On Either One Hand...Or The Other!

[Lemming]

Originally Posted by Statto

...I'm not the only one at cricket who does, as far as I can think there are 3-4 out of the 20 or so who regularly play [snooker with the incorrect hand].

For me Statto that is the strangest use of a wrong hand. It's quite cool though.

Originally Posted by Statto

I wasn't sure about Strauss but I thought I'd seen him throw in a ball right handed in one of the ODIs.

I'm 99% sure he is left-handed. Can anyone else back me up?

Originally Posted by Statto

I'm trying to teach myself to throw left handed as well as right, just over short distances for fielding at cover or point etc.

I trained myself to throw screwed up bits of paper, from about 10 feet, into a bin left-handed (I'm naturally right-handed when it comes to throwing). I got pretty good at it and managed to throw 100 in a row once without missing. Students have a hectic life!

On a serious point, being able to throw both handed from a short range is a real benefit when fielding close-range on the cricket field. It obviously means that you can make-up an extra split-second when attempting a run-out.

You never know, Statto, this training could pay off when you throw down the stumps with your weaker hand to win a close tight game for your club! Keep practicing and you'll come good. (You'd better not turn out to be Ricky Ponting now Statto! If you are in fact Ricky Ponting don't bother training your left-hand, it's a waste of time. And if Strauss is at point, it's very safe to attempt that quick single if it's going to his left-hand! )

[Leafy Seadragon]

Most half-decent close fielders in indoor cricket tend to develop either throwing or slapping a ball back at the stumps with their wrong hand (by batting I mean slapping the ball back with an open hand). Over a period of several seasons a couple of my mates became ambidextrous in these skills - something I didn't always appreciate as the keeper (there's some adavantage to a ball lobbed in your direction from 3m rather than hurled menacingly). Again in the same area, over about four years I improved my left handed throwing so that I could hit the stumps at the other end when throwing hard about one time in three (although looking pretty uncoordinated in the process)

[Zainub]

Some times really orthodox people can force thier kids down her to change their dexterity if they are left handed - but that's not good. In fact that's ridiculous. I have read in a paper that can have psychological (spelling?) reprecrussions (spelling?) including "profound affects on the person's personality"). It's ridiculous the superstitions some people have. Left handed people are perfectly normal, that goes without saying, they are not abnormal or anything, or "un - clean" or "impure" or anything ridiculous on those lines. In fact I actually think they are pretty cool. They're not common, and anything that's rare is suppose to be cool. According to me anyway.

For the record I'm right handed, right eyed, and right footed. Not a lot of people now but there is such a thing as left/right footed/eyed - even one of your ears is better then the other, but I've not managed to figure it out my self, which of my ears is better. In order to figure out which eyed or footed you are you can try any of the following simple methods: Look at your computer screen, ok, I'm stupid, you already are, just close one of your eyes, which ever I you close instinctly is your weak eye. If this doesn't work, try winking. You will be able to wink one eye and not the other. The one you can't blink is your stronger eye.

If all this doesn't work try recalling what you did the last time when you had to peak through a small hole, which eye did you use, that will be the answer, or the last time your looked at a microscrope will do too. Or if you're a professional shooter or anything, it will be the eye with which you last took aim. It can be quite tricky for these people, I read once, in an issue of a professional shooting magazine I was forwarded as a chain email, people who have opposite strong eyes and hands have to train to shoot by aiming with their weaker eye (and stronger arm) or weaker arm (or stronger eye) whichever they are more comfortable with. With foots its also the same way, ever noticed you will always take the first step with the same foot, either your left or right, which ever you do is you better foot. I read people who are oppositely footed and handed are bad dancers.

[Lemming]

I taught myself to wink (i.e. ) with both eyes ages ago. A simple way to see whether you are left or right eye dominant is to look at something far away, tip of a tree or lamppost (50yds or so) with both eyes open. Then line a finger (at arm's length) so that the tip of your finger is "touching" that object in your view.
Then simply close (or cover up) one eye, then the other. You will notice that your finger appears to jump away from the object and point at something else maybe a few yards away from the original object. You will also notice that when you close or cover up another eye, your finger will remain in the same place.
Now, if you cover up your left eye and your finger does not appear to change position, then you are right eye dominant.

Please tell me whether this works or not.

Yep, you are very correct Zainub to say left-handed people are cool.

[Zainub]

There is no tree or lampost 50 yards away from me now Leming. So I cannot answer your question.

[Lemming]

Originally Posted by Zainub Razvi

There is no tree or lampost 50 yards away from me now Leming. So I cannot answer your question.

Come off it! Point at anything you like.

[Zainub]

I conclude I am right eyed. Happy?

[Alison]

Originally Posted by Zainub Razvi

If this doesn't work, try winking. You will be able to wink one eye and not the other. The one you can't blink is your stronger eye.

I can wink with either eye.

Originally Posted by Lemming

A simple way to see whether you are left or right eye dominant is to look at something far away, tip of a tree or lamppost (50yds or so) with both eyes open. Then line a finger (at arm's length) so that the tip of your finger is "touching" that object in your view.
Then simply close (or cover up) one eye, then the other. You will notice that your finger appears to jump away from the object and point at something else maybe a few yards away from the original object. You will also notice that when you close or cover up another eye, your finger will remain in the same place.
Now, if you cover up your left eye and your finger does not appear to change position, then you are right eye dominant.

I can't do that, when I try either my finger or whatever I'm trying to line it up with is in double vision!

Mind you, all I need to do to work out which eye is stronger is take my glasses off and close first one eye then the other, when I close my left eye everything is even more blurred than when I close my right eye or have both open!

[Mongoose]

Originally Posted by Lemming

My left-hand (top-hand) is dominant with the bat and it gives me more control of the bat, I feel. I think David Gower suggested that the way you bat Seamer (like himself), is the best way.

Our school groundsman, who also coached us for cricket (and who talked more sense about cricket than anyone else I have ever met) was a subscriber to this theory. Most of the time the batsman is playing shots that require control from the top hand. I am trying to build up strength and control in my left hand, so that when I start playing cricket again, I will be able to drive properly.

By the way, that coach ... his brother, Peter Moores, is the new head of England's academy. So the coaching must run in the family!

[Lemming]

Originally Posted by Alison

I can't do that, when I try either my finger or whatever I'm trying to line it up with is in double vision!

I would recommend a trip to your regular optician.

Originally Posted by Alison

Mind you, all I need to do to work out which eye is stronger is take my glasses off and close first one eye then the other, when I close my left eye everything is even more blurred than when I close my right eye or have both open!

That may work, I suppose your stronger eye takes over.