If you haven’t completed the left-handed test yet, you can use this link to go to the survey form (it contains 12 Left/Right questions and will only take you a minute to complete).
This page gives our analysis of the surveys completed so far. By 27 May 2015 34,271 people had completed the survey and they declared their handedness as:
| Do you consider yourself to be left or right handed? | ||
| Left | 25,317 | 74% |
| Right | 3,127 | 9% |
| Both | 5,398 | 16% |
| Not answered | 433 | 1% |
| Total | 34,271 | 100% |
Of the people that consider themselves to be left-handed this is the percentage that answered each question “Left”:
| Question | % Left |
| Writing hand (we assume that the other 3% of people who consider themselves left-handed but said they write right-handed were forced to change their writing hand when they were young and have not changed it back) |
97% |
| Cutting with scissors (a lot of people mentioned that they use scissors right-handed because that was all that used to be available and they have never changed) |
70% |
| Holding a bat (one handed) | 78% |
| Eating with a spoon | 94% |
| Holding a toothbrush | 92% |
| Brushing hair | 89% |
| Eye (using a telescope) | 74% |
| Ear (using a telephone) (some people mentioned that they hold the phone to their right ear to leave their left hand free for taking notes. LHC’s Keith just gets in a tangle, holding the phone to his left ear with his right hand so he can still write with his left!) |
79% |
| Foot (kicking a ball) | 64% |
| Folding arms, which is on top | 68% |
| Clapping, which hand is on top | 81% |
| Clasping hands behind back, which hand is doing the holding | 77% |
| Throwing a ball | 77% |
| Turning the pages of a book | 74% |
| Using a bat or club two-handed (hand on bottom) (this question cause a lot of confusion with people thinking about “bottom” differently if they were holding the bat or club down, e.g. cricket or golf, or up for e.g. baseball. What we meant was the hand on the bottom being the one nearest the hitting end of the bat. If this is your left, you will be facing to your right looking over your right shoulder to see the ball coming) |
65% |
The percentage of people who consider themselves left-handed who were graded at each of our levels were:
| Grading | % of total |
| Seriously Left-Handed (>90% score) | 46% |
| Mainly left-handed (60-90% score) | 44% |
| Left but mixed-handed (40-60% score) | 7% |
| Probably a Right-Hander! (0-40%) | 3% |
The overall average score for people who consider themselves left-handed was 83%
And the number of people who scored 100% was 3,710 (15% of all the left-handers)
Of the 5,398 people who consider themselves “Both handed”, 60% use their left hand to write, 30% to cut with scissors and 67% used a phone on their left ear. Their overall weighted score was 55%.
Please add your own comments or interpretations as comments at the bottom of this page.
If you haven’t completed the left-handed test yourself yet, you can use this link to go to the survey form
As the adage goes, ” I’m a lefty; therefore, I’m in my right mind! 🤣
Being left-handed requires many work-arounds. Scissors, for example. Unscrewing jar lids. Playing guitar or ukelele unless you want to get seriously into it and do a Jimi Hendrix or Paul McCartney and turn it upside down (I didn’t get that far). I had to line up with everyone else and bat right, altho I always threw left. I am in my 60s and still write with the paper upside down, people see it as writing top to bottom, but when I learned, it was a way of keeping my wrist out of the ink. My dad used the hook posture, as do most lefties I see to this day. When I went to China and Japan, I was an object of great curiosity. Not just writing, but using chopsticks left-handed~
Hendrix was left-handed. However, unlike Otis Rush and Albert King, he did not play upside-down. If you look at any photo of him playing, you will notice that the heavier gage strings are at the top.
So, Hendrix used a right-handed guitar and had the strings reversed so he could play left-handed.
Since playing a non-symmetrical guitar, such as a Stratocaster, with reversed strings has obvious liabilities. A symmetrical guitar, such as a Gibson Flying-V or an SG, does not have these problems.
So, I wonder why, since his instruments were conventionly strung, why he simply didn’t use left-handed instruments.
Stephen
Sorry, I meant to use “gauge”.
I use a bat and golf clubs right-handed because: 1. that puts my dominant eye (best vision) toward the pitcher/green and 2. that puts my strongest arm forward for a more powerful swing. Well, and because I was taught that way.
I was taught by right handed parents to use scissors and use right handed scissors with my left hand. I can’t see the cutting line if I try using left handed scissors!
Same
Writing is active ,holding is passive.I hold a phone in my right hand against my left ear.I then use my left hand to write down any message.
Writing involves a fine motor skill.Holding a phone is gross motor.
My left ear is my dominant ear.
The question on using the telephone is a tricky one. I do use my right hand to hold it when I need to write things down.
I am the only left hand left in the family now.
Iam extremly left handed, there are a few things that I have had to learn to do right handed such aspeeling potatoes and ironing as I was made to do at school.
Very proud and happy to be a lefty! Only one of my family of 8.
As a lefty I was always concerned about losing the use of it and having to learn to use my right right. Then I realised it would be worse for someone who only had their left left.
I think that another option should be added to some the questions for if you do not have a preference or most frequently used hand in a task.
I too use the hook position. Now, at 72, I suffer from chronic tendonitis in my left wrist and forearm. Oh, well! Additionally, I’m the only southpaw in my family. One of my older brothers teases me by saying, “Maybe you were adopted. 🤣