosen, nor that it was worth the cost.

The basic point I was trying to make was throwing a stick on the ground and letting Johnny pick it up is a poor method for determining the way one should hold a hockey stick. There is a reason Baseball Canada is trying to retrain minor ball players to bat right, while at the same time Hockey Canada is quite content to let 80% of it's players shoot left.

But at the same time you cannot deny the possibility that predisposition and bias due to early exposure of another sport can alter negatively a child's preference for holding a hockey stick. If you throw a straight bladed hockey stick on the ground in Canada and say go pick it up Johnny, chances are it will be his first exposure to sports involving some type of instrument held in his hand. To the extent that 75-80% of individuals will choose left. The unadulterated and natural preference without being exposed to other sports naturally results in a left handed shooting stance. Throw the same stick on the ground in the US and say go pick it up Johnny and the young child growing up in the US where hockey doesn't rule his universe and he has already had exposure to other sports and the predisposition resulting from those sports means there is a 75-80% chance he will shoot right.

There is simply no other explanation why 75-80%+ Canadians shoot left and (are predisposed to bat left), while 75-80+% of Americans shoot right and bat right. Given that baseball is Americas past time I'll give the nod to that being the natural way to hold a bat. Given that pretty much the first thing any Canadian kid holds after a Crayola crayon and before a number 2 pencil is a hockey stick I'll bet that the bodies natural tendency and preference without outside influence or predisposition is to hold a hockey stick left handed.

If predisposition wasn't a factor, Baseball Canada wouldn't be attempting to reverse it's effects in minor ball across Canada.

Anecdotally Europe where baseball is even less popular than in Canada has a similar natural predisposition to shooting left.

[sixfortynine 1]

Thank You for all of the responses. They are certainly more comfortable with shooting right handed because that's what they have been doing for the past few months. We have purchased left handed sticks for them to try, but they seem to prefer the right. My oldest did mention that he feels like he can stick handle easier with the left, but shoot easier with the right.

[Souldriver 64]

Here is another wrench in things. As a guitar player I use my dominant hand to strum and my weak hand does all the fretting/finger work. When I was first handed a guitar I held it lefty bc that was more natural but my teacher told me to do it the other way (this was with a cheapo no cutaway guitar so it didn't matter in that respect)

If your oldest did mention that he is split I would keep him going with both sticks and watch him to see what's up. Shooting can be a big thing for kids to get reversed mechanics down, but stick handling isnt nearly so. I qouldd also watch him bc sometimes little kid language may not translate, he may say his shot isn't as good lefty but he may mean that he feels awkward doing it that way. In the end it's still his choice but this will be interesting to see.

[Chadd 916]

Thank You for all of the responses. They are certainly more comfortable with shooting right handed because that's what they have been doing for the past few months. We have purchased left handed sticks for them to try, but they seem to prefer the right. My oldest did mention that he feels like he can stick handle easier with the left, but shoot easier with the right.

That is exactly what I was going to say they would likely find. Having your dominant hand at the top makes it easier to control the stick, while having your dominant hand lower gives you more control (and power) over the shot.

Here is another wrench in things. As a guitar player I use my dominant hand to strum and my weak hand does all the fretting/finger work. When I was first handed a guitar I held it lefty bc that was more natural but my teacher told me to do it the other way (this was with a cheapo no cutaway guitar so it didn't matter in that respect)

I have two good friends that are lefties that play guitar. One plays RH and the other plays LH, both are actually pretty good. It's all a matter of what feels better to you. Playing guitar RH will save you a ton of money in the long run though.

[Larry54 243]

That is why I put disclaimers in CAPITALS in my post. There is also no way to know that if some nun had beaten me with a ruler throughout elementary school to write with my left hand that my handwriting wouldn't have eventually looked better than what I am capable of with my right. The effort, pain, time, energy and suffering expended and endured to achieve such gains (if actually attainable) do not necessarily mean it was the path I should have chosen, nor that it was worth the cost.

The basic point I was trying to make was throwing a stick on the ground and letting Johnny pick it up is a poor method for determining the way one should hold a hockey stick. There is a reason Baseball Canada is trying to retrain minor ball players to bat right, while at the same time Hockey Canada is quite content to let 80% of it's players shoot left.

But at the same time you cannot deny the possibility that predisposition and bias due to early exposure of another sport can alter negatively a child's preference for holding a hockey stick. If you throw a straight bladed hockey stick on the ground in Canada and say go pick it up Johnny, chances are it will be his first exposure to sports involving some type of instrument held in his hand. To the extent that 75-80% of individuals will choose left. The unadulterated and natural preference without being exposed to other sports naturally results in a left handed shooting stance. Throw the same stick on the ground in the US and say go pick it up Johnny and the young child growing up in the US where hockey doesn't rule his universe and he has already had exposure to other sports and the predisposition resulting from those sports means there is a 75-80% chance he will shoot right.

There is simply no other explanation why 75-80%+ Canadians shoot left and (are predisposed to bat left), while 75-80+% of Americans shoot right and bat right. Given that baseball is Americas past time I'll give the nod to that being the natural way to hold a bat. Given that pretty much the first thing any Canadian kid holds after a Crayola crayon and before a number 2 pencil is a hockey stick I'll bet that the bodies natural tendency and preference without outside influence or predisposition is to hold a hockey stick left handed.

If predisposition wasn't a factor, Baseball Canada wouldn't be attempting to reverse it's effects in minor ball across Canada.

Anecdotally Europe where baseball is even less popular than in Canada has a similar natural predisposition to shooting left.

I thought this topic was about the idea that holding the top of the stick with your dominant hand will make you a better puck handler. The whole Baseball Canada thing has nothing to do with that. Their problem is not one of being poor hitters because of going against their predisposition, but rather one of having too many left-handed hitters having to face left-handed pitchers. When you write "you cannot deny the possibility that predisposition and bias due to early exposure of another sport can alter negatively a child's preference for holding a hockey stick", I can only agree with that statement if you remove the word negatively from it.

[Souldriver 64]

That is exactly what I was going to say they would likely find. Having your dominant hand at the top makes it easier to control the stick, while having your dominant hand lower gives you more control (and power) over the shot.

I have two good friends that are lefties that play guitar. One plays RH and the other plays LH, both are actually pretty good. It's all a matter of what feels better to you. Playing guitar RH will save you a ton of money in the long run though.

Yes it will. Legit money too like $100s depending on the purchase. Besides the rare we have one left and it's a lefty closeout sale it would be easier to get a start and flip it over and Hendricks it. And if you don't like the neck a certain way warmoth replacement necks are great and drop right in. And they're made to fit.

[Kessel'sOversizedSuit 18]

A bit of a tangent:

I thought that the reason the majority of Canadians shoot left and the majority of american's shoot right has to do with the age at which kids in both country are introduced to the sport. Here in Canada it is not uncommon for a two year old to have his/her own hockey stick. At that age, and even slightly older it is simply easier to control the stick with your dominant hand on top where all the torque is. If however you weren't picking up a stick until you're 7 or 8, you non-dominant hand would likely be strong enough to handle the torque, and you could then benefit from the power and control of having your dominant hand down low.

I read this somewhere once and it seems to make sense to me to explain the extreme difference in handedness between Canada and US.

For what it's worth, I shoot left in hockey and but swing a bat and golf club right handed...

[Capt.Hook 23]

If you live in the US, make 'em lefties. There are always more lefties available during closeouts - ha ha. I wish I'd been a lefty for that reason alone.

I believe it would be more beneficial to have dominant hand on top. I went years trying to stickhandle poorly because my dominant low hand would take over. Also, while the dominant hand can add power to the shot there is a lot more variables including the legs, core, and stick speed that also effect shot power. If I could do it again, I'd be a lefty! I'd teach all my kids to play lefty too.

[footwdg 1]

I had the same question when my kids started playing. They are both right hand dominant and are both right handed hockey players. Both started playing when they were 4 or 5 and are now 13 and 10. When they both started playing hockey they started with straight blade sticks. They both gravitated to playing as a righty. For the record, I do everything as a righty, but play hockey as a lefty. I always thought dominant hand on the top of the stick was the "right" way.

So, from when they were little I tried to "convert" them to lefty. That lasted until they were old enough to finally tell me, "yes Dad, righty feels more comfortable. Yes Dad, I'm SURE!" I thought I'd screwed them up too. I read a USA Hockey article a few years ago about the pluses and minuses of both and it made me feel a little better. Are they screwed up? Who knows.....

I did a quick search on the current top 10 NHL point getters and there are a few other players mixed in there whose pictures came up when I searched for other players autograph signing pictures. I'm making the assumption that the hand they write with is their dominant hand. Here are the results:

Write Shoot

Stamkos R R

Crosby R L

Ovie R R

Malkin R L

Kane R L

Toews R L

Semin R R

Getzlaf R R

Selanne R R

Tavares R L

Perry R R

Zetterberg R L

Datsyuk R L

Daniel Sedin L L

Henrik Sedin R L

What does this prove? Who the hell knows. I did find the Sedin's being opposite hand dominant interesting though.

The last thing I'll say is this. Of course we want the best for our kids and to put them in the best position to have success. Don't forget to savor the ride though. The seasons go by faster and faster every year.

[thejackal 46]

I had the same question when my kids started playing. They are both right hand dominant and are both right handed hockey players. Both started playing when they were 4 or 5 and are now 13 and 10. When they both started playing hockey they started with straight blade sticks. They both gravitated to playing as a righty. For the record, I do everything as a righty, but play hockey as a lefty. I always thought dominant hand on the top of the stick was the "right" way.

So, from when they were little I tried to "convert" them to lefty. That lasted until they were old enough to finally tell me, "yes Dad, righty feels more comfortable. Yes Dad, I'm SURE!" I thought I'd screwed them up too. I read a USA Hockey article a few years ago about the pluses and minuses of both and it made me feel a little better. Are they screwed up? Who knows.....

I did a quick search on the current top 10 NHL point getters and there are a few other players mixed in there whose pictures came up when I searched for other players autograph signing pictures. I'm making the assumption that the hand they write with is their dominant hand. Here are the results:

Write Shoot

Stamkos R R

Crosby R L

Ovie R R

Malkin R L

Kane R L

Toews R L

Semin R R

Getzlaf R R

Selanne R R

Tavares R L

Perry R R

Zetterberg R L

Datsyuk R L

Daniel Sedin L L

Henrik Sedin R L

What does this prove? Who the hell knows. I did find the Sedin's being opposite hand dominant interesting though.

The last thing I'll say is this. Of course we want the best for our kids and to put them in the best position to have success. Don't forget to savor the ride though. The seasons go by faster and faster every year.

seems like the shooters are either RR or LL. Im RR and have always been a better shooter than stickhandler.

[JR Boucicaut 3760]

I had a thought this afternoon on my way to work, and I'm hoping we have some older members who can shed some light on this:

So, prior to the late 50s, when Mikita/Bathgate/Hull (not getting into that argument) started curving their sticks, everyone played with a neutral stick.

Were they labeled LH and RH then? Or just neutral?

So, who made the determination that a stick that curves to the right when you look at it from the top down, is a left-handed stick?

Is it based on hand position, relating to baseball, where a left-handed batter's lower hand is the right, which is the top hand on a left-handed hockey player's stick?

[wrangler 157]

I never saw a straight stick labeled L or R; Brian M. has the only one I ever heard of.

I always thought that a stick (with a curve) held on the left side of the player was L. I never extended analysis to the hand positioning, because I never felt the need.

And I'm about as "older" as the members get, here.

[AfftonDad 88]

I had the same question when my kids started playing. They are both right hand dominant and are both right handed hockey players. Both started playing when they were 4 or 5 and are now 13 and 10. When they both started playing hockey they started with straight blade sticks. They both gravitated to playing as a righty. For the record, I do everything as a righty, but play hockey as a lefty. I always thought dominant hand on the top of the stick was the "right" way.

So, from when they were little I tried to "convert" them to lefty. That lasted until they were old enough to finally tell me, "yes Dad, righty feels more comfortable. Yes Dad, I'm SURE!" I thought I'd screwed them up too. I read a USA Hockey article a few years ago about the pluses and minuses of both and it made me feel a little better. Are they screwed up? Who knows.....

I did a quick search on the current top 10 NHL point getters and there are a few other players mixed in there whose pictures came up when I searched for other players autograph signing pictures. I'm making the assumption that the hand they write with is their dominant hand. Here are the results:

Write Shoot

Stamkos R R

Crosby R L

Ovie R R

Malkin R L

Kane R L

Toews R L

Semin R R

Getzlaf R R

Selanne R R

Tavares R L

Perry R R

Zetterberg R L

Datsyuk R L

Daniel Sedin L L

Henrik Sedin R L

What does this prove? Who the hell knows. I did find the Sedin's being opposite hand dominant interesting though.

The last thing I'll say is this. Of course we want the best for our kids and to put them in the best position to have success. Don't forget to savor the ride though. The seasons go by faster and faster every year.

Around two or three years ago I was killing some time and trying to prove a point to a youth hockey coach that I coach with about the dominant hand on top thing so I analyzed the ENTIRE NHL from the data from NHL.com. I don't have the exact number anymore but the NHL was about 67% left shooters. FYI... the general population is around 11% left handed. My kid is right handed and is a left shooting defenseman. Since we are in St. Louis, MIssouri, where just about every right handed kid shoots right, this means he pretty much ALWAYS gets to play his "natural" side... So I guess I can't complain.

[AfftonDad 88]

I just ran the analysis again for the 2013-14 season...

NHL

Left 62.6% Right 37.4%

CAN

Left 60.3% Right 39.7%

USA

Left 54.5% Right 45.5%

SWE

Left 76.4% Right 23.6%

RUS

Left 83.3% Right 16.7%

FIN

Left 78.9% Right 21.1%

CZE

Left 65.6% Right 34.4%

CHE

Left 57.1% Right 42.9%