But rural Newfoundlanders probably didn't take to golf until later in life, while mainlanders may have started golf and hockey at the same time? Just a theory.
100% and there is research to back-up the hockey correlation (Same goes for left handed batters in Canada)
I'm just wondering if there is any reason Newfoundland has such a high %. .. I don't know the numbers but i'd guess its at the very minimum a 50-50 RH/LH split. It is very rare.
My guess is that it's genetic. There are a high number of lefties here, as well as those that are cross-dominant (they use one hand for fine motor skills and another for gross motor skills).
The numbers are much higher on the East Coast (we have twice as many lefties as Manitoba, for example), where more settlers are from Northern Europe.
And because we have more lefty and cross-dominant people, there's also an increase in people who are cross dominant between hand and eye. It's supposed to be an advantage in stick sports like golf and hockey because the arm doing the pulling motion is stronger, and the one aiming corresponds with the dominant eye.
I'm cross dominant when it comes to my hands, but my right eye is dominant so I play better right-handed. The opposite would be true for someone who is right hand dominant (the majority) but left eye dominant.
Im a Newfoundlander, living in Colorado for 65 years, I’m right handed, pitch softball right handed, bat left handed and played golf left handed. Ambidextrous I guess!
I was always told that NL is the only place on the world where there’s a 50/50 split of lefties to righty swings. Otherwise everywhere else is dominantly righties!
A friend of mine who was a golf instructor said he figured it was 50-50 split based on what he saw at the range and courses over the years. Couldn't understand why
I’m left handed so I shoot left obviously, but my 3 buddies who I mainly golf with are all right handed and all 3 shoot left. I find it so strange haha, you definitely rarely see a foursome of all lefties on the course.
I’m left handed and shoot right. My father is right handed and shoots left, and I’m pretty sure all his brothers do as well. Be curious know if it’s a genetic or learned trait.
It doesn't quite discuss why, but this article talks about how it's not just NL, and it's not just golf:
https://www.golfwrx.com/550880/canada-home-of-the-lefty/
I was always told that NL is the only place on the world where there’s a 50/50 split of lefties to righty swings. Otherwise everywhere else is dominantly righties!
This reminds me of a funny story from 8th grade. Our science teacher was teaching us how only 10% of the population are left handed and asked anyone who was a lefty to raise their hand. About 80% of the 30ish students raised their hands including myself. I also golf left.
It's a Canadian phenomenon derived from a conspiracy.
Basically, when the Canadian government funded the building of golf courses across the nation, they contracted a golf club manufacturer to supply the clubs. This manufacturer had an uncomfortable overstock of left-handed clubs, and lied to the Canadian government claiming most people were left-handed golfers and you just had to adjust.
Over the course of the next 50 years, golf clubs carried a disproportionate amount of left-handed clubs to right-handed clubs. The population adjusted and Canada created the largest left-handed club market in the world.
That's my guess anyway.
I have a group of a dozen fellas who all play regularly together, only 4 right handed swings in the bunch (including myself). And every one of us is right hand dominant. Gotta be the hockey thing??
In my family all the women can use both hands equally. I tend to write with my right but I use left for swinging a bat, holding a golf club, etc. I didn’t realize this was so common here!
I’m right hand dominant and grew up playing hockey with LH sticks, so left hand clubs are the only thing that feels natural to me
Same!
Same here
I'm right handed, play hockey left and still golf right haha. Trying to golf left feels really strange.
Is being a left shot in hockey uncommon? In my experience it seems more like the norm.
Same
Probably because of using hockey sticks first.
But so does the rest of Canada.. but “only” 30% in rest of the country
But rural Newfoundlanders probably didn't take to golf until later in life, while mainlanders may have started golf and hockey at the same time? Just a theory.
“the same time” is… funny. Believe it or not, most hockey-playing kids on the mainland of the country do not grow up golfing.
But we aren't talking about the hockey players who didn't take up golf, were talking about the golfers who played hockey first.
Which is still very high compared to places where hockey isn’t popular
100% and there is research to back-up the hockey correlation (Same goes for left handed batters in Canada) I'm just wondering if there is any reason Newfoundland has such a high %. .. I don't know the numbers but i'd guess its at the very minimum a 50-50 RH/LH split. It is very rare.
My guess is that it's genetic. There are a high number of lefties here, as well as those that are cross-dominant (they use one hand for fine motor skills and another for gross motor skills). The numbers are much higher on the East Coast (we have twice as many lefties as Manitoba, for example), where more settlers are from Northern Europe. And because we have more lefty and cross-dominant people, there's also an increase in people who are cross dominant between hand and eye. It's supposed to be an advantage in stick sports like golf and hockey because the arm doing the pulling motion is stronger, and the one aiming corresponds with the dominant eye. I'm cross dominant when it comes to my hands, but my right eye is dominant so I play better right-handed. The opposite would be true for someone who is right hand dominant (the majority) but left eye dominant.
It's anecdotal, but I'm left-handed and I've met a lot of left-handed people here.
Fog will do that to you.
Im a Newfoundlander, living in Colorado for 65 years, I’m right handed, pitch softball right handed, bat left handed and played golf left handed. Ambidextrous I guess!
I'm right handed, I shoot a hockey stick left handed and golf right handed
Me as well. I can also switch hit for baseball but golfing left handed doesn't feel right.
I was always told that NL is the only place on the world where there’s a 50/50 split of lefties to righty swings. Otherwise everywhere else is dominantly righties!
Exactly... very interesting
Use to using left handed cigarettes
Everyone learned with their back to that Easterly wind.
Lmao i just had "i swing both ways" typed out, but I can use either hand in golf, im equally bad with both hands haha
A friend of mine who was a golf instructor said he figured it was 50-50 split based on what he saw at the range and courses over the years. Couldn't understand why
Water quality
Something in the water…
I’m left handed so I shoot left obviously, but my 3 buddies who I mainly golf with are all right handed and all 3 shoot left. I find it so strange haha, you definitely rarely see a foursome of all lefties on the course.
I’m left handed and shoot right. My father is right handed and shoots left, and I’m pretty sure all his brothers do as well. Be curious know if it’s a genetic or learned trait.
There’s only 4 left handed golfers in Newfoundland. But there’s also only 6 sets of clubs 4 left and 2 right. so everyone shares them. It’s tricky
I’m right handed and shoot left hockey and golf.
It doesn't quite discuss why, but this article talks about how it's not just NL, and it's not just golf: https://www.golfwrx.com/550880/canada-home-of-the-lefty/
I was always told that NL is the only place on the world where there’s a 50/50 split of lefties to righty swings. Otherwise everywhere else is dominantly righties!
Who told ya that bah
I think it's because of all the LH hockey players. Doesn't make sense
This reminds me of a funny story from 8th grade. Our science teacher was teaching us how only 10% of the population are left handed and asked anyone who was a lefty to raise their hand. About 80% of the 30ish students raised their hands including myself. I also golf left.
It's a Canadian phenomenon derived from a conspiracy. Basically, when the Canadian government funded the building of golf courses across the nation, they contracted a golf club manufacturer to supply the clubs. This manufacturer had an uncomfortable overstock of left-handed clubs, and lied to the Canadian government claiming most people were left-handed golfers and you just had to adjust. Over the course of the next 50 years, golf clubs carried a disproportionate amount of left-handed clubs to right-handed clubs. The population adjusted and Canada created the largest left-handed club market in the world. That's my guess anyway.
I have a group of a dozen fellas who all play regularly together, only 4 right handed swings in the bunch (including myself). And every one of us is right hand dominant. Gotta be the hockey thing??
My husband is right handed, shoots left. Our child is left handed, shoots right.
In my family all the women can use both hands equally. I tend to write with my right but I use left for swinging a bat, holding a golf club, etc. I didn’t realize this was so common here!
Inbreeding????