Ambidexterity is the state of being equally adept in the use of both left and right appendages.
It is one of the most famous varieties of cross-dominance. People that are naturally
ambidextrous are uncommon, with only one out of one hundred people being naturally ambidextrous.
The degree of versatility with each hand is generally the qualitative factor in determining
a person's ambidexterity. In modern times, it is more common to find
people considered ambidextrous who were originally left handed and who learned to be ambidextrous,
either deliberately or during childhood institutions such as schools, or jobs where right-handed
habits are often emphasized or required. Since many everyday devices are asymmetrical and
designed for right-handed people, many left-handlers learn to use them right-handedly due to the
rarity or lack of left-handed models. Thus, left-handed people are much more likely to
develop motor skills in their non-dominant hand than right-handed people. Right-handers
may become ambidextrous due to an injury of their right hand or arm. Ambidexterity is
often encouraged in activities requiring a great deal of skill in both hands, such as
knitting, typing on a computer, juggling, swimming, percussion, keyboard music, baseball,
paintball, lacrosse, surgery, boxing, martial arts, Parkour and basketball.
Etymology The word "ambidextrous" is derived from the
Latin roots ambi-, meaning "both", and dexter, meaning "right" or "favorable". Thus, "ambidextrous"
is literally "both right" or "both favorable". The term ambidexter in English was originally
used in a legal sense of jurors who accepted bribes from both parties for their verdict.
The Latin word is derived from classical Greek roots from the word 'αμφι-δέξιος'
In sports
Athletics In athletics, Jonathan Edwards, a now-retired
British triple jumper who still holds the world record in that event, was known to be
able to kick with either foot while he played rugby. He displayed unprecedented ambidexterity
while jumping off either foot during his competitive jumps.
Baseball Ambidexterity is highly prized in the sport
of baseball. "Switch hitting" is the most common phenomenon, and is highly prized because
a batter usually has a higher statistical chance of successfully hitting the baseball
when it is thrown by an opposite-handed pitcher. Therefore, an ambidextrous hitter can bat
from whichever side is most advantageous to him in that situation. Pete Rose, who had
more hits than anyone else in the history of Major League Baseball, was a switch hitter.
Switch pitchers also exist. Tony Mullane won 284 games in the 19th century. Elton Chamberlain
and Larry Corcoran were also notable ambidextrous pitchers. In the modern era Greg A. Harris
is the only major league pitcher to pitch with both his left and his right arm. A natural
right-hander, by 1986 he could throw well enough with his left hand that he felt capable
of pitching with either hand in a game. Harris wasn't allowed to throw left-handed in a regular-season
game until September 28, 1995, the penultimate game of his career. Against the Cincinnati
Reds in the ninth inning, Harris retired Reggie Sanders pitching right-handed, then switched
to his left hand for the next two hitters, Hal Morris and Ed Taubensee, who both batted
left-handed. Harris walked Morris but got Taubensee to ground out. He then went back
to his right hand to retire Bret Boone to end the inning. One Division I NCAA pitcher,
Pat Venditte formerly of the Creighton Bluejays, now with the New York Yankees Class AA affiliate
Trenton Thunder, regularly pitches with both arms.
Billy Wagner was a natural right-handed pitcher in his youth, but after breaking his throwing
arm twice, he taught himself how to use his left arm by throwing nothing but fastballs
against a barn wall. He became a dominant left-handed relief pitcher, most known for
his 100+ mph fastball. In his 1999 season, Wagner captured the National League Relief
Man of the Year Award as a Houston Astro. Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Brett Cecil is naturally
right-handed, but starting from a very early age, threw with his left. As such, he writes
and performs most tasks with the right side of his body, but throws with his left.
Basketball In basketball a player may choose to make
a pass or shot with the weaker hand. NBA stars Kobe Bryant, Kyrie Irving, Carlos Boozer,
David Lee, John Wall, Derrick Rose, Andrew Bogut and Michael Beasley are ambidextrous
players. Bogut is stronger in the post with his left-handed hook shot than he is with
his natural right hand. Brothers Marc and Pau Gasol can make hook shots with either
hand while the right hand is dominant for each. Bob Cousy, a Boston Celtics legend was
forced to play with left hand in high school when he injured his right hand, thus making
him effectively ambidextrous. LA Clippers center DeAndre Jordan who is left-handed,
shoots with his left hand but has been known to dunk with his right hand. Indiana Pacers
center Roy Hibbert shoots his hook shots equally well with either hand. Oklahoma City Thunder
left-handed point guard Derek Fisher used to dunk with his right hand in his early years.
Candace Parker, forward for the WNBA Sparks team, also has equal dominance with either
hand. Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant shoots with either hand, although his right
hand is dominant: due to an injury to the right hand, he was forced to shoot with his
left. Paul George and Vince Carter are both noted to be right-handed, but rotates clockwise
for dunks, but Carter is able to also spin anti-clockwise, as he did during high school.
Board sports In skateboarding, being able to skate successfully
with not only one's dominant foot forward but also the less dominant one is called "switch
skating" and is a prized ability. Notable switch skateboarders include Rodney Mullen,
Eric Koston, Guy Mariano, Paul Rodriguez Jr., Mike Mo Capaldi, and Bob Burnquist. Similarly,
surfers who ride equally well in either stance are said to be surfing "switch-foot". Also,
snowboarding at the advanced level requires the ability to ride equally well in either
stance. Combat sports
In combat sports fighters may choose to face their opponent with either the left shoulder
forward in a right-handed stance or the right shoulder forward in a left-handed stance,
thus a degree of cross dominance is useful. In boxing, Manny Pacquiao has a southpaw stance
in the ring even though he is really right-handed outside the ring.
Cricket In cricket, it is also beneficial to be able
to use both arms. Ambidextrous fielders can make one handed catches or throws with either
hand. Sachin Tendulkar uses his left hand for writing, but bats and bowls with right
hand. There are many players who are naturally right handed but bat left and vice versa.
Sourav Ganguly uses his right hand for writing and bowls with the right hand, too, but bats
with his left hand. Players due to injuries may also switch arms for fielding. Phillip
Hughes batted, bowled and fielded left handed before a shoulder injury, he now fields right
handed but hasn't continued bowling. Australian batsman George Bailey also due to sustaining
an injury, taught himself to throw with his weaker left arm. He is now often seen throughout
matches switching between arms as he throws the ball. See also reverse sweep and switch
hitting. Cue sports
In cue sports, players can reach farther across the table if they are able to play with either
hand, since the cue must either be placed on the left or the right side of the body.
English snooker player Ronnie O'Sullivan is unique amongst the current ranks of top snooker
professionals, in that he is able to play to world standard with either hand. While
he lacks power in his left arm, his ability to alternate hands allows him to take shots
that would otherwise require awkward cueing or the use of a rest. When he first displayed
this ability in the 1996 World Championship against the Canadian player Alain Robidoux,
Robidoux accused him of disrespect. O'Sullivan responded that he played better with his left
hand than Robidoux could with his right. O'Sullivan was summoned to a disciplinary hearing in
response to Robidoux's formal complaint, where he had to prove that he could play to a high
level with his left hand. He played three frames of snooker against former world championship
runner-up Rex Williams, winning all three. The charge of bringing the game into disrepute
was subsequently dropped. Figure skating
In figure skating, most skaters who are right-handed spin and jump to the left, and vice versa
for left-handed individuals. Olympic Champion figure skater John Curry notably performed
his jumps in one direction while spinning predominantly in the other. Very few skaters
have such an ability to perform jumps and spins in both directions, and it is now considered
a "difficult variation" in spins under the ISU Judging System to rotate in the non-dominant
direction. Michelle Kwan used an opposite-rotating camel spin in some of her programs as a signature
move. No point bonus exists for opposite direction jumps or bi-directional combination jumps,
despite their being much harder to perfect. Football
In association football, being able to kick with either foot provides more options for
both passing and scoring, as well as the ability to play on either side of the pitch. Therefore
players with the ability to use their weaker foot with proficiency are valuable in any
team. Former football players Andreas Brehme, Paolo Maldini and Pavel Nedvěd are ambidextrous
from birth. Pedro Rodríguez, Toni Kroos, Adriano Correia, Santi Cazorla, are all examples
of ambidextrous footballers. Players such as Ronaldo, Wesley Sneijder, David Villa,
Zinedine Zidane, Ross Barkley, Marek Hamšík, Adel Taarabt, Jack Rodwell, Adam Lallana and
Radamel Falcao are also considered ambidextrous. In rugby league and rugby union being ambidextrous
is an advantage when is comes to passing the ball between teammates as well as being able
to use both feet by the halves is an advantage in gaining field position by kicking the ball
ahead. Jonny Wilkinson is a prime example of a union player who is equally good at kicking
off both feet, for example he normally place kicks using his left, but dropped the goal
that won the Rugby World Cup in 2003 with his right.
In American football, it is especially advantageous to be able to use both arms. Ambidextrous
receivers can make one-handed catches with either hand; linemen can hold their shoulders
square and produce an equal amount of power with both arms; and punters can handle a bad
snap and roll out and punt with either leg, limiting the chance of a block.
Golf Some players find cross-dominance advantageous
in golf, especially if a left-handed player utilizes right-handed clubs. Having more precise
coordination with the left hand is believed to allow better-controlled, and stronger drives.
Mac O'Grady was a touring pro who played right-handed, yet could play "scratch" golf left-handed.
He lobbied the USGA for years to be certified as an amateur "lefty" and a pro "righty" to
no avail. Although not ambidextrous, Phil Mickelson and Mike Weir are both right-handers
who golf left-handed; Ben Hogan was the opposite, being a natural left-hander who played golf
right-handed. This is known as cross-dominance or mixed-handedness. Katelyn Johnson is a
famous ambidextrous women's golf player. Hockey
Ice hockey players may shoot from the left or right side of the body. For the most part,
right-handed players shoot left, and likewise, most left-handed players shoot right as the
player will often wield the stick one-handed. The dominant hand is typically placed on the
top of the stick to allow for better stickhandling and control of the puck. Players who learn
the game in the USA will generally play with their stronger hand in the middle of the stick,
thus putting more power into slapshots. Gordie Howe was one of few players capable of doing
both, although this was at a time when the blade of the stick was not curved.
Another ice hockey player, goaltender Bill Durnan, was nicknamed "Dr. Strangeglove" for
his ability to catch the puck with either hand. This feat won him the Vezina Trophy,
then for the National Hockey League's goalie with the lowest goals-against average, six
times out of only seven seasons. He had developed this ability playing for church-league teams
in Toronto and Montreal to make up for his poor lateral movement.
Field hockey players are forced to play right-handed. The rules of the game denote that the ball
can only be struck with the flat side of the stick. Only one player Laeeq Ahmed belongs
to Pakistan National Hockey team, played Hockey with unorthodox left hand below and right
hand up side of stick grip with full command Laeeq Ahmed Played 1991 to 1992 from Pakistan
National Field Hockey Team successfully. Perhaps to avoid confusing referees, a left-handed
stick rarely exist. Chelsie Homer is also a famous female ice hockey ambidextrous player.
Racing In professional sports car racing, drivers
who participate in various events in both the United States and Europe will sometimes
encounter machines with the steering wheel mounted on different sides of the car. While
steering ability is largely unaffected, the hand used for shifting changes. This is further
complicated by the fact that the shift pattern relative to the driver changes, e.g. a gear
change that requires moving the lever toward the driver in a left-hand-drive vehicle becomes
a movement away from the driver in a right-hand-drive vehicle. A driver skilled in shifting with
the opposite hand is at an advantage. Also notice that the more widely adopted left
foot braking technique in modern race cars requires a sensitive left foot to operate
and a left-hand-driver with a more dominated left foot may brake better than those who
brakes with right foot or whose left foot isn't dominated, this drastically shorten
the time from maximum acceleration to maximum deceleration and left footer possesses a much
greater advantages in racing. Racket sports
In tennis, a player may be able to reach balls on the backhand side more easily if they're
able to use the weaker hand. Perfect examples of players who are ambidextrous include Luke
Jensen and Maria Sharapova. Rafael Nadal uses his right hand for writing, but plays tennis
with left. There are many players who are naturally right handed but play lefty and
vice versa. Evgenia Kulikovskaya is also an ambidextrous player, Kulikovskaya played with
two forehands and no backhand, switching her racket hand depending on where the ball was
coming. Jan-Michael Gambill is the opposite case of Kulikovskaya, since he played with
a two handed forehand and backhand, although he served with his right hand. Other famous
examples of a two handed forehand are Fabrice Santoro and Monica Seles. Seles' playing style
was unusual in that she hit with two hands on both sides and, at the same time, always
kept her left hand at the base of her racket. This meant that she hit her forehand cross-handed.
Although it is quite uncommon, in badminton, ambidextrous players are able to switch the
racquet between their hands, often to get to the awkward backhand corner quickly. As
badminton can be a very fast sport, at professional levels of play, players might not have time
to switch the racquet, as this disrupts their reaction time.
In art Although most artists have a favored hand,
some artists use both of their hands for arts such as drawing and sculpturing. It is believed
that Leonardo da Vinci utilized both of his hands after an injury to his right hand during
his early childhood. A contemporary artist, Gur Keren, can draw
with both his hands and even feet. In music
In drum and bugle corps, snare drummers, quads, and bass drummers need to be somewhat ambidextrous.
Since they have to abide by what the composer/arranger has written, they have to learn to play their
piece starting with either left or right. Famous former Beatles member Paul McCartney
is left-handed, and had his guitar altered for performing. The drummer of The Beatles,
Ringo Starr, is left-handed as well, but he plays a right-handed drum kit.
Tools With respect to tools, ambidextrous may be
used to mean that the tool may be used equally well with either hand; an "ambidextrous knife"
refers to the opening mechanism and locking mechanism on a folding knife. It can also
mean that the tool can be interchanged between left and right in some other way, such as
an "ambidextrous headset," which can be worn on either the left or right ear. As an opposite
example, some scissors are made specifically for use in one hand, and will not cut properly
if used in the other hand. Left-handed as well as ambidextrous scissors are nowadays
available. Knitting
In knitting, the use of two needles, the knitter must learn to use both needles seamlessly.
Several factors also lead to ambidexterity, the chief one being if a person either favors
their left hand over their right or if they learned to crochet before learning to knit.
In that case, they either use the Continental method or the English method
Firearms Many modern small arms employ ambidextrous
design to accommodate both the right- and left-handed operator. This is advantageous
for marketing the firearm to military or law enforcement units because the firearms are
distributed in a large scale. This eliminates the need for training left-handed operators
to adapt to a right-handed firearm. Many right-handed persons shoot rifles left-handed because they
have a left dominant eye. The realities of modern urban combat also
play a significant role in this development, with ambidextrously-designed firearms providing
an advantage when required to shoot around cover from the weak shoulder.
Medicine and surgery Ambidexterity is a rare quality also in the
medical field: the Scottish anatomist John Lizars was known to be ambidexter, as well
as Marco Abbondanza, the Italian eye surgeon. Ambidexterity is also useful after surgery
on a dominant hand or arm as it will force the patient to use their non-dominant hand.
See also Ambidextrous organization
Brain asymmetry Cross-dominance
Dual brain theory Handedness
Laterality Lateralization of brain function
Left-handed Right-handed
Note ^ This article incorporates text from a
publication now in the public domain: Chambers, Ephraim, ed.. "article name needed". Cyclopædia,
or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences. James and John Knapton, et al.
References