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Seen a thread earlier on this and I just noticed something. I know hockey is about 50/50 when it comes to the hand people shoot. But everyone I know who writes left handed shoots right in hockey. Does anyone or has anyone ever met someone who writes left that shoots left? I haven't.
This is actually something I've followed for most of my life (I am a goaltender) and have studied brain lateralization.
rougly one third of hockey players shoot with their stronger hand on the bottom; meaning left shooting lefties or right shooting righties. Now the NHL these stats are somewhat skewed from the natural average; it is much harder to play defense that way because if you hold the stick in one hand, you hold it in your top hand so it is difficult if your top hand is your non-dominant one.
Also considered that a person who can naturally shoot either way would likely shoot with their stronger hand on top to make it easier when they have 1 hand on the stick. Or a goaltender who can hold the stick in either hand but can only shoot one way, would ensure they catch on their shooting side (Greg Millen admitted to doing this)
To answer your above question, Donald Brashear was a left-handed fighter and shooter. Jose Theodore catches right (and thus is left-handed) and shoots left. I should state that goaltending figures are also skewed; a lot of goalies learn to shoot on their catching side even if this is not natural and a goalie who has to switch the stick over to shoot (dwayne roloson, curtis joseph, Jonas Enroth) would have a disadvantage hence why there's likely fewer.
So if you go by the natural averages, 1/3 people shoot with their dominant hand on the bottom and 1/11 people are left-handed so the natural odds should indicate 3% of people are left-shooting lefties.
Seen a thread earlier on this and I just noticed something. I know hockey is about 50/50 when it comes to the hand people shoot. But everyone I know who writes left handed shoots right in hockey. Does anyone or has anyone ever met someone who writes left that shoots left? I haven't.
yes, nick kypreos
on the current leafs, most lefties- schenn, armstrong and franson shoot right
it's no different than most righties shooting left in hockey, thus it's not a 50/50 split at all
there are more left handed shooting players when you go up to a higher level of hockey
on a beer league where you see a lot of hockey noobs you might see more right handed shots, because players have picked up the game late, and believe they can derive more power from their bottom hand
they go for power without even realizing that the top hand is most crucial for control
Steve Jensen, former NHL player and director of the hockey camp I attended, told me that he's left handed and he shoots left.
Actually, it always annoys me that whenever I play hockey with beginners who picked up the sport as an adult, they are mostly all righthanded people who play with righty sticks. Everyone assumes that righthanded = righty stick because that's what you do in baseball and golf. Someone at the hockey shop should tell them to try a lefty stick first, so that their dominant hand is on top.
Actually, it always annoys me that whenever I play hockey with beginners who picked up the sport as an adult, they are mostly all righthanded people who play with righty sticks. Everyone assumes that righthanded = righty stick because that's what you do in baseball and golf. Someone at the hockey shop should tell them to try a lefty stick first, so that their dominant hand is on top.
The guy at the hockey shop was great, he handed me a stick and told me to hold it. Didn't tell me what kind of stick it was, didn't ask if I was L or R handed. It felt better to hold it with right on top, so that's what I went with. The other way just felt (and still feels) wrong.
I can see why people would assume that R=R and L=L though.
I've actually been very interested in handedness generally pretty much since I was a little kid and noticed on NHL 96 that the majority of the players shot lefty. Of course, I thought this was weird because the vast majority of people are right-handed.
Going into the present, I've still been fascinated with handedness, particularly as it applies to hockey, and to a lesser extent, baseball. And after researching the topic, I've come to these conclusions:
Conclusion 1. Handedness in things were you use both hands simultaneously is not cut and dry. Instead, it is a complex animal.
- How do you open a jar? How do you shoot pool? Which hand is on top when you swing a baseball bat? If you ride a bike with one hand, which hand are you more comfortable leaving on the handlebar?
All of these things use both hands at the same time and if you look at them, people do them many different ways. I hold a jar with my right hand and twist the cap with my left. I shoot pool left-handed. I bat right-handed. I'm far more comfortable guiding a bike with my left hand.
Now, I throw right-handed and write right-handed, which are the two main indicators people use for hand dominance. But, I happen to shoot right-handed in hockey, which theoretically is the wrong way. I think qmechanic is correct that a lot of ignorant adults picking up the game just say "derp, I'm right-handed, so I need a right-handed stick." And, a lot of ignorant parents whose kids want to play hockey say "derp, my kid is right-handed, so the kid needs a right-handed stick."
But I certainly picked up a stick at a young age, and right handed felt right correct to me. I think that based on shooting pool left-handed, this makes sense.
Conclusion 2. I think that a comment I saw on the internet from an old guy that runs a hockey shop said it very well: to determine what curve a kid should use, see how the kid holds a shovel. I always shovelled snow with my right hand on the bottom and my left hand on the top, and I play hockey the same way.
How do you open a jar? How do you shoot pool? Which hand is on top when you swing a baseball bat? If you ride a bike with one hand, which hand are you more comfortable leaving on the handlebar?
I am right-handed, shoot right, bat right, throw right, golf right, play tennis with my right hand, etc. but for some reason I shoot pool left.
The guy at the hockey shop was great, he handed me a stick and told me to hold it. Didn't tell me what kind of stick it was, didn't ask if I was L or R handed. It felt better to hold it with right on top, so that's what I went with. The other way just felt (and still feels) wrong.
I can see why people would assume that R=R and L=L though.
of course as a mature adult your stronger hand will feel better on the bottom because you will feel like you can derive more power
i played street hockey 10 years ago with 10 or so immigrant kids who all picked up the game late and everyone shot with their dominant hand down 10/10
imo it's likely more proper to shoot with the dominant hand on top even though it may not feel comfortable at first because power will come and your stick handling will be way better
Conclusion 2. I think that a comment I saw on the internet from an old guy that runs a hockey shop said it very well: to determine what curve a kid should use, see how the kid holds a shovel. I always shovelled snow with my right hand on the bottom and my left hand on the top, and I play hockey the same way.
yea except when you shovel you are not stick handling or poke checking
shoveling requires way more power rather than finesse
of course as a mature adult your stronger hand will feel better on the bottom because you will feel like you can derive more power
i played street hockey 10 years ago with 10 or so immigrant kids who all picked up the game late and everyone shot with their dominant hand down 10/10
imo it's likely more proper to shoot with the dominant hand on top even though it may not feel comfortable at first because power will come and your stick handling will be way better
I always figured I should play with what feels more comfortable, so as a righty I shoot right and have my left hand on top. At this point, if I wanted to shoot left, I'd have to re-train myself again. I've tried using left handed sticks, and it was just awkward.
I took up the sport around the age of 7, my dad gave me a flat bladed stick and I just held it right handed. My right hand is my dominant hand, so I shoot right and do just about everything right-handed, I think it's more a matter of preference than anything.
I do notice that MOST people hold the stick with their dominant hand at the top though.
I've actually been very interested in handedness generally pretty much since I was a little kid and noticed on NHL 96 that the majority of the players shot lefty. Of course, I thought this was weird because the vast majority of people are right-handed.
Going into the present, I've still been fascinated with handedness, particularly as it applies to hockey, and to a lesser extent, baseball. And after researching the topic, I've come to these conclusions:
Conclusion 1. Handedness in things were you use both hands simultaneously is not cut and dry. Instead, it is a complex animal.
- How do you open a jar? How do you shoot pool? Which hand is on top when you swing a baseball bat? If you ride a bike with one hand, which hand are you more comfortable leaving on the handlebar?
All of these things use both hands at the same time and if you look at them, people do them many different ways. I hold a jar with my right hand and twist the cap with my left. I shoot pool left-handed. I bat right-handed. I'm far more comfortable guiding a bike with my left hand.
Now, I throw right-handed and write right-handed, which are the two main indicators people use for hand dominance. But, I happen to shoot right-handed in hockey, which theoretically is the wrong way. I think qmechanic is correct that a lot of ignorant adults picking up the game just say "derp, I'm right-handed, so I need a right-handed stick." And, a lot of ignorant parents whose kids want to play hockey say "derp, my kid is right-handed, so the kid needs a right-handed stick."
But I certainly picked up a stick at a young age, and right handed felt right correct to me. I think that based on shooting pool left-handed, this makes sense.
Conclusion 2. I think that a comment I saw on the internet from an old guy that runs a hockey shop said it very well: to determine what curve a kid should use, see how the kid holds a shovel. I always shovelled snow with my right hand on the bottom and my left hand on the top, and I play hockey the same way.
Very interesting post. I've never really thought about the jar and bike things, but i do both of those the same way you do. Hold jar with right hand, twist lid with left. More comfortable leaving left hand on handlebars. The throwing, writing, etc., conventional indicators i do right-handed. But i've never really taken notice of left and right handed jar opening. lol. Going to have to pay more attention to this in the future, out of curiousity.
I'm also 'right-handed' and shoot Right, which as mentioned, seems 'technically' wrong. But it's not a product of picking up the game late in life or anything. I started playing at a very young age, and my father is right-handed and shoots left, so it's not as though he was unaware of this and just bought me the wrong stick or anything.
I am right-handed, shoot right, bat right, throw right, golf right, play tennis with my right hand, etc. but for some reason I shoot pool left.
Its weird.
I'm right handed, shoot left, bat left, throw right, golf left, play tennis right, pool right.
I've spent the last 3 years coaching minor baseball and the most challenging aspect is trying to figure out a kids dominant hand, particularly in T-ball. They come in a pick up a ball and throw it from their right, catch with their right then throw with their left next time and so on... usually I end up having their parents fill out a questionaire to see how they do different tasks at home. It's suprising how many parents think their child is right or left handed and they turn out to be wrong.
I write left, shoot left, and do everything else with my right.
I write left, open jars left, shoot pool left. The only thing I do right handed is hitting in baseball and shooting in hockey where I've always felt more comfortable and felt like I had more control with my dominant left hand on the bottom of the bat or on top of the stick.
feels more comfy that way, especially for shooting.
