Table of Contents
Introduction
Golf is one of the few sports in the world that accommodates everybody. It doesn’t matter if you are a child, a teenager, a man, a woman or a toddler and it certainly doesn’t matter if you are young or old. However, there is a particular category of prospective golfers that might have to work a little harder if they want to play and enjoy golf. This category of golfers is the left-handed golfers. According to statistics, only ten to fifteen per cent of people on earth are left-handed, and this percentage is significantly reduced when it comes to golf. This means that left-handed people who have taken up an interest in golf will have to learn how to apply the rules of the game in their favour. One of the popular left-handed golfers is Phil Mickelson, and he is a clear indication that left-handed players can go as far as they want in the golf game and even become professionals if they desire. Like we said earlier, you have to learn how to apply the rules of the game in your favour and that is why we have put together this article to give you some important tips on how you can successfully navigate the game as a left-handed golfer. Enjoy!
Six useful tips for left-golfers
Below are six simple tips that left-handed golfers can apply to improve their game.
1. Choose your equipment carefully
As a left-handed golfer, the first real problem you would come across is picking out the best equipment for you. Golf equipment manufacturers produce golf sets and equipment majorly for right-handed golfers, and this significantly reduces your options. Admittedly, this is not fair, but the truth is that the market determines the production and the rare breed of left-handed people hardly pick up an interest in golf. This is not to say that there are no left-handed golf sets on the market, but you have to be careful so that you don’t buy the set that is not suitable for you. If you have the money, the best thing is to go to a professional and have your golf set custom made and perfectly fitted for you. It would help if you also buy right-handed golf gloves since your stronger hand is your left hand.
2. Perfect the golf grip
The bulk of the adjustments that you will be making during your golf journey are mostly mental, and they will only require your natural intelligence. However, with the golf grip, the changes are technical. On this platform, we have already discussed how to grip and hold the golf club. However, the bulk of that information was tailored towards right-handed golfers so; we would explain how a left-handed golfer grips the golf club. The golf glove is worn on the weaker hand (the right hand in this scenario) and it goes first on the golf grip. It would be best if you wrapped your fingers around the golf club and then allow your thumb to stick out towards the clubhead. After you have done that, your stronger hand (the left hand) will sit below the weaker hand, and you will wrap the golf grip around your fingers just like you did with your right hand. After this process is completed, you can then apply any grip of your choosing.
3. Utilize the mirror strategy
The mirror strategy means that a left-handed golfer can replicate any shot, swing or stance that a right-handed golfer takes. The rules don’t change when it comes to how you stand, how you swing or how you hit your shot. If you want to hit a draw, a fade or a slice, you can hit it effectively, but you have to adjust your body posture to fit the left-hand factor in your game. If you do this well, it can give you a great advantage on the golf course.
4. Trust your judgement
Most golf courses is uniquely designed to suit right-handed players, but after you have learned the basics of the game, you will begin to see possible angles that right-handed golfers will miss. According to reports, left-handed golfers show more intuition, creativity and mental prowess on the golf course. Playing golf requires you to be creative because you might have to take some shots that might seem impossible to other people. At these moments, you have to trust your judgement and play it out as it is in your mind. You might make a mess, but you will most likely pull off something that will make your right-handed buddies marvel.
5. Find a qualified golf instructor
The single, most important qualification for a golf teacher is experience. If he or she is not a left-handed golfer and he has never taken any other left-handed golfers before, then you have to look for another golf instructor. If you are willing to take a chance with someone that doesn’t meet up with these criteria, that is fine, but you have to be willing to do extensive practice on your own. Finding a golf instructor that has experience with left-handed golfers will allow you to recognize your mistakes and fix them quickly. You will also be aware of all the tricks that left-handed golfers use and how it has helped to improve their overall performance
6. Practice left-handed golf drills
This is where personal effort and determination applies. You have to be willing to learn as many left-handed golf drills as possible. You can also read other learning materials that are specifically made for left-handed golfers. If you keep doing this, you will be more confident, and you will have a lot of playing options when you step on the golf course.
Conclusion
If you are left-handed and you are interested in golf, you should know that you can perform just as well as any right-handed golf player; you can even perform better if you are willing to put in the hard work. This article has given you some actionable tips that will aid you on your journey to becoming a good golf player. Just remember, if Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson can make it to the big leagues, then you can dominate your golf course. Enjoy!