Expert: Rick Bundy - 3/19/2009

Question
My 7 year old son appears to be a left-handed writer. However, he seems stronger and more accurate when he throws with his right hand, and he can bat both ways.  How do I know which hand he should throw (and catch) with? Someone told me you should always throw with your writing hand. Is that true?

Thanks alot,

Mom of a new Tball player, trying to buy a mitt

Answer
Evie:  Thank you for the question.

You might try these 3 tests, they will give you an idea where you stand.

1.  Does he write with his left, or right, hand?  Just ask him to write his name on a piece of paper.

2.  Which hand does he hold a pair of scissors in when cutting a piece of paper?  Hand him a pair of scissors and ask him to cut a circle out of a piece of paper.

3.  Give him a ball and ask him to throw it to you.

I don't know if throwing with your writing hand is always true; but the writing test in step one is a dominance test for preference.  Being a fine motor skill test, is pretty accurate.

The other two tests will show a preference on his part, which is where you want to be.

The batting situation is not an issue.  There are many people who can bat both ways or who throw left and bat right or visa versa.

At seven years old, throwing stronger and more accurate shouldn't mean much; but his preference for right or left should.  Whichever hand he throws with, you then automatically learn to catch with the opposite.  Throwing preference determines that.

From my own personal experience, when I was 6 or 7, I wanted to throw right, and bat left.  At the time left handed was seen as an issue for most everything, so my dad had me switch to right handed hitting.  That wasn't a problem; but changing my personal preference to throw right could well have been.  Looking back, after 45 years in baseball, it would have been more of an advantage for me to hit left handed.  We probably should have left that to my initial preference as well.

When you decide and look for that first mitt, consider the size of the mitt carefully.  In the Diamondbacks' camps, we see numerous younger kids, 6-8, who show up with a mitt that is way too large.  That really hampers their ability to move and handle the glove as they need to.  Some of those little guys show up with their dad's softball mitt.  They are excited to have it to use; but the size makes everything difficult for them, from a receiving stand point.

Good luck to you, as you take the first steps on your, and your sons', baseball journey.  Enjoy the ride.

My website, www.theoleballgame.com, is dedicated to playing and coaching youth baseball.  As you go forward, you may find some information there that may help you along the way.

Yours in baseball,

Rick