How does hand dominance affect eye dominance?

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In summary, the individual is primarily right-handed, but can also perform standard functions with their left hand. They are ambidextrous, and can write and draw with their left hand, but are better with their right. They are also left-footed in some activities, skateboarding and snowboarding in particular.
  • #1
Loren Booda
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1. What handedness are you?

2. What major functions do you perform mostly with your right hand? With your left hand? Ambidextrously?

I am primarily right-handed. I usually use my left hand to aid the right. Although my right hand is more social, stronger and coordinated, my left is more fluid, personal and deferential to the right. I consider washing my hands to be somewhat ambidextrous, whose hygiene somewhat "resets" me to my environment.

I cannot play a musical instrument. My drawings are more graphics than art. My hands are extensions of my upper-body strength, where I had learned early on to manually "force" rather than interact.
 
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  • #2
primarily left-bodied (eye, arm, leg)

do all standard function (writing, eating, kicking, punching) with left body but I play music right-handed (guitar and piano both)

Though, in my opinion, I still play guitar left-handed, I just play "goofy style".
 
  • #3
I'm primarily right handed/eyed/footed, but relatively good with my left. For some reason I learned to play hockey left handed. I also always played left wing/mid in soccer because I was better than average with my left foot.

When I was a kid, I noticed a natural tendency to clasp my hands with my right thumb on top. I combated boredom in church by learning to clasp them with my left thumb on top and now which way I do it is basically random.
 
  • #4
I'm right-handed. I can operate adequately left-handed, though. Notable things I do in a primarily left-handed fashion are:

* Wear a watch
(i.e. the watch goes on my right wrist)

* Carry things
My left hand/arm can manage awkward loads, and has a better sense of balance

* Cut cards
I know a variety of ways to cut a deck of cards one-handed, and I generally do it better with my left
 
  • #5
I'm lefty all the way. All the dexterity, strength and precision lies in the left side.

But I learned to use many right-handed tools, because of lacking access to the left-handed counterparts. I now prefer a right-handed computer mouse over a left one.

Hand writing is below mediocre, because when writing with a left hand you have to push the pen or pencil to the right thus creating brakes and discontinuities. And many pens don't let the ink out well that way. In contrast, right-handers can drag the pen to the right in a smooth way, and without applying much pressure.
 
  • #6
I write with my left hand

I do absolutely everything else with my right hand
 
  • #7
Right handed all the way! :biggrin:
 
  • #8
Im right handed, though use the left hand extensively while playing the guitar.
 
  • #9
Primarily Right Handed
Primarily Left Footed (skateboarding/snowboarding i like my right foot first)

I can play many instruments that use both (piano,drums,guitar).

I wore a watch on my right wrist for about 10 years before switching to left. I only switched because it would drag on the paper whenever i was writing in class.

When learning martial arts i made an effort to advance my abilities with my left hand. The biggest help was forcing yourself to brush your teeth with your left hand only. Its surprising to be able to watch your progress on a day to day basis.
 
  • #10
It's kind of weird with me (but then, ain't everything with me? :biggrin:)
I'm ambidextrous, in that I'm equally incompetent with both hands. I write and draw with both, throw darts with both, shoot handguns with both, and most other everyday activities. As a general rule, I use whichever one is closest the the thing that I'm going to do. When using a hammer or batting a ball, I tend to go with the right for the sake of accuracy although I have more power with the left. Screwdrivers are either way, but I tend to favour the left. Kicking is almost entirely right, but that might be because I've had a torn tendon in my left knee since I was 15. Unless it's inconvenient or logistically impossible, I shoot pool and long firearms right-handed because I'm right-eyed. The handguns go either way simply because I always shoot them with both hands, so the eye alignment doesn't change. I generally use the right as dominant, though, because none of my guns had ambidextrous safeties, slide stops or mag releases. Golf is a rightie activity for me, but I can't hit a bull in the *** with a shovel using either. I just quit counting after 10 shots on every hole.
 
  • #11
K.J.Healey said:
Primarily Left Footed (skateboarding/snowboarding i like my right foot first)

I can play many instruments that use both (piano,drums,guitar).
There's a locally well known guitarist here in San Diego known as "Big Toe". He was born with no arms, and plays with his feet. I don't know if he's left or right footed, though.
 
  • #12
I have trouble telling my right from my left so I have an R tattooed on my right bits and an L tattooed on my left bits.Just the middle bits to do now but I am not looking forward to it.
 
  • #13
I am a strongly right-handed in all things except throwing a frisbee. This I can only do with strength and accuracy using my left hand. Also, I can't understand QFT using my right hand, though not for lack of trying.
 
  • #14
I am right handed except when it comes to eating, where I am ambidextrous... primarily because when I was young I often sat to the left of my mother at dinner, and we'd be prone to clanking our elbows since she was left-handed.
 
  • #15
I use a right handed tin opener with my left hand. Mainly right handed though.
 
  • #16
I'm right handed and I do everything with my right hand except for writing in Arabic. Granted, it is 'easier' since Arabic is generally a right to left language but the pain and gnashing of teeth that it took to learn it that way was for masochists only. At least I don't smudge the ink :)
 
  • #17
MissSilvy said:
it is 'easier' since Arabic is generally a right to left language

That reminds me of another advantage to being a 'both paws'. In high-school, we had 3-ring binders with the really big rings (about 5cm across). Others struggled with getting their hands into a comfortable position, whereas I just switched depending upon which side I was writing on. It saved a lot of hassle.
 
  • #18
Danger said:
That reminds me of another advantage to being a 'both paws'. In high-school, we had 3-ring binders with the really big rings (about 5cm across). Others struggled with getting their hands into a comfortable position, whereas I just switched depending upon which side I was writing on. It saved a lot of hassle.

I know the ones. That's really quite nifty! I always hated spiral notebooks since I could only use a bit of the back of the page due to the stupid spiral binding.
 
  • #19
I hear you. Those spirals are even worse than the big rings, because there's no way around them and they cut into your wrist.
 
  • #20
I'm right-handed all the way. One time I was working out arms on a machine until I couldn't do any more. A friend of mine asked if I was done already. Then I pumped out another set on just my right arm. He's like, were you just holding that there with your right arm the entire time? Yup, and I didn't even realize I was doing it. Also, when I cut anything on my dinner plate I transfer the fork to my left hand and pick up the knife with my right. Then I transfer them back when I go to eat. It's ridiculous.

How do I check for eye and foot preference? I see equally well out of either eye, and both legs are equally coordinated, or uncoordinated depending on the task. I've heard of eye preference before, but didn't know there was such a thing as foot preference.
 
  • #21
Hey, Huck! Long time, no read.
It's pretty easy to determine eye dominance. Flip yourself the bird from arm's length, then focus upon something in the background. You'll see two images of your finger. One will appear to be slightly more 'solid' than the other. If it's the left image, your right eye is dominant, and vice versa.
 
  • #22
I write left handed, but can't write right handed. Anything I can do with my right hand, I can do with my left though, with equal skill.
 
  • #23
1. Primarily right-handed.
2. Most functions I perform with my right-hand. With my left hand, I can change chords on the guitar and violin. I can barely sketch with my left hand. I am barely able to use both hands on the piano (ie., with practice). However, I can touch type at an acceptable rate (50wpm).
 
  • #24
I'm quite ambidextrous, as I found out when I took up drums after 40 years of mainly playing guitars. Fortunately, I missed the genetic "flip" and though I write and shoot right-handed, I am right-eye dominant. That's a big advantage, especially snap-shooting with pistols and shotguns. I don't have to "aim" so deliberately, just point and shoot.
 
  • #25
Left handed:
Writing, racket sports, using a spoon

Right handed:
Guitar, scissors, golf, cricket, shooting, using cutlery which isn't a spoon
 
  • #26
Interesting breakdown, brewnog. I tried golf left-handed and actually ended up with more power and less tendency to slice when driving. The problem is that my short-game accuracy suffered. I'm pretty deadly inside of 150 yards, but only right handed. I'd gladly let my playing-partners out-drive me as long as I can get on the dance-floor in good position.
 
  • #27
Danger said:
Hey, Huck! Long time, no read.
It's pretty easy to determine eye dominance. Flip yourself the bird from arm's length, then focus upon something in the background. You'll see two images of your finger. One will appear to be slightly more 'solid' than the other. If it's the left image, your right eye is dominant, and vice versa.

I dunno, they both kind of fade in and out, sometimes left and sometimes right, sometimes both or none at all. It shifts and doesn't stay stable.

Good to see you too, Danger.
 
  • #28
Right hand - dominant. Computer mouse, drawing, playing stringed instruments, etc.

Left hand - Shooting a gun, carrying my son. I am left eyed, so I have to shoot left handed otherwise I miss horribly. I have never been able to shoot archery though, I always try with my right hand but I miss horribly and my left side is much less steady shooting a bow. I also learned to carry my son on my left side, to allow me to do things right handed while holding him. Now my left arm and shoulder are much stronger.
 
  • #29
Huckleberry said:
I dunno, they both kind of fade in and out, sometimes left and sometimes right, sometimes both or none at all. It shifts and doesn't stay stable.

Then it would appear that you truly don't have an eye dominance. That's very rare. I'm curious as to whether or not eye drops or artificial tears would change that. I know that my vision without using tear gel is far lower than normal.
 

What is the difference between a right hand and a left hand?

The main difference between a right hand and a left hand is their positioning. A right hand is located on the right side of the body, while a left hand is located on the left side. Additionally, the right hand is typically used for tasks that require more precision and dexterity, while the left hand is used for tasks that require more strength and stability.

Why do most people have a dominant hand?

Most people have a dominant hand because of brain lateralization, which means that one side of the brain is more specialized for certain functions. In most individuals, the left side of the brain controls language and logical thinking, while the right side controls creativity and spatial awareness. This leads to a preference for using one hand over the other for certain tasks.

Is it possible for someone to be ambidextrous?

Yes, it is possible for someone to be ambidextrous, meaning they have equal strength and dexterity in both hands. This is a rare trait, and it is thought to be caused by a more balanced distribution of functions between the two sides of the brain.

Can a person's dominant hand change over time?

While most individuals have a dominant hand from a young age, it is possible for a person's dominant hand to change over time. This can happen due to injury or illness, where the non-dominant hand is used more frequently, leading to it becoming the dominant hand. It can also occur through practice and training, where a person intentionally works on developing their non-dominant hand.

Are there any cultural or societal factors that influence hand dominance?

There is some evidence that cultural and societal factors can influence hand dominance. For example, in some cultures, there may be a stigma attached to being left-handed, leading to more people being trained to use their right hand for tasks. Additionally, certain tools and equipment may be designed for right-handed individuals, making it more practical for left-handed individuals to use their right hand for certain tasks.

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