NHL players handedness

[HoBOonFiRE]

I've been following hockey and played it much of my youth and recently discovered something that really surprised me. I always questioned why there are so many left handed shooting hockey players in the NHL and did some digging and found out that many players hold the top of the hockey stick (the handle or knob) with their dominant hand while their weak hand is held on the shaft of the stick. In the article posted below this is mainly true for Canadian or European players while American players tend to be more right handed shooters and hold their stick with their dominant hand on the shaft instead of up at the knob or handle.

http://icehockey.isport.com/icehockey-guides/determining-your-dominant-hand-in-hockey

I persoanlly am Canadian and im right hand dominant, but I also shoot right handed. I was shocked to know I've been holding my stick completely different than most of my peers. I'm not sure if this is common knowledge around the hockey world but I found it quite interesting and thought it deserved some further discussion on why this phenomenon occurs.

Click to read more...

 

[Clare2904]

I'm right handed and would play shoot left. Holding a stick to my right side is just so alien and un-naturally feeling to me.

 

[The Gloaming]

I don't play hockey, I just have a stick and shoot occasionally. But I am right handed and originally felt natural holding the stick with my left hand being my bottom hand. But my brother got a right handed stick, and after a while that feels natural now.

 

[Evergreen]

I'm American: right hand dominant, right shot. Sister is right hand dominant, shoots left though.

 

[Dylbot]

Right handed, shoot, left, bat left, golf left. Apparently golfing left is more common in Canada, most likely due to hockey.

 

[HoBOonFiRE]

Players that are right hand dominant and shoot right handed are said to have more power on their shots for example Ovechkin, Stamkos and Laine have some of the best one timers in the game and are all right handed (not sure if theyre right hand dominant though). Where players that are right dominant but shoot left have better puck control and defensive abilities. It would be interesting to determine the dominant hand of certain NHLers.

 

[HoBOonFiRE]

Right handed, shoot, left, bat left, golf left. Apparently golfing left is more common in Canada, most likely due to hockey.

Yes this is the case for most Canadians. The majority of Canadian baseball players bat left handed even though they are right hand dominant. Just looks at the last world baseball classic for team Canada. 8 of their 9 batters were leftys.

 

[Keep Sorokin Me Babe]

Right handed, shoot, left, bat left, golf left. Apparently golfing left is more common in Canada, most likely due to hockey.

Oddly enough, even though Shea Weber shoots right in hockey, he's a lefty in golf.

 

[ESH]

I'm right handed and I shoot left. The main reason is because it just felt right. I also bat left in baseball, swing left in golf; everything with a stick/club/whatever I do it left.

It makes sense if I think about it though. My dominant hand is at the top of my stick making it easier to control stick checks and things like that. It would be a lot more awkward trying to control my stick one-handed with my non-dominant hand at the top.

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

US, Righty but shoot left

 

[El Travo]

Canada, right-handed, shoot right as player, shoot left as goalie.

 

[Bonin21]

shoot right as player, shoot left as goalie.

Weird

Feel like in MN we have a lot of right hand, right in baseball in golf, lefties in hockey lol. Almost my whole family.

 

[El Travo]

Weird

Feel like in MN we have a lot of right hand, right in baseball in golf, lefties in hockey lol. Almost my whole family.

It was extremely awkward to learn, I tell you what.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Players that are right hand dominant and shoot right handed are said to have more power on their shots for example Ovechkin, Stamkos and Laine have some of the best one timers in the game and are all right handed (not sure if theyre right hand dominant though). Where players that are right dominant but shoot left have better puck control and defensive abilities. It would be interesting to determine the dominant hand of certain NHLers.

Ovechkin writes with his right hand but is left hand dominant. Uses his left hand to throw a football and uses his left foot to kick a soccer ball.

 

[Sureves]

The theory I have heard is that when you pick up a baseball bat or hockey stick for the first time, you instinctly use your dominant hand to grab the lower end of the handle as it is what feels most natural.

So if you play baseball first, you will likely grab the handle of the bat with your right hand, resulting in you hitting left; and if you play hockey first you will likely grab the handle of the stick with your right hand resulting in you shooting left.

Then, once you play the opposite sport, you will basically do the opposite. So if you played hockey first, you shoot left and then you go to grab a bat for the first time, you have learned to have your left hand at the bottom and your right hand at the top, so you grab it that way and bat left so the grip is consistent with how you hold a hockey stick.

It actually does make sense to me, particularly since Americans likely play baseball before they ever play hockey, which results in so many right shooters from the USA, but not Canada or Europe.

 

[Dream Big]

Having your dominant hand on top of the stick for poke checks seems logical.

My guess is defence men need to poke check and sweep check more than forwards so more of them likely have the dominant hand on top. So more people are right handed making more left shooting D the result.

Forwards that are right handed I'm guessing will have their dominant hand lower therefore there are probably more accurate in their shooting, since you follow through with your dominant hand. Also for face-offs dominant hand lower on the stick would make a better face-off percentage.

My theory is that they'll be higher scoring on their correct side and lower scoring on their off hand.

I'm not sure if anyone has done a study on it? Someone could post this on the numbers thread and have the stats guys do their thing.

 

[HoBOonFiRE]

The theory I have heard is that when you pick up a baseball bat or hockey stick for the first time, you instinctly use your dominant hand to grab the lower end of the handle as it is what feels most natural.

So if you play baseball first, you will likely grab the handle of the bat with your right hand, resulting in you hitting left; and if you play hockey first you will likely grab the handle of the stick with your right hand resulting in you shooting left.

Then, once you play the opposite sport, you will basically do the opposite. So if you played hockey first, you shoot left and then you go to grab a bat for the first time, you have learned to have your left hand at the bottom and your right hand at the top, so you grab it that way and bat left so the grip is consistent with how you hold a hockey stick.

It actually does make sense to me, particularly since Americans likely play baseball before they ever play hockey, which results in so many right shooters from the USA, but not Canada or Europe.

Yeah there seems to be a correlation there. I started off playing baseball before hockey so maybe that's where my right shot comes from.

Then I just asked my father how he determined what handed hockey stick he should buy me when I was a kid and he said "well you did everything right handed so we got you a right handed stick". Definitely a misconception there. I always had a great shot but lacked in puck skills, now I think I know why.

 

[Spade]

I always had a great shot but lacked in puck skills, now I think I know why.

No no, I think you just lack in puck skills. Nothing to do with handedness.

It's easier to get power behind your dominant hand if it's on the shaft of a stick and I figured I'd suck anyways so I've always shot right so I'd at least have that going for me.

 

[BondraTime]

Americans shoot right more often because of the baseball effect; they start out with baseball earlier and transfer that (more right handed batters) to the ice.

I'm right handed, and shoot/bat/swing right.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Americans shoot right more often because of the baseball effect; they start out with baseball earlier and transfer that (more right handed batters) to the ice.

I'm right handed, and shoot/bat/swing right.

Me too. I often wondered if its better to have your dominant hand down low or up at the top of your stick. Most right handed people shoot left and have their dominant hand up top. I could always shoot hard , I can see the dominant hand down low helping with that but ... who knows.

 

[Mad Brills*]

I'm left handed and shoot right.

 

[HoBOonFiRE]

No no, I think you just lack in puck skills. Nothing to do with handedness.
.

Haha I'm also like 6'6" so I'm sure that doesn't help either.

I was watching the sharks game the other night and I was focusing on the top hand of players who had the puck and you can really see how that top hand and wrist really rolls (kind of like you're playing Foosball). Im sure you get a much better feel for the puck with the dominant hand on the handle.

 

[Disclose]

Canada, right-handed, shoot right as player, shoot left as goalie.

same here.
but i guess its only because the way a goalie holds the stick. would be too long for me to switch hands in a real game. (but i rarely play a "real" game)

 

[SpookyTsuki]

Idk my dominant hand is right but I feel better shooting with my right and doing dekes and what not. Of course I'm a goalie first so maybe that plays into it

 

[Caeldan]

Canada, right-handed, shoot right as player, shoot left as goalie.

Left handed, shoot left as a player, catch/shoot right as goalie.

Also bat left. Though I dabbled with switch hitting, and I can catch either hand really.

Been tempted to switch back to regular for goalie but I think I'd lose my poke checks, though probably would handle the puck better.