Top 10 Tips for Left Handed Golfers

If you’re a left-handed golfer, you already know that things can be difficult on and off the golf course.

• Lack of proper instruction for lefty golfers: Instruction is (usually) given with right-handed golfers in mind. We see it all the time: “Left-handed Golfers – just reverse everything…”
• Finding left-handed golf clubs and other equipment for lefties: Any time one of your right-handed buddies gets new, top-of-the-line clubs, you can’t try them out using your natural swing. Finding the appropriate left-handed golf clubs can be a challenge, as many retailers stock a limited number of left-handed clubs. (It makes sense—supply and demand and whatnot, but still.)
• Courses are designed for right-handed players: Let’s face it. Most classes are designed for righties, and as a left-hander, you may have to work harder to navigate obstacles closer to the tee box. In the short game, though, the playing field for right- and left-handers is usually pretty equal.

Don’t let the fact that you are left-handed stop you from beginning or excelling in the game. Some of the greatest golfers of all time have been lefties! Famous left-handed golfers include several PGA greats:

• Phil Mickelson
• Bubba Watson
• Bob Charles
• Mike Weir
• Steve Flesch
• The late Ben Hogan

There’s even an association dedicated to this rare breed, the National Association of Left-Handed Golfers, which holds a championship tournament each year.

In 2017, the European Tour challenged golf pros like Rory McIlroy and Henrik Stenson to channel their inner lefties in a “Left-Handed Challenge.” The golfers stepped up to the tee at the filmed event, and their attempts revealed a telling reality for left-handed golfers: it's hard!

Take a look at some of these top players attempting to golf left-handed.

1. How to Improve Your Bunker Play

Phil Mickelson advises the former commander-in-chief on how to improve his bunker play and shares a tip with him on how to enhance his bunker play.

2. Instruction For Left-Handed Beginners: How to Swing a Golf Club

Watch how-to golf swing tips from the proper hand position to the rotation on the downswing.

(Tip: if you want to bypass the intro to learn more about the proper golf swing, skip to the 5:30 mark in the video.)

1. Create a Power Release

Golf Info Guide writes, “Although power is built up through a complex combination of movements, using a stronger grip can create a power release.” Golf Info Guide has a guide to proper left-handed golf grip techniques. See how to achieve this firm grip and learn the difference between it and a neutral.

2. Conclude Swing with Full Follow Through

Left-handed golfers should finish their swing with a complete follow-through, ending on the balls of their feet. This ensures balance, power, and proper form.

3. Left-Handed Drill to Improve Swing Fundamentals

Practicing drills on both sides of the ball can help reset your brain, improve coordination, and strengthen your overall left-handed swing.

4. Opt for a Custom Club Fitting

To find a set of left-handed golf clubs that are perfectly customized for you and your swing, consider a custom club fitting, such as the PGA Tour Superstore Custom Club Fitting Van Experience. Your new custom clubs will be built and shipped to the location of your choice.

5. Don’t Forget Golf School!

You can always improve your game with professional instruction at one of Northeast Florida’s golf schools. Seek out a golf pro who is left-handed. They can help you develop your skills and are more likely to understand your challenges as a left-handed golfer. A school that comes highly recommended and is open to the public is the PGA Tour Performance Center at TPC Sawgrass.

6. Optimize Tee Box Strategy

Assess each hole and select a tee position that best suits your natural shot shape. Left-handed golfers can sometimes find better angles by starting slightly to one side of the fairway to avoid hazards and open up the most forgiving lines to the green.

7. Master Ball Positioning

Adjust ball position depending on the club:

• Short irons: slightly back in your stance
• Mid irons: center of your stance
• Driver/long irons: slightly forward for an upward strike

This ensures cleaner contact and better launch conditions.

8. Focus on Wrist Mechanics

Maintain wrist flexion throughout the swing to prevent casting and ensure solid ball contact. Using a training aid or swing sensor can provide instant feedback to improve wrist control and consistency.

9. Use Video or Sensor Feedback

Speaking of sensors, a great way to improve your swing is to use a swing analysis tool to spot flaws specific to left-handed golfers. Immediate feedback accelerates learning and helps you make effective adjustments. Use our guide to find courses and facilities equipped with this technology.

10. Prioritize Short Game Practice

Spend extra time on chipping and putting. Left-handed golfers sometimes have fewer examples to follow, so drills focused on alignment and consistency in the short game pay off quickly.

What's the difference between left-handed and right-handed golfing equipment?

Right-handed people make up somewhere between 85% to 90 % of people around the globe, so it comes as no surprise that most things, including golfing equipment, are built with these people in mind. Gloves and clubs feature right-handed features that make these pieces of equipment noninterchangeable due to the thumb placement on the right side of the glove and the golf club face.

On a traditional golf club, the shaft and the clubhead (with the grooved face angled outward) make an 'L' shape. For a southpaw, their golf club makes a backwards 'L' shape. Because of the more mainstream availability of this right-handed equipment, Left-handed golfers are put at a specific disadvantage when it comes to sourcing this gear.

Where to buy equipment?

• PGA Tour Superstore: Looking for new, high-end clubs? The PGA Tour Superstore has a wide selection of left-handed golf clubs, and they make purchasing these clubs online easy to navigate with a filter specifically for left-handed players.
• Dick's Sporting Goods: this sporting equipment store has a wide variety of left-handed golfing equipment available online to be shipped to your home or to your nearest Dick's Sporting Goods.