I did a Google search and found that other people do this same thing, but I couldn’t find any reason for it. A search on the SDMB proved fruitless. So I direct my query to you GQMFs.
I’m right-handed, but I can only snap the fingers of my left hand. When I try to snap with my right, it makes a dull sound, not the loud, crisp snap of the left. I tried repositioning my thumb and middle finger to improve the sound to no avail. What in the world causes this?
I’m not sure there’s going to be any one reason for it - it seems likely that things like coordination, old injuries, practice, and minute physiological abnormalities could all be the cause of a particular person’s inability to snap the fingers of either hand. Not to mention the fact that simply believing we can’t do something is a good way to keep from improving a skill too.
I mean jeez, why can I snap the fingers on both hands about equally as well, when some people can’t do either hand at all?
Just because you’re right-handed, doesn’t mean your left hand is disabled, or even able to do some things better. Ask anyone who has played a string instrument.
And there might be subtle differences in the structure of your two hands. Nobody is symmetrical.
This is also in the realm of speculation, but it seems that elfkin477 is probably on to something. I would think that people who do physical labor with one hand more than the other would have a harder time with the finer movements due to a variety of factors such as increased musculature, torqued joints, repeated sprains, arthritis, and callus buildup.
I don’t have much of an answer, but I’ve noticed the same thing. Even despite being right-handed, I’m better at snapping my fingers with my left hand. I can make a snapping sound with my right hand, but it isn’t as loud as what I can do with my left hand.
All I can offer by way of an explanation is that I can put a lot pressure in my left thumb leaning against my left middle finger (the first step of finger snapping) while if I do the same with my right hand, my thumb tends to slip or the last joint of my middle finger doesn’t stay folded. Maybe my right thumb is stronger than my left, or my right middle finger is weaker than my left for some reason.
Whatchoo talkin’ about, Willis?
I can snap left or right hands equally. Both are loud and solid. Methinks most people are just of a lesser co-ordination ability.
That’s what happens when you sew doilies for a living.
Nothing to add except I have the same experience as the OP.
Well, this describes me too. But I wonder if confirmation bias is the reason for the “why.” I don’t know that I’d consider it at all noteworthy if I (a right-handed person) could snap with my right hand but not with my left. I think I’d just chalk it up to being, well, right-handed, end of question. So perhaps the fact that it’s other-than-expected leads it to be talked about more often when a righty snaps left–not that there’s something weird going on that causes this strange condition in lots of us northpaws.
Me too.
I am left handed and I have the same issue of those of you that are right handed. In fact, I found this forum when I was looking for an explanation! I can snap my fingers with my right hand,but not my left hand and I am left handed! However, I have found that if I get a rhythm going with both hands; I am able to snap with both hands at the same time, but not the left hand by itself! I believe it’s a matter of how your brain coordinates this particular skill or function. The human brain is really fascinating isn’t it!? lol
I can snap both hands just fine, but only with my middle finger. I’ve seen others use their forefingers to snap (presumably it’s possible to use others) but I just can’t do it. Sounds the same as rubbing two fingers together.
I think it’s just what you learned. If you practice, you’ll probably be able to learn to snap with your other hand, just as if I practice, I could learn to snap with my other fingers. We just seem to lose the motivation to learn these things as an adult. I learned to whistle when I was seven. But I never could do the thumb and forefinger loud whistle, and now I’m old enough that I probably never will. Because who sits around learning how to whistle and snap as an adult?
I have posted before that in art school we did exercises with our non-dominate hand over the course of the class and in the end compared the results. Most people markedly improved. So you can learn how to do pretty much anything with practice. I sketch differently with (nd) my right hand, but sometimes quite well. It takes practice, practice, practice.
Isn’t that how everyone does it?
In a similar vein - it seems relatively rare for people to be able to hold their hand flat and separate each of the fingers and thumb sideways in turn.
If I understand you correctly, the only one I’ve seen people have trouble with is the Vulcan salute–between the middle and ring fingers. But my observation seems to be that this is largely a problem of the past, given cultural exposure to the symbol and raw practice while younger.
I also wouldn’t be surprised if being able to flip the bird made this easier–if you can do it without using your thumb to hold down fingers, it would seem a lot easier to separate those fingers later.
That said, I agree on the snapping thing. The middle finger more easily hits the flesh of the hand to make the noise. The ring finger requires crumpling up the hand too much, the pinkie is too far away, and the pointer finger too easily rubs against the thumb on the way down, robbing it of its momentum.
I thought this was a new thread by the OP and that maybe she would be back to post more cool history threads, but alas, no 
I can snap the fingers of both hands/feet equally well, and I am mostly right handed.
How about you try having somebody else snap your other hands’ fingers?
I can snap left and right. I’m guessing that zombies don’t snap their fingers at all. Maybe JAZZ zombies.
My left snap is much louder and sharper than my right, and I’m right handed. Of course, this thread sets up conditions conducive to an observation bias.
If we’re collecting anecdotal data points, I’m right-handed and can only snap with my right hand.