RealTalk Discussion #2 (Righties vs. Lefties)

[Theo McNair]

This is a recent email that I received, after going through all of the top cashers for the season this email has no validity from my perspective. The last tournament in July we had 3 lefties out of 13 to cash. We have not had more than 3 lefties in the cash none this season. Please look at the other payouts from this house on the front page of the website and let me know what this individual talking about. Like I always tell people "please do the research before you start complaining".

"Theo, With all the games bowled during qualifying do you think that you might be able to put a pattern out that R.H. bowlers don't have to deal with the ball returns getting in there way and taking them out of play before they even get to game 4 and 5. Also make the left side of the lane harder so they can't stand in the same area all day long.... The ratio of L.H. to R.H. in this place is stupid."


How should I respond??????

[jonah white]

Left or right, great bowlers make adjustments on any shot, some take longer than others but they do make the adjustment and move on without complaining to any one but the person in the mirror.

[Christopher Moore]

I will agree with this comment. The Man in the Mirror is the one to blame 99% of the time.

[Robert Anderson]

from a lefty, like ive stated before i just started back bowing after a 10 year layoff,before my layoff i had 2 years where i broke my left wrist halfway thur the winter league an i went righty to finish to keep bowling an with practice i still averaged 202 righty an 205 lefty. thats at 2 houses conyers on synthetic lanes an embassy row on wood lanes. some of the older bowlers can testify how driffent the 2 houses where.so if you practice nothing can stop what you can achive!!the reason i stay lefty is my heros are leftys!!

[Randy Russell]

Christopher Moore said:

No offense to anyone. But there is an obvious advantage between the left and the right side. I'm not saying that lefties are worse....i know a few good lefties and I think they are really good but I also know a few lefties that get lucky and I would say are bad. Sorry guys. But the ones I think are bad still bowl decent in league and other tournaments. I don't believe that SOME (not all) lefties would even be close to as good as they are on the left side of the lanes if they were right handed. But I could be very wrong.

As for the US Open argument, I would have to disagree on that as well. I believe that the reason for the right dominance would be the fact that there are A LOT more bowlers on the right than on the left. And the US Open being as hard as it is make it equal for everyone. Statistically the righties should win it more just because of numbers.

Take it for what you think it is worth.

Sorry but you're 100% wrong....

Lefties play straighter in general because they don't have to hook the ball. It is actually a disadvantage for a lefty to move away from the gutter. Jason Couch spent years at Kegel when he first went out on tour trying to learn how to DECREASE his revrate. He realized that later in blocks he had to move in and was tracking over old righthander's ballpaths. Other lefties stayed out and whacked him....

If you want to talk about number...go look at the tour...18% of the population is left handed, and over the past few years there have been no more than a handful of lefties on tour. The US Open takes 24 players to matchplay...I think you'll be hard pressed to find a year since they started using the flat pattern that more than a couple have made matchplay. The year I went there was ONE....1/24 does not = 18%

Like I said above...league shot is different....but I don't see righties coming on here complaining when the lefties get absolutely nothing and noone makes match play at a tournament. Complaints are only heard when a few get through and they have a slight advantage.

I'd love to know who the hack lefties are that consistently do well...I can think of a few that do well pretty often...but none that are anything less than players.

[Samuel McCallister]

This is a great question!! I hear all the time about how lefties have the advantage because of the amount of use and wear on a lane. Ok, so the oil doesn't break down as fast as on the right side, but one has to remember that we have to be more precise and stay that way on a fresh shot. The righties can burn up the lanes and open everything up much faster. Anybody that tells me that you can score better on a tight line than with a lane that has some transition, either has to be the PRO of PROS, or they don't know what they are talking about. All you righties need to get a ball and bowl left handed, and them tell me it isn't true. I have seen many good answers and even from a couple of people I know. You guys keep up the good work and help make bowling the sport it deserves to be!! Have fun!!

[Nick Smith]

I would like to retract part of my statement. Jake Washington is not the pnly lefty that isnt afraid of moving in. Mr. Derek Reynolds and THE Charles Jordan III. Watching and bowling with them this weekend showed me they can move in. I saw Charles move in and throw the first eight. I witnessed Derek win a regional title playing in.

Mr. Jordan I corrected my statement for you as I said I would.

Nick Smith said:

I have heard every complaint possible about lefties and righties growing up with a lefty as a father. I can say at times I understand where the lefties come from, however if lefties would truely learn to open themselves up and move right instead of beating themselves up trying to play out at the gutter and complain when they are finished because they bowled bad, blaming it on the shot. I have bowled every stop thus far and i can only remember only seeing no more than a handful of lefties attend the tourneys. Jake washington is the only one who has done anything on a consistent basis simply because he will move off of the 1st arrow. How ignorant can you be to complain about the ball return getting in the way and requesting a shot to make it so you dont have to move towards it, they do make less aggressive balls that roll very well I can suggest a few if you want me to Theo and you can give them to the person who sent you the e-mail. This age old question will never be solved and, this battle will rage on for many many more years.

[Christopher Heron]

you should respond with: simple solution, learn how to bowl with your left hand if you're jealous. If the ball return is getting in your way, get a less hooking ball and and learn a different shot. There are plenty of lines out there that arent over used. Learn how to bowl period.

I'm a lefty and yeah we dont move much, got it, but in return, that means that when it comes time to move, if we dont practice moving and throwing about 4 different shots, we cant adjust for crap. I hate the whole lefty/righty debate. People say that it's easier for lefty's, riiiiiight, if that were the case, it would be all lefty's in the PBA, all lefty's cashing in tournaments and all lefty's getting the honor scores.

I mean hell, I bowled last night and didnt do so hot the first game. At the start of the second game I made an adjustment where I had to use one ball on the left lane, and a totally different ball on the right lane. I ended up shooting 228-258 to finish the night out. Oh, and the ball return didnt get in my way. I'd say that would be difficult for alot of bowlers, so that just goes to show you that lefty's dont always have it easy.

It's not my fault you were born right hand dominate.