How did you decide left or right stick handed?

[alexanderovechkin8]

right handed right shot

 

[SabresFreak97]

Right handed, Shoot Left. The funny part 90% of the people I play with/against are all righties. The only ones not righty are myself, cousin, and another guy. We have 21 sticks between us and to watch all our friends break their sticks is just funny.

I just felt I felt comfortable this way.

 

[cptjeff]

Dominant hand on bottom.

How I decided? When I decided I wanted to learn, I grabbed one of those plastic bladed street hockey sticks, bent the blade with my foot and tried it both ways. Shooting right just felt more natural to me.

 

[SpringfieldSkins]

I figured I've give an update since I started this thread. I'm definitely a lefty with a hockey stick. It's so much easier for me to handle the stick that way, which is what I thought in the first place. Thanks to all for the advice and commentary.


I purchased a bunch of gear from hockeymonkey.com, came in yesterday. I'm definitely excited about it.

The stick? A CCM U+, 85 flex, Vincent Lecavalier blade. I heard reviews about the clear piece at the bottom of the shaft coming out but I don't really see that happening though. I guess I'll find out.


Another question for the vets out there...

The shin pads I got, seem a little bit big as far as the fitment. The shin pad seems to ride a little low, almost down to the top of my foot. The side fold around behind my calf and I have to tuck one side under the other.

Is that right? It doesn't seem too loose, it's just pretty big.

 

[RoyBoyCoy]

I don't know. I think it's just how your brain is wired
I was obviously too young and don't remember how I ended up a righty, maybe it's just the way you pick it up the first time

 

[OprtnShtdwn]

When I started playing hockey at first, I was also playing baseball. My first year of baseball, i batted lefty because my father made me bat left handed. He figured it would help me later on. However, I didn't want to bat left handed and after 1 year, even though i hit the ball decent for a 7 year old, i switched to batting from the right side.

When I was 9 or 10, i started playing ball hockey down the street. I had a right handed stick. Well, one day, the stick broke on me. So I didn't have a stick anymore. The only stick at my house was a left handed one, so i grabbed that, and from there, I ended up getting use to it, and now i'm a left handed shot.

Who knew that when my dad prepared me to swing left handed that he would of actually turned me into a left handed shot rather instead.

 

[3hirty6ix]

Go with how you would use a shovel.

 

[OprtnShtdwn]

Go with how you would use a shovel.

That's funny you said that. when we got that big snow storm in the Northeast, i tried shoveling as if I was right handed, and it was a stuggle, big time. I had got tired from doing it left handed.

 

[TheZodiac]

Shovel is good and for our southern US friends who don't get snow go with how you hold a Rifle.

 

[Arselona]

AFAIK If you're a Canadian farm boy, you play lefty. If you're a European diva, you're Righty. If you're an American, hold the stick like it was a baseball bat.

 

[SpringfieldSkins]

AFAIK If you're a Canadian farm boy, you play lefty. If you're a European diva, you're Righty. If you're an American, hold the stick like it was a baseball bat.

Well I guess I'm a Canadian farm boy... from Umericuh.


I do have some Canadian roots though. My dad's side of the family was from Nova Scotia. Beautiful place too... I went there once.

 

[OprtnShtdwn]

AFAIK If you're a Canadian farm boy, you play lefty. If you're a European diva, you're Righty. If you're an American, hold the stick like it was a baseball bat.

So, i'm none of the above. lol. I hit righty, i'm not a Canadian Farm boy, and i'm not European.

I guess i'm the red headed stepchild. The Left handed shooting stepchild

 

[Hockeyfan68]

Shovel is good and for our southern US friends who don't get snow go with how you hold a Rifle.

I'm pretty sure people down south use shovels even though it doesn't snow

 

[puckguy11]

I was just learning the game and my coach (Who was an Olympian with the US back in 56), pulled me aside after scrimmaging a shift on the left wing and honestly having no clue in terms of positioning , sat me down, and explained that even though I may be a lefty at most things, I was a right handed shot. That was that as I shifted to right wing for the 6 years I played.

 

[blueberrydanish]

I'm pretty sure people down south use shovels even though it doesn't snow

haha ya thats what I was thinkin. Ive spent many a days laboring with a shovel, and with it Im a switch hitter =p

 

[TheZodiac]

I'm pretty sure people down south use shovels even though it doesn't snow

They do???

 

[jphillips348]

Trying to make sense of the reasoning... I shoot a gun/bow left handed... I write right handed... I throw right handed... I shovel left hand on bottom... I sweep right hand on bottom... Put put golf right handed... So what would be the scientific stick-handedness choice?! lol

 

[Summer Rose]

The first time I did anything remotely close to hockey was when I was maybe 6 or 7 years old. My dad bought a Christmas tree and cut about an inch off the bottom of the trunk. I decided it looked like a hockey puck and since I didn't have a hockey stick, I put on my rollerblades and swept it around with a broom. I held the broom with my right hand on top and left hand on bottom, since I'm a lefty. My parents noticed my interest and bought me a street hockey stick. It was a left handed stick.

Kind of just went from there to be honest.

 

[King Mapes]

Trying to make sense of the reasoning... I shoot a gun/bow left handed... I write right handed... I throw right handed... I shovel left hand on bottom... I sweep right hand on bottom... Put put golf right handed... So what would be the scientific stick-handedness choice?! lol

Rule of thumb, if you shoot left you have more accuracy. Shoot right for more power. In hockey schools they will teach you to shoot left as accuracy is more important

 

[Jacques Trap*]

I don't remember making a choice but I'm sure one side felt/looked right, the other side awkward.

 

[King Mapes]

I dont know man, i think there are tons more righthanders shooting right then left.

States is the only country to teach this way. Every other country says the proper way is for righty to shoot left and left shoot right. 60 percent of sticks sold are left handed which should be higher but parents will just assume you shoot right so buy right handed sticks. Rule of thumb is if a righty shoots left = more accuracy. Righty shoots right = more power. Canada and all countries except the States teach you to shoot the opposite that you write with. It's actually the only sport to teach you to shoot the opposite way

 

[SpringfieldSkins]

Man, I don't even remember starting this thread! Epic bump!


Well, for people who start playing, I ask them what way they hold a shovel. That's the same way you should hold a hockey stick. Or, whatever feels natural works as well.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Shovel is good and for our southern US friends who don't get snow go with how you hold a Rifle.

That's completely wrong. I hold a rifle with my right hand on the trigger and the left hand in front, but I'm right handed in hockey.

 

[CunniJA]

Once you add both hands to the equation, there's a lot more to it than simple "dominant hand on top." I write and throw right handed. Those both involve just one hand. However, I shovel, broom, vacuum, and play pool left handed. I screw off jar lids with my left hand. I wield a cane left handed I shoot with a righty stick. For all of those reasons, I think this makes perfect sense for me. I hold my left hand on top with all of those things and it feels good to me.

When I'm in net, I catch left, therefore having to stickhandle left, (which is no good for me) but after playing baseball for six years, I just don't think I could ever catch right in net. After all, when you look at numbers, almost all goalies catch left at pretty much every level of hockey. Those numbers match up very well with handedness.

Unlike a lot of Americans, I picked up a hockey stick well before a baseball bat, so that explanation is out for me. In fact, I'm pretty sure I picked up a shovel before any of that junk.

 

[TheSilverSkeeter]

I'm right-handed, and I shoot right-handed. It was more of an instinct thing than a conscious decision. Right-handed just felt more natural, and it probably had a lot to do with an earlier exposure to baseball.