How does a left-handed person hold a hockey stick?
Emma Payne
Published Jan 24, 2026
“Left-handed” shooters put their right hand at the top of the stick, which is held pointing to the left. “Right-handed” shooters do the opposite. Anyone who watches the NHL regularly will note that most players shoot lefty.
How does a left hander hold a hockey stick?
A left-handed shooter in hockey holds the top of the stick with his right hand, with his left hand lower down the shaft of the stick and the blade touching the ground to the left side of his body.
How do you tell if a hockey player is left-handed?
The top hand on a hockey stick provides all of the control and touch, so it should be your dominant hand. If you hold the hockey stick with your right hand on top of the stick and your left hand down the stick, you are a left-handed shooter.
What position should a lefty play in hockey?
Center. A center can be either left or right-handed. A left-handed center must be comfortable playing on both sides of the ice. On offense, he will typically play through the middle of the ice.
Are there hockey sticks that are for left-handed people?
According to the rules of the International Hockey Federation, left-handed field hockey sticks are illegal for use in sanctioned competitions or field hockey tournaments. While it is possible to obtain a customized left-handed field hockey stick, you will not be able to use it during official competition.
29 related questions foundIn which game left hand is restricted?
The banning of left-handed playing in a game of polo is for safety reasons in order to avoid the likelihood of a head-on collision between players. As a left-handed player and a right-handed player head for the ball, they would not pass each other as they do in right-hand only games.
In which sport is it forbidden to play left-handed?
POLO ! Polo must be played right-handed. Left-handed play was ruled out in 1975 for safety reasons.
Do left-handed hockey players play left wing?
Do left handed hockey players play left wing? The position name is called the 'left wing' because of the side of the ice rink that they are primarily on, not the player's dominant hand. However, traditionally players have played on their dominant side, as it allows for easier breakouts and puck-carrying.
Are left wingers in hockey right-handed?
This means that the Left Winger will typically be a right-handed player and the Right Winger will typically have a left-handed shot. The reason for this is to have an increased shot percentage due to being easier to cut to the middle of the zone.
Which hand controls the hockey stick?
Hockey players have two contact points with the stick — their top hand and their bottom hand. Both perform different functions for stick skills and shooting. The top hand provides range, control, reach, and some non-obvious power. While the bottom hand provides stability and power.
What percentage of hockey players are lefties?
While it is hard to know the stats for every hockey player all over the world, we can look to the NHL for a closer look at the statistics and numbers. In general, around 60-70% of NHL players are left-handed, while the remaining 30-40% shoot right-handed.
Do left-handed hockey players have an advantage?
Handedness and NHL success
And their statistical performance is nearly identical as well. Except there's just one difference: how quickly they reach the NHL. Left shots reach the NHL a tad bit quicker than right shots.
Is Gretzky left-handed?
2: Wayne Gretzky. "The Great One" is actually right handed, but since he accomplished his NHL records using a lefty stick he makes the list.
Is Crosby left-handed?
While American kids might grow up watching LeBron James, Tom Brady, or Clayton Kershaw on the television, Canadian youth are much more likely to be watching Sidney Crosby, or another left-handed hockey player from Canada.
Is Ovechkin right-handed?
Alex Ovechkin, the NHL star chasing Gretzky's all-time goals record, shoots his deadly floating, dipping, speeding shot right-handed and throws a baseball left-handed. Some left-right stats: Roughly 60 to 70 percent of NHL players are left-handed shooters, depending on the season.
Why can't lefties play polo?
Left Handed Polo Playing
Thus the use of the left hand to play the sport was banned, for the safety of both the rider and the horse. Using the right hand only allowed polo to follow the principles of driving a car on a two-way road, with everyone keeping to the same side, and the risk of collisions vastly reduced.
Why are there no left handers?
1. Left-handed throws to second base are adversely affected by right-handed hitters. Controlling the running game is important, and the majority of plate appearances come with a right-hander at the plate. So the assumption is that “throwing through the batter” negatively affects the catcher's accuracy.
Can you fence left-handed?
'Other' fencers generally regard left-handers as awkward, some actually relish fencing left-handers seeing it as a true mark of their skill if they can achieve a victory without giving away too many hits.
Why do I play sports left-handed?
Handedness gives lefties advantage in high-speed sports
Left-handed athletes do better in sports because players are not as used to how they pitch the ball or throw a punch. At least that's been the common thinking. But a new study suggests that this only holds true for a particular type of sport.
Can left-handed people game?
Handedness does not prevent you from gaming like the rest.
How rare are mixed handed people?
Mixed-handedness or cross-dominance is the change of hand preference between different tasks. This is very uncommon in the population with about a 1% prevalence. Ambidexterity refers to having equal ability in both hands.
Are there more lefties or righties in the NHL?
Among the NHL's top-10 goal scorers of all time, five are lefties, five righties. But historically, lefties have accounted for about 70 percent of the league's players. This season, the majority of the league's players shoot left.
Do more hockey players shoot left or right?
Canadian and European hockey players tend to be left shot while more Americans are right shot. "I wish I had a good reason for why that is," said Mike Mountain, director of sticks and blades at Van Nuys-based Easton Sports.