ELI5: how can right-handed people do precise things with their left hand (like playing guitar chords and catching baseball in a glove)
ELI5: how can right-handed people do precise things with their left hand (like playing guitar chords and catching baseball in a glove)
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They practice. Make a conscious effort to only do things with your non dominant hand for a while and you’ll be surprised how good you can get with it.
Strumming a guitar or throwing a ball take more muscle control overall, so you want to do those with your dominant hand.
I’m a court reporter and use both hands like a piano player. Practice, practice, practice.
Dominance is actually a bit more complicated than “smart side” “dumb side”. Your dominant hand/side tends to be better with fine controls, whereas your non-dominant side tends to be better with gross movements.
Guitar, for example: the left hand is playing chords or picking individual notes, usually out of a scale. These seem complex, but your right hand is what’s (usually) actually making the sound. It has to control rhythm, volume, pick the right strings… All more fine control versus rote, practiced movements for the left hand.
Baseball, same thing. Your right hand will throw the ball, taking a lot more motor control, versus your left catching, which is essentially just letting the ball do its thing and clamping down at the right time.
Beyond that, as others have mentioned, is training. You can train co-dominance just by using your off hand more often. You may also have separate dominance in your eyes, legs, and hands. It’s really all about what you use and practice, and if there’s anything in particular about one side preventing dominance, such as bad eyesight in that eye.
Because those things aren’t really that “precise”..
Writing, drawing, threading a needle, cutting vegetables etc.. those are more precise tasks.
When the left hand is acting as a compliment to the right one it’s also easier like playing instruments or eating with knife and fork.
Practice. Try using a hammer with your weak hand, even if you start by guiding as little as needed by your main. Eventually you will build the same muscle memory that you have with your dominant hand.
Especially for sports, it’s starting early and frequently. A lot of repetition, especially while young can create truely two handed/footed players.
Training and practice. I’m right handed. I normally use a mouse right handed. I started having some twinging from repetitive stress injuries using the computer. I got a trackball that I can use with my left hand. I practiced until i was good at it. I now switched back-and-forth periodically to keep the skills sharp and give my right hand a break.
just because your right or left handed doesn’t mean you can’t train to do something with the opposite hand