Is there a benefit if I change hands? R to L handed playing?

[Eph]

I am a lefty baseball player but I learned to play tennis right handed. I haven't played tennis in 8+ months due to an ankle surgery and will be getting back into tennis in the next month or two.

I was wondering if there are benefits of switching hands now? My ultimate goal is to make it to the 4.0 level and be able to play other mid/late 20s 3.5/4.0 players (I want to be able to play matches that have plenty of rallies, unlike now, where someone serves and scores a point on the return 70% of the time, the other 25% of the time, the point is made the next shot after the return of serve).

Before I stopped playing tennis I was probably a strong 2.5, weak 3.0.

I have considered switching hands because I threw very fast in baseball and that can translate into even faster tennis serves (I assume it will also speed up my groundstrokes). The few times I went out against a wall playing left handed, I was horrible and my ego wouldn't let me continue.

So, is it worth it? Or will it take too long for this mid-20s guy to learn playing tennis left handed? If it matters, in general, I am ambidextrous, but I lean towards my left hand.

[5263]

learning lefty should be no big deal for you.

[Eph]

Originally Posted by 5263

learning lefty should be no big deal for you.

Why is that?

[salsainglesa]

Sure there are benefits, you will develop evenly both sides of the brain, and be more coordinate overall!
Still learn to hit proper backhands, yes, i sad backhandSSSSSS....

if you are brave, have the time and dedication learn a one hander and a two hander...

I can hit the one hander of both sides, both side forehands but only left side two handed backhand. of course one side is much stronger, and my 2hbh is the go to shot.
Good luck! keet up with it, for at least 3 or 4 years

[WildVolley]

I think the biggest advantage to switching hands is that you threw well with your left hand. While the motions are not exactly the same, there is carryover between throwing and serving.

Even if you only wanted to work on serving with your left hand and hitting groundstrokes with your right, it might still benefit you. If you move to hitting left handed, stick with the 2hbh as it will only be slightly different than hitting a forehand with your right hand.

If you are going to switch, work on good form from the beginning if you want to play at the 4.0 level. That means immediately using the continental grip for your serve and using proper technique from day one.

[5263]

Originally Posted by Eph

Why is that?

It's not that hard anyway,
and you have a bunch of lefty skills, right?

[SeriousSummer]

It would be a great hustle. Hit with your weaker side, then make a bet and hit with your other hand.

Other than that, and the amusement value, I think playing with whatever side feels best is the way to go.

I've tried playing left-handed (I'm moderately ambidextrous) and could hit pretty well. But even though I can throw a ball left-handed, I thought I was going to injure myself badly trying a left-handed serve. I found serving with the off hand impossibly hard.

[Eph]

Well, I played today for the first time since I had surgery last January and it was fun. I played right handed. I have enough to work on on the right side.

[SystemicAnomaly]

Important benefit = brain development.

[Caesar]

Originally Posted by Eph

I have considered switching hands because I threw very fast in baseball and that can translate into even faster tennis serves (I assume it will also speed up my groundstrokes).

I throw right-handed and play tennis left-handed. I actually find that this gives me even more advantage with my serve, because I have far more control over my ball toss than other people (and a good ball toss is possibly the biggest factor in a good serve).

At the level you're talking about making it to (4.0), if you want a good/fast serve then good technique is far more important than brute strength. That holds true for pretty much all groundstrokes.

There are certainly advantages to being a lefthanded tennis player in terms of unfamiliarity, matchups, etc. with opponents. But I wouldn't change just because I wanted more power. You'll get more benefit in that regard from building on your existing skills.

[gahaha]

Why not stroke with your right and serve with left, I've never seen anyone do that before, you'd surely demolish people at least for the first few games lol. Serving is a similar motion to throwing a baseball so you're already halfway there!

[mntlblok]

Originally Posted by 5263

It's not that hard anyway,
and you have a bunch of lefty skills, right?

I'm probably going to know within a couple of days whether shoulder issues are going to make my right handed tennis days be gone for good. Found a couple of threads about switching from righty to lefty and have found some "slight" encouragement, including the above.

It seems that others who have considered giving it a try felt they had some degree of ambidexterity. I don't. However, due to wrist issues, I *have* learnt to use a computer mouse left handed. It was *exceedingly* awkward at first, but now feels essentially "normal", and I don't remember it taking all that long to "take". Otherwise, I'm pretty sure I would have given up on it.

I've played age group tournaments (somewhat successfully - at least in doubles) for the last few years. I hit the 60's next year.

I'm "student" enough of the game that I understand what interactions of stringbed and ball are needed to make pretty much any kind of shot happen. As I've had to come to grips with this (apparent) new reality, it's almost this knowledge, rather than a desire to reach a competitive level left-handed, that may be more of a driver for me to give it a shot - sort of an opportunity to test the "robustness" of my theories.

Any words of wisdom out there? TIA

Kevin

[LeeD]

Only problem is you backtrack 2 years.
You already noticed this.
You already hit pretty good rightie, solid 3.5 level, almost 4.0 level.
That would translate to 2 years, 3 days a week, 3 hours a day lefty.
Your choice, if you have the time.
I know lots of 4.0 tournament players who switched to leftie as they rose another half to full level rightie. They had too much time to kill on the courts.

[NLBwell]

I know that some players who have had arm injuries have switched successfully. I expect that if you did switch and stuck with it, your serve may be better left-handed. I'm not sure it would make a whole lot of difference on the groundstrokes and volleys. Of course the serve is the most important shot in the game.

[dominikk1985]

It can be done but it should be done at early age. I would only do this with pre teens because a lot of coordination attributes are developed very early.

the biggest concern is the serve. a FH and a two hander is quite easy to hit with the non dominant hand (one hander is harder) but the serve is really tricky since this is an athletic throwing movement.

[5263]

Originally Posted by NLBwell

I know that some players who have had arm injuries have switched successfully. I expect that if you did switch and stuck with it, your serve may be better left-handed. I'm not sure it would make a whole lot of difference on the groundstrokes and volleys. Of course the serve is the most important shot in the game.

I really like how this is said above.
If he had a good fastball lefty, serving should be very do-able.
Getting that very important lefty spin might be a slight challenge, but
I don't see why it should be.

[Douggo]

The poster who brought this thread from the dead is not the OP.
I would suggest for a completely right-handed person to switch to left-handed tennis will be quite difficult. But if it's either switch or quit, then go for it. What do you have to lose?

[TennisCJC]

Serving L handed and hitting cross court L handed forehand into a righty's backhand are 2 distinct advantages for lefties. I am right handed but wish I was a lefty. My slice and top/slice serves are my best serves but the move to my left or my R handed opponents forehand. If I was lefty, I could swing these serves into a righties backhand much more easily. Also, most righties have more difficulty adjusting to a lefty's spin serve.

I would learn to play lefty and I would learn a 2 handed backhand if you right hand has also been used a lot in other sports.

Nadal is a better player because he is lefty. If he played exactly the same but right handed; he would not have won as much.

[Nellie]

I know a good player (5.5+) who serves lefty (due to shoulder problems) and continues to hit strokes righty. I don't know what he does with overheads, though. I think I took him about a year of practice to get the left serve working.

[nyc]

Originally Posted by Eph

The few times I went out against a wall playing left handed, I was horrible and my ego wouldn't let me continue.

I think you'd open a can of worms that you shouldn't.

Nadal is right handed but plays lefty.

I played lefty ice hockey but right-handed in Tennis.

Do whatever feels more natural, not what logic tells you.