Dear Parents, embrace the uniqueness of your left handed tots! On World Lefty Day learn about how they are sometimes better off than the right-wing.
About one in ten people is left-handed, according to a ScienceWorld Statistic. Most of the time, that fact shows up on mugs or in lists of famous people. But there’s a different question worth asking: Does growing up left-handed train your brain — and give you useful skills for the future?
Below, we look at the practical upside of being left-handed.
Leftys and surprise: why coaches notice them
In sports, left-handed players often feel “weird” to opponents. A left-handed batsman or boxer hits from an unexpected side. That makes their moves hard to read.
Coaches often prefer a lefty in certain match-ups because opponents practise mostly against right-handed players. That small unpredictability can win matches.
This isn’t magic. It’s practice. Lefty’s get used to doing things slightly differently. That habit helps when plans change fast.
Shreeraj Damodi, a volleyball coach to college students in Mumbai for the past 15 years, says, “A lefty has big potential to win the game for a team. He is so much better in positions like ‘counter’ and hitting balls cross-court. In comparison to a right-handed individual, he is better adaptable because he can do equally well in other positions too, but as for right-handed people, hitting cross-court can be hard.”
Left-Handers Can Be Weirdly Creative
Brains don’t always follow labels, but here’s the gist: right-handers usually use one side of the brain for thinking and language. Lefty’s often involve both sides more evenly. That makes their thinking more flexible and creative.
“Because left-handed people are constantly navigating a world that requires them to think differently, they have more practice using their imagination,” says a Mumbai-based child psychologist, Shweta Bajaj.
Lefty’s have better Spatial Awareness
Yes, you heard that right! “Lefty’s have a better sense of measurement in general. This can be seen in the way they hold things and even in their careers when they choose paths like engineering and architecture. Lefty’s use both sides of their brain effectively, giving them even better reflexes than right-handed and ambidextrous individuals,” says Dr. Mahbanu Sethna, an independent career counsellor whose area of study lies in career psychology.
A students perspective
“My perspective can’t be much different from that of every other lefty. It’s a widely identified problem that we write slower and that our handwriting can be a little out of whack. But about me specifically, I have played tennis for the better part of a decade now and it does give me added advantage in sports,” says Shahan Jasoomani, a student from Christ Church School, Mumbai.
Practical suggestions for schools & parents
This is not about pretending lefty’s are a special class. It’s about noticing useful patterns and helping all kids use their strengths.
What schools can do:
- Offer one or two left-friendly tools in class like scissors, a bench, or a top-bound notebook.
- Let students show work in different ways: diagrams, voice notes, or sketches to encourage creativity
What parents can do:
- Encourage drawing and building games, not only written drills.
- If a child prefers the left hand for writing or sports, support that choice.
Quick fact box
- About 10% of people are left-handed.
- Left-handed athletes are common in sports where surprise helps win against an opponent (tennis, boxing, cricket).
- Being left-handed is not a problem. It’s a different way to solve problems.
Short ending: a new way to see it
Left-handed kids don’t just struggle less or more — they learn different skills every day. Those small habits — adapting, remixing, thinking visually — are secret practice for a messy future.
This World Left-Handers Day, don’t just celebrate famous lefty’s. Ask: “What do lefty’s learn that the rest of us could use?”
Here’s a list of 10 famous Indian left-handed personalities:
Sachin Tendulkar – Cricket legend (bats right-handed but is a natural left-hander in daily life)
Sourav Ganguly – Former Indian cricket team captain
Ravindra Jadeja – Indian cricketer
Rishabh Pant – Indian cricketer
Yuvraj Singh – Former Indian cricketer
Kapil Dev – Former Indian cricketer (writes with left hand)
Amitabh Bachchan – Bollywood actor
Rajinikanth – Actor and cultural icon
Kangana Ranaut – Bollywood actress
Leander Paes – Tennis legend
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