Is Moya Left Handed?

[backhander]

I was watching the Nalbandian/Moya match the other night and the commentator mentioned that Moya is left handed, or atleast Moya writes with his left hand.

Is that true? Cause Moya has got an incredible forehand and serve, but if he is left handed and is making those shots with his right, that makes it even more incredible.

Are there any other players that do this? I remember Kimiko Date on the WTA was like this too.

Or is there any natural right handers that play left handed?

 

[Tennis.Addict]

Sabine Applemens (doesn anyone remember her?)

 

[jings]

Lendl plays golf left handed and is scratch - same sort of thing.

 

[PhatAbbott]

Im ambidextrous. I write with my left and cut with scissors and play with my right .

 

[Roforot]

Why did he train w/ opposite hand?
Was it an injury or strategic planning?
Does he use a 2h Bh?

 

[@wright]

Many times this happens because a left handed child takes lessons and does what the other kids and instructor do-plays with his right hand. It can also be strategic, but I think this is less common than a good old-fashioned mixup.

 

[Rabbit]

There are numerous examples:

Thomas Muster - right-handed
Martina Navratilova - right-handed
Eddie Dibbs - left-handed
Ken Rosewall - left-handed


My dad started me playing golf right-handed. The pro told him that I'd never know the difference if I started out that way. I played golf before tennis, but most tennis players who play golf find it easier to play "wrong-handed", or opposite the way you're supposed to play golf.

 

[Dedans Penthouse]

Bobby Riggs used to hustle on the golf course by being able to play a fairly decent round of golf right handed, then "setting the trap" by laying a bet that he could beat you left handed. A number of tennis pros play the "opposite" side because their one-handed backhands are "kinetically compatible" to an "opposite" side golf swing.

As for Rabbit and golf, I once saw him shoot a hole-in-one......

.....at which point he pulled out his scorecard.......and put down ZERO.

 

[PhatAbbott]

I was told to pick up the racket as it feels comfortable. And I bet Carlos Moya did exactly the same. Although Im left side dominant, swinging felt more natural with my right arm. All practical things I do with my left arm (writing, cutting, grinding cheese , pouring drinks and other basics) and all bat games I use my right arm.

He strugles with two handed backhand and so do I. Perhaps its just genetics.

 

[Mr.Safin]

Rafael Nadal, plays with his opposite hand too.

 

[Feña14]

I play golf, bat in cricket and baseball, hold a hockey stick, eat, and open bottles left handed.

However I draw, play tennis, bowl and kick a ball right handed.

So what does that make me?

Liam

 

[bfonz7]

Ask resident Moya super fan, PureCarlosMoyaDrive....He can probably tell you anything you need to know about him.

 

[Kevin Patrick]

I think Escude & Clement are natural lefties as well.

 

[baseliner]

I play baseball, basketball and football left handed. The sports I took up in my teens or later I play right handed--like tennis and golf. I did bet a guy I could beat him left handed on the tennis court, then hit a 2 handed backhand (a right handed for hand plus the left hand on the racket) at every chance!

 

[ford oliver]

Clement a Lefty?

No way. A friend of mine played a set against him last year in Halle and won easily as he played left handed (with a two handed backhand) and could not serve.

 

[Brettolius]

if it's possible to develope such an awesome forehand like Moya's wronghanded,why are children not taught to hit forehands from both sides? we have two handed forehands,surprised there's not been even one player to do this.seems like you could develope wicked groundstrokes. Moya struggles with his 2-hander but kills his wronghanded forehand.could you imagine if he hit a forehand also on the right side!

 

[Feña14]

Good point,

If you hit 2 forehands that could be a great advantage, but would you have enough time to adjust the racket from hand to hand?

Volleys would be a nightmare!!

Liam

 

[fastdunn]

I've seen some players hitting FH from both sides.
I don't recall how they volley, though.

75% of my volleying is from BH. BH volley has that much
coverage than forehand.

I love my 1H BH which is more versatile and powerful.
Plus I have lame forehand.....

 

[VamosRafa]

Because I hadn't seen a good answer to this question. I asked Carlos about this in Houston. Here's what he said (from his 11/11/03 interview at Houston Masters 2003):

Q. You are left-handed but you play right-handed. Did you ever play left-handed?
CARLOS MOYA: No. Well, when I was a kid, I broke my right arm, so I tried to play my left. But I wasn't very good (smiling).

Q. It's interesting. Rafael Nadal is the opposite. He's right-handed, plays left-handed. I was wondering if that was a Mallorcan trait?
CARLOS MOYA: Yeah, maybe. But I don't know any other one doing that. Maybe we are the only two.

Here's the full interview transcript:

http://www.masters-cup.com/news/interviews/tuesday_moya.asp

As for Rafael, he played two-handed off both sides until a few years ago, and was equally good on both sides. His coach decided he should have a one-handed forehand. And they decided he should play left-handed, since they thought it would give him an advantage on the ATP. So that's how it evolved. He said that in an interview, but I don't have it handy. I am wondering, however, if he always served left-handed.

Susan

 

[Scorch]

There is a player on the WTA that plays with 2 forehands - she is called Koulikovsya and lingered around the bottom half of the top100 for a while, I have not heard much about her recently. Crucially neither of her forehands were particularly spectacular shots which explains the less-than-spectacular ranking!!

 

[ProStaffTour90]

I play golf, bat in cricket and baseball, hold a hockey stick, eat, and open bottles left handed.

However I draw, play tennis, bowl and kick a ball right handed.

So what does that make me?

Liam

:lol: you kick a ball right handed!

My mate plays Tennis, bowls, throws and writes left handed

but bats right handed and kicks right footed!

 

[NoBadMojo]

luke jenson (remember him?) plays right handed but can serve really well lefthanded too. i am amazed..dude that he is, that he didnt do that more on tour. i dont know why coaches and teaching pros would turn a natural lefty into a righty since lefties have an advantage in tennis. it's not like golf, where there wasnt as much left handed equipment...oh wait! i use right handed tennis racquets....ed