Left Handedness and Combat

[Angela]

My left hand (and arm) are almost useless. I'm completely right dominant, even though my father was left dominant.

When I'm doing "fine" work, like caligraphy or embroidery and needlepoint it doesn't matter, but when I'm cooking it would be nice to have a stronger left hand and arm. I used to really have trouble picking up heavy pots and cast iron pans with my left because it has so much less strength than my right. Working out at the gym has helped somewhat, but not completely. I do all the beating and folding, everything, with my right. Even when I'm kneading dough I can tell the right is getting more oomph, so I switch the dough. It's not optimal to be so right dominant.

Strangely, my feet and legs are more balanced. Never had a problem with unequal strength in my legs for ballet, although it didn't matter: my ankles were too delicate and I kept on spraining them. That was that.

I wonder why I never had a problem with piano? I guess it doesn't require much strength, but I would have thought it should have been hard for me to play an instrument where the left hand and the right hand are doing completely different things, but it wasn't at all.

The scientists really don't understand all of this, I guess.

I mean, if it isn't hereditary, then what causes it?

 

[Regio X]

My left hand (and arm) are almost useless. I'm completely right dominant, even though my father was left dominant.

When I'm doing "fine" work, like caligraphy or embroidery and needlepoint it doesn't matter, but when I'm cooking it would be nice to have a stronger left hand and arm. I used to really have trouble picking up heavy pots and cast iron pans with my left because it has so much less strength than my right. Working out at the gym has helped somewhat, but not completely. I do all the beating and folding, everything, with my right. Even when I'm kneading dough I can tell the right is getting more oomph, so I switch the dough. It's not optimal to be so right dominant.

Strangely, my feet and legs are more balanced. Never had a problem with unequal strength in my legs for ballet, although it didn't matter: my ankles were too delicate and I kept on spraining them. That was that.

I wonder why I never had a problem with piano? I guess it doesn't require much strength, but I would have thought it should have been hard for me to play an instrument where the left hand and the right hand are doing completely different things, but it wasn't at all.

I used to play the piano as well, however, my right hand was way better than the left.

The scientists really don't understand all of this, I guess.

I mean, if it isn't hereditary, then what causes it?

Perhaps just training, especially early in life? And of course the will - or need - to do it, for any reason... See how people without arms learn to use the feet, for example.

 

[Angela]

I used to play the piano as well, however, my right hand was way better than the left.

Perhaps just training, especially early in life? And of course the will - or need - to do it, for any reason... See how people without arms learn to use the feet, for example.

I really don't think that's it. People used to be severely penalized for using their left hands. My dad says he and his brothers were constantly being rapped on the knuckles until they learned to write with their right hands. One of my uncles had his hand tied behind his back. They used to do terrible things in schools.

I mean, yes, you can be forced to use a certain hand, but even as babies you can see the preference for one over the other.

 

[Regio X]

I really don't think that's it. People used to be severely penalized for using their left hands. My dad says he and his brothers were constantly being rapped on the knuckles until they learned to write with their right hands. One of my uncles had his hand tied behind his back. They used to do terrible things in schools.

I mean, yes, you can be forced to use a certain hand, but even as babies you can see the preference for one over the other.

Sorry. I just saw that my answer was disconnected to your question. I completely agree with what you said. Obviously there is an innate dominant side, in general.
In fact, I was referring to the ability of using the non dominant hand. It's just that some people seem to do it easier. In short, I'd guess it's in big part explained by trainning. That was the point.

 

[Carlos]

When I learned to play the guitar I did not notice any difference between both sides, then I left it for other reasons. When I was a pre-adolescent I liked to play wrestling, body to body, I do not know where I got it because in my school that specialty was not taught but at recess I practiced it, I always won; although I'm not as strong as I look. And one day I realized that there was something else, that it was not only muscle strength when I grabbed another boy hand by hand in a very slight pull I turned him in the air and he was lying on the floor still holding my hand, he spent a week asking me how he had done it, I did not answer him, I had no idea how I did it, and it was more interesting not to answer. There is another type of strength that is not only muscular.

 

[halfalp]

I am completely left, handed and footed.
I am more muscular on my left side. I don't know whether this is the cause or the consequence of me being lefthanded.

Me and my wife are both lefthanded, but my children are all righthanded, allthough not 100 %.

Not sure about that. I'm righthanded and my Left arm and leg are more muscular. It probably have to do with your dominant member wich is not related with being left or right handed.

 

[Angela]

Uh...I thought there was only one.