Left-hander
A left-hander plays the golf swing mirrored — standing right of the ball and swinging the club towards the left.
Left-handers are a clear minority in golf, even though considerably more people write left-handed in everyday life. Many left-handers learn golf right-handed because rental equipment, lessons and videos are almost always designed for right-handers. Anyone who plays left-handed needs their own clubs, because clubheads and clubfaces are not symmetrical. The glove also sits mirrored on the right hand. The choice of club models is smaller, and for specialities such as wedges sometimes noticeably limited.
In practice all the technical fundamentals apply mirrored. The Vardon grip works just the same, only with the hands swapped. A slice from a left-hander flies to the left instead of to the right; the cause remains the same open clubface. An example from a trial lesson: the coach demonstrates the setup right-handed, you stand facing him like a mirror image and take over position and movement the other way round. This mirroring feels unusual at first but quickly becomes routine.
A typical mistake is forced retraining. Children and beginners are often taught right-handed although their natural movement side is the left, simply because the right clubs are not at hand. Anyone who has learned right-handed can happily stick with it — many play successfully that way. But anyone who plays left-handed from the start should not be retrained. An everyday extra tip: when putting, some players mix up the sides and grip Cross Handed — that has nothing to do with being left- or right-handed.
FAQ
Should I learn golf right-handed as a left-hander?
Only if you really get on better with it — not because there happen to be no left-handed clubs around. Many left-handers learn right-handed and play successfully, because the swing needs both hands. But anyone who plays left-handed from the start should not be retrained; forced retraining costs more than it brings.
How big is the disadvantage in club selection really?
Noticeable but solvable: the common models usually exist in a left-handed version; for speciality clubs such as certain wedges the choice gets thin. When buying, it pays to look at remaining stock and used clubs — there are often good left-handed offers there. The glove also sits mirrored on the right hand.
Do technique tips from videos apply to me as a left-hander too?
Yes, all the fundamentals apply mirrored — you just have to translate them consistently. A slice flies to the left instead of to the right for you; the cause remains the open clubface. Learning works best when you face the coach and take over his movement like a mirror image.