Ambidexterity
Encyclopedia
Ambidexterity is the state of being equally adept in the use of both left and right appendages (such as the hands). It is one of the most famous varieties of cross-dominance
. People that are naturally ambidextrous are rare, with only one out of one hundred people being naturally ambidextrous. The degree of versatility with each hand is generally the qualitative factor in determining a person's ambidexterity.
In modern times, it is more common to find people considered ambidextrous who were originally left handed and who learned to be ambidextrous either deliberately or during childhood
institutions such as school
s, jobs where right-handed habits are often emphasized or required. Also, since many everyday devices (such as can opener
s and scissors
) are asymmetrical and designed for right-handed people, many left-handers learn to use them right-handedly due to the rarity or lack of left-handed models. Thus, left-handed people are much more likely to develop motor skills in their non-dominant hand than right-handers (who are not subjected to left-favoring devices). Right-handers may become ambidextrous due to an injury of their right hand or arm. Ambidexterity is often encouraged in activities requiring a great deal of skill in both hands, such as knitting
, typing on a computer, juggling
, swimming, percussion
, keyboard music
, baseball
, lacrosse
, surgery
, boxing
, martial arts
and basketball
.
roots ambi-, meaning "both", and dexter, meaning "right" or favorable. Thus, "ambidextrous" is literally "right / favorable on both sides". The term ambidexter in English
was originally used in a legal
sense of jurors
who accepted bribes from both parties for their verdict.
, a now-retired British triple jumper who still holds the world record in that event, was known to be able to kick with either foot while he played rugby. He displayed unprecedented ambidexterity while jumping off either foot during his competitive jumps.
, football
, and basketball
. "Switch hitting
" is the most common phenomenon, and is highly prized because a batter usually has a higher statistical chance of successfully hitting the baseball when it is thrown by an opposite-handed pitcher. Therefore, an ambidextrous hitter can bat from whichever side is most advantageous to him in that situation. Pete Rose
, who had more hits than anyone else in the history of Major League Baseball
, was a switch hitter.
Ambidextrous pitchers also exist. Tony Mullane
won 284 games in the 19th century. Elton Chamberlain
and Larry Corcoran
were also notable ambidextrous pitchers. In the modern era Greg A. Harris
is the only major league pitcher to pitch with both his left and his right arm. A natural right-hander, by 1986 he could throw well enough with his left hand that he felt capable of pitching with either hand in a game. Harris wasn't allowed to throw left-handed in a regular-season game until September 28, 1995, the next-to-last game of his career. Against the Cincinnati Reds
in the ninth inning, Harris (then a member of the Montreal Expos
) retired Reggie Sanders
pitching right-handed, then switched to his left hand for the next two hitters, Hal Morris
and Ed Taubensee, who both batted left-handed. Harris walked Morris but got Taubensee to ground out. He then went back to his right hand to retire Bret Boone
to end the inning. One Division I NCAA pitcher, Pat Venditte
formerly of the Creighton Bluejays
, now with the New York Yankees
Class AA affiliate Trenton Thunder , regularly pitches with both arms.
Billy Wagner
was a natural right-handed pitcher in his youth, but after breaking his throwing arm twice, he taught himself how to use his left arm by throwing nothing but fastballs against a barn wall. He became a dominant left-handed relief pitcher, most known for his 100+ mph (160+ km/h) fastball. In his 1999 season, Wagner captured the National League
Relief Man of the Year Award as a Houston Astro
.
Toronto Blue Jays
pitcher Brett Cecil
is naturally right-handed, but starting from a very early age, threw with his left. As such, he writes and performs most tasks with the right side of his body, but throws with his left.
the player may choose to make a pass or shot with the weaker hand. NBA stars David Lee
, Derrick Rose
, Andrew Bogut
and Michael Beasley
, are ambidextrous players. Bogut is stronger in the post with his left handed hook shot than he is with his natural right, Brothers Marc Gasol
and Pau Gasol
can make hook shots with both right and left hand while both their dominant hand is right. Los Angeles Lakers
left-handed point guard Derek Fisher
used to dunk with his right hand for his early years. Candace Parker
, forward for the WNBA Sparks team, also has equal dominance with both hands.
, being able to skate successfully with not only one's dominant foot forward but also the less dominant one is called "switch skating" and is a prized ability. Notable switch skateboarders include Eric Koston
, Guy Mariano
, Jereme Rodgers, Paul Rodriguez Jr.
, and Bob Burnquist. Similarly, surfers
who ride equally well in either stance are said to be surfing "switch-foot". Also, snowboarding
at the advanced level requires the ability to ride equally well in either stance.
fighters may choose to face their opponent with either the left shoulder forward in a right-handed stance ("orthodox") or the right shoulder forward in a left-handed stance ("south-paw"), thus a degree of cross dominance is useful. In boxing
, Manny Pacquiao
has a southpaw stance in the ring even though he is really right-handed outside the ring.
, it is also beneficial to be able to use both arms. Ambidextrous fielders can make one handed catches or throws with either hand. Sachin Tendulkar
uses his left hand for writing, but bats and bowls with right hand. There are many players who are naturally right handed but bat left and vice versa. Sourav Ganguly
uses his right hand for writing but bats with his left hand.
player Ronnie O'Sullivan
is unique amongst the current ranks of top snooker professionals, in that he is able to play to world standard with either hand. While he lacks power in his left arm, his ability to alternate hands allows him to take shots that would otherwise require awkward cueing. When he first displayed this ability in the 1996 World Championship
against the Canadian player Alain Robidoux
, Robidoux accused him of disrespect. O'Sullivan responded that he played better with his left hand than Robidoux could with his right. O'Sullivan was summoned to a disciplinary hearing in response to Robidoux's formal complaint, where he had to prove that he could play to a high level with his left hand. He played three frames of snooker against former world championship runner-up Rex Williams
, winning all three. The charge of bringing the game into disrepute was subsequently dropped.
, most skaters who are right-handed spin and jump to the left, and vice versa for left-handed individuals. Olympic Champion figure skater John Curry
notably performed his jumps in one direction (anti-clockwise) while spinning predominantly in the other. Very few skaters have such an ability to perform jumps and spins in both directions, and it is now considered a "difficult variation" in spins under the ISU Judging System
to rotate in the non-dominant direction. Michelle Kwan
used an opposite-rotating camel spin
in some of her programs as a signature move
. No point bonus exists for opposite direction jumps or bi-directional combination jumps, despite their being much harder to perfect.
, Wesley Sneijder
and David Villa
are all examples of ambidextrous footballers, but none perhaps as notable as Pedro
and Hernanes
.
In rugby league
and rugby union
being ambidextrous is an advantage when is comes to passing the football between teammates as well as being able to use both feet by the halves is an advantage in gaining field position by kicking the ball ahead. Jonny Wilkinson
is a prime example of a union player who is equally good at kicking off both feet, for example he normally place kicks using his left, but dropped the goal that won the Rugby World Cup in 2003 with his right.
In American football
, it is especially advantageous to be able to use both arms. Ambidextrous receivers can make one-handed catches with either hand; quarterbacks can roll out of the pocket and throw with either arm, confusing the defense; linemen can hold their shoulders square and produce an equal amount of power with both arms; and punters can handle a bad snap and roll out and punt with either leg, limiting the chance of a block.
, especially if a left-handed player utilizes right-handed clubs. Having more precise coordination with the left hand is believed to allow better-controlled, and stronger drives. Mac O'Grady
was a touring pro who played right-handed, yet could play "scratch" (no handicap) golf left-handed. He lobbied the USGA for years to be certified as an amateur "lefty" and a pro "righty" to no avail. Although not ambidextrous, Phil Mickelson
and Mike Weir
are both right-handers who golf left-handed; Ben Hogan
was the opposite, being a natural left-hander who played golf right-handed. This is known as cross-dominance
or mixed-handedness
. Katelyn Johnson is a famous ambidextrous women's golf player.
players may shoot from the left or right side of the body. For the most part, right-handed players shoot left, and likewise, most left-handed players shoot right as the player will often wield the stick one-handed. The dominant hand is typically placed on the top of the stick to allow for better stickhandling and control of the puck. Players who learn the game in the USA will generally play with their stronger hand in the middle of the stick, thus putting more power into slapshots. Gordie Howe
was one of few players capable of doing both, although this was at a time when the blade of the stick was not curved.
Another ice hockey player, goaltender Bill Durnan
, was nicknamed "Dr. Strangeglove" for his ability to catch the puck with either hand. This feat won him the Vezina Trophy
, then for the National Hockey League
's goalie with the lowest goals-against average, six times out of only seven seasons. He had developed this ability playing for church-league teams in Toronto and Montreal to make up for his poor lateral movement.
Field hockey
players are forced to play right-handed. The rules of the game denote that the ball can only be struck with the flat side of the stick. Perhaps to avoid confusing referees, a left-handed stick does not exist. Chelsie Homer is also a famous female ice hockey ambidextrous player.
, drivers who participate in various events in both the United States and Europe will sometimes encounter machines with the steering wheel mounted on different sides of the car. While steering ability is largely unaffected, the hand used for shifting changes. This is further complicated by the fact that the shift pattern relative to the driver changes, e.g. a gear change that requires moving the lever toward the driver in a left-hand-drive vehicle becomes a movement away from the driver in a right-hand-drive vehicle. A driver skilled in shifting with the opposite hand is at an advantage.
, a player may be able to reach balls on the backhand side more easily if they're able to use the weaker hand. Perfect examples of players who are ambidextrous include Luke Jensen
and Maria Sharapova
. Rafael Nadal
uses his right hand for writing, but plays tennis with left. There are many players who are naturally right handed but play lefty and vice versa. Evgenia Kulikovskaya
is also an ambidextrous player, Kulikovskaya played with two forehands and no backhand, switching her racket hand depending on where the ball was coming.
Although it is quite uncommon, in badminton
, ambidextrous players such as Uddhav Naik are able to switch the racquet between their hands, often to get to the awkward backhand corner quickly. As badminton can be a very fast sport, at professional levels of play, players might not have time to switch the racquet, as this disrupts their reaction time.
, the use of two needles, the knitter must learn to use both needles seamlessly. Several factors also lead to ambidexterity, the chief one being if a person either favors their left hand over their right or if they learned to crochet
before learning to knit. In that case, they either use the English method of knitting or learn to use the form of knitting more common in the United States.
Cross-dominance
Cross-dominance, also known as mixed-handedness, mixed dominance, or hand-confusion, is a motor skill manifestation where a person favors one hand for some tasks and the other hand for others. For example, a cross-dominant person might write with the left hand but throw primarily with the right...
. People that are naturally ambidextrous are rare, with only one out of one hundred people being naturally ambidextrous. The degree of versatility with each hand is generally the qualitative factor in determining a person's ambidexterity.
In modern times, it is more common to find people considered ambidextrous who were originally left handed and who learned to be ambidextrous either deliberately or during childhood
Childhood
Childhood is the age span ranging from birth to adolescence. In developmental psychology, childhood is divided up into the developmental stages of toddlerhood , early childhood , middle childhood , and adolescence .- Age ranges of childhood :The term childhood is non-specific and can imply a...
institutions such as school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
s, jobs where right-handed habits are often emphasized or required. Also, since many everyday devices (such as can opener
Can opener
A can opener is a device used to open metal cans. Although preservation of food using tin cans had been practiced since at least 1772 in the Netherlands, the first can openers were patented only in 1855 in England and in 1858 in the United States. Those openers were basically variations of a...
s and scissors
Scissors
Scissors are hand-operated cutting instruments. They consist of a pair of metal blades pivoted so that the sharpened edges slide against each other when the handles opposite to the pivot are closed. Scissors are used for cutting various thin materials, such as paper, cardboard, metal foil, thin...
) are asymmetrical and designed for right-handed people, many left-handers learn to use them right-handedly due to the rarity or lack of left-handed models. Thus, left-handed people are much more likely to develop motor skills in their non-dominant hand than right-handers (who are not subjected to left-favoring devices). Right-handers may become ambidextrous due to an injury of their right hand or arm. Ambidexterity is often encouraged in activities requiring a great deal of skill in both hands, such as knitting
Knitting
Knitting is a method by which thread or yarn may be turned into cloth or other fine crafts. Knitted fabric consists of consecutive rows of loops, called stitches. As each row progresses, a new loop is pulled through an existing loop. The active stitches are held on a needle until another loop can...
, typing on a computer, juggling
Juggling
Juggling is a skill involving moving objects for entertainment or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling, in which the juggler throws objects up to catch and toss up again. This may be one object or many objects, at the same time with one or many hands. Jugglers often refer...
, swimming, percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, keyboard music
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
, boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
.
Etymology
The word "ambidextrous" is derived from the LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
roots ambi-, meaning "both", and dexter, meaning "right" or favorable. Thus, "ambidextrous" is literally "right / favorable on both sides". The term ambidexter in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
was originally used in a legal
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
sense of jurors
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
who accepted bribes from both parties for their verdict.
Athletics
In athletics, Jonathan EdwardsJonathan Edwards (athlete)
Jonathan David Edwards, CBE, is a former British triple jumper. He is a former Olympic, Commonwealth, European and World champion, and has held the world record in the event since 1995....
, a now-retired British triple jumper who still holds the world record in that event, was known to be able to kick with either foot while he played rugby. He displayed unprecedented ambidexterity while jumping off either foot during his competitive jumps.
Baseball
Ambidexterity is highly prized in the sports of baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, football
Football
Football may refer to one of a number of team sports which all involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball with the foot to score a goal. The most popular of these sports worldwide is association football, more commonly known as just "football" or "soccer"...
, and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. "Switch hitting
Switch hitter
In baseball, a switch-hitter is a player who bats both right-handed and left-handed.-Baseball:Usually, right-handed batters hit better against left-handed pitchers and vice-versa. Most curveballs break away from batters hitting from the same side as the opposing pitcher. Such pitches are often...
" is the most common phenomenon, and is highly prized because a batter usually has a higher statistical chance of successfully hitting the baseball when it is thrown by an opposite-handed pitcher. Therefore, an ambidextrous hitter can bat from whichever side is most advantageous to him in that situation. Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
, who had more hits than anyone else in the history of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, was a switch hitter.
Ambidextrous pitchers also exist. Tony Mullane
Tony Mullane
Anthony John "Tony" Mullane , nickamed "Count" and "The Apollo of the Box", was an Irish Major League Baseball player who pitched for seven teams during his 13-season career...
won 284 games in the 19th century. Elton Chamberlain
Elton Chamberlain
Elton P. "Ice Box" Chamberlain was a professional baseball pitcher. He pitched all or part of 10 seasons in Major League Baseball between 1886 and 1896...
and Larry Corcoran
Larry Corcoran
Lawrence J. Corcoran was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was born in Brooklyn, New York.Corcoran debuted in 1880, winning 43 games and leading the Chicago team to the National League championship...
were also notable ambidextrous pitchers. In the modern era Greg A. Harris
Greg A. Harris
Greg Allen Harris is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Montreal Expos, San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees from 1981 to 1995. Harris pitched in 703 games in his career, starting 98...
is the only major league pitcher to pitch with both his left and his right arm. A natural right-hander, by 1986 he could throw well enough with his left hand that he felt capable of pitching with either hand in a game. Harris wasn't allowed to throw left-handed in a regular-season game until September 28, 1995, the next-to-last game of his career. Against the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
in the ninth inning, Harris (then a member of the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
) retired Reggie Sanders
Reggie Sanders
Reginald Laverne Sanders is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball. He bats and throws right-handed. Sanders was 24 years old when he made his major league debut on August 22, , after being selected in the 7th round of the amateur draft by the Cincinnati Reds...
pitching right-handed, then switched to his left hand for the next two hitters, Hal Morris
Hal Morris
William Harold Morris III is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Cincinnati Reds. He attended Munster High School in Munster, Indiana, and the University of Michigan. Morris was the Player of the Year while attending Munster High School...
and Ed Taubensee, who both batted left-handed. Harris walked Morris but got Taubensee to ground out. He then went back to his right hand to retire Bret Boone
Bret Boone
Bret Robert Boone is a former Major League Baseball second baseman.-Personal life:Boone was born in El Cajon, California to Susan G. Roel and Bob Boone. He is a graduate of El Dorado High School and the University of Southern California. He is the grandson of former major leaguer Ray Boone and...
to end the inning. One Division I NCAA pitcher, Pat Venditte
Pat Venditte
Patrick Michael Venditte Jr. is an American baseball player. He is a minor league baseball player currently in the New York Yankees organization. He currently pitches for the Class-AA Trenton Thunder in the Eastern League. Venditte is a "switch pitcher", meaning he can throw and pitch proficiently...
formerly of the Creighton Bluejays
Creighton Bluejays
The Creighton Bluejays, or Jays, are the athletic teams of Creighton University, a Jesuit/Catholic University located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Creighton competes in NCAA Division I athletics, competing in the Missouri Valley Conference...
, now with the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
Class AA affiliate Trenton Thunder , regularly pitches with both arms.
Billy Wagner
Billy Wagner
William Edward Wagner , nicknamed "Billy the Kid", is a retired Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He pitched for the Houston Astros , the Philadelphia Phillies , the New York Mets , the Boston Red Sox , and the Atlanta Braves...
was a natural right-handed pitcher in his youth, but after breaking his throwing arm twice, he taught himself how to use his left arm by throwing nothing but fastballs against a barn wall. He became a dominant left-handed relief pitcher, most known for his 100+ mph (160+ km/h) fastball. In his 1999 season, Wagner captured the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Relief Man of the Year Award as a Houston Astro
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
.
Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
pitcher Brett Cecil
Brett Cecil
Brett Aarion Cecil is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball. Cecil was drafted as the 38th overall pick in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft by the Blue Jays...
is naturally right-handed, but starting from a very early age, threw with his left. As such, he writes and performs most tasks with the right side of his body, but throws with his left.
Basketball
In basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
the player may choose to make a pass or shot with the weaker hand. NBA stars David Lee
David Lee (basketball)
David Lee is an American professional basketball player who is a power forward and center for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association . He played college basketball for the University of Florida and was selected by the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2005 NBA...
, Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose
Derrick Martell Rose is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association ....
, Andrew Bogut
Andrew Bogut
Andrew Michael Bogut is an Australian professional basketball player. He plays for the Milwaukee Bucks of the United States' National Basketball Association....
and Michael Beasley
Michael Beasley
Michael Paul Beasley, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association . He plays both forward positions, and shoots his jump shot left-handed, though he is also ambidextrous...
, are ambidextrous players. Bogut is stronger in the post with his left handed hook shot than he is with his natural right, Brothers Marc Gasol
Marc Gasol
Marc Gasol i Sàez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. He was drafted in the second round, 48th overall, by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2007 NBA Draft...
and Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol Sáez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was born to Marisa Sáez and Agustí Gasol, and he spent his childhood in Spain...
can make hook shots with both right and left hand while both their dominant hand is right. Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
left-handed point guard Derek Fisher
Derek Fisher
Derek Lamar Fisher is an American professional basketball point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His NBA career has spanned more than 14 years, during which he has won five NBA Championships...
used to dunk with his right hand for his early years. Candace Parker
Candace Parker
Candace Nicole Parker is an All-American basketball player for the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks and is also the younger sister of NBA player Anthony Parker. She was drafted to the team from Tennessee in 2008...
, forward for the WNBA Sparks team, also has equal dominance with both hands.
Board sports
In skateboardingSkateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
, being able to skate successfully with not only one's dominant foot forward but also the less dominant one is called "switch skating" and is a prized ability. Notable switch skateboarders include Eric Koston
Eric Koston
Eric Koston is a Thai American professional skater who grew up in San Bernardino, California.He began skating in 1986 and remains active. He was first sponsored in 1991 and turned pro in 1993. He has been featured in the "Tony Hawk" video game series and "EA" Skate 2 and Skate 3...
, Guy Mariano
Guy Mariano
Guy Mariano is a professional skateboarder who gained widespread recognition at the age of 14 for his part in Blind Skateboards' Video Days . Before Blind, Mariano was sponsored by Powell Peralta, and appeared in their video Ban This. In his later years, Guy rode for Girl Skateboards and had a...
, Jereme Rodgers, Paul Rodriguez Jr.
Paul Rodriguez Jr.
Paul Rodriguez III , also known by his nickname P-Rod, is a Mexican-American professional street skateboarder and actor.-Early life:...
, and Bob Burnquist. Similarly, surfers
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
who ride equally well in either stance are said to be surfing "switch-foot". Also, snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
at the advanced level requires the ability to ride equally well in either stance.
Combat sports
In combat sportsMartial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
fighters may choose to face their opponent with either the left shoulder forward in a right-handed stance ("orthodox") or the right shoulder forward in a left-handed stance ("south-paw"), thus a degree of cross dominance is useful. In boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, Manny Pacquiao
Manny Pacquiao
Emmanuel "Manny" Dapidran Pacquiao, PLH is a Filipino professional boxer and politician. He is the first eight-division world champion; having won six world titles, as well as the first to win the lineal championship in four different weight classes. He was named "Fighter of the Decade" for the...
has a southpaw stance in the ring even though he is really right-handed outside the ring.
Cricket
In cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, it is also beneficial to be able to use both arms. Ambidextrous fielders can make one handed catches or throws with either hand. Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the only male player to score a double century in the history of ODI cricket...
uses his left hand for writing, but bats and bowls with right hand. There are many players who are naturally right handed but bat left and vice versa. Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Chandidas Ganguly is a former Indian cricketer, and captain of the Indian national team. Born into an affluent family, Ganguly was introduced into the world of cricket by his elder brother Snehasish. He is regarded as one of India's most successful captains in modern times. He started his...
uses his right hand for writing but bats with his left hand.
Cue sports
In cue sports, players can reach farther across the table if they are able to play with either hand, since the cue must either be placed on the left or the right side of the body. English snookerSnooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
player Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronald Antonio "Ronnie" O'Sullivan , is an English professional snooker player known for his rapid playing style and nicknamed "The Rocket". He has been World Champion on three occasions , and is second on the all-time prize-money list, with career earnings of over £6 million, behind only Stephen...
is unique amongst the current ranks of top snooker professionals, in that he is able to play to world standard with either hand. While he lacks power in his left arm, his ability to alternate hands allows him to take shots that would otherwise require awkward cueing. When he first displayed this ability in the 1996 World Championship
World Snooker Championship 1996
The 1996 Embassy World Snooker Championship snooker tournament took place at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield between 20 April–6 May 1996.Stephen Hendry won in the final 18–12 against Peter Ebdon.-Notable moments:...
against the Canadian player Alain Robidoux
Alain Robidoux
Alain Robidoux is a Canadian snooker player; he played on the World Snooker tour from 1988 to 2005 and continues to play in events in Canada.-Career:...
, Robidoux accused him of disrespect. O'Sullivan responded that he played better with his left hand than Robidoux could with his right. O'Sullivan was summoned to a disciplinary hearing in response to Robidoux's formal complaint, where he had to prove that he could play to a high level with his left hand. He played three frames of snooker against former world championship runner-up Rex Williams
Rex Williams
Rex Williams , son of Minnie Roberts and William Williams, is a retired English professional snooker and billiards player.Williams was an excellent junior player in both snooker and billiards. His professional career began in 1951, during a period of decline in snooker...
, winning all three. The charge of bringing the game into disrepute was subsequently dropped.
Figure skating
In figure skatingFigure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
, most skaters who are right-handed spin and jump to the left, and vice versa for left-handed individuals. Olympic Champion figure skater John Curry
John Curry
John Anthony Curry, OBE was a British figure skater. He was the 1976 Olympic and World Champion. He was famous for combining ballet and modern dance influences into his skating.-Early life:...
notably performed his jumps in one direction (anti-clockwise) while spinning predominantly in the other. Very few skaters have such an ability to perform jumps and spins in both directions, and it is now considered a "difficult variation" in spins under the ISU Judging System
ISU Judging System
The ISU Judging System , is the scoring system on the event and on the level of competition. At the senior international level, single and pairs short programs contain eight technical elements. The actual eight elements are detailed for single skaters in ISU rule 310...
to rotate in the non-dominant direction. Michelle Kwan
Michelle Kwan
Michelle Wingshan Kwan is an American figure skater. She is a two-time Olympic medalist, a five-time World champion and a nine-time U.S...
used an opposite-rotating camel spin
Camel spin
A camel spin, also known in Europe as a parallel spin, is one of the three basic figure skating spins, along with the sit spin and upright spin...
in some of her programs as a signature move
Signature move
A signature move is a move or ability that is almost analogous to the person or character that uses it. This may infer that the move is usually a staple of the user's repertoire, and on most occasions was invented by the performer.-Usage:...
. No point bonus exists for opposite direction jumps or bi-directional combination jumps, despite their being much harder to perfect.
Football
In association football, being able to kick with either foot provides more options for both passing and scoring, as well as the ability to play up both wings. Therefore, players with the ability to use their weaker foot with proficiency are valuable in any team. Luis Javier Garcia SanzLuis Javier García Sanz
Luis Javier García Sanz , known as Luis García, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Puebla F.C. in Mexico, mainly as a left winger....
, Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA....
and David Villa
David Villa
David Villa Sánchez , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who currently plays as a striker for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national football team. He can also operate as a winger....
are all examples of ambidextrous footballers, but none perhaps as notable as Pedro
Pedro Rodríguez Ledesma
Pedro Eliezer Rodríguez Ledesma , commonly known as Pedro or Pedrito, is a Spanish footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team, as a forward or winger....
and Hernanes
Hernanes
Anderson Hernanes de Carvalho Andrade Lima , commonly known as Hernanes is a Brazilian midfielder who currently plays for Lazio.Hernanes can be used as a playmaker in the centre attacking midfield role...
.
In rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
and rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
being ambidextrous is an advantage when is comes to passing the football between teammates as well as being able to use both feet by the halves is an advantage in gaining field position by kicking the ball ahead. Jonny Wilkinson
Jonny Wilkinson
Jonathan Peter "Jonny" Wilkinson OBE is an English rugby union player and member of the England national team. Wilkinson rose to acclaim from 2001 to 2003, before and during the 2003 Rugby World Cup and was acknowledged as one of the world’s best rugby players...
is a prime example of a union player who is equally good at kicking off both feet, for example he normally place kicks using his left, but dropped the goal that won the Rugby World Cup in 2003 with his right.
In American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, it is especially advantageous to be able to use both arms. Ambidextrous receivers can make one-handed catches with either hand; quarterbacks can roll out of the pocket and throw with either arm, confusing the defense; linemen can hold their shoulders square and produce an equal amount of power with both arms; and punters can handle a bad snap and roll out and punt with either leg, limiting the chance of a block.
Golf
Some players find cross-dominance advantageous in golfGolf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, especially if a left-handed player utilizes right-handed clubs. Having more precise coordination with the left hand is believed to allow better-controlled, and stronger drives. Mac O'Grady
Mac O'Grady
Mac O'Grady born Phil McGleno, aka Phillip McClelland O'Grady, is an American professional golfer and golf teaching professional who played on the PGA Tour in the 1970s and 1980s, known mainly for his eccentric behavior and brash statements, in addition to his attending PGA Tour qualifying school...
was a touring pro who played right-handed, yet could play "scratch" (no handicap) golf left-handed. He lobbied the USGA for years to be certified as an amateur "lefty" and a pro "righty" to no avail. Although not ambidextrous, Phil Mickelson
Phil Mickelson
Philip Alfred Mickelson is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 39 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed...
and Mike Weir
Mike Weir
Michael Richard Weir, CM, O.Ont is a Canadian professional golfer on the PGA Tour. He spent over 110 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between 2001 and 2005. He is best known for winning the Masters in 2003....
are both right-handers who golf left-handed; Ben Hogan
Ben Hogan
William Ben Hogan was an American golfer, generally considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game...
was the opposite, being a natural left-hander who played golf right-handed. This is known as cross-dominance
Cross-dominance
Cross-dominance, also known as mixed-handedness, mixed dominance, or hand-confusion, is a motor skill manifestation where a person favors one hand for some tasks and the other hand for others. For example, a cross-dominant person might write with the left hand but throw primarily with the right...
or mixed-handedness
Handedness
Handedness is a human attribute defined by unequal distribution of fine motor skills between the left and right hands. An individual who is more dexterous with the right hand is called right-handed and one who is more skilled with the left is said to be left-handed...
. Katelyn Johnson is a famous ambidextrous women's golf player.
Hockey
Ice hockeyIce hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
players may shoot from the left or right side of the body. For the most part, right-handed players shoot left, and likewise, most left-handed players shoot right as the player will often wield the stick one-handed. The dominant hand is typically placed on the top of the stick to allow for better stickhandling and control of the puck. Players who learn the game in the USA will generally play with their stronger hand in the middle of the stick, thus putting more power into slapshots. Gordie Howe
Gordie Howe
Gordon "Gordie" Howe, OC is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League , and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association . Howe is often referred to as Mr...
was one of few players capable of doing both, although this was at a time when the blade of the stick was not curved.
Another ice hockey player, goaltender Bill Durnan
Bill Durnan
William Ronald Durnan was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, was nicknamed "Dr. Strangeglove" for his ability to catch the puck with either hand. This feat won him the Vezina Trophy
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
, then for the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
's goalie with the lowest goals-against average, six times out of only seven seasons. He had developed this ability playing for church-league teams in Toronto and Montreal to make up for his poor lateral movement.
Field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
players are forced to play right-handed. The rules of the game denote that the ball can only be struck with the flat side of the stick. Perhaps to avoid confusing referees, a left-handed stick does not exist. Chelsie Homer is also a famous female ice hockey ambidextrous player.
Racing
In professional sports car racingSports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
, drivers who participate in various events in both the United States and Europe will sometimes encounter machines with the steering wheel mounted on different sides of the car. While steering ability is largely unaffected, the hand used for shifting changes. This is further complicated by the fact that the shift pattern relative to the driver changes, e.g. a gear change that requires moving the lever toward the driver in a left-hand-drive vehicle becomes a movement away from the driver in a right-hand-drive vehicle. A driver skilled in shifting with the opposite hand is at an advantage.
Racket sports
In tennisTennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, a player may be able to reach balls on the backhand side more easily if they're able to use the weaker hand. Perfect examples of players who are ambidextrous include Luke Jensen
Luke Jensen
Luke Jensen is a former professional male tennis player from the United States. He attended University of Southern California from 1986–87 and earned singles All-American honors both years . He is now the head coach of the women's tennis team at Syracuse University...
and Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova
Maria Yuryevna Sharapova ,. is a Russian professional tennis player and a former world no. 1. A US resident since 1994, Sharapova has won 24 WTA singles titles, including three Grand Slam singles titles at the 2004 Wimbledon, 2006 US Open and 2008 Australian Open...
. Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal
Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals...
uses his right hand for writing, but plays tennis with left. There are many players who are naturally right handed but play lefty and vice versa. Evgenia Kulikovskaya
Evgenia Kulikovskaya
Evgenia Kulikovskaya is a former professional tennis player from Russia. She reached her highest singles ranking of No. 91 on June 9, 2003. She had more success in doubles, winning four WTA doubles titles and reaching the top fifty.Kulikovskaya is perhaps best known among tennis fans for her...
is also an ambidextrous player, Kulikovskaya played with two forehands and no backhand, switching her racket hand depending on where the ball was coming.
Although it is quite uncommon, in badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
, ambidextrous players such as Uddhav Naik are able to switch the racquet between their hands, often to get to the awkward backhand corner quickly. As badminton can be a very fast sport, at professional levels of play, players might not have time to switch the racquet, as this disrupts their reaction time.
In music
In Drum & Bugle corps and Drum & Bell corps, Snare drummers, Quads (Tenors), and Bass Drummers need to be somewhat ambidextrous. Since they have to abide by what the composer/arranger has written, they have to learn to play their piece starting with either left or right.Tools
With respect to tools, ambidextrous may be used to mean that the tool may be used equally well with either hand; an "ambidextrous knife" refers to the opening mechanism on a folding knife. It can also mean that the tool can be interchanged between left and right in some other way, such as an "ambidextrous headset," which can be worn on either the left or right ear. As an opposite example, scissors are made specifically for use in one hand, and will not cut properly if used in the other hand. Left-handed as well as ambidextrous scissors are nowadays available.Knitting
In knittingKnitting
Knitting is a method by which thread or yarn may be turned into cloth or other fine crafts. Knitted fabric consists of consecutive rows of loops, called stitches. As each row progresses, a new loop is pulled through an existing loop. The active stitches are held on a needle until another loop can...
, the use of two needles, the knitter must learn to use both needles seamlessly. Several factors also lead to ambidexterity, the chief one being if a person either favors their left hand over their right or if they learned to crochet
Crochet
Crochet is a process of creating fabric from yarn, thread, or other material strands using a crochet hook. The word is derived from the French word "crochet", meaning hook. Hooks can be made of materials such as metals, woods or plastic and are commercially manufactured as well as produced by...
before learning to knit. In that case, they either use the English method of knitting or learn to use the form of knitting more common in the United States.
Firearms
Many modern small arms employ ambidextrous design to accommodate both the right- and left-handed operator. This is advantageous for marketing the weapon to military or law enforcement units because the weapons are distributed in a large scale. This eliminates the need for training left-handed operators to adapt to a right-handed weapon.See also
- Ambidextrous organizationAmbidextrous organizationOrganizational ambidexterity refers to an organization’s ability to be efficient in their management of today’s business and also adaptable for coping with tomorrow’s changing demands.- Origin and Development :...
- Brain asymmetryBrain asymmetryBrain asymmetry can refer to at least two quite distinct findings:* Neuroanatomical differences between the left and right sides of the brain* Lateralized functional differences: Lateralization of brain function...
- Cross-dominanceCross-dominanceCross-dominance, also known as mixed-handedness, mixed dominance, or hand-confusion, is a motor skill manifestation where a person favors one hand for some tasks and the other hand for others. For example, a cross-dominant person might write with the left hand but throw primarily with the right...
- Dual brain theoryDual brain theoryThe dual brain theory claims that the two cerebral hemispheres of the brain may sense and react to the environment independently from one another and that as a result of traumatic experience, one half may dominate the other in order to reduce the traumatized hemisphere's exposure to harm.This...
- HandednessHandednessHandedness is a human attribute defined by unequal distribution of fine motor skills between the left and right hands. An individual who is more dexterous with the right hand is called right-handed and one who is more skilled with the left is said to be left-handed...
- LateralityLateralityLaterality is the preference that most humans show for one side of their body over the other. Examples include right-handedness or left-footedness. It may also apply to other animals, or to plants.- Human laterality :...
- Lateralization of brain functionLateralization of brain functionA longitudinal fissure separates the human brain into two distinct cerebral hemispheres, connected by the corpus callosum. The sides resemble each other and each hemisphere's structure is generally mirrored by the other side. Yet despite the strong anatomical similarities, the functions of each...
- Left-handedLeft-handedLeft-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
- Right-handed