Should I start my lefty 3 year old son playing right handed golf?

Question

I want to start my three old son playing golf (Tiger Woods started at three!) I have heard it is better for your strong arm to be facing in the direction of the ball trajectory. The challenge is as you get older your less coordinated in this "backwards" orientation.

My son appears to be left handed but has not yet learned all of his coordination skills. Would it be better to train him to shoot like a right handed player or a left handed player? He may get more power shooting as a righty but will he be challenged with accuracy when he matures? Or will he already find it much too difficult in coordination to even start shooting righty?

I shoot right handed as a righty and it would be nice in the future if we could share clubs when he is much older. But ultimately since the game is hard enough on its own, I would like to give him any advantage possible.

I would not start my son unless I thought he was socially ready. Being in Chicago he will actually be closer to 3-1/2 before I took him anywhere. But he is very socially responsible for perhaps the driving range. He speaks very well and full sentences and can comprehend well beyond his years.

This certainly won't be anything I force on him. But at this point he is very excited and is always out in the lawn when I practice my chipping around the house and tries to hit the ball. I just wanted to get him some real clubs he can handle and see what happens.

Thanks for the great suggestion so far. Keep bringing them on!

Answer 1

If we're talking handwriting, I would encourage you to let him write with his dominent hand but golf, it really is just learning a swing. You use both arms and it really shouldn't make a difference. And if golf, it really doesn't make a difference - there seems to be no advantage to either hand. Equipment purchases, though, are geared for right handed players. And teaching pros may be more adept at teaching right handed players. But as your boy progresses and his equipment needs change, you can always find left handed golf stuff and a good teaching pro should be able to transfer his or her knowledge to a lefty.

Hey, look at Yogi Berra - natural right handed but hit left handed! And is in the Hall of Fame!

Answer 2

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Answer 3

3 seems a little young even though tiger and Phil did it. I recommend you take your kid to the putting green get a lefty and right handed putter and see whats more comfortable for him.
You should start him out at about 6 because a three year can barely talk he wont care about golf. He will just either run around on the course and wont be able to play. Start him at six years old
by that time you could really tell if he is right or left handed
if he is left handed go with left handed clubs why not even though many left Handers are ambidextrous he still will be left handed.

Answer 4

I have a left handed son but he does almost everything right handed. Which hand does your son throw with, say, a baseball? This usually gives an indication of his favored side. My son throws left but bats right. Golf, being a precision sport, would likely be just as easy right or left. It probably wouldn't hurt to buy a few left hand clubs just to keep that option open if he has difficulties. Maybe being ambidextrious could come in handy on a tough chip.

Answer 5

Take him to a miniature golf course (a.k.a., putt-putt, or mini-golf -- it's called different things in different parts of the country) and see which side he prefers to stand on when hitting a putter. Don't force it on him -- let him decide, and don't let him watch you first or he'll probably go to the side that dad does.

A lot of the golf game depends upon how comfortable you are over the ball and how it fits your "mind's eye." Watch how your son sets up -- if he stays on the left-handed side for most or all of the holes, get him left-handed clubs.

Answer 6

yeah, go ahead and set him up for being a right golfer. my bro is left handed, but can knock the he*ll out of a golf ball playing with his right. the truth is, the majority of golf is centered around right handed players. on tv, the lessons are normally called for righthanded players, and there is more equipment available for righties. truth be told, if your son isnt compfy with it, dont force it. oh, and your doin good by starting him young. i didnt start until i was like 13, and its so hard trying to cram all of golf into a few years before scouts start lookin for college. good luck buddy

Answer 7

I'm left handed but use my right for most things-from being taught by a righty-dont think it matters just let him use which ever is more comfortable.I know a guy who was left handed and his alcoholic stepdad thought that was wrong and made him be right handed-the poor guy could barely write

Answer 8

that is young but go for the right hand and he will thank you later. Lefty clubs can cost allot more but used lefty clubs are cheap but hard to find. He will have a bigger natural role as a lefty cause they naturally hit a draw, rights hit a fade and naturally do not role as far as a draw, but small potatoes.

Answer 9

I think the opposite hand is primarily intended to off-set for ex-baseball players with a dominant hand.

Focus on whatever causes him to have more fun, more short term success and your relationship will benefit and he will reach his maximum potential with the least amount of effort in the shortest timeframe.

Answer 10

give the kid a club and see what he wants to do with it.