The RinkFor the not so ready for prime-time players, coaches, referees, and the people that have to live with them. Discuss experiences in local leagues, coaching tips, equipment, and training.
I write left.
Throw left.
If playing goal for a street hockey game or something, catch left
Left hand on bottom when shooting.
Bat left.
Hold jar with left, twist with right normally - unless its really stuck then I swap.
Cut things with knife in left hand, and right hand holding.
Pool, left hand for stabilizing - right hand at top of stick.
Raquets are held in left hand
One hand driving/biking - left hand. (Though after spending time driving stick in the UK, right hand almost feels okay to hold the wheel).
But back to shooting in hockey... I wonder if 'handedness' is actually a misnomer. Because I think shooting in hockey might be similar to shooting in archery (From what I've read) - it's more important to shoot from the side of your dominant eye.
Though, and I'm just pulling things out of my bottom here -- for hockey this would mean that if you're right eye dominant - you'd want your right side in the lead as that's the 'top' eye and has a larger field of view. So that would then put your right hand at the top of the stick.
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.
That's what I do with little kids when I'm selling them their first stick... I give them a straight-blade youth stick and tell them to hold it like they're going to shoot, and then I go with whichever handed stick they default to.
I'm a righty in everything and shoot lefty, and I find that it is definitely more helpful to have your dominant hand on top. This especially comes into play when stick-handling. Any pro/coach will tell you that when you stick handle you should be rolling your top hand's wrist to control the motion, and the bottom hand should just be there for support.
I think that shot side and handedness are two separate things. I saw a left handed stick at work today and thought of this thread. I also wanted to try stick handling on a rink board. I suffered from wrist lock when on the left side.
The NHL having more left shots than in the general population is probably due to it being advantageous having your dominant hand on top when in your natural form. One more thing that helps make them a 1 in x000 player. Ovechkin, Giroux, Selanne, Eberle, Lemieux all are right shots with dominant right hands.
Myself being lefthanded and I figure most other lefties may have similar experiences, that we learn to do a lot of things right handed because we were taught that way by a righthander, or there was no lefthanded equipment around. I shoot right, hit left, and golf left. But I play guitar right. Lefty golf clubs as well as lefty guitars are not as plentiful. When I started playing some hockey, I shot left but switched to right because it just felt better. Funny...My mom is also a lefty but golfs right.
Golf right and when I was a goalie (much much younger!) I caught with my left hand. My dad always made fun of me for that, because when I played baseball, I am obviously left handed thus catching with my right hand. Oh well, maybe I'm just strange or ambidextrious (sp)!
im right handed, (write and JO), im a lefty in hockey, but im righty in golf, except i put with left handed club. I can still swing pretty well left handed
I do everything right sided. Everything, If you cut off my left arm, I may have problems with getting dressed and carrying stuff but otherwise wouldn't notice it. I shoot with my right hand lower, and when I one hand my stick I use my right also.
I'm a righty, picked up hockey late and went with a righty stick.
I've developed my left arm quite a bit since I started playing, while it's definitely stronger than before it's still not quite at the level of my right hand when holding the stick with one hand.
Though I've spoken to a few righties out there who shoot left.. They claim while they can shoot decently with left sticks, their shots (especially slappers) are much stronger and accurate using a right stick.
Thing is, in a real game, you'll find more situations where you need one hand on the stick than taking slappers.
I write with my right hand Play hockey lefty shot. When I was 6 years old I used my older brothers stick which way to long and the only way I could control it was with my right hand on top.
As I got older I just got used to it and develop control and strength in my left hand/arm for snap/slap shots.
It just feel strange if I hold it righty stick as part of the reason too is that it throws off my perception as I learn to stick handle from the left side.
Being right handed I assumed a right stick would be correct and always wondered why there were so many lefties. Later on it was explained to me dominant hand should be on top and so I decided to switch seeing as though my shooting sucked anyway. Stick handling is A LOT better
Though I've spoken to a few righties out there who shoot left.. They claim while they can shoot decently with left sticks, their shots (especially slappers) are much stronger and accurate using a right stick.
That's really surprising. What level are you talking about? I don't know any hockey player that would have a better shot on his "wrong" side. I asked a bunch of good/pro hockey players to shoot on their wrong side...they looked like beginners.
Did you know that in field hockey it's mandatory to play with your left hand on top? A majority of field-hockey players play on the "wrong" side. Glad we don't have that rule in ice-hockey.
I'm a goalie but when I'm not in goal I'm one of those rare people who can play both ways, my coach thought it was hilarious when I played out at practice one day and he asked what handed I was and I said I can play both, then he chirped one of the really old players and said "hey do you have one of those old sticks with no curve on the blade for Chris to use?"
I'm weird because I write with my left hand, but do everything else like throwing, bowling and all other hitting sports right-handed. So that makes both of my hands equally as strong for hockey.
I learnt to play with a right-handed stick because the guy who taught me was right handed, then I started playing in goal catching left because I felt more comfortable holding the stick in my right hand. After playing in goal for a while I was playing in the street and tried out a left handed stick and found I was just as good playing left as I was right.
There's loads of kids in the UK who play the wrong way, it's because when they start they and the parents don't know much about hockey so when they go to buy little Johnny a stick he writes with his right hand and plays cricket right-handed so they get him a right-handed stick.
