With left-handed individuals, everything seems to be rare, like scissors, can openers, and more. And golf is no exception to this.
Specifically, finding golf tips and strategies for left-handed golfers can almost feel like you are digging for rare gold treasure. Undoubtedly, there are thousands and thousands of articles, pieces, and web pages that are devoted to right-handed golfers. On the other side of the spectrum, lefties often seem to be left out of every single loop.
Lucky you for you left-handed players, we have compiled a number of simple, yet effective, golf tips for you lefties who are especially brand new to the beautiful game of golf.
Swing Comes First
First things first, let’s talk about one of the most important parts: swings. You can’t play golf without swings — we are starting with the basics of the basics.
For left-handed golfers, the mechanics of a good golf swing are generally the same, regardless which side you prefer or which side is dominant. Once you have mastered the fundamentals of the game, such as your swing, only then can you start moving into more advanced aspects.
However, not too fast, we aren’t quite done with the basics yet.
Head Down
As promised, here is one from the books of basic golf rules.
If you are a new player to the sport, one of the most important golf tips you can receive as a left-handed golfer is to keep your head down. It may seem simple, but it is important to do so throughout the entire swing of yours. Don’t get us wrong, this applies to the righties as well.
Here is the reason behind it. Lifting the head to see where the ball is taking flight, out of mere curiosity, is probably the most common mistake made by new players in golf.
Full Rotation
Now that we have introduced the most common mistake, let’s discuss the runner up.
For all the new players, the second mistake that is most made is not allowing your body and hips to fully rotate as they come through the ball, and into the necessary follow through. In addition to an emphasis on “fully,” the rotation must be smooth.
As a left-handed golfer, you should rotate towards the right as full as possible in order to maximize the power of your swing. To do so, lead with your right hip, and your hands will naturally follow — this is a key element to solid hitting! Make sure to keep it in mind.
Engage Right
As we have started talking about your right hip, it’s time to add the factors of hands.
While it also important to lead your swing by engaging your right hand, you should finish it off with your left hand. In other words, the power of your dominant hand, your left, along with the power of your dominant side, should form the perfect combination to drive through the ball at contact and impact with your club.
The discussion has been quite heavy with the upper body, but we cannot forget about the lower half of our bodies.
Weight at Feet
More specifically, let’s delve into the role of weight transfer and your feet.
One of the most important golf tips for left-handed golfers is to do your best with ending your swing with a complete follow through. It doesn’t end there, it must leave you on the balls of your feet. The thing to avoid is, you do not want to end flat-footed or on your heels.
When a player ends their swing on the balls of their feet, it is a direct indicator that their hips have made the full rotation that they needed for maximum power in their swing. Always remember, the momentum of the swing sources from the hips, and not the hands, nor the shoulders.
Course Management
Every article, piece or web page you find for whatever golf skill will only give you tips that lead to body adjustments or ball placement. More specifically, there is no article on golf tips for left-handed golfers that can be called “finished,” without a few words of wisdom regarding course management.
With that said, let us discuss it with detail, shall we?
As a new player, you will definitely play more courses over time. And as you do, you may begin to notice that most have holes that veer left to right. There’s a term for this, and it is dogleg holes.
In order to play them effectively, a golfer must learn to perform a draw shot. If you are not aware of what a draw is yet, this shot makes the ball curve under control to the right. Take note of this: it curves to the left for right-handed players if you ever read further on draw shots and how to do them.
Reading Articles
Now that we approach the end of our list, we will give a worthy piece of general advice.
Everything can be found on the Internet, but as a left-handed golfer, you are unique.
Most of the material that you will find on any golf skill, is written for righties, like hitting a draw shot article. With that, you should make sure that you reverse the instructions or read carefully. On top of this, take the necessary time to practice what you read about.
And going back to a draw, this is one shot that will serve you well for years to come in golf.
Correct Clubs
This is our last tip for you left-handed individuals. And it is a simple one.
It should be noted that many, many lefties use the wrong clubs. On a surface-level perspective, there is nothing wrong with using clubs that are designed for right-handed players. However, with them, you will never play to your full potential until you get yourself a set of left-handed clubs.
You can find clubs in sporting stores and online shops to meet your individual needs!
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