Frustrated Lefty

[Mr.Ed]

Ok... first post so bare with me please! Did a little search but didn't see much. Feel free to post links if there are any.

My youngest daughter (8yo) had her first softball practice last night (indoor). She's left handed but really is pretty ambidextrous... she can throw and hit equally well both left and right handed (we practice with her older sister who's just starting tournament play). I struggled a bit with how to have her throw and finally decided she writes left handed she should throw and bat left handed... besides it's an advantage right. She did fine with the practice but did have a problem with the drills because she has to do them all opposite to the rest of the group... and the coach. On the ride home she was upset that she's the only lefty and has to do everything different/opposite. She also knows if I let her she'd preform the drills just as well right handed. I was curious how we should approach this and if you all had any advice for a dad with a lefty. Thanks in advance.

 

[absdad]

Stay left in hitting, no reason to change especially if she's already proficient at it. As for throwing, it "could" limit her, but it's also an advantage at certain positions, pitcher, catcher, 1B, LF. Food for thought.

 

[mrslug01]

Ok... first post so bare with me please! Did a little search but didn't see much. Feel free to post links if there are any.

My youngest daughter (8yo) had her first softball practice last night (indoor). She's left handed but really is pretty ambidextrous... she can throw and hit equally well both left and right handed (we practice with her older sister who's just starting tournament play). I struggled a bit with how to have her throw and finally decided she writes left handed she should throw and bat left handed... besides it's an advantage right. She did fine with the practice but did have a problem with the drills because she has to do them all opposite to the rest of the group... and the coach. On the ride home she was upset that she's the only lefty and has to do everything different/opposite. She also knows if I let her she'd preform the drills just as well right handed. I was curious how we should approach this and if you all had any advice for a dad with a lefty. Thanks in advance.

If she pitches, left can be an advantage. Otherwise, if she can really throw righty, have her throw righty. Hitting lefty is great.

 

[abbygale]

Help her to enjoy being a lefty. You might have to work harder learning the moves in order to help her learn the moves but that's what we are for. We've got three lefties on our team. If it gets to confusing for you, get H Kobata's dvd's and learn the moves from him and then teach them to your daughter. It can be a lot of fun. Did I mention getting his dvd's so that you can teach your daughter the correct way to make different plays. Someone will need to know the best way for different plays to be made in order to help speed your daughters learning curve and it might not happen if you are counting on other coaches to do it for you.

I do a lot of work with mine out in the yard and she probably won't need it after high school but it's kind of nice watching a kid playing against the grain and doing a good job of it.


Edit: And don't let anyone pigeonhole her.

 

[Mr.Ed]

I had a feeling this was the sort of answers I'd get and it may just make it harder to decide what to do. Keep in mind we're talking about a 8 1/2 yo that hasn't had a ton of play time... just practice in the yard. She really does throw equally as well with both hands. We put away the indoor soccer gear and started working pure lefty the last couple weeks. She' s doing well throwing and catching. She's a very athletic girl... good hand eye and fast on her feet. The problem she had was understanding the drills and doing them backwards (and being different )... again... first practice.

I'll look into the dvd's abbygale and thanks for input from all.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Talk to the coach. I always ask who is left handed. Did he or she do that? Then, I demonstrate the drill for the righties and I take my glove off and put it on the other hand for the lefties.

Tell her to remind the coach "I am left handed."

Once she gets through the first couple of practices, she will be fine. If she is still confused, try some drills without the glove, using tennis balls, and see which hand she prefers to throw with. I guess it is up to her. My husband changed my son from a lefty to a righty and I just don't think anyone should change, just because of convenience.

 

[ElmoBlatch]

I agree about hitting lefty but I see no reason to limit her throwing to one or the other at this point. Imagine a player who can throw well with either arm at the high school level. She could play 1st base lefty and then play shortstop righty. What a valuable player to have on a team.

 

[Mr.Ed]

Talk to the coach. I always ask who is left handed. Did he or she do that? Then, I demonstrate the drill for the righties and I take my glove off and put it on the other hand for the lefties.

Tell her to remind the coach "I am left handed."

Once she gets through the first couple of practices, she will be fine. If she is still confused, try some drills without the glove, using tennis balls, and see which hand she prefers to throw with. I guess it is up to her. My husband changed my son from a lefty to a righty and I just don't think anyone should change, just because of convenience.

This is an established team my daughter is joining. Rec ball but this coach has been working with the girls since they were first able... a few years. It's my understanding he takes it pretty serious. He immediately recognized her being a lefty... and asked her about it. And he was reversing his actions during the drills for her. My girl just got confused and intimidated I think. I told her prior to the practice "just do exactly what everyone else does"... well that didn't work out to well for me. I think I'll get a few more practices under her belt and just see how she responds.

Thanks again. I have two girls playing now... this forum could be a problem... for my work.

 

[FPMark]

If she can throw equaly as well either way and is equaly comfortable doing so, I would let her throw right and bat both. If she throws left, she will be limited to 1st base or out field more and more as she gets older. Being able to hit from both sides of the plate is a definate advantage, with left being most desireable. If she pitches then left can be good, but not so much as to make up for the other potential limitations. JMO though, others may disagree.

 

[abbygale]

One other quick thing. You might mention to your coach about maybe using glove hand/throwing hand instead of right and left. Young girls respond rather quick to this and it allows righties and lefties to do the same base mechanics.