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The Lefty Flip
When athletes are young there are several factors that determine what kind of player they will be. For many, they decide at a young age which sport they are interested in and from there they naturally fall into certain positions and consequently develop certain strengths. Other athletes have outside variables that help to mold what kind of player they will become. This can often be parents or coaches teaching the athlete a specific skill. For example, some pitchers began their pitching career because their recreation league teams needed a pitcher so they just decided to do it. Others were encouraged by their parents or coaches who saw something in them that might make a great pitcher.
As the game progresses and changes over the years there is one such case that becomes more and more common among softball athletes: the lefty flip. This is when a parent or a coach decides to forgo a player's natural right-handed ability and switch them to bat, and even throw, left-handed.
Having a softball player switch from hitting and throwing right-handed to left-handed has many pros and cons and it is done for many reasons. If you are thinking of encouraging an athlete to switch over, thinking of switching over yourself, or if you are interested in learning what is given up and gained by such a conversion, here are a list of some of the pros and cons.
PROS
1. Slappers
Softball is an evolving game, and one aspect that has become more prominent is the short game. Slapping has become an important part of the game and it is usually desirable to have one or two in the line-up. If a player is young, it might be difficult to tell if they will be fast enough to be a slapper right away, but if they are flipped over and end up being fast, they won't have to worry about doing it when they get older. That doesn't mean they have to be youngsters, even older girls are switching over to utilize their speed from the left side. This is a pro because it is desired by coaches and the demand for skilled slappers is high. Also, it provides a number of ways for the athlete to reach first by capitalizing on their natural speed.
2. Pitchers
Left-handed pitchers are few and far between and they are a hot commodity in the softball world. Because they are much rarer than the usual righties, they can often be difficult for batters to get used to. This can prove to be a great perk for a team, and a great challenge for their opposition.
3. Closer to First Base
As stated earlier, if an athlete is really young it might be hard to tell if they will be fast enough to be a slapper, or if they will be a power hitter. Regardless of what type of hitter they will be it is always good to be closer to first. Sometimes even one step can mean the difference between out and safe.
4. Demand
Although, as previously stated, lefties are becoming more common, they are still less prominent than the righties. This goes for all types of left-handed players, power hitters, slappers, pitchers, and infielders. Because they are less common it makes the demand for them higher. Coaches want girls that bat from the left, and pitchers and fielders that are left-handed. Often it can throw pitchers off if the batters in the line-up are varied, just like it can throw off hitters if the pitcher is left-handed.
CONS
1. Find Your Own Way
One of the great things about sports is that it gives girls the opportunity to express themselves. One way they can do this is by deciding what kind of player they want to be and how they want to get there. Many great players found their niche because they were passionate about a certain skill (i.e. pitching, hitting) and decided that was what they wanted to do. Turning a player around is influencing them without letting them learn and develop on their own.
2. Not Natural
If a player has to be turned around to hit left-handed or taught to throw left handed, it is clearly not natural for them. This can cause problems later on if they are right-hand dominant and have more strength in that side of their body. This may mean they will have to adjust and get used to using the other muscles on the left-side instead of overcompensating with the right. For example, a left-handed converted hitter will be right-hand dominant and therefore stronger in that arm. This may cause that arm to take control while swinging and cause the shoulder to pull off. This, of course, can be alleviated, but it is nonetheless a struggle for many converted left-handed athletes.
3. Set Back
Teaching a player something that goes against what they are naturally inclined to do can take time. This can often set back an athlete in their sport. If the player is young, this might not be a big concern, but many times the athletes are older and are converted to become left-handed. This can be a set back and it will take time for them to learn their new trade and become successful. It can be discouraging for an older athlete, even a younger athlete, to have to drastically change their game and struggle while learning a new skill.
These are all things to think about when deciding if you should be left-handed, or if you should train someone else to play as a lefty.
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