Nope, nothing to do with politics here. I’ve been following hockey since the 1980s but never played it. What the difference between playing right wing vs left wing? Is there a different raw skill set that makes someone better at LW as opposed to RW?
Historically, you wanted better shooters on the right side. Gordie Howe, Rocket Richard, Guy Lafleur and Mike Bossy were all right wings with a talent for putting pucks in the net. Of those 4, only Richard was a left handed shot.
Informally, I don’t know exact numbers, I am pretty sure that more players are left handed shots than right handed shots. Most centres have, again historically, been left handed shooters. That makes it easier for them to pass to the right wing, which is why you want a sniper there. Of course a notable exception would have been Stan Mikita, a right handed shot centre, who played with Bobby Hull on the left wing.
I say historically because the game and the nature of the positions have become much more fluid in the last few years. But generally you want a good shooter on the forehand side of your best centre.
Traditionally, someone who shoots lefty would be a left winger, but that is changing.
Yes, left shooters (left hand low on the stick) should be on the left wing… etc. Same with the defense pair. But it usually doesn’t work out that way, it seems there are a shortage of right shooters. Oddly, most right-handed people will shoot left, myself included.
Traditionally, players who shoot from the left were left wingers and vice versa for the right wing. This is advantageous because you can pick the puck up off the boards, keep the puck wide of the defense coming from the middle.
In today’s hockey, you play with what you have. Players are not really limited by which hand they shoot, in fact, player positions are much more fluid due to talent, availability, chemistry, injuries, etc…
K364 - That’s not odd. Most players will have their dominant hand at the top of the stick for better control, accuracy, etc… so you would naturally shoot on the left.
That said, there are many players that hold their stick “backwards” with their dominant hand down the stick. These guys are usually known to have harder shots.
There is no advantage to shooting left versus right; it’s just imitation, habit and custom, the way baseball catchers are all right handed for no real reason.
Playing on your strong side is more common among defensemen than wings, because the defensemen spend more time taking pucks off the boards at the corners, and because it helps them push attackers to the outside.
For wings, sometimes it’s nice to have an easier time getting the puck off the boards, and sometimes it’s nice to be taking your shot closer to center ice.
Here’s a long article about left versus right. The general conclusion is that it basically comes down to preference. You’ll find some situations where one is better than the other, or playing your strong vs weak side makes more sense, but overall they play where they feel most comfortable.
Which side of the net is easier to score into- the goalie’s stick or glove side? Does it it make a difference in the handedness of the goalie as to whether a left shooter or right shooter has an advantage?
Unlike shooters, which is a little more balanced (65% left vs 35% right), goalies are much more likely (~90%) to hold the stick in their right and glove on the left. So theoretically, it should be easier to shoot at their stick hand, i.e., the shooter’s left. But you don’t see that reflected in left-handed shooters being more successful than righties, so who knows.
There’s supposedly something to the idea of having your dominant hand low on the stick for more control, vs. more power with dominant hand high, but I expect it’s all about what you’re comfortable with. I did read an article about how Canada has the highest proportion of left handed golfers in the world because it’s a lot more common for Canadians to shoot lefty in hockey.
Conversely, a disproportionate fraction of American hockey players shoot right because they pick up a hockey stick the same way that they pick up a baseball bat.
Certainly when I played hockey (a complete righty) I never considered anything but right hand low with my left side facing the net if I turned sideways for a shot. It was how I palyed baseball and golf. If someone had told me Canadians did it the other way I’d have thought they were kidding me.
It’s not just Canadians, I remember the Russian side in the famous 1972 series against Canada only had a few right hand shooters.
Left handed shooters are not all necessarily left handed people.
I’ve only played field hockey but that’s the same with me. It never occurred to me to hold it in any other way. Right hand further down just like a baseball bat. The other way seems so odd to me.
See post #5.
You’ve got it backwards. If you’re dominate hand is a the top, you have more control and fine motor skills for puck handling, passing, shooting etc… especially when having only one hand on your stick for poke checking, blocking passes/shots, etc… If you’re dominant hand is low, you have more power for shooting, passing, face-offs, etc…
Again, left-handed players would tend to shoot right, not left.
Many parents assume that since their child is right-handed they shoot right or which way they would bat in baseball. This is usually incorrect.
I do coach youth hockey. Kids are fast learners and can adapt very quickly and you want them to feel as comfortable as possible when learning puck skills.
I always advise new parents at the initiation level to buy sticks with no curve and let the player decide which is their “natural” shot. you’d be surprised how many can play holding their stick either way without even thinking about it. They will eventually settle on the one that best works for them once they have run through all the necessary skills.
There are a couple of tests you can try.
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Have them close their eyes, and think about something else, then hand them a hockey stick and see which way they instinctually reach out to grab it.
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Hand them a broom and have them start sweeping for 5 minutes or so. They should settle on a comfortable position with their hands in opposite grips and usually their dominant hand at the top.
Then I am backwards. I am right handed and I bat and shoot right.
Most likely you assumed that because you are right-handed and bat right, you would shoot right so you have adopted that grip. It may well be your “natural” shot but just not for those reasons.
Don’t forget that in a game you are often defending with only one hand on the stick - it’s easier to have your dominant hand at the top to do that.
I would think that since most batters bat right-handed that having a right-handed catcher would be a major advantage for throwing to second base.
Speaking of which, where possible, isn’t it also advantageous to have a left-handed first baseman for that tiny little stretch advantage?