LEFT-HANDED

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXX, Issue 4812, 22 February 1936, Page 2

LEFT-HANDED

SIGNIFICANCE IN SPORT It is not so long ago that lefthanded golfers were so unpopular that they were held up to ridicule, says an English critic. Since then players who. stand the wrong side of the ball have made their presence felt, and tournaments for left-hand-ed players have even been held. Professionals like to coach lefthanded golfers into playing righthanded, the theory being that no left-hander becomes really first-class at the game. A contradiction of this is Alfred Perry, the open champion. He has become a champion by playing in the orthodox way, yet naturally he is left-handed. Nobody ever tries to teach a lefthanded cricketer to “stand the right way.” A good left-handed batsman is a treasure in any team, and so is a man who can bowl leftarm. At football, too, a naturally left-footed player is welcomed with open arms, and most left-handed billiard players are excellent, and look beautifully comfortable with a cue. But at golf the left-handed style is declared to be wrong, while boxing instructors throw up their hands, in horror if any youngster spars in the reverse style. And they are still as horrified, even though Freddie Miller, who does everything the wrong way round, recently arrived from New York and defeated every good featherweight in Britain.