Where Is the Right Foot in Relation to the Left Hand?

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THE BODY BEAUTIFUL

I am left footed, but right handed. Is this unusual?

Jon Cole, London

• No. I'm left handed but right footed. Experts have identified 12 activities that define your "handedness" and very few people will be defined as 100% left-or-right handed when all 12 are taken into account. Consider the in which you hold an apple to eat it for instance. In my case, I'm far more dextrous than sinister - I just happen to write with my left hand.

  Paul Wright, Rochford, UK

• Not sure how unusual your 'condition' is, but both my mother and late father are/were differently handed for writing and eating, whilst myself and my brother are 'normal'.

  Jonathan, Lancaster

• According to scientific studies from the 80s and 90s, the answer is yes: right-handers are 95% right-footed and 66% right-eyed. Interestingly, the statistics are markedly different for left-handers: only 45% of left-handers are left-footed and 57% of left-handers are left-eyed.

  Katie Merchant, Marlborough, England

• When my left-handed son was small he seemed a little uncoordinated and was tested for handedness and dominant eye, as preferences can apparently differ. The tests were to kick footballs or stand on one leg with his eyes shut. It think the conclusion was that he had not decided yet!

  Vivienne , London, UK

• I have no idea. However, when I play cricket I bat right-handed yet bowl left-handed.

  Gareth Graham, Bristol, UK

• I write, throw, play tennis and bowl left handed but bat, golf and use scissors right handed. I think I am virtually ambipedal. Am I just messed up?

  Robin, Dunfermline

• Not really. I am right handed and right footed but left eyed. My son is right handed when writing but left handed when using a knife and fork and equally proficient with either foot.

  Alec Jameson, Hong Kong

• I am left-handed when it comes to writing, playing snooker and darts, but right-handed when I play racket sports and throw balls. I don't think there is any rhyme or reason to it.

  Martin, Liverpool, Merseyside

• I'm right handed for most things, but bat left handed at cricket, though right handed at golf. Definately left footed. My father on the other hand is right handed, but bowls left handed. He reckons he kicks best with his right foot but it is hard to tell.

  Martin Gawith, Nottingham, UK

• A right-handed person typically has a better grasp on objects when lifting them with that hand. Having something heavy in one's right hand necessitates putting more weight on the left leg for basic balance. When a righty addresses the various tasks of life it's often the case that activating the stronger hand coincides with giving the left foot more work to do which over time may create a sense of being left-footed.

  Steve, Kansas City, Missouri, US

• I think most males could lay claim to having two left feet when it comes to dancing...

  Kevin Hannan, Leeds, UK

• I use left eye, left ear, right foot and a mix of left and right handedness. Write and play snooker RH, but play darts, cricket, basketball and golf LH. Use a hammer and all other tools RH, but use double-handed axe, shovel or broom LH. Kick right foot but punch LH. It seems all a bit whacko, and the psches would probably suggest I am schizo. I just call it well-balanced.

  Marty, Yallourn Australia

• I am also right handed and left footed. I found this page looking for the same answer so if I find any info I'll let you know. I find that I can kick a ball with both feet though I feel much stronger with the left. I ride a skate board left footed and am completely right handed.

  Andy, Melbourne Australia

• I'm also left footed and right handed. I often wonder if I was encouraged to use my right hand to write as a kid - however this was the 1970's so i doubt it was forced as it used to be. I do most activities with the right hand (except throwing a frisbee which is always left handed for some reason). I naturally use my left "peg" for kicking but since my teens made a conscious effort to use my right foot too in order to improve my game. I think they call being left footed but right handed (or vice-versa) being "cross-lateral" and it is quite unusual but not mega rare.

  Rob Sawyer, Handforth UK

• I found this whilst looking for an answer to this situation. I am right handed and left footed. I also play golf and cricket 'left handed' but this leads me to think this term is a mistake. Obviously both cricket and golf positions are determined by the lead foot, so really, cricket and golf should be 'left-footed' - and this then makes sense to me. Pleased to know there are people out there like this, I've never met anyone with this odd balance before. Does it give us some kind of advantage we could exploit?

  Ian Daley, Pontefract, West Yorkshire

• I'm right handed,left footed. I'm glad i found this page. I knew when i noticed i hadn't met anyone else right handed and left footed, there would have to be some sort internet discussion. sweet!

  Michael , Melbourne, Australia

• My 4 year old daughter is right handed & left footed. I was mentioning this to someone & they said it is a sign of intelligence as it means you can use both sides of the brain at once. I don't know if this is true or not (this is why I am searching for an answer) Is this true?

  Sarah, Wakefield, Engand

• I am so glad I found this site. I am left footed and right handed. I thought I was alone in this but I guess its by design and though I am part of a rare few, I am still normal.

  Robert, Lilongwe, Malawi

• I have no left hand from birth, but am left footed, left eyed and can only 'curl' my left upper lip. My hand writing is terrible too! I often wonder if I might be left handed! Is this possible?

  Gary, Plymouth UK

• I'm definitely left footed and right handed. I can kick football/rugby ball ok with my right, but I'm much better with my left. I do everything with my right hand and seldom use my left.

  Matt, Chichester, UK

• Great to stumble on to this site. I'm right-handed but left-footed and left-eyed. You often hear percentages regarding left-handedness but not the others. Once you are an adult (at least in the States), foot preference means little but as a youth I recall many left-handers but I was the only left-footer. I always assumed that soccer oriented countries would be more in tune to that sort of thing.

  Glenn, Boston, USA

• No, you are fine. I'm the same as you - left footed and right handed. In basketball and writing I'm righty, but when I started playing soccer I was always better lefty. It's a matter using what is most comfortable.

  Tony Boyd, Harlem, US

• I recently realized that my son is also left footed, yet is right handed. I too, am trying to see how common (or uncommon) this is.

  Billie Wunderle-Johnson, Norfolk, USA

• I Am 40 years old and have always been right handed and left footed. When i was younger I had a great left foot when playing football. However now I am older and play golf it seems this is a handicap to me, as i stand and play golf as a right hander would,(that's normal, you may think) but i have to hold the club with my left hand lower than the right on the grip, as a left hander would. This impedes my swing. Any ideas why i do this?

  Alan, Newcastle, UK

• I am also right handed and left footed! I have never picked up a pen with my left hand and absolutely never been coerced into writing with my right hand, I played a lot of football, always left midfield of left defence due to my left foot, when i explain to people I am left footed and right handed people seem to try and out do me with "well I'm ambidextrous!", I don't know what that is all about! As i get older I seem to be reaching for things more with my left hand not using things with my left, just reaching which is really doing my head in as I am getting confused! Left side of the brain controls the right side of your body, the right side of your brain controls the left side of your body!!! I am pleased you asked this question, I think you and I approach tasks ie in a body position sort of way differently than someone who is totally dominant left or right and that may seem different to them as it does not seem familiar to them such as when you see a left handed person write, their hand position does not seem to be the norm but they can still write perfectly, when you add balance and body posture, body language into the equation??? I have not sussed that one yet!!

  Rob Ferman, London, England

• I'm left footed, right handed and often get mixed up on left and right when giving or taking directions. I recently met a man who's writing a book on this - he seemed quite fascinated by the whole subject and I'm very interested now.

  Dave Cook, Skipton, UK

• Both myself and my brother are right handed left footed, no once else in our family that we know of is .I've often wondered if this has any effect on certain sports like golf, boxing, tennis, that use a combination of stance and arm movement .I think we're an odd but somewhat special bunch.

  Adrian McHugh, London England

• I'm left footed, right handed also. I was apparently forced to write with my right hand as an infant, though I have a vague recollection of it (I'm 43 years old). Try as I may to use my right foot for rugby/other sports I am pretty useless and I just cant seem to master it. I have a very vivid memory of eating crisps right handed as a 7 year old during lunch-break at school and as usual my right hand would shake like mad, I was so conscious about this even at an early age, however on this occasion I just swapped hands and it was miraculous, I was left wondering why I hadn't thought of it before. My handwriting for a man is pretty neat(RH). I eat left handed, play golf, cricket, baseball with both hands except for bowling which is always RH. It has been frustrating and confusing for me in the past especially when I was younger, I didn't know if I was coming or going but know I have learned to live with it, its no big deal, in fact its pretty cool really. One thing I will add is that my balance was and is still phenomenal, so if you find that you or someone you know are the same as us lot,bi-lateral handed then welcome to our world. I have always wondered about the way I am and I would like to learn some more about it. Kind regards, Richie, Wales, UK.

  Richie Davies, Newport, Wales

• Ever thought that some of you might be "left-sided"? I'm right-handed but seem to favor a left-sided repose (sleeping/sitting), left-footed lead, left-handed clap, left-handed clasp (left thumb over right), left-kneed kneel, left-toothed chew ... to name a few. And, speaking of names, does this sinister "malady" have one--common or scientific?

  Desertwit , USA

• I am also clearly right handed and left footed with no developmental coercion either way. It strikes me that there are at least three kinds of people who have responded to this issue. Firstly, there are clearly a group of people who are clearly ambidextrous and the symmetry of this can vary from true bi-lateral dexterity (rare) through to being 'useful', but not equally dextrous, with both hands. Secondly, there are people who are right-handed for some tasks but are left-handed for others. Thirdly, there is also a group of people (like me) who are clearly right-handed and clearly left-footed. This strikes me as probably neurologically different from the two groups above. Here the usual 'handedness' bias exists (I am strongly right-handed and, like most people, do use my left hand, but it is neither strong nor dextrous). I am also strongly left-footed. I am a good club sportsman at most sports (at cricket I bat right handed and bowl right-handed) but I kick a rugby or soccer ball with my left foot (I can kick with my right but am typically weak and less coordinated on this side). I wonder if this is a distinct neurological pattern from the other two conditions which seem to me to be different? The reason I started thinking about this as I have just returned from the park where I was trying to teach my 6 year old son to kick a ball with his left-foot (he is truly right-sided top to bottom). I know of no research into this but I suspect there will be some - I just have not looked properly! I also suspect that, neurologically, the patterns above are distinct – any neurophysiologists out there who know the answer?

  Michael Shattock, London, UK

• I don't know, really. I'm right-handed but I cut with my left hand. I've no idea which foot I am, as I kick a football with my left and a rugby ball with my right foot. Very strange.

  Nararya Y. Sumarsono, Jakarta, Indonesia

• I am extremely right-handed (not comfortable doing ANYTHING with my left hand over my right) but also extremely left leg dominant. I jump off, kick, balance, it's the front leg in the sprinter's blocks, and when I dunk a basketball I launch off my left leg. For this reason I can't bat with power in baseball. I bat right-handed, but my "power leg" isn't powerful at all! Oddly I do use my right leg for the kick pedal when playing drums although that's more because I was forced to by the drum set up as opposed to doing it because I was more comfortable initially. :P

  Tony Draxler, Kansas City, US

• Very interesting read. I myself write, kick, throw, bowl all lefthanded yet play golf, bat at cricket righthanded. I play tennis with both hands with my stronger forehand surprisingly being my right.

  Alan James, Essex

• I think I must be an extremely rare case as I am left handed, left footed and left eyed. I play golf left handed, pitch left handed and play a left handed guitar. I also kick with my left foot and skateboard goofy style.

  Anthony Bapt, London, UK

• Well I'm 15 and I am right handed and left footed also or "cross lateral". But I was curious why I was like this so I did a little bit of searching and found it here. But it's weird 'cause I only know one other person like me till this very day. But I do a lot of things left handed but I write right handed and throw a ball right handed as well but I kick a ball left footed. But to people who aren't it's pretty cool being cross lateral.

  Derek Hodge, Montgomery, TX, USA

• Well this isn't an answer, but neither are most of the comments! Just to add, I am right handed, left footed and am intrigued about the effects. Like one other commentator I found it virtually impossible to learn left from right when I was at school. Interestingly my twin nieces (11) are mirror images of each other - one is left handed and right footed and the other is right handed and left footed. They are identical twins and completely different in personality and interests. Could there be anything genetic here or is it just a coincidence?

  Val Alker, Liverpool

• Am 40 yrs. old. Right hand and eye, but left foot. Glad to know am not alone. I remember standing out while playing soccer back in the days. Friends say I keep bubbling ideas. I think its a rarity that we possess and should exploit fully.

  Mark Odino, Nairobi, Kenya

• I kick ass with my left foot, but punch assholes with my right arm. Never figured out why. What the heck, I ended up becoming a rocket scientist. The combo must be good.

  Sohail Mohammed, Connecticut, US

• I do everything with my left hand, write, throw, eat etc,but I punch with my right and my right arm is stronger. I also cut with scissors or wire trimmers with my right, I play golf and tennis,both handed, and I'm soley right footed - I can kick a ball with my left-quite well i nfact,but with my right is where the magic happens-can anybody tell me what is the reason for this? Or am I just a freak, ha-ha

  Mark Jasons, Manchester, England

• I throw and kick left but write and play guitar right-handed. Left seems to be for power while right is for more intricate tasks.

  Jay Wilson, Austin, Texas, USA

• I have to agree with the last comment in that left seems to be for power and right for intricate tasks. I write righty but carry heavy items lefty. Kick football lefty but dribbles righty I can accurately pass righty but can only fire lefty. Odd but awesome I'd say. Thanks to whoever thought of this thread

  Maxime A., Boston USA

• I am also right-handed and left-footed. As a kid my dad always thought this was weird and that I should use my right foot but it was never comfortable for me...that's why I was looking this up! I usually write right-handed but I can write with my left quite well also, and I always open things left handed (like jars and stuff). I have no idea which eye is better. Weird.

  Lindsey Dragoi, Herndon, VA USA

• haha! I'm glad I found this forum. Basically I'm Right handed when writing. using a spoon and scissors.. but that all for my right hand 'cause I always use my left hand, especially when drawing and using force, but I'm right footed and rarely use my left foot except when my right leg and foot is tired. Most of you guys were right-handed left-footed. I kinda envy you guys cause I think I'm out of your page but I'm really glad that I bumped into this forum.

  Glenn Perolino, Philippines

• Simple Answer Is That. ONLY RIGHT HANDED MALE IS ALWAYS & 100% LEFT FOOTED. OTHER THEN RIGHT HANDED MALE EVERY PERSON ON THE EARTH IS RIGHT FOOTED.(TOTALY LEFT HANDED MALE --- RIGHT /LEFT HANDED FEMALE --- OR --- AMBIDEXTROUS PEOPLE.)

  Ali, Pakistan Pakistan

• right-handed but left-footed and left-eyed. its kinda weird when boxing.

  E, CA USA

• I eat and play sports left handed but write right handed.

  Sofia, Santiago. Chile

• Andy in Newcastle I'm the very same. In Ireland we call it the "Hurley grip". I always figured it was because I'm left footed and right handed... now I'm convinced.

  Peter Hogan, Tipperary, Ireland

• I write left handed, play sports right handed/footed, ambidextrous when it comes to throwing a punch(rarely need to do that btw) eat right handed, use a pc mouse left handed, when doing single leg yogic stances I'm steadier on my left leg than the right. Glad to see I'm not the only one that is like this. Is there a generic term for it other than cackhanded or weird as I sometimes get called?

  Steve, Market Drayton, UK

• I am right handed but I am left footed in sport as well. I even knew a guy who was also called peter hogan and he was the same.

  Sarah Wilde, CHEADLE United Kingdom

• Not unusual so am I. I am left footed and right handed

  Naseem Deen, Durban South Africa

• Ok, i'm in the same ball park as you guys, jeez, what a team of fotballers we'd be, everyone wanting to play left defence. I'm very left footed, and very right handed. I noticed an unusual comment re lip curling. I can lift whole top tip, but only do the Elvis curl with right side. Right eyed, right eared, play golf and all other sports right handed, darts, cricket, pool, tennis, etc, but box southpaw like a leftie, right foot forward. Jump off right foot, sprint blocks are right foot forward.

  Drew Adamson, Paisley Scotland

• I'm the same way. I'm right handed and left footed and I'm 20.. I looked it up because I played soccer and basketball and the coach and my friends pointed it out.. but it mean we are not one sided which is better that only using one side of your body, we use both sides of or brain not just one side

  Mondreus, Athens,Georgia United States

• Hello, my 6 year old son throws with his left hand, kicks with his left foot but writes with his right hand and when using a baseball bat plays as a right hander. I am confused.

  rhonda blackman, watertown ny

• I'm also mixed but I would guess that almost no one uses a standard pair of scissors left handed. It's uncomfortable to me just to hold them in my left hand.

  Bob Crouch, GRANITE FALLS United States

• I am right handed and left footed, and up until now I thought I was the only one. But i researched it online and turns out it turns up a lot in my family, but only in guys. Does anyone know if it is hereditary?

  Connor, Boston USA

• I too am left footed, but right handed. Eat with left, left eyed, these factors have only been brought to my attention, when I noticed my son(2)at the time, consistently preferred handling his pencil/brush with his left hand. I learnt later, I was one of the left handed, forced to write with my right as a youngster!

  Jide, Zurich Switzerland

• Interesting page, thank you for 'some' answers!! I am a right handed writer and darts thrower, but a left footer. Other activities i don't do as often, play pool, cards, shoot an air rifle, try and strum a guitar (!?!?) are all left.....i'm glad i'm not the only one!

  abbi, torrington devon

• I am right handed left footed, I have never met some one like me yet, I once asked my lecturer who taught anatomy and physiology, and told me it didn't make any sense, another said it was a sign of intelligence, because you are able to combine both sides of the brain while thinking, which means you can be good at almost anything if you concentrate on it, but the problem with people like us, it is hard to concentrate on something for a long time, we will always choose to do different things and change interest fast, which means we can hardly achieve things.. do you guys agree with me?

  Saif, Sydney Australia

• interesting comments online. Nice to hear from others on the subject. I am right handed and left footed. I find recently I am doing more with my left hand, such as holding a glass etc. someone made a comment on heredity and my father is also right handed and left footed. look forward to hearing more comments. thanks P

  Pablo, Canada

• I am a musician (Jazz piano, upright bass, flute, guitar) and recently purchased a set of drums for my drummer friends to use so they wouldn't have to haul their kits here and back. I sat down to play and discovered that I can't get the hang of playing the high hat (on my left) on the back beat and the bass drum (right foot) on the down beat. It feels much better to play the down beat with my left foot, like marching. I am left footed for kicking the football but right handed. I didn't find any comments on this thread about handedness among musicians. I know it's frustrating for me to pick up somebody's left handed guitar. Any left footed drummers out there?

  David Thompson, Portland, OR USA

• I am left footed and let handed but I eat with my right hand and write with both hands (it is true). I do other every thing with left.

  Adil Mohd, Abu Dhabi UAE

• Being able to use both hands for the same activities and with equal ease is called ambidextrous. As for myself, I am right handed, left footed, and right eyed.

  Evan Pearcy, Courtenay Canada

• I am ambidextrous and this is considered very strange almost evil in Kenya. They think I'm some weirdo. My mom has always scolded me for using my left hand a lot but if you've got the ability use it to the full. It's a lot of fun and you'll always have some edge over 'single handers' B-)

  Michael, Nairobi Kenya

• My 5 yo son writes and eats with his left hand, but holds a tennis racquet and kicks a ball on his right side. It seems to be mostly men answering this question. Have you all turned out okay?

  Laura, UK

• I found I am left handed in striking in Martial arts. My Kung Fu instructor told me that if I am left handed than kicking with my right foot is better because my stance on my left foot is much more stable.

  Bruce, Vancouver Canada

• Well reading through a few of the posts has made me want to add my originality which baffles most!! I'm left handed in writing, throwing,catching and general strength, i eat right handed as in knife and fork ( apart from chopsticks ) I'm right footed to kick a footy but my left leg is stronger. I surf right foot back and snowboard & skate left foot back. I play golf and cricket right handed.. My right eye is most defiantly dominant. My hearing in sharp but I'd say right is the dominant side. So that's my two bobs worth, as I could go on with my examples of my odd crossed wiring for hours!! But my opinion is it works for me and I more often than not it is an advantage!! ;-)

  Wade, Wollongong Australia

• I'm right handed and left footed. I find it very confusing when I'm watching an exercise video, because I can never tell if I'm doing the same the as the person on the screen, or the mirror opposite. I can even write with my left foot, even though I can't write with my left hand!

  Sandra, Newbury England

• I am right-handed and left footed too. I have never met anyone else like this. I have no co-ordination and am poor at sports because my top and lower halves have conflicting orientation! I am left-eyed and eat left handed - but can not write a single letter with my left.

  Craig, Burton on Trent UK

• Hi, I'm righthanded and left footed. Anything I do one handed, such as tennis or writing, I do righthanded, although I can only write in block capitals! If it requires both hands I do it left handed, such as golf or cricket. However, in the last few years, I've been putting and chipping right handed in golf because it 'feels' so much more comfortable and It works better. My strong eye is my left eye. Go figure, cos I can't!!

  James, Dublin Ireland

• My son is 5 years old and is right handed except when using scissors and left footed for kicking and even when pressing on the gas pedal. He drove one of those kids cars and crossed his left foot over to use the gas pedal. I had to correct him every time. He kept wanting to use his left foot. I am wondering what people things this means for right handed and left footed?

  Kim, Portland United States

• I'm right handed, left legged, right eyed. At school, I jumped from the left for the high jump. I have created topiary spirals and have noticed that the spirals are from top left to right, when all the pictures I've seen of tree spirals are from top right to left. I put a line through an O for a zero, from top left to right, not like right handers, top right to left. I wish I knew why.

  Elaine, London England

• I'm also left footed and right handed. As a martial artist I have found ths very helpful in having a strong attack on both sides!!

  Matt, Stevenage UK

• I use my right hand and my left foot and i have never see someone like me guess it is unusual

  lemin, nktt mauritania

• I am also left footed and right handed.

  Raj, Austin United

• I am totally left footed and right handed. I did not think anything of this until a friend of mine commented on how strange it is. I cannot kick a football or a rugby ball with my right foot at all. I write, play golf, cricket and badminton right handed, and rowed bow side. I think this is an interesting debate and I fall on the side of "We are all put together differently." However, perhaps it is a bit odd.

  Ian Martin, Cambridge, UK

• I'm right handed but left footed. I know a few other people like this too so I knew I wasn't too rare. My mom's three brothers are the same. Like most others on here I'm also quite sporty and find that I play cricket right handed, both batting and bowling. With Tennis, I play right handed, but prefer switching hands rather than playing backhand. On the other hand, with rugby I'm a complete lefty - kick with my left foot and my stronger pass is with my left hand. When I did high jump in school I would do the run up from the right, like the right footed guys. I've seen on here a few people with a variety of different mixes and so I think this makes us even more unique.

  Dale Ullbricht, Hertfordshire, UK

• People who perform certain things exclusively with one hand/foot and other things exclusively with the other hand/foot are known as being schizodextrous. I belong to that club!

  Tom, Solihull, UK

• I'm exclusively right handed and absolutely left footed. I'm also the proof that this does not give you any IQ advantage over more conventional individuals. I'm sorry to disappoint you :(

  Juan Madera, Singapore Singapore

• My 11-year-old son is left-handed but right-footed. He has been boxing three years and he is southpaw which he is more comfortable with than orthodox. The power is there in his right hand, yet at football his right foot is the strongest. I find this subject interesting.

  Daren Beer, Chesterfield, Chesterfield

• Answer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laterality

  Nebojsa, Milutinovic Serbia

• Everything above waist level I am right-handed e.g. when playing darts, bowling overarm, firing a rifle and writing. Below waist level, I am left-footed, at underarm bowls - left-handed. When boxing I lead with my left hand with left foot forward. My left-hook usually put my opponent down, the same with my straight right. When riding a horse, I can swap and use my whip hand equally which most professional jockeys cannot do, so it does have advantages.

  George Sullivan, Cubbington Warks

• I want to thank all of you for commenting and reading. Thumbs up! The simple thought jerking nature of this neuro disposition excites me. We and the whole of existence are testament to the fact that we are all special and most definitely unique. I am RH and LF for sports etc. However, in everyday life I use my right side for this is emulation of the way of the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who I believe is the best of creation. Also the last prophet(pbuh) sent from the one and 'ONLY' creator. As with anything and everything in life there is a system. Who could possibly be more qualified to instruct us humans than the leader of all prophets. Miraculously there are detailed evidences in the SUNNAH (way) of the prophet muhammed (pbuh) that are readily accessible. If we are to sincerely investigate how something operates ie.human beings, it would be counter productive to dismiss 'the manual'. al-Quran: There are signs in creation for men of understanding.

  Muhammed Blakeway, Birmingham England

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Where Is the Right Foot in Relation to the Left Hand?

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,,-78506,00.html